workflow engineered

Transcription

workflow engineered
WORKFLOW ENGINEERED
T A B L E
O F
C O N T E N T S
EditShare Product Overview …..................…….….....…….…..
4
EditShare Markets …………………………................…......………..
6
Unique EditShare Innovation …….….…….....................….….. 14
Shared Production Storage ..……........................….......…..… 18
EditShare in Sports: Case Study …..........……............……….. 20
Production Asset Management .....................................…… 22
EditShare in Reality TV: Case Study ………...............……….. 24
Non-linear Editing ………….......…...............................…...…….. 26
EditShare in Feature Film: Case Study …......................…... 28
Broadcast Ingest & Playout ………………........................……. 30
EditShare in Studio Production: Case Study .................... 32
Archive & Media Protection ………….………........................... 34
EditShare in Education: Case Study …................................ 36
EditShare in Episodic TV: Case Study
………………....…..... 38
P
R
INGEST
O
D
U
MANAGE
™
Ingest
Flow Ingest is a multi-channel
ingest server developed to
seamlessly integrate with
Avid, FCP and other NLEs in
your production workflow and
to put ingest power into the
hands of the editor without
tying up editing workstations.
Features include wide codec
support with ingest of multiple
codecs simultaneously on a
single input, generation of
real-time proxy files, Edit
While Capture and support for
VTR, Live or Scheduled ingest.
T
STORE
™
™
Ingest
Geevs Video Servers offer
the best ingest and playout
functionality and workflow
options for your broadcast or
production facility. Whether
controlled via VDCP or by
one of the dedicated Geevs
control clients, Geevs manages
ingest of multi-channel SD/HD
video streams with 16-channel
Dolby® E audio, router & VTR
control. But the real power
behind Geevs is its wide range
of codec support, including
Avid DNxHD, ProRes, AVC-Intra
and DVCPRO HD.
C
Flow Browse,
Logger and Scan
At the heart of every EditShare
workflow is a powerful Flow
database that lets you track
and manage all your media
assets throughout the
production process – from
ingest to editing all the way
through to archiving.
Bandwidth-controlled File
Ingest copies your XDCAM
and P2 clips onto EditShare
Storage and into the Flow
database, rewrapping and
transcoding into Avid or
QuickTime formats and
creating proxies.
Flow Browse is a crossplatform media browser
allowing quick access to all
your content on EditShare
and Ark.
Flow Logger is a logging tool
with an intuitive interface for
fast, pre-defined metadata
entry for live ingests or
existing media.
Flow Scan finds media
captured outside
Flow ingest and adds
it to the database,
creating proxies in the
background.
Series
™
Series
™
Whether you’re running a
large operation with a hundred
or more editors, a small
independent production shop,
or even a high-end finishing
department focused on 2K
and Digital Intermediate
work, EditShare offers a top
performing scalable storage
product that can meet your
needs, greatly enhance your
collaborative workflow and fit
within your budget.
All EditShare storage systems
include EditShare’s patentpending Project Sharing, which
allows users to safely share
bins and projects for true
collaborative editing.
O
V
E
EDIT
R
V
I
PLAYOUT
™
E
W
ARCHIVE
™
Advanced Open
Source NLE
Playout for
Broadcasters
Since its first release in
1989, Academy and Emmy
award-winning Lightworks
has edited some of the
most highly-acclaimed
Hollywood features. Credited
for its tremendous speed
and efficiency, real-time
capabilities and unrivalled
feature set, this advanced
NLE is now available for
everyone to enjoy for free –
now that Lightworks has gone
Open Source.
Geevs Video Servers have
been performing solidly in
multi-channel broadcast
facilities for over 10 years. A
feature-rich tool set includes
dedicated control clients
developed for different
broadcast environments;
from studio playout with GPI
support and MOS integration
using Geevs Live, to more
sophisticated sports playout
with instant replay and
dynamic slow motion control
with Geevs Sports. For 24/7,
automated applications Geevs
AutoRun provides scheduled
hands-free playout.
5
Data Protection
and Long-term
Archiving
Whether you need to keep a
backup copy of your media
and project files, or you want
to permanently archive onto
lower-cost and more energyefficient storage, there is an
Ark solution for you.
Ark Tape: based on industrystandard LTO4 and LTO5
technology, Ark Tape gives
you an infinitely-expandable
repository for your data.
Ark Disk: based on
EditShare’s XStream
technology, Ark Disk gives
you the fastest retrieval of
media combined with costeffective failover in case of
an outage on your primary
EditShare storage.
EditShare in
Broadcast
Production & Playout
Reliability, flexibility, scalability and efficient workflow, are
what it’s all about in broadcasting, and these are the precise
qualities that have put EditShare into 24/7 broadcast
environments around the world.
While EditShare has over 1000 standalone Geevs servers
deployed for on-air playout and VTR replacement, many
broadcasters have also leveraged the complete set of
EditShare capabilities to create an integrated end-to-end
workflow solution:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
XStream and Energy Storage systems can expand to
petabytes in size. EditShare storage products enable
both media sharing for popular NLEs, and unique project
sharing for Avid, Final Cut Pro and Lightworks.
Flow and Geevs multi-channel ingest servers take inputs
from satellite feeds, VTRs, and studio cameras and write
directly to central storage in a wide range of broadcast
and post-production formats, including MPEG2, Avid
DNxHD, ProRes, AVC-Intra and XDCAM-EX/HD. We can
even create Universal Media Files that virtualize clips
so that a single piece of media can look like a native
QuickTime or Avid MXF file at the same time – a great
feature if your editors work with both Avid and non-Avid
applications.
MOS Integration with newsroom systems such as
Octopus or iNews.
Flow Asset Management provides a searchable database
of all media assets, enables file-based ingest from P2
and XDCAM, and supports scanning of clips brought into
central storage through NLEs.
Flow Browse, the cross-platform front end for Flow,
empowers editors, reporters, producers, and assistants to
search for clips, review and log, pre-edit sequences and
drag and drop into Avid, Final Cut Pro and other NLEs.
Geevs Playout – with features such as Autorun scheduled
playback, time delay, closed-caption support, integration
with 3rd party automation software, and a free API.
Ark Disk and Ark Tape for seamless movement of media
between production storage and spinning disks or LTO4/5
tape libraries. Disk-based Ark can be used for failover.
Search, view and retrieve the contents of Ark through
Flow Browse.
Tapeless Sports workflow for multi-camera coverage.
Control 16 channels of ingest and playback from a single
interface. Make “Edit While Capture” recordings direct
to central storage in popular native NLE formats such as
ProRes and Avid DNxHD. Control Slo-mo instant replays
and create highlights playlists from a dedicated Sports
Controller. Flow users can browse and drag the same
media directly into NLEs for fast turnaround packages.
High performance, yet cost effective Gigabit and 10
Gigabit Ethernet connections for all of the above.
Broadcast Workflow
INGEST
SOURCES
INGEST
INGEST
SERIES
LOGGING/ REPORTERS/
ASSISTANTS
EDITORS/SOUND MIXERS/
GRAPHIC ARTISTS
Avid, FCP, Protools, Lightworks,
After Effects, Maya, Flow Browse, etc.
BROWSE
SERIES
PLAYOUT
7
EditShare in
Education
EditShare helps students prepare for the fast-paced collaborative media
production environment found in the real world and helps educators to better
manage their workload. EditShare Energy Series & XStream shared storage
solutions provide administration features that enable educators to manage
hundreds of users and control access to network shares and time spent in
edit suites. Students can log into their EditShare Media Space from
any editing workstation on the network, ensuring a more efficient
use of equipment resources and innovative project sharing
features let instructors and students review work-inprogress together. With time-consuming media
management and scheduling tasks automated
by EditShare, educators & students
can focus on mastering media
workflows using real-world,
professional solutions.
Education Workflow
TEACHERS
INGEST SOURCES
INGEST
CLASSROOM #1
Avid, FCP, Lightworks,
Pro Tools, After Effects
CLASSROOM #2
Avid, FCP, Lightworks,
Pro Tools, After Effects
INGEST
SERIES
CLASSROOM #3
CLASSROOM #4
Avid, FCP, Lightworks,
Pro Tools, After Effects
Avid, FCP, Lightworks,
Pro Tools, After Effects
PLAYOUT
9
EditShare in
Digital Intermediate
Whether you shoot with cameras such as RED ONE,® ARRI ALEXA, or Silicon Imaging SI-2K, or you scan your film
originals to full 2K DPX, EditShare can support you with a first-class shared media DI workflow.
Typical EditShare customers record from cameras in RAW format and transcode to ProRes or Avid DNxHD® for the
editorial phase of their projects – although many are now taking advantage of accelerated RED playback with Red
Rocket. Either way, the data rates during editing are under 42 MB/sec and often much less, and with just standard
Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to their EditShare systems editors can enjoy all the benefits of cutting directly off
shared central storage as well as collaboration using our unique, patent-pending Project Sharing.
But EditShare also handles full 2K DPX with ease – supporting leading applications such as DaVinci Resolve
(for Mac® and Linux), Digital Vision, Smoke® (for Mac and Linux), SCRATCH,® Bones and our own Lightworks.
Regardless of your needs – conforming an Avid® or Final Cut Pro project into 2K DPX, or editing the entire project
from start to finish in 2K DPX – with a 10 Gigabit Ethernet connection to your workstation, you can enjoy data rates
exceeding 700 MB/sec for each of the 16-drive RAID sets in your Sony® server. If you work in 4K DPX, you can
even stripe across two sets of drives and combine the power of dual 10 Gigabit links to the workstation. For your
Render Farm needs, standard Gigabit Ethernet connections are usually the most cost-effective solution – providing
around 100 MB/sec of data flow to and from each node.
Digital Intermediate
Workflow
RED CAMERA®
FCP, AVID & LIGHTWORKS
EDITING STATIONS
SERIES
RENDER FARM
FCP
AVID
COLOR
GRADING
DIGITAL VISION
CONFORM
FINISHING
SMOKE
11
EditShare in
Production & Post
Since 2004, EditShare has been pioneering collaborative workflows
in production and post. Today, our customers include hundreds of
Feature Film and Episodic TV companies, Reality and Sports shows,
Documentary makers, Corporate and Commercial producers, and Post
Houses in over 100 countries throughout the world
All of these customers enjoy our high-performance, cost-effective,
intuitively managed and scalable central storage solutions. But that’s
just the beginning of the benefits we offer.
Our workflow-engineered tools improve efficiency and fuel creativity for
any production or post team – enabling facilities to build complete endto-end workflows around EditShare products. Some of our most popular
capabilities include:
•Patent Pending Avid, Final Cut Pro and Lightworks Project Sharing
•Flow and Geevs Multi-channel Video Servers that let you capture
direct to central storage in the native formats of the most popular
NLEs – creating clips in multiple production codecs such as Avid
DNxHD, ProRes, XDCAM-EX/HD, AVC-intra, and DVCPRO HD, while
simultaneously making low-resolution proxies in real time for
browsing over a wider network. We even support creating Universal
Media Files™ that virtualizes clips so that a single piece of media
can look like a native QuickTime or Avid MXF clip at the same time.
• Flow asset management provides a searchable database of all media
assets, enables file-based ingest from P2 and XDCAM, and supports
scanning of clips brought into central storage through NLEs.
•Flow Browse, the cross-platform front end for Flow, empowers
editors, producers, and assistants to search for clips, review and log,
pre-edit sequences without tying up an NLE, and then to drag and
drop the results into Avid, Final Cut Pro, Lightworks and other NLEs.
• Flow Logger is a tool especially designed for Reality Shows, Live
Events, and any other situations where simple one-click logging
with pre-defined metadata templates is required.
• Integrated backup and archiving to Ark Disk and Ark Tape
(LTO4/5) devices with Flow Browse at the front end to let you
search your archive and preview proxy clips before you restore a
high-res version. Ark Disk even gives you rapid failover in the event
any of your primary storage becomes unavailable.
• Support for Pro Tools mixing directly from central storage
•Support for Avid DS, Smoke, DaVinci, SCRATCH, Digital Vision
and other finishing tools with edit-in-place shared access to
centralized media.
• Tapeless Workflow for Multi-camera TV Productions provides
“killer app” features for soap operas, sitcoms, talk shows, concerts,
events, etc. Record to central storage in the most desired NLE
formats while simultaneously recording to local storage for
redundancy. Get instant replay of all camera angles after each
take, as well as automated backup to Ark. Capture GPI Triggers
from a video switcher to make sequences that can be played
back in Flow and that can be dragged into Avid or Final Cut Pro…
multicam edits direct from the studio to the NLE timeline in the
time it takes you to drag and drop.
Production & Post
Workflow
INGEST SOURCES
BROWSE
EDITING
SERIES
INGEST
SOUND MIXING
INGEST
SERIES
13
GRAPHICS
U N I Q U E
E D I T S H A R E
EditShare products are more than just shared storage – they form a complete range of workflow
engineered solutions with built-in features to boost collaboration, accelerate production, reduce
costs and leave more time for creativity. This innovation driven technology and development of
new solutions is what puts EditShare a quantum leap ahead of its peers.
TRUE PROJECT SHARING FOR EDITORS
EditShare understands that complete collaboration means more
than just sharing media files therefore all EditShare storage
solutions also give you the ability to share project files. Thanks to
EditShare’s patented bin-locking/project-locking framework, Avid
and Final Cut Pro editors can instantly see, copy or revise the work
of colleagues with the assurance that a bin, sequence or project
will never get accidentally deleted or overwritten. EditShare is the
only solution that offers project sharing for both Final Cut Pro and
Avid applications and we are the only solution – period – that offers
simple straightforward project sharing for Final Cut Pro.
AUTOMATIC CLIP BACKUP
For peace of mind, there’s nothing
like knowing you have a backup of
your media files. When you ingest
via Geevs and Flow, you now have
the option to instruct Ark to
backup each clip as soon as you
stop capturing it. The moment the
backup is complete, the clip status
in the Geevs and Flow applications
will change from “online” to both
“online and archived”.
SCALABILITY MADE SIMPLE
A natural question everyone asks when considering shared
storage solutions, is: “Can the system grow as my needs grow?”
EditShare gives you two ways to expand – up, and out. An XStream
Workflow Director is a server which allows the user to connect
any number of 16 or 32TB Expansion Chassis via PCI-e up to a
storage capacity of over 200TB. In addition, our exclusive Extreme
Scalable Architecture (ESA) technology allows you to simply plug an
additional EditShare server into your network and it works together
with the others as one giant storage system. Administrators manage
all the EditShare servers through a single unified GUI. And thanks to
our Windows and Mac OSX Login Clients, users won’t even be aware
that there are multiple servers on the network.
UNIVERSAL MEDIA FILE™ TECHNOLOGY
EditShare’s patent-pending Universal Media File (UMF) technology
allows Avid and Final Cut Pro users to work with the exact same
media files, even though the two NLEs natively use different file
formats – MXF and MOV. Flow lets you make Universal Media Files
when you ingest from HD/SD-SDI sources or when you transfer filebased media from XDCAM or P2 and you can even scan and process
some of your existing media files and make them “Universal.”
An ingested UMF file appears to the editor in both MXF and MOV
formats so that you can ingest one set of files and then anyone can
use them no matter which editing program they prefer. Universal
MOVs are also compatible with other applications such as Premiere
Pro, EDIUS,® After Effects, and Lightworks and thanks to our
exclusive partnership with Automatic Duck, when you work with
Universal Media Files, you can now translate timelines back and forth
between Avid and Final Cut Pro and all your media will just link up –
no transcoding, duplicating, or re-rendering required.
I N N O V A T I O N
ADVANCED EDIT WHILE CAPTURE
A number of ingest solutions allow you to start capturing a
videotape or video feed and then drag your new clip into an
NLE timeline while the underlying files are still growing. Flow
takes this technology one step further as it supports Edit
While Capture for both Avid and QuickTime formats and even
lets you capture in both formats simultaneously using a single
SD or HD input. Flow also allows you to create Universal Media
Files while capturing clips in supported codecs that you can
drag into virtually any NLE.
ADMINISTRATION FEATURES FOR BIG ORGANIZATIONS
When you have to manage the storage infrastructure for a large
media organization or University, the ability to add, remove or
adapt user accounts and storage spaces is paramount. That’s
why EditShare has developed a number of tools specifically for
large organizations including the ability to create User Groups
within the EditShare system and Active Directory support for
password synchronization. Also, using our Configuration Import
Tool, you can easily lay out all your user accounts and spaces
in a spreadsheet and import them into EditShare so that in
seconds your system will be set up for a new semester or year.
SYNC TOOL FOR MOVING MEDIA ACROSS OCEANS
Many EditShare customers need their production staff to
collaborate between facilities in different cities or even
countries. To help make this possible, EditShare developed
the Sync Tool. Whether you have your own private network
or you use a VPN, with the Sync Tool you can schedule huge
amounts of data to be copied automatically between locations.
Media that’s added on one side just shows up on the other with
minimal administrator intervention.
ECONOMICAL FAILOVER
No matter how robust your storage system, there’s always the
possibility it might suddenly become unavailable through fire,
flood, theft or even simple hardware failure. That’s why backing
up critical or irreplaceable material should be a priority. EditShare
has developed Ark Disk as a way of economically backing up
content from a primary EditShare storage so that should it ever
go down, you can “activate” your Ark Disk to stand in temporarily
for the missing server. Within minutes, your editors can be up and
running again to complete mission critical projects.
15
U N I Q U E
E D I T S H A R E
PARTIAL FILE RESTORATION
The integration of EditShare’s Flow and Ark products gives
you a low-resolution proxy file for every clip backed up to Ark
Tape or Ark Disk. As a result, you can search and browse your
Disk or LTO tape archive, preview proxy versions of any clips
you find, and select just the ones you want to restore. That’s a
very powerful capability. But EditShare is taking this concept
even further. If you select or create subclips in Flow, you can
now restore from Ark only the portions of a clip that interest
you – whether the original clip was in MXF or QuickTime format,
and regardless of what codec it was archived in. * Feature to
ship in Q3 of 2011
BANDWIDTH-CONTROLLED FILE INGEST
Media organizations are increasingly making the transition
from videotape to XDCAM and P2. While this has vastly
simplified production, it has created a challenge for shared
storage systems. What happens when 20 reporters come in from
the field and simultaneously need to transfer media off their
cards and discs? Without any controls, all those file transfers
could overwhelm both the network and the central storage
and interfere with editing. The EditShare Administrator allows
you to simply set a maximum aggregate bandwidth allowed
for file-ingest and Flow takes care of the rest, evenly dividing
the bandwidth between all the Flow clients and rebalancing
bandwidth to reflect new demands as they arise.
MULTICAM SEQUENCE RECORDING WITH
GPI TRIGGERS FROM A VIDEO SWITCHER
For most multicam studio productions, the
traditional workflow is to record a “mixed
output” from a video switcher to a VTR, plus
as many iso feeds as the budget allows. With
Geevs, however, producers get an exciting
new option that improves the editing
process, increases flexibility, and saves
money. Through its GPI Trigger capabilities,
Geevs can capture the “cutting decisions”
made by the video switcher operator and
transform these into a sequence based
on the iso recordings from each camera.
Without wasting space to record a switched
program, you can play back a multicam
recording exactly as it was switched – as
a low-res proxy version in Flow Browse, or
the hi-res version in your NLE. When you
drag and drop your sequence from Flow into
Avid or Final Cut Pro, you have the scene
or program with cuts between each shot,
making it a breeze to slip and slide cuts and
add color correction.
END-TO-END PRODUCTION AND PLAYOUT WORKFLOW
While EditShare had its roots in storage, today our products represent much more than just a great place to put
your data. EditShare can be your solution from Ingest to Storage, Asset Management to Editing, Playout to
Archive. However many of our products you purchase, you can be sure they all work seamlessly together. With our
ingest products, you can eliminate VTRs from your production process, cut down on maintenance, get support for
editing codecs such as Avid DNxHD and ProRes and so much more. With our asset management, you can create
searchable metadata and proxy files of all your media and always find what you need. With our storage products,
you get top-notch performance and tremendous scalability – all with the economy of Ethernet connectivity. We offer
the world’s first professional open source editing program. We give you playout that’s designed for broadcasters
who need 24/7 operation and reliability. And finally, we give you backup and archiving solutions that give you a
place to store your media for decades and be able to search for it, view proxies, and bring back high resolution files
with the click of a button.
I N N O V A T I O N
17
P
S H A R E D
R O D U C T I O
S T O R A G E
N
XStream | Energy | Metro
Shared Production Storage for Small
to Large Workgroups and Digital
Intermediate Workflows
EditShare began its history as an industry leader in media-optimized
storage and today central storage is still at the heart of everything we
do. Whether you’re running a small, independent production shop, a large
operation with a hundred or more editors – or even a high-end finishing
facility focused on 2K and Digital Intermediate work – EditShare has a
storage product that will meet your needs and fit within your budget.
EditShare customers include feature film producers and production
companies of all sizes as well as national television networks and
newsrooms. What attracts them all to EditShare? Unique Project Sharing
for Avid, Final Cut Pro and Lightworks and other NLE applications,
outstanding performance and stream counts with tremendous scalability,
standard 1 and 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, rock-solid Linux-based
reliability with RAID-5 and RAID-6 redundancy and powerful but simple
administration and management features are a few reasons.
EditShare storage solutions come in a wide range of models to suit your
needs from the high-performance XStream Series.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
EXTREME PERFORMANCE
With industry leading stream
counts supporting hundreds of
simultaneous users.
EXTREME SCALABILITY
EditShare’s Extreme Scalable
Architecture (ESA) means that
expanding your storage to
hundreds of terabytes is no more
complicated than adding expansion
servers and plugging them into the
network.
EDITSHARE PROJECT SHARING
Project sharing lets editors draw
on the same central pool of media
and work in the same project
simultaneously, freely and safely
sharing raw material, bins and
sequences.
SUPPORT FOR DI WORKFLOWS
Includes optimizations for highbandwidth, multi-user 2K and HD
DPX media.
POWERFUL, EASY CONNECTIVITY
Media-optimized Gigabit Ethernet
connections combine large stream
counts with simplicity and costeffectiveness.
NO PER-SEAT LICENSE
Removes barriers to productivity
and provides faster return on
investment.
DELETION SECURITY
Controls who can delete files and
when. Also, EditShare uniquely
includes delete to “Trash” and
“Undo” functions.
Energy
XStream Workflow Director
Rack mountable 3U Server with
16 HDD (8-32TB)
XStream Expansion Chassis
PCI-e connected rack
mountable 3U Expansion
with 16 HDD (8-32TB). Up to
10 Expansion Chassis can be
connected to one Workflow
Director.
PERFORMANCE
Resolutions
Up to 2K DPX, multicam
compressed HD, and support
for all other NLE resolutions.
Native support for Pro Tools.
ENGINE
Operating System
Linux Mandriva 64-Bit
Performance
Over 700MB/s per 16-drive
chassis
Engines (Server)
1 or multiple with ESA
Real-time Project Sharing
Avid, Apple FCP®, and
Lightworks project sharing with
sequence and bin locking
OS storage
Mirrored 2.5”
Chassis
3U Rack mountable server and
PCI-e connected Expansion
Chassis
Media Storage
16 X SATAII 3.5, 500GB, 1TB, or
2TB options
XSTREAM 3U
Workflow director and four expansion chassis.
Availability
Redundant power/cooling &
System Drives, Ark Disk or total
redundancy options for failover
Type of file system
Real time, XFS File System
Networking
2 x 1Gb and 1 x 10 GbE included.
Additional 12 x 1Gbe or 5 x
10GigE (optional). Bonded
connections to switch, connect
to multiple switches, or direct
connect to workstations
Real-time Collaboration
Avid Media Composer®, Avid
DS, Final Cut Pro, Lightworks,
Adobe® Premiere,® Adobe
After Effects,® EDIUS, Smoke,
Resolve, Digital Vision etc.
Native support for Windows Pro
Tools on standard EditShare
Media Spaces and MacPro Tools
via iSCSI
Storage Resizing & Sharing
Dynamic
Storage Scalability
Up to 352 TB/server, unlimited
scalability with EditShare ESA
CLIENTS
Client licenses
No limit, no connection fees.
Mac, PC, and Linux over 1
Gbe/10GbE Optical or Copper.
iSCSI support for Pro Tools
DIMENSIONS
Dimensions
71cm(D) x 43cm(W) x 13cm(H).
Weight
80 lbs / 36 kg
ENVIRONMENTAL
Power
380W redundant
Maximum Thermal Output
Server with 16 drives = 1300
BTU/hr
Operating Temperature
+10 to +40C, 5%-95% RH
Media Protection
RAID 5, 6
MANAGEMENT
User Management
Local, Active Directory
Energy
ENGINE
Operating System
Linux Mandriva 64-Bit
Engines (Server)
1 or multiple with ESA
OS storage
Mirrored 2.5”
Chassis
3U, 4U, Metro Tower and
Portable Field models
ENERGY 3U
Rack mountable 3U with one expansion chassis
Media Storage
4 to 24 X SATAII 3.5, 500GB,
1TB, or 2TB options
Type of file system
Real time, Central metadata
control, XFS File System
Networking
2 x 1Gb included. Additional 8
x 1Gbe or 4 x 10GigE (optional).
Bonded connections to switch,
connect to multiple switches, or
direct connect to workstations.
Availability
Redundant power/cooling &
System Drives, Ark Disk or total
redundancy options for failover
ENERGY 4U
Rack mountable 4U with one expansion chassis
PERFORMANCE
Resolutions
From DV25 up to 1:1 HD
1080i/60 10bit, Pro Tools direct
support (depending on model)
19
Availability
Redundant power/cooling &
System Drives, Optional Ark
Disk for failover
Performance
Over 700MB/s per 16-drive 3U
system
Real-time Project Sharing
Avid, Apple FCP, and Lightworks
project sharing with sequence
and bin locking
Real-time Collaboration
Avid Media Composer, Avid DS,
Final Cut Pro, Lightworks, Adobe
Premiere, Adobe After Effects,
EDIUS, Smoke, Resolve, Digital
Vision etc. Native support for
Windows Pro Tools on standard
EditShare Media Spaces and
Mac Pro Tools via iSCSI
Media Protection
RAID 5, 6
MANAGEMENT
User Management
Local, Active Directory
Storage Resizing & Sharing
Dynamic
Storage Scalability
3U and 4U have expansion unit
option for additional 16-drives.
Infinitely expandable via Extreme
Scalable Architecture (ESA).
CLIENTS
Client licenses
No limit, no connection fees.
Mac, PC, and Linux, Optional
iSCSI support.
DIMENSIONS
Dimensions
3U: 71cm(D) x 43cm(W) x
13cm(H).
4U: 69cm(D) x 43cm(W) x
18cm(H).
Expansion: 59cm(D) x
43cm(W) x 13cm(H)
Metro: 64.8cm(D) x 43.7cm(W)
x 17.8cm(H).
Field: 30cm(D) x 22.5cm(W) x
33cm(H)
Weight
3U: 80 lbs / 36 kg
4U: 100 lbs / 45 kg
Expansion: 60 lbs / 27 kg
ENVIRONMENTAL
Power
380W redundant
Maximum Thermal Output
3U Energy with 16 drives =
1200 BTU/hr
4U Energy with 24 drives =
1470 BTU/hr
Expansion = 850 BTU/hr
Operating Temperature
+10 to +40C, 5%-95% RH;
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MLB’s Cincinnati Reds Score a Grand
Slam with EditShare Shared Storage
Speedy production and improved media management for one
of the country’s most media-savvy baseball parks
The Reds’ Great American Ball Park has a huge
scoreboard display and hundreds of LED and fascia
boards strategically placed throughout the stadium.
A new control and production facility needed to be
built to maximize the fan experience while improving
the workflow for producing action-packed HD videos,
highlights, player profiles, corporate sponsorships and
more. A centralized storage solution from EditShare
integrated with software from Dixon Sports Computing
and EVS servers delivered the winning combination for
the Reds.
THE CHALLENGE
Reds’ Production Manager Dave Storm looked for a
system that would offer short and long-term benefits
– making it easy to create the best shots and packages
for stadium display while streamlining overall media
management. Because the production unit acts as a full
service agency, producing television ads for sponsors,
fan events, community outreach videos as well ingame stadium coverage, Storm wanted to centralize
the management of both media and metadata (which
includes every play of each game). He also wanted to
allow multiple editors to work simultaneously on the
same media and projects.
THE SOLUTION
Working with Cutting Edge Audio and Video Group of
San Francisco, the Reds acquired a 40TB EditShare
Energy Series server. “It’s used for every aspect of our
workflow. We use it as the central repository; everything
that comes in or out of our department passes through
the EditShare whether its video, music, graphics, even
audio from Pro Tools, whatever,” says Storm. “It gives us
tremendous flexibility and really improves our workflow.”
The Reds’ EditShare is connected via 10-Gigabit
Ethernet to an HP ProCurve network switch to provide
optimal performance for the high volume HD workflow.
EditShare Energy servers are fully compatible with
industry-standard editing and compositing tools
including Apple,® Adobe, ASSIMILATE,® Autodesk,
Avid, Digidesign, Sony, and Thomson. Editors freely
share media regardless of size or format. EditShare
also provides true project sharing for both Apple and
Avid editors with user management tools that are
designed specifically for real-time collaboration in
post and broadcast workflows. In the Reds’ operation,
5 editors working on Apple Final Cut Pro workstations
connected to the switch via 1 Gigabit Ethernet for
simultaneous access to the media.
THE wOrkfLOw
The integrations between EditShare, logging software
from Dixon Sports Computing and EVS servers give the
Reds a complete, integrated media management package
with metadata cross-referencing capabilities. “The
EditShare lends itself to our schizophrenic workflow, and
the combination with Dixon’s Clip Management System
gives us a really nice way of turning the data to meet all
our needs,” Storm explains. Diversified Systems assisted
with the facility installation.
Typically, games are being recorded by EVS from six
different “iso” camera positions around the park. During
each game a logger using Dixon’s logging interface
monitors house time code to match it to particular
events (player, pitcher, strike/ball counts, etc). Basic
roster and statistical information from the Reds’
DakStats scoring system is automatically incorporated
into the Dixon logger. Working in tandem, EVS operators
identify the best angles on key plays by marking the
timecode ins and outs. All of this metadata becomes part
of the Reds’ Hilite Database and is immediately available
to Final Cut Pro editors who create the instant replay
videos from subclips generated from the database in the
EVS system. All subclips are automatically rewrapped
with a QuickTime wrapper and moved to the EditShare
where they can be used for highlight packages and
additional post-production projects. “We worked very
closely with Cutting Edge and Dixon to perfect the
workflow and we’ve seen real efficiencies,” says Storm.
This fully-integrated system is a huge time saver,
eliminating multiple ingests of media and redundant
data entry into different devices and databases.
THE bENEfITS
The combined system offers both immediacy and
long-term media management. “During the game we
can be on an edit station selecting hits and strikeouts
and putting the highlight package together in a hurry
based on information in Dixon,” Storm explains. “Then
a month later somebody can look at that same data
from a completely different angle referencing the same
metadata via the Dixon software. Say I want to see all
the homeruns in this month. Or, what did Joey Votto
do the last three months? Let’s look at those clips and
those isos. We pull the media from EditShare - whether
it’s for a commercial or a video we’re putting together
for a school appearance. We’re using the same tools for
completely different purposes and that’s very powerful.”
The EditShare has proven to be a robust workflow
engine for the Reds. Even during long weekend projects
that require heavy, non-stop editing on all workstations,
Storm says the EditShare performs “without a single
hitch, no drags or slowdowns.” The RAID5 configuration
of the EditShare provides additional data security.
The ability to work quickly and in teams while
simultaneously using different applications has thrilled
the Reds’ production team. “I can be working on an
After Effects project and be pulling video elements
into it, then flip over to a Final Cut Pro project and be
pulling totally huge, hi-res 1080i video into that,” Storm
explains. “And we can throw it right back at our control
room very quickly, very effortlessly. This really works
for us. We’re really getting spoiled.”
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FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
VTR, LIVE OR SCHEDULED INGESTS
Scheduled, batch-capture from VTR or
manually record live feeds.
EDIT WHILE CAPTURE
Within seconds of starting ingest with
Flow, you can drag the media into your
NLE and work with it while it continues
to grow in the background.
FLOW SCAN
Flow Scan locates media on your
EditShare that was not captured through
Flow Ingest, adds it to the Flow database
and creates low-resolution proxy files for
browsing.
DRAG AND DROP
Seamless integration with Avid and FCP
allows you to drag and drop media files
and sequences directly from the Flow
Browse client into your NLE bin.
PROJECTS, BINS AND SEQUENCES
Flow offers tremendous production
capabilities without the need to tie up
an edit suite. Organize media in bins or
create sequences from any workstation
before you even reach your NLE.
AVID AND FCP INTERCHANGE
EditShare’s Universal Media File
technology allows Avid and FCP editors
to share the exact same media files and
when combined with Automatic Duck,
even exchange sequences between the
two applications without any transcoding
or re-linking,
ASSET TRACKING AND FILE
RETRIEVAL
Flow Browse tracks your media assets
across all EditShare systems, ensuring
that metadata stays intact and enabling
you to quickly retrieve, produce, manage,
and distribute media.
Production Asset Management
Ingest, Browse & Log
EditShare’s Flow products are all about adding efficiency
and increasing productivity in your workflow, thanks to the
powerful Flow database that allows you to track your media
assets throughout the production process from ingest all the
way through to archiving on Ark Disk or Tape.
FLOW INGEST provides multiple channels of HD/SD-SDI
or file-based ingest in up to three codecs on each channel,
including Avid, QuickTime and AVI codecs and EditShare
Universal Media Files for both Avid and any QuickTime
compatible NLEs. Other features include Edit While Capture
and file-based ingest from P2 or XDCAM cards with
bandwidth control, ensuring that your network and storage
are not overwhelmed by large transfers of clips.
FLOW BROWSE offers quick access to all your media on
EditShare and Ark with low-resolution proxy files. You can
log and create sub-clips, organize media into Bins and
Sequences and retrieve archived material from Ark.
FLOW LOGGER is a versatile application for logging live
feeds or existing media designed for sports and reality
productions and allows fast entry of pre-defined metadata
through customizable fields and templates.
INGEST
BROWSE
2- or 4-channel SDI/HD-SDI Ingest with Edit While
Capture
Search, browse and log clips & manage metadata
Ingest in multiple formats per channel including Avid
DNxHD, XDCAM & Universal Media File™
Organize clips into bins and sequences and drag & drop
into NLEs
Editors can capture content without blocking editing
station
File-based ingest with bandwidth control
Real-time on-screen preview & Live logging from any
workstation
Avid <-> Final Cut Pro sequence translation with
Automatic Duck
XDCAM/P2 file-based ingest
Integrates seamlessly with EditShare Storage, XStream
and Ark
Energy
Scan clips into Flow database from other sources
translation with Automatic Duck
2- or 4-channel SDI/HD-SDI Ingest with
Edit While Capture
Integrates seamlessly with EditShare
Storage, XStream and Ark
Editors can capture content without
blocking editing station
Real-time on-screen preview & Live
logging from any workstation
XDCAM/P2 file-based ingest
FLOW ADMIN/DATABASE/PROXY
SERVER
Back-end services for Flow
Administration, Database and Proxy
File Storage
Proxy Streaming Server for Flow
Browse
SOFTWARE CLIENTS (Cross
Platform Windows/Mac/Linux
FLOW BROWSE CLIENT
Search, browse and log clips & manage
metadata
Organize clips into bins and sequences
and drag & drop into NLEs
File-based ingest with bandwidth
control
Scan clips into Flow database from
other sources
Avid <-> Final Cut Pro sequence
Designed for Sports and Reality productions
Clean one-click interface allows the fastest logging
possible
Create custom fields and pre-defined logging
templates for specific events
Preview live feeds during recording or playback proxy
files afterwards
Energy
FLOW INGEST
Ingest in multiple formats per channel
including DNxHD, XDCAM & Universal
Media File™
LOGGER
FLOW LOGGER
Simple and fast logging tool developed
for reality and sports production. Add
volumes of metatdata with a mouse
click
FLOW CONTROL
Administration client for all Flow
configuration
HARDWARE:
FLOW INGEST ENGINE
Operating System
Linux Mandriva 64-Bit
Digital Audio Inputs
8 embedded audio channels per video
channel. Optional – up to 8 x AES/EBU
per channel,
Genlock
Black and Burst reference
Video Compression Formats
Up to 3 codecs per channel in Avid MXF,
QuickTime, EditShare Universal, and
AVI wrappers*. SD support: DV25, DVC
Pro, DV50, IMX 30-50, Avid JFIF (1:1, 2:1,
3:1, 14:1, etc) , and MPEG2. HD support:
DNxHD, XDCAM-EX, XDCAM-HD, P2/
AVC-intra, DVC Pro HD, MPEG2, MPEG4.
ProRes supported for scanning and
proxy creation. Proxy formats include
MPEG2, MPEG4, FLV, MOV and WMV.
Energy
OS storage
Mirrored 2.5”
Chassis
3U Rack-Mountable
Media Storage
8-16 X SATAII 1 or 2 TB, Up to 32 TB
(enough for approximately 40,000
hours of proxy files at 800 kilobit/sec
data rate)
Type of file system
Real time XFS File System
Power
380W redundant
Networking
2 x 1Gb included. 10 Gigabit Cx4 or
Fibre optional. Bonded connections to
switch for failover optional.
Media Storage
None. Ingest direct to EditShare
Storage
Ingest Type
Multicam studio & manual or
automated batch capture from VTR
and other feeds (via RS422 & GPI
control). Ingest controlled from any
workstation. File-based ingest from P2
and XDCAM cards and discs.
Power
Up to 380W redundant
Client Support
Windows, Mac OS X and Linux
Dimensions
3U: 71cm(D) x 43cm(W) x 13cm(H).
Networking
2 x 1Gb Ports, 1 x 10Gb (CX4 or Fibre)
optional.
Dimensions
67.5cm(D) x 48.4cm(W) x 17.6cm (H)
Weight
80 lbs / 36 kg
Weight
78 lbs / 25 KG
ENVIRONMENTAL
FLOW ADMIN/DATABASE/PROXY
SERVER
Maximum Thermal Output
3U Flow Admin/Database/Proxy Server
with 16 drives = 1200 BTU/hr
Operating System
Linux Mandriva 64-Bit
Operating Temperature
+10 to +40C, 5%-95% RH;
Chassis
4U Rack Mountable
VIDEO & AUDIO I/O
Digital Video Inputs
SD: 2-4 x SD SDI 4:2:2 video at 220
Mbps, HD: 2-4 x HD SDI 4:2:2 video at
220 Mbps
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Availability
Redundant power/cooling & System
Drives
Media Protection
RAID 5, 6
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EditShare Tames Multi-Camera
Madness at Big Brother Africa
Reality TV production goes at a lightning-fast pace, requiring post-production personnel to be highly efficient
Just ask Kim Smith, Head of Engineering at ZSE TV/SASANI STUDIOS, which produces the hit reality TV
series Big Brother Africa at its Highlands North, Johannesburg, installation. ZSE TV/SASANI STUDIOS offers
a full spectrum of pre-production, production, and post services and, with Big Brother Africa, is facing the
enormous challenge of having to edit footage almost as fast as it rolls off the camera feeds.
The Challenge
Big Brother Africa is now about to start its sixth season,
with participants spanning the whole of Africa, including
Nigeria, Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya,
Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania,
Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. These enthusiastic
contestants co-inhabit an isolated house and compete to
avoid being evicted by viewers. The last person standing
wins a large cash prize at the end of the show.
While all this action is going on in front of the cameras,
behind the scenes ZSE TV/SASANI STUDIOS is racing
to keep up with the video feeds from the multiple
cameras set up around the Big Brother Africa house.
For each season, the cameras record footage 24 hours
a day, seven days a week, for about 120 days, and
staff members have to create edit logs, EDLs, and edit
footage as it comes in.
The old ZSE TV/SASANI STUDIOS workflow was nonintegrated, tedious, and time consuming, and started
with continuous recording to videotape. Selections were
then made on paper, using a proprietary logging system,
and the content was ingested onto an Avid Unity. EDLs
for the clips were created using Avid workstations. Clips
were then edited and subtitled where necessary, the
sound mixed, and finally printed to tape for delivery to
the broadcaster at 4 pm. Smith recalls, “The record to
tape and paper selects took an enormous amount of
time, and the added pressure of a daily 4 pm deadline
meant that the team worked round the clock to establish
a compelling storyline and pull the show together.”
The Solution
To accelerate production, ZSE TV/SASANI STUDIOS
developed a post workflow for Big Brother Africa based
on EditShare’s XStream shared storage system, along
with the EditShare Flow production asset management
solution including ingest, browsing, and logging
capabilities. Two XStream servers with a total of 96TB of
storage are at the core of the setup, with six connected
Avid editors simultaneously working on the Avid clips
ingested by Flow from the live feeds coming from the
production. The new integrated workflow results in
tremendous time savings and increased efficiency.
EditShare XStream is ideal for productions like those
of ZSE TV/SASANI STUDIOS where many simultaneous
users require real-time edit-in-place and collaborative
access to high-resolution video files. Editors and
compositors connected to the XStream network can
seamlessly access and share in real time from a common
pool of media files, regardless of the application,
platform, or source material.
Flow Browse provides the production a powerful
database that allows users to access and track all media
assets on the entire EditShare network throughout the
production process, from ingest to edit and through
playout and archiving. The Flow Ingest server provides
multiple channels of HD/SD-SDI ingest, in up to three
codecs on each channel, including low-resolution
proxies. The Flow Logger tool allows reality productions
to add metadata to both live feeds and existing media in
the fastest way possible—with a single mouse click and
using pre-defined customized fields.
THE NEw ANd ImprOvEd wOrkfLOw
The Big Brother Africa production consists of six Avid
editors working on the footage, along with one person
in the audio suite, two logging stations, two spotting
stations, and one admin station. Under the new
workflow, the production team uses EditShare Flow to
manage the live recording and logging of six channels
directly onto the 96TB EditShare XStream system. Flow
Browse and Logger let staff view the logged footage,
select media, and begin creating storyboards while
ingest is in process, thus allowing ZSE TV/SASANI
STUDIOS to establish a timeline for the developing story
well before post-production.
Edwin Tlhalatsi, Systems Engineer, comments, “The
new workflow is much faster than tape and we have the
advantage that most of the material is online for the
duration of the project. Because EditShare catalogues
the media very efficiently, we are able to browse the
database and assemble the best BB moments quickly.
It is much easier to take a step back and assemble the
storyline from the top down.”
Eight Avid Media Composer NLE systems and an
Avid Pro Tools audio suite are connected to the
EditShare XStream network. Also part of the setup
are a proprietary nearline and archive system, two
live logging stations, and several browsing and admin
workstations. Clips and sequences created with Flow
Browse are dragged directly into the bins of the Avids
for immediate editing. EditShare’s advanced projectsharing capabilities allow the team to share projects and
work collaboratively to build the show.
THE bENEfITS
EditShare’s XStream and Flow are critical to ZSE TV/
SASANI STUDIOS keeping up with the frenetic pace of
Big Brother Africa’s production cycle. The EditShare
XStream gives it the efficiency of allowing six editors to
work on the footage at the same time, while Flow Ingest,
Logger, and Browse enable those editors to quickly
ingest the footage, collaboratively view it, and create
selects or sequences, ensuring fans get to see whatever
antics the participants are up to in every episode.
“We chose EditShare because of its flexibility, ease of
operation, ease of integration with other systems, and
pricing. We also chose EditShare for their willingness to
get involved with our workflow,” says Kim Smith, HOD,
engineering, ZSE TV / SASANI STUDIOS. “Being on the
other side of the world, support is very important to us,
and we’ve had excellent support from EditShare and
their team across the world.”
SpECIfICATIONS
EditShare System Details
EditShare model/size: XStream Workflow Director 16TB
x 2, XStream Expansion Chassis 16TB x 2, XStream
Expansion Chassis 32TB x 1 (96TB in total)
Flow Browse and Ingest: Flow Ingest 4 Channel Server
SD, Flow 2 Channel Ingest Server SD, Flow Database
Server 8TB
Options/extras: HP 2900-24G Switch 24 x 1Gbe and 2 x
10GbE CX4 with 5m CX4 cables
Network connections: 1 & 10 Gb both copper and fibre
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R
Advanced Editing Software...
Free for Everyone
Academy and Emmy award-winning Lightworks was
introduced in 1989 as the first and most advanced
NLE system on the market. Used by editors such
as Tariq Anwar, Chris Gill and multi Oscar-winning
Thelma Schoonmaker, Lightworks offers intuitive
controls, advanced real time effects, 2K native
support, multi-camera editing and a wide support
for codecs, including Avid DNxHD, ProRes, RED, DPX,
AVC-Intra and many more. Lightworks achieves a level
of unsurpassed interoperability by offering seamless
media sharing with Avid and Final Cut Pro, as well
as AAF import and export for Avid and Pro Tools,
enabling Lightworks artists to collaboratively edit
projects with a much wider group of editors.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
FORMATS AND CODECS
ProRes, Avid DNxHD, RED® R3D, DPX, AVCIntra, DVCPRO HD, DV50, DV25, XDCAM, P2, AVI,
QuickTime, MXF
MULTICAM
Advanced multicam editing with unlimited sources
and dual-SDI outputs allow you to simultaneously
view your source angles in sync with your edit.
THIRD-PARTY SUPPORT
Support for Adobe After Effects, Boris, Combustion,
Sapphire and many more. Lightworks Open Source
enables creative developers and manufacturers to
implement new features with unprecedented access
to Lightworks’ core engine and technology.
EFFECTS
Real-time video and audio effects including primary
and selective color correction are all guaranteed
in resolutions of up to 2K, thanks to Lightworks
powerful GPU based effects engine.
AUDIO
Sub-frame audio editing, direct-to-timeline voice over
tool, Mackie protocol support, real-time playback of
mixed sample and bit rates and guaranteed real-time
multi-track audio.
PROJECT SHARING
The most advanced Project Sharing available allows
editors to access each others’ work with the click of
a button and Instant Save technology ensures you’ll
never lose your work again.
OUTPUT
Full-screen video output through a DVI-attached LCD
display with support up to 2K Full Frame, offering an
inexpensive monitoring option with no need for SDI
hardware.
STEREOSCOPIC SUPPORT
Advanced stereoscopic support allows Lightworks
to handle any codec with independent editorial
control of Left and Right eyes. With automatic
synchronisation, editors do not need to change their
workflow and can view stereoscopic output in a
variety of formats, through SDI or DVI or both.
SYSTEM INFORMATION
LIGHTWORKS
Lightworks Film
HPZ800 Single 6-Core, FX4800, HDSDI, Software & Console
Lightworks Assist
HPZ400 Single 6-Core, FX1800
Software & Console
Lightworks Location
HP 8730W Mobile Workstation,
Software
Lightworks
Lightworks software only
LIGHTWORKS SYSTEM
INFORMATION
Operating System
Windows 7 64 bit (Windows 7 32bit &
XP 32 bit also supported)
Internal Storage
4 x SATA 3.5” 500GB, 1TB or 2TB, RAID
5 or 6
External Storage
EditShare support
SAN and DAS support
DAS Option
Networking
1 GbE or optional 10 GbE
LIGHTWORKS OPTIONS
Lightworks console
Edit at 23.976, true 24, 25, 29.97, 30,
50, or 60
HD/SDI I/O
Advanced Multicam editing with
unlimited sources
RED Rocket
Codec Pack (ProRes, Avid DNxHD, RED,
AVC-Intra, DPX)
Titling
Project Sharing
Field or Frame based varispeed
Cut list, Change list, Optical list, Pull list,
Dupe list
Keyframe graphs
LIGHTWORKS FEATURES AND
SPECIFICATIONS
Multiple real time Primary & Secondary
color correctors
Capture & Playback
Edit During Capture, Firewire, SD
(analogue and digital), HD-SDI with
optional I/O cards
Tools
Multitrack Audio Mixer with full bus
routing and multiple mixes
Editing
Resolution, format and codec
independent edits
24-fps EDL import, export and
conversion to and from 29.97 fps
Import ALE, FLX, and CSV files
Stereoscopic
Full-screen, real-time SD, HD, and 2K
preview playback on desktop display,
Dual HD-SDI and DVI for Stereoscopic
playback
View keycode and ink number
Effects
Real-time effects in SD, HD and 2K
Effects Layers with node-based
layering tool
Full-screen, real-time SD, HD, and 2K
preview playback on desktop display,
Dual HD-SDI and DVI for Stereoscopic
playback
View feet and frames in edit
Customization templates for Avid and
FCP keyboards
Voice Over tool for adding narration
directly to edit
Shot Sync - sync two sources for
playback comparison
Customisable BITC timecode and film
footage overlays
Film
Support for 35mm 3-perf, 35mm
4-perf, and 16mm-20 and mixed film
formats
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3rd-Party Support
Inscriber Titlemotion, Boris,
Combustion, After Effects, Premiere
Plugins, Sapphire, Digital Fusion
Support for any application that can
exchange AVI, MXF and QuickTime files
Collaboration
Advanced Shared Projects with
realtime review
I/O Support
ProRes, Avid DNxHD, RED R3D, DPX,
AVC-Intra, DVCPRO HD, DV50, DV25,
XDCAM, P2, Uncompressed, OMF, AAF,
QuickTime, MXF, AVI
Telecine 29.97i to 24p pulldown
removal
30fps and 25fps import to 24fps
project
Stereoscopic support for independent
Left and Right files
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Lightworks Q&A Tariq Anwar
Editor Tariq Anwar is no stranger to the cutting room.
Over his 40-year career, he’s edited an assortment of
films – from BBC documentaries to motion pictures
among the likes of the Oscar-winning American Beauty
(for which he also received a nomination), The Good
Shepherd, Revolutionary Road, and Law Abiding
Citizen.
Anwar utilized Lightworks to cut the recently
released King George VI drama, The King’s Speech. Its
exceptional storyline, paired with an extremely talented
cast (Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter)
has made quite the impact – receiving multiple Oscar
nominations including “Best Film Editing” for Anwar.
Meet the man behind the (editing) machine who helped
bring the historic film to life.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in India, but have lived in England since the
age of 6.
What do you think separates Lightworks from
rivaling systems?
It’s the speed and ease-of use. The timeline is clear
and uncluttered; editing and trimming is achieved
with a minimum of actions, the controller allows for a
far greater ‘feel,’ and audio editing and mixing is light
years ahead of anything offered by its competitors.
I see you went to the London School of Film Technique
for a period of time – can you tell me about your
experiences there?
I was placed at the London School of Film Technique, but
didn’t receive a grant – having already squandered a year
at Sir John Cass College of Further Technology, working
toward a General Science degree.
Randomly, I answered an ad in London for a company
called Libertas – they were looking for a driver. Libertas
made documentaries and corporate films, and it was there
that I got my union card.
What is your favorite part of editing
feature-length films?
The most enjoyable thing for me is in the shaping
of a film after the assembly stage. It’s amazing how
malleable it is during the editing process, and then to
make the material work in a way that wasn’t intended either by luck or by judgment - is very exciting.
Also I love editing with a full FX track and temp music.
Finding the right score and the appropriate place to use
it is a great part of the picture cutting process.
So, did Libertas influence your decision to
become an editor?
While at Libertas - when I wasn’t parking cars or driving
the company van - I worked on the floor as a third
assistant director. An opportunity arose to work in the
cutting room as an apprentice - which I immediately
jumped on.
After working as an apprentice there for a year or two, I left
Libertas to freelance as a second assistant editor and had
the opportunity to work on a number of feature films before
taking a two-month ‘holiday relief’ contract at the BBC.
Can you tell me a little bit about your experiences
editing at the BBC?
The BBC was a great place to be. There was such a variety
of work - from current affairs and light entertainment, to
children’s programs, music and the arts. It was just such a
good environment, with an enormous number of talented
staff technicians and a stream of gifted directors.
What has been your favorite film to edit and why?
There are many favorites - all to do with the working
relationship with the director, rather than the success
after release. I love music and dance and the closest I
got to cutting in that genre was Center Stage for Nick
Hytner.
How have you seen yourself grow as an editor – from
your first cut to present day?
I think it’s important to be adventurous in editing and
to take risks, but you can only achieve that if you have
the director’s confidence, as well as confidence in your
own ability to take criticism and rejection.
I never saw myself as a confident person, but that
confidence has certainly built over the years with
experience.
Also - there was little interference. A cut would pass
through the director, the producer - and sometimes - the
head of a department. There were no ‘other’ producers,
executives, studio-heads, test-screenings, and focus
groups – at all. The chances of being replaced by another
editor were also very remote!
Are there any directors that you would like to work
with on future projects?
Nearly all of the directors I’ve worked with would fall
into that category.
When did you start editing feature-length films?
My first big break came in the early 90’s with producer,
Brian Eastman. There can sometimes be snobbery about
working in features as opposed to television, but Brian
was prepared to give me a chance on a film called “Under
Suspicion.” Following that, I was back on television
productions until another producer, Stephen Evans, with
whom I had worked with on television drama documentary,
Galahad of Everest, gave me my second break on the
feature-film The Madness of King George. It was then that I
suddenly became accepted as a features editor.
Why do you think some editors are so reluctant
to switch systems? What would you say to them
about Lightworks?
It’s difficult to persuade someone who has become used
to a system to change, particularly when the industry meaning studios, facility houses and film schools - have
invested so much into installing specific equipment.
… and when did you first bring Lightworks into the mix?
I first used the Lightworks editing system in the early 90’s
on some television programs, but then it was later in 1994
when I first used it on a film called The Grotesque.
Of those that I haven’t worked with, I would have to say
Lawrence Kasdan, Roman Polanski, and Milos Forman
amongst others.
Lightworks users may be small in numbers, but we all
have an almost evangelical collective enthusiasm for
the system. Hopefully that enthusiasm will rub-off and
persuade non-users to try it.
I’ve edited with the other major systems, so I can say
- from experience -that Lightworks is a far superior
editing tool.
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B
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I N G E S T
&
P L A Y O U T
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Broadcast Video Servers for
HD/SD Ingest and Playout
Geevs Broadcast Servers for Ingest and Playout suit a
wide range of demanding applications, such as simple
ingest, complex newsroom integration, live sports with
instant replay, multi-camera studio ingest, or 24/7
scheduled playout. With over 1,000 channels on air,
Geevs servers offer broadcasters real benefits and
return on investment with a full feature set, including
unmatched codec support for Apple ProRes, Avid
DNxHD, AVC-Intra 100, and DVCPRO HD. Geevs also has
a free API for integration with Third Party solutions,
making it the most flexible Broadcast Server available.
CLIENT APPLICATIONS
Geevs applications offer a great deal of flexibility
for your server. Studio MC provides multi-camera
synchronous studio ingest and review, Live
provides Studio Playout with MOS integration,
Sports provides synchronized ingest of up to 16
cameras, with instant replay and dynamic slow
motion and Autorun provides dedicated 24/7
scheduled playout. Geevs also has other utilities
for file conversion, time delay, content insertion
and automation support.
FORMATS AND CODECS
Unmatched support and integration for Broadcast
and Post- Production formats, including DV25,
DV50, IMX, MPEG-2, Uncompressed, DVCPRO HD,
ProRes, Avid DNxHD, and AVC-Intra 100.
BROADCAST TOOLS
Flexible toolset, including VDCP, MOS, RS-422,
router control and GPI I/O for integration with
external controllers or vision mixers. Geevs also
has a free API.
PLAYOUT WHILST RECORDING
Geevs supports playout of files while they are still
being captured or transferred, offering huge time
savings and the ability to make last-minute critical
changes to content.
FLOW INTEGRATION
Seamless integration with Flow allows you to
begin browsing and logging your media during
ingest. Geevs creates realtime proxy files and also
Avid and FCP sequences from vision mixer cuts
through Studio MC.
REDUNDANCY
Full failover recording capabilities, simultaneously
capturing to central and local storage with
the ability to re-synchronise databases after a
recovery. Full integration with Ark also ensures
that you always have a backup in your archive.
BROADCAST SERVERS
SERVER MODELS
Geevs Slim SD
(1/2, 2/4, SD-SDI, Analogue) - 1U Chassis
Geevs Slim HD
(1/2, 2/4, SD-SDI, HD-SDI) - 1U Chassis
Geevs Slim HDP
(1/2, 2/4, SD-SDI, HD-SDI) - 1U Chassis
Geevs SD
(1/2, 2/4, 3/6 SD-SDI, Analogue) - 4U Chassis
Geevs HD
(1/2, 2/4, 4/4, SD-SDI, HD-SDI) - 4U Chassis
Geevs HDP
(1/2, 2/4, 4/4, SD-SDI, HD-SDI) - 4U Chassis
SERVER ENGINE
Operating System
Windows 7, 32 bit
OS Drives
2 x 160GB 2.5” SATA - Mirrored (RAID 1)
Internal Storage
Geevs - Up to 8TB (4 X 500GB, 1TB, or
2TB, RAID 5)
Geevs Slim - Up to 4TB (4 X 500GB or
1TB, RAID 5)
External Storage
EditShare integration
Direct Attached Storage option (up to
32TB)
SAN Support
Power
600W redundant
Networking
1 GbE and optional 10 GbE
VIDEO & AUDIO I/O
Digital Video I/O
HD-SDI & SD-SDI
Up to four simultaneous HD channels
depending on server configuration
Up to six simultaneous SD channels
depending on server configuration
Analogue Video I/O (on SD models
only)
Analogue Component
Up to six simultaneous channels
depending on server configuration
Embedded Audio I/O
Up to 16 tracks per channel
AES / EBU Audio I/O
Up to 8 tracks per channel
HDP Servers
SD Codecs: DDV25, DV50, IMX, MPEG-2
SD I-Frame, MPEG-2 SD Long GOP,
Uncompressed SD
Analogue Audio I/O (on SD models
only)
Up to 2 tracks per channel
Genlock
Black and Burst reference
TIMECODE SUPPORT
HD Codecs: ProRes, Avid DNxHD,
AVC-Intra 100, DVCPRO HD, MPEG-2 HD
I-Frame, Uncompressed HD,
System Clock
Embedded VITC
Wrappers: QuickTime, MXF Op1a, MXF
OpAtom, AVI, Edit While Capture
External LTC (with options LTC card)
Wrapper Support
QuickTime, MXF Op1a, MXF OpAtom,
AVI, Edit While Capture
OTHER SERVER OPTIONS
Internal / External options
GPI (Internal and External)
LTC (Internal and External)
RS422 (Internal only) - not available for
Geevs Slim
Geevs Controllers
Geevs Sports Controller (only available
with Geevs Sports software)
Geevs Shotbox (to control Geevs Live)
Geevs Media Controller (general
purpose controller with VTR controls)
GEEVS SUPPORTED FORMATS
SD Servers
SD Codecs: DV25, DV50, IMX, MPEG-2
SD I-Frame, MPEG-2 SD Long GOP,
Uncompressed SD
HD Servers
SD Codecs: DV25, DV50, IMX, MPEG-2
SD I-Frame, MPEG-2 SD Long GOP,
Uncompressed SD
HD Codecs: MPEG-2 HD I-Frame,
Uncompressed HD
Wrappers: QuickTime, MXF Op1a, MXF
OpAtom, AVI, Edit While Capture
Please note that certain configurations
of codecs and wrappers are not valid.
For full details, please visit www.
editshare.com/geevs. XDCAM HD and
EX format support will be added in
Q2 2011.
GEEVS SOFTWARE CLIENTS
Geevs Client
Multi-purpose Ingest and Playout client
with Sequences, Virtual Tapes. Archive
and Restore options are also available.
Geevs Studio MC
Synchronised Record and Playback
with realtime NLE sequence creation
through GPI.
Geevs Live
On-air control of multiple play channels
with fast selection of clips via Shotbox
or a vision mixer. Geevs Live also
supports full MOS integration.
Geevs Autorun
Automation system for 24/7 Scheduled
playout with playlists, including trigger
via PC clock, timecode or GPI. Router
control, VTR playback control, logo
insertion and GPI I/O support.
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Geevs Sports
Synchronised Recording and Playback
of up to 16 camera feeds, instant replay
and dynamic slow motion. Geevs
Sports includes a dedicated Sports
Controller.
GEEVS SOFTWARE UTILITIES
Geevs MOS
MOS server software to interface from
a newsroom system to a Geevs server.
(Dedicated MOS Server optional).
Geevs Link
Automation interface using the Louth
VDCP protocol.
Geevs Failover
Simultaneous recording to central and
local storage with automatic failover.
Also inlcudes redundant database.
Synchronisation tools for switching
back to central storage and database
on network recovery.
Geevs Translate
File conversion and interchange tool
for rewrapping or transcoding between
files and formats.
Geevs Delay
Time delay interface for Record &
Playback channels
Geevs API
XML API for integration with 3rd party
systems
DIMENSIONS
Dimensions
1U: 68.5cm(D) x 48.4cm(W) x 4.4cm(H)
4U: 59cm(D) x 48.7cm(W) x 17.6cm (H)
Weight
25-35 KG (depending on drive size)
E D I T S H A R E
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P R O D U C T I O N
Multi-Camera Soap Opera Finds Huge
Efficiencies and Cost Savings With
EditShare’s End-to-End Workflow
New Zealand’s prime-time soap moves to tapeless
HD production platform
South Pacific Pictures (SPP) is a full-service production facility that produces New Zealand’s most popular
soap opera—Shortland Street, a hospital-based medical yarn. The Shortland Street team of more than 150
professionals—actors, directors, camera operators, sound mixers, video editors, assistants and loggers, set
designers, carpenters, wardrobe, props, electricians, dialog coaches, continuity people, and legal staff—churns
out more than 250 original episodes each year.
THE CHALLENGE
Approaching the soap opera’s 19th production season,
the SPP team planned to transition to high definition
(HD). At the same time, SPP saw an opportunity to
leverage new technology advances to streamline the
workflow and improve efficiencies.
The old SD workflow was proven and reliable, but
cumbersome. Three studio cameras were switched
onto a digital betacam VTR. A second digital betacam
recorded an ISO of one of the cameras. After shooting,
a large number of tapes had to be digitized in real time
onto an Avid workstation. It would take up to a week
for footage from a scene to be available for editing.
The wardrobe, makeup, and art departments each took
reference stills, as they could not easily view video
recordings.
The company was prepared to make an appropriate
investment to “go HD,” but questioned the value of
purchasing multiple HD decks at a cost of US$80,000
each for studio and edit suites. There would also be
ongoing tape costs and maintenance issues as well
as increased costs for out-of-house, tape-based HD
finishing. SPP was ready to re-think its infrastructure.
THE SOLUTION
The company envisioned a file-based, tapeless workflow
with centralized storage that would seamlessly connect
systems and media—making content readily available to
any department at any point in the production chain. In
addition to providing a robust, reliable, extremely secure
system with redundancy protections, the new solution
would also have to meet many production-oriented
needs:
•
Record directly to digital files; eliminate VTRs from
the capture process
•
Record directly to shared central storage with userlevel security
•
Eliminate tapes and DVDs for reviewing media
•
Record in Avid’s DNxHD format for direct use in
editing
•
Offer full-quality Instant Replay to review and critique
takes in the studio
•
Have media accessible to post immediately, without
additional copy and transcoding
•
Create low-resolution proxies in real time that
everybody can view on his or her desktop computer
over the local Ethernet network
•
Provide a seamless solution for local and off-site
backup and archive, both for protecting media and
retrieval of shots from past episodes
After an in-depth evaluation, South Pacific Pictures
selected EditShare, the only vendor that could deliver
SPP’s entire wish list. The EditShare solution includes
the Geevs server for multi-camera ingest and QC
playout, EditShare Flow for asset management and
proxy file viewing, EditShare XStream for highly scalable,
centralized storage, and a combination of EditShare Ark
Disk and a dual-drive Ark Tape LTO5 library for backup
and archiving.
THE WORKFLOW
EditShare Business Partner Doug Braddock of AV
Intelligence worked closely with South Pacific on the
transition. “Designing the new workflow required
extensive consultation as many people in different
departments were affected. We needed to understand
how every production unit would be impacted.”
With the new workflow, Shortland Street is shot in the
Avid HD Editing Stations with Flow Browse
Multi-Viewer Display
Geevs HDP Series
Multi-camera HD Ingest
and Playout Server
Geevs Ingest and QC Playback
BROWSE
Vision Switcher
ISO Feeds
HD Studio Cameras
1Gb Ethernet
10Gb Ethernet
HD-SDI Video
XStream 64TB
Storage Server
Flow Database
and Ark Master
Control LTO-5 tape
Library System
Audio, Art, Makeup,
Continuity
Workflow Diagram: Geevs for SDI Ingest in DnxHD 185, w/ real-time MPEG4 proxy creation; Highly scalable EditShare XStream for
centralized shared storage with Avid; Gigabit and Ten Gigabit Ethernet; EditShare Flow for production asset management – browse, log,
pre-edit; Ark Disk and Ark Tape manage three forms of backup and archiving
studio with three HDC 1500 Sony cameras that are
ingested through the Geevs server. During recording,
video and audio are stored on the EditShare XStream
server in full-resolution, and on the EditShare Flow
server in proxy resolution. Both sets of media are
immediately available to anyone who may need to
view it. Location footage, recorded on P2 with the
DVCProHD 100 codec, is transferred to the XStream
and scanned into Flow, where proxy files and database
entries are generated. “Of course, HD has improved
our production values, but so has our EditShare.
Flow Browse is a great tool with all departments able
to reference shots instantly, which leads to better
decisions being made,” says Chris Bailey, Managing
Director of SPP. “Footage and information are available
to the edit suites faster. We can now finish in-house
and grade more extensively, which all helps our look onscreen.”
During studio shooting, the switcher operator no longer
needs to fill out tape logs and timecode notes as all
clips are organized automatically by block, episode,
scene, and take. Key action points can be marked on
the fly as they occur and can be cued instantly during
playback. The production can record multiple ISO
cameras, whereas previously only the switched feed
and a single ISO could be recorded. Editing is done on
Avid editing systems.
Every department is now on the same page, and can
efficiently manage its own responsibilities. “Flow
Browse has a multitude of uses, from matching
continuity between takes as we are shooting to viewing
an eyeline shot a week ago by another unit,” notes
Kathe Calis, Head of Continuity. “Accessing information
is fast, using the scene and episode number as a key,
we can search hours of footage in seconds. It is also
useful that clips can be viewed from the control room
or from the office.”
THE BENEFITS
With EditShare, South Pacific has built a solid HD
production platform that promotes collaboration
and saves time and money. The new workflow has
eliminated at least 15 hours of digitization each
week. Anna Marshall-Iman, head of editing, loves the
immediacy of access. “On Tuesday morning, the studio
recorded 16 scenes needed to finish an episode I was
already editing. I cut each scene as soon as they’d
shot it; when the director joined me, we could watch
the whole thing down straight away,” she explains.
“Previously, we’d have received the tape at lunch, spent
two hours digitizing, then an hour sub-clipping and
organizing, and only then could we start editing. The
director wouldn’t have been able to work with me until
the next day.”
It is extremely important to protect the footage and edit
decisions from acquisition through archive and retrieval.
In addition to EditShare’s RAID 5 architecture, SPP has
the added security of Ark Disk and two Ark Tape LTO5
backups—allowing both on-site and off-site protection,
which has resulted in a reduction in SPP’s insurance
premium. And with the combined power of Flow and Ark,
SPP can browse proxy clips of everything in the archive
and bring back high-resolution versions with minimal
effort. Finally, the easy scalability of the EditShare system
provides a future-proof platform, ready for expansion.
“EditShare has given South Pacific an ingest to archive
workflow with metadata management, instant access,
and comprehensive administration capabilities for
controlling and tracking assets,” observes Braddock.
“And with a single vendor, there are no complex
integrations; there’s also a clear line of accountability for
system reliability and performance.”
The fully integrated, tapeless workflow allows the team to
create a better-quality drama show—without all the drama.
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FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Integrated Archive and Backup
for Media Production
Whether you need to keep a backup copy of your media
and project files, or you want to permanently archive
onto lower-cost and more energy efficient storage, there
is an Ark solution for you.
Ark Disk: Similar to your EditShare Storage server, the
EditShare Ark disk-based storage has hard disks that are
spinning all the time - offering the advantage of high-speed
performance for backup, archiving, and restoration tasks.
In a crisis situation where your main EditShare Storage
Series system has been damaged, you can activate the
EditShare Ark disk-based storage to complete mission
critical work while the primary storage is being repaired.
Ark Tape provides an integrated solution for customers
who want to have a safety copy of their media that can
be easily transported off-site, or for those who want an
easy and energy-efficient solution for archiving media
and projects from their EditShare storage systems. Ark
Tape is also a great approach for backing up material
recorded on cameras with solid state media such as
P2 cards. Ark Tape is based on industry-standard LTO
tape cartridges and represents a more economical and
energy-efficient solution than a spinning disk solution.
MANUAL AND AUTOMATED BACKUP
AND ARCHIVES
Fully integrated with EditShare Storage and Flow
products, you can free up your online storage and
save storage costs by archiving long-term projects
or those which must be put on hold or await
approval. You can easily add storage space to your
Ark as your needs grow.
DISK-BASED FAILOVER SOLUTION
In the case of a failure in your primary storage
system, you can activate your Ark Disk to operate
as a full-blown EditShare production storage.
LTO TAPE BASED SYSTEMS
Based on industry-standard LTO4 and LTO5
technology, Ark Tape gives you an infinitely
expandable place to put your data in an easily
transportable format.
BROWSE ARCHIVES WITH FLOW
Browse, play back and restore your archived
materials using Flow Browse integrated with Ark.
PARTIAL FILE RESTORATION*
In Flow Browse, elect sections of clips for
restoration – no need to restore the entire clip
Whichever Ark product you choose, they’re
all managed by the same intuitive user
interface – meaning you can easily mix
Ark Tape and Ark Disk systems in the
same facility and when you combine any
Ark product together with Flow Browse,
you gain the ability to view proxy files and
restore everything you’re archiving using
the familiar Flow Browse interface.
* Available in Q3 2011
ARK DISK
Operating System
Linux Mandriva 64-Bit
Ark Disk Server
3U Rack Mountable server with 16
HDD.
Ark Disk Expansion Chassis
PCI-e connected rack mountable 3U
Expansion with 16 HDD. Up to 10
Expansion Chassis can be connected
to one Ark Disk Server.
Media Storage
16 X SATAII 3.5, 1TB, or 2TB options
Power
380W redundant
Networking
2 x 1Gb Ports (included), 10 GbE
Cx4 or Fibre (optional). Bonded
connections to switch, connect to
multiple switches, or direct connect to
workstations.
ARK TAPE “GATEWAY”
2U Rack mountable server with
2-4 TB spooling storage and direct
connection to tape library.
(Option to connect tape library
directly to EditShare Energy or
XStream systems – recommended
only for installations with small
number of connected workstations
editing at low to moderate data rates)
Operating System
Linux Mandriva 64-Bit
Supported Tape library Devices
Quantum Superloader 3 (16 slots),
Quantum i40 and i80 libraries
(40 and 80 slots, respectively),
Spectralogic libraries. Multiple tape
drives may be in each device
full or incremental backups. Option
to automatically add newly created
spaces to backup jobs.
the entire clip
Scheduling
Schedules when and how often media
is copied or synchronized
System Size
Holds material from multiple
EditShare servers and ESA Groups
Restore
Restore Media Spaces to the original
or new location
Failover System
Temporarily Activate Ark Disk to
replace primary EditShare Storage in
the event of a system failure.
SPECIAL FEATURES WHEN USED
IN EDITSHARE GEEVS AND
EDITSHARE FLOW ENVIRONMENTS
Media Storage (Tape)
LTO4 & LTO5 Tapes (available in 16 or
25 pack)
ARK CORE FEATURES
EditShare Integration
Seamless integration with EditShare
storage, Flow and Geevs products
Automatic Backup of Geevs and
Flow Clips
As Geevs and Flow ingest, import
or scan new clips, option to send
clips immediately to backup/archive
location.
Browse Archived Clips
In Flow Browse, search for and view
proxy files of all clips stored in Ark
Backup and Archive EditShare
Media and Project Spaces
All Ark systems are aware of
EditShare Media and Project Spaces
for easy backup, archiving and
restoration. Select which spaces to
backup or archive. Choose Ark Disk
or Ark Tape target location. Make
Restore Individual Clips
In Flow Browse, select individual clips
for restoration rather than restoring
an entire space
Partial File Restoration*
In Flow Browse, elect sections of clips
for restoration – no need to restore
ARK DISK SYSTEMS
Parking Zone
Places media temporarily on lowercost storage while programs go
through approval process or while
editing has stopped
ARK TAPE
Economical Backup
Offers media backup that can be
easily transported and removed from
facility
Solid-State Media Backup
Backs up P2 cards and XDCAM disks
Energy Efficiency
Backup to tape medium more energyefficient than spinning-disk solutions
* Available in Q3 2011
Ark Disk Server
and 80 Slot LTO5 tape library, for a combination of nearline
disk-based and energy-saving tape-based archiving
Ark Disk Servers
are currently expandable up to 352 terabytes raw storage
Ark Gateway Server
and 40 slot LTO5 tape library
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EditShare Makes the Grade at Sunderland
XStream storage solution provides an ideal, cross-platform,
real-world training environment
The University of Sunderland School of Arts, Design and Media in Northeast England operates one of the
country’s most vibrant and well-equipped media departments in the country. With a rating of excellence from the
Quality Assurance Agency, the media and cultural studies department attracts a diverse group of students to its
undergraduate and graduate programs in film, production, journalism, television, radio and public relations.
the challenge
The School’s coursework combines theoretical studies
and practical experience with students learning on
the same types of equipment and systems used in by
industry experts. To keep pace with the latest technology
innovations, the David Puttnam Media Centre at
Sunderland recently completed a £1.5 million upgrade of
its media production department. The project included
a shift to a totally tapeless environment with centralized
and expandable storage; the workflow would mirror the
most up-to-date professional facilities. The School was
also installing 70 Avid Media Composer and Apple Final
Cut Pro editing systems. They needed a storage system
that could interchangeably handle FCP and Avid files as
well as materials from other effects and compositing
programs. “From an infrastructure point of view, it
absolutely can be the worst environment you can think of
because of the mix of systems,” says Gary Stubbs, Media
Project Manager at Sunderland. ”We needed to cover
so much in terms of software. We had a lot of users and
we needed to be conscious that they were students, not
computer experts, and a shared storage system that was
easy to use but efficient was paramount”.
the Solution
Working with regional broadcast equipment and
authorised EditShare reseller Digital Garage (www.
digitalgarage.tv), Sunderland installed a 96TB EditShare
XStream System as its centralized storage solution.
Designed for the most extreme and demanding media
sharing workflows, EditShare XStream combines the
award-winning collaborative features of the EditShare
Storage Series with the highest performance hardware
available. XStream offers large creative workgroups
- from digital intermediate, news, sports, reality TV
and education – the ability to simultaneously share
high-resolution media for real-time edit-in-place and
true workflow collaboration. EditShare XStream takes
advantage of PCI-E infrastructure to combine a very
high number of simultaneous video streams with almost
limitless storage scalability
The EditShare XStream provides a truly open environment
for freely sharing media, regardless of application or
platform, file size or format. With EditShare, users of
Apple, Adobe, ASSIMILATE, Autodesk, Avid, Digidesign,
Sony, Thomson and other systems can connect via
standard Gigabit or 10-Gigabit to the EditShare XStream.
At Sunderland, the 70 dual-boot computers run both
Avid and Final Cut editing software as well as After Effecs
from Adobe Production Suite. They are connected via
standard CAT 6 Gigabit Ethernet cabling to one of three
HP ProCurve switches which connect to the EditShare
Xstream via 10-Gigabit Ethernet to ensure maximum
through-put for sharing large volumes of work, including
high definition formats with speed and efficiency.
the workflow
Depending on specific coursework and the level of
sophistication, students can be working on anything
from basic broadcast production and editing in a
classroom setting to full-blown studio productions,
documentaries or independent films in private edit
suites. Regardless of where the students are working,
they can access content stored in the EditShare
XStream. The rights and permissions structure
in EditShare allow access by only the authorized
users to specific content. EditShare’s rules-driven
workflow ensures that no data is ever overwritten
or destroyed, an especially important feature in a
teaching environment. “Everyone has adapted very
well,” says Stubbs. “It’s quite easy to locate your work
from whatever position you’re working at and just get
right on with it. In terms of administration, it’s very
straight forward and it’s easy to set up and organize the
passwords and access rights.”
In classroom situations, instructors use projectors to
explain exercises and students log on at individual
computers to simultaneously access the video from
assigned folders in the XStream to work on their
editing and compositing assignments. Instructors are
able to view student work-in-progress and offer tips and
critiques. Coursework emphasizes practical and artistic
skill sets as well as theoretical. As students advance,
they shoot their own high-definition video using Sony
EX cameras and often work in teams or independently.
EditShare’s unique project sharing for both Avid and
Final Cut Pro workgroups simplifies group collaboration
on projects. Editors can instantly see, copy or revise
the work of colleagues with the assurance that a
bin, sequence or project is never overwritten. The
David Puttnam Media Centre has several edit suites
strategically located throughout the facility, giving
students the opportunities to work in shared breakout
suites or one 15 individual suites which include
specialized hardware for finishing work.
the BENEFITS
With as many as 400 students matriculating through
Sunderland’s media programs at any given time, the
Puttnam Media Centre is continuously busy. Thanks to
the Centre’s high performance EditShare XStream, the
heavy volume of editing work and instruction can be
handled without system slowdowns. In addition to the
strong rights and permissions structure, the system’s
RAID 5 hardware configuration offers additional
protection against loss of data. And because the
EditShare XStream can be easily expanded, there’s no
worry about adding storage capacity anytime in the
future. The combination of state-of-the-art tools and
EditShare’s collaborative workflow further strengthens
the University’s strong ties with many professional
broadcast and postproduction organizations who provide
and full time job opportunities to the students. “Because
we provide excellent instruction that incorporates
hands-on knowledge on the most advanced systems,
our graduates are well-rounded and prepared to assume
responsible roles in the industry as they begin their
careers,” says Stubbs. “That’s our mission.”
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“Heartland” corrals its editing workflow with
EditShare’s unique Project Sharing for Final Cut Pro
Set against stunning vistas of the Canadian Rocky
Mountains, “Heartland” is a sprawling family drama
that follows two sisters and their grandfather through
the highs and lows of life on a horse ranch. The
150-member production crew of the Canadian series
works non-stop for 8 months each year, turning out 18
hour-long episodes.
COLLABORATIVE WORKFLOW SAVES TIME,
INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY
Super 16mm footage is transferred to HDCam tapes
and sent to the offline team in Calgary with an Avid Log
Exchange list. As tapes come in, an assistant digitizes
them directly to EditShare™ storage in Apple’s ProRes
Proxy format.
An assistant creates a “digitizing project” for
each episode and saves the corresponding Final
Cut project file inside his own User Folder. After
organizing the video clips into bins, he iChats a
senior editor whenever a new bin is ready. The
senior editor can safely open up the assistant’s
digitizing project and drag the new bin into his
own “editing project,” thereby giving the editor
all the latest clip references. Alternately, the
assistant can create a new “editing project” and
drop it into the senior editor’s folder, effectively
transferring write permission to the senior editor.
With so much material to wade through, the offline
editing team needed a streamlined workflow. “For the
first two seasons it was really a ‘sneaker net’ with a lot
of data copied to independent hard drives,” says First
Assistant Editor Duane Martin. “We use Final Cut Pro and
we thought it was time to share media with centralized
storage. We also wanted a truly collaborative workflow
that included safe project sharing.”
An EditShare™ 3RU storage unit provided the ideal
solution. At “Heartland,” 3 Mac Pros running Final Cut
Pro, an iMac running compression software, plus a few
laptops are all now connected to their EditShare™ 8TB
system over high performance yet cost effective Gigabit
Ethernet. Every workstation can capture, access and share
media in real time. Additionally, EditShare’s patented binlocking / project-locking framework allows editors to open
and safely work with each other’s Final Cut project files,
bringing unprecedented efficiency and creativity to the
editing process.
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“We’ve always created a number of smaller
Final Cut “Projects”, says Martin, “for example,
for music, graphics, digitizing, and editing. But
now,” explains Martin, “thanks to EditShare’s
permissions management layer, at any given time only
one editor gets write access to a particular project file,
while every editor can see and open all project files
without risk of accidents. It took us a while to get our
heads around it and it’s totally changed the way we work.”
When a senior editor finishes a cut, the assistant
has immediate read-only access to both the editor’s
sequence and the media – for instance, to make DVDs.
“Now we can open the editor’s project right on the
network and we don’t have to wait for the computer it
was cut on, so we no longer have to work really stupid
hours. That’s huge,” says Martin. “With EditShare™ we
keep finding better ways to work and more time for
creative tasks like visual effects. We get a lot more work
done faster.”
Photos by Andrew Bako, courtesy of Heartland publicity
At the start of the season, the team created
a series of “Project Folders” inside an
EditShare™ Project Space – one “Project
Folder” for every 2 episodes. Within each of
these special folders, EditShare™ software
automatically creates a permissions-controlled
“User Folder” for every editor.
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