Back to Workflows
Wildlife Documentary Production Company Consolidating NAS Storage and LTO Tape Backup
Company Situation
The company operates in the wildlife documentary production industry, focusing on films about animal encounters and conservation efforts. Their team works on both small and large projects involving substantial volumes of footage captured over long periods. The company manages a significant archive with years of raw media, requiring efficient organization and remote collaboration capabilities for editors and producers.
Existing Workflow
Currently, the company stores primary media on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) system and backs up data using LTO tape drives. For remote editing and collaboration, they use cloud-based file streaming solutions similar to LucidLink and employ Frame.io for review and approval workflows. Archival storage is planned using AWS Deep Glacier for cold storage of up to 200 terabytes of data. Their workflow involves manual tagging and searching of footage, often relying on interns to sift through vast amounts of raw media to locate specific shots.
Issues with the Existing Workflow
Manual tagging and searching of extensive footage is time-consuming and labor-intensive, requiring multiple interns to find relevant clips such as specific wildlife species.
The current archive storage (Deep Glacier) does not support searchable proxies or easy media previewing, limiting quick access to archived content.
Multiple tools are used to manage different stages of the workflow (storage, streaming, review/approval), creating a fragmented and inefficient tech stack.
Remote editors face challenges accessing and monitoring large project files seamlessly.
How Shade Would Change Their Workflow
Shade consolidates multiple tools into a single intelligent platform that integrates cloud storage, real-time file streaming, AI-powered search, and review/approval workflows. The company can upload large project files to Shade’s cloud storage, allowing remote editors to mount and stream footage just like local files. Shade’s AI automatically tags and organizes media by detecting wildlife species, actions, environments, and other attributes, enabling fast and precise searches without manual intervention. The platform also supports direct commenting and collaborative review within the same interface, eliminating the need for separate review tools. Additionally, Shade’s upcoming cold storage solution offers searchable proxies for archived footage, bridging the gap between accessibility and cost-effective long-term storage.
Benefits
- Dramatically reduced time spent searching and tagging footage through AI-powered automatic labeling and search.
- Streamlined remote collaboration with real-time file streaming and integrated review/approval tools.
- Simplified tech stack by replacing multiple separate tools with one unified platform.
- Enhanced accessibility to archived media with searchable proxies, improving archival value.
- Secure and scalable cloud storage capable of handling multi-terabyte projects efficiently.
Industry
Want to see how Shade can improve your workflow?
Book a Demo