Cloud Cost Tool

Case Study

Films at 59

DNAevolution integrates easily into our infrastructure and enables us to utilize our network storage more cost-effectively. One of the biggest benefits is the ability to quickly archive the high-resolution media and conform directly from the LTO tape – easily restoring content selectively against an edited timeline regardless of the specific system our craft teams choose to use.
– Stuart Dyer, Operations Manager, Films at 59

Highly regarded for its television and film work, Films at 59 is a pre- and post-production facility based in Bristol, United Kingdom, where it creates and delivers content for broadcast and theatrical release for clients such as the BBC, Discovery Channel, and Disney Nature.

With more than 25 years of industry expertise, Films at 59 provides a complete range of production services to its clients including workflow design, camera hire, picture editing, sound design, and mixing.

THE CHALLENGE

Films at 59 recognizes the value of investing in and staying at the forefront of technology to ensure it delivers the best solutions for its clients. As the company works with high profile broadcasters on projects that have enormous amounts of media that must be kept online for an extended period of time, it recognized the need for a more efficient and dependable archive-restore process.

“We deal with vast amounts of camera master data, often shot at 4K and 5K, which takes up a massive amount of space on our nearline storage, and we also use a number of different platforms and tools for editing and finishing,” said Stuart Dyer, Operations Manager, Films at 59.

THE SOLUTION

Factoring into Films at 59’s decision to select DNAevolution as the LTO LTFS archive solution for its fast-paced media environment, is the ability to quickly create open source broadcast deliverables on LTFS-formatted LTO tapes. Scalability of the system is also important to the production facility – the option to easily expand capacity based on demand.

“Each workflow we design is unique to the specific project and client requirements, and there are occasions when we work natively from acquisition through to finishing. With DNAevolution, we can streamline our archive process directly from the editing platform,” continued Dyer. “In addition, LTO is often a delivery requirement of our clients and broadcasters, and it is becoming more common to add the finished media as part of the final LTO package.”

THE RESULT

With DNAevolution, Films at 59 rapidly archives immense amounts of raw camera master data, from multiple formats, to protect critical file-based assets long-term. DNAevolution enables the production facility to move content off of hard drives and other storage onto LTO tape with timesaving automated processes. By using DNAevolution’s web-based user interface, they are able to check the system from any computer in their facility freeing them up operationally and increasing their time
savings.

“ Our old LTO-4 archive system took one or two days to complete a job and required constant checking and manual tape changes,” said Bobbie Tutton, Data Assistant, Films at 59. “We can now have an archive job completed in two to four hours and be anywhere in the building.”

DNAevolution will deliver advanced archive, restore, and conform workflows for a landmark series of a prominent broadcaster, where high quality images of more than 150 Terabytes will be shot over the period of a year using many different camera formats. Additionally, the solution saves Films at 59’s clients from having to purchase hard drives to store camera masters, and offers them a faster, more reliable, and cost-effective archive-restore workflow.

“DNAevolution integrates easily into our infrastructure and enables us to utilize our network storage more cost-effectively,” concluded Dyer. “One of the biggest benefits is the ability to quickly archive the high-resolution media and conform directly from the LTO tape – easily restoring content selectively against an edited timeline regardless of the specific system our craft teams choose to use.”

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