Back to Workflows
Film Production Company Consolidating AJA Key Pro and Blackmagic Design
Company Situation
The company operates a high-end film and live event production studio, designed to accommodate large-scale interactive live events and multi-day shoots. Their setup supports a wide range of camera configurations — from two up to fifteen cameras — capturing content for television shows and major live broadcasts. The studio was purpose-built during the COVID-19 pandemic to serve as a live space alternative for events previously held in large venues. Their company base includes broadcasters and content producers requiring extensive footage capture and delivery.
Existing Workflow
Currently, the studio records raw, uncompressed footage using multiple AJA Key Pro devices, generating massive amounts of data—sometimes terabytes per event. They transfer this footage to external NAS servers and provide companies with secure FTP links to download their files. They also use compressed recording solutions such as AJA Key Pro GO devices and Blackmagic quick recorders for faster transfers. Despite these efforts, transferring and managing files remains time-intensive, often requiring 12+ hours to move data from recording decks to storage. They also explore simultaneous recording to cloud-based servers but have yet to finalize this workflow.
Issues with the Existing Workflow
Lengthy transfer times due to massive file sizes and reliance on physical drives or NAS servers.
Complex and cumbersome company access via secure FTP, involving port configurations and manual link distribution.
Difficulty managing large volumes of footage while ensuring companies can easily access only their relevant files.
Storage management challenges post-delivery, including deciding when and what to archive or delete.
No integrated solution to streamline review, color grading, and delivery workflows in a single platform.
How Shade Would Change Their Workflow
Shade offers a cloud-based platform that eliminates the need for time-consuming file transfers and complicated FTP setups. By uploading footage once to Shade’s cloud, the company’s team and their companies can stream, review, and access files on demand without waiting for full downloads. The platform allows granular access controls, enabling the studio to partition content and provide companies with secure, tailored access to only their relevant footage. Shade integrates review, coloring, and delivery tools into a single interface, reducing the need for multiple disparate software solutions. This approach would streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and reduce overhead in storage and file management.
Benefits
- Significant reduction in waiting times for transferring large video files.
- Simplified company access with secure, partitioned logins instead of complex FTP setups.
- On-demand streaming of footage, allowing immediate use without full downloads.
- Consolidated workflow that combines review, color grading, and delivery in one platform.
- Efficient storage management by retaining only necessary versions after company download.
- Improved collaboration and company satisfaction through easy, fast access to content.