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Visual Media Company Streamlining Remote Video Collaboration
Company Situation
The company operates within the visual media production industry, focusing on high-resolution video content creation. Their team consists of remote editors located across multiple countries, requiring efficient collaboration on large raw video files. Their workflow involves managing and transferring massive Red RAW files, demanding high bandwidth and reliable file access globally.
Existing Workflow
Currently, the team shoots exclusively on Red cameras, generating very large RAW files. To share footage with remote editors, they transcode these RAW files into ProRes formats to reduce file size before uploading them to Google Drive. Editors then download and work on these transcoded versions. The team also uses Frame.io for company previews and feedback, while final deliveries are sent via Google Drive links. They maintain local NAS storage for archival and smaller proxy files.
Issues with the Existing Workflow
Transcoding RAW files to ProRes is time-consuming and labor-intensive, requiring dedicated personnel.
Google Drive storage limits and synchronization delays cause bottlenecks, with storage usage not updating in real time and uploads/downloads not matching the team’s fast-paced needs.
Upload and download speeds are insufficient for transferring hundreds of gigabytes daily, impacting productivity.
Geographic dispersion of editors, including locations with potentially limited access to certain cloud services, complicates seamless file sharing.
Companies find Frame.io cumbersome for downloading final assets, preferring Google Drive despite its limitations.
How Shade Would Change Their Workflow
Shade offers a cloud-based streaming solution that eliminates the need for full file downloads by streaming large video files in chunks. This allows editors to begin working on RAW footage immediately without waiting for full transfers. Shade’s technology reduces upload/download friction, accelerates file access globally, and supports proxy workflows to accommodate bandwidth constraints. While Shade does not eliminate the initial upload process, it optimizes ongoing file access and collaboration. It also provides a more stable and feature-rich platform than traditional cloud storage, designed to handle high-bitrate video workflows across multiple regions.
Benefits
- Significant reduction in time spent proxy generation and transferring large video files.
- Streamlined remote collaboration by enabling editors to stream RAW files directly from the cloud.
- Improved upload and download speeds tailored to high-volume media workflows.
- Enhanced global accessibility for distributed teams, including regions with restricted cloud access.
- Reduction in storage costs due to efficient file management and streaming capabilities.
- Simplified company delivery process with faster, more reliable access to final assets.