Back to Workflows
Global Media Firm Transitioning to In-House Post-Production Workflow
Company Situation
The company operates within the media production industry, supporting a large, globally distributed creative team with multiple offices worldwide. The team is transitioning from a primarily outsourced post-production model to an in-house setup, aiming to build internal capabilities for editing, AI-driven enhancements, and delivery. The company is focused on expanding their remote workforce by hiring editors globally while maintaining centralized control over media assets and workflows.
Existing Workflow
Currently, the company has minimal in-house infrastructure, relying mainly on two computers and an assortment of external hard drives. Their active projects are managed with Google Drive, which serves as their primary cloud storage solution (with several petabytes of data stored). The company also mentioned using a media asset management system, potentially “Base Iconic,” though its compatibility and role remain somewhat unclear. Outsourced vendors historically handled most production tasks, with the in-house team now aiming to reverse that trend.
Issues with the Existing Workflow
Lack of centralized infrastructure to onboard remote editors efficiently.
Dependence on Google Drive, which is not fully compatible with third-party tools or scalable for active project workflows.
Fragmented toolsets causing workflow inefficiencies—teams toggle between multiple platforms like Frame.io, Iconic, LucidLink, Dropbox, and Google Drive.
No streamlined solution for managing storage tiers (hot, warm, cold) or archiving deliverables.
Limited ability to leverage existing storage contracts optimally (e.g., unused capacity in other company offices).
Tool fatigue and broken APIs complicate collaboration and slow down production cycles.
How Shade Would Change Their Workflow
Shade offers a unified platform that integrates search, access, sharing, and archiving capabilities into a single “pane of glass.” It supports S3-compatible cloud storage, enabling the company to build workflows on top of existing storage infrastructure or leverage new storage options beyond Google Drive. Shade can replace multiple fragmented tools by consolidating media asset management, storage management, and collaboration into one platform. The company could onboard remote editors easily, centrally locate files on a scalable server environment, and implement tiered storage strategies with automated offloading to archival systems such as Google Drive for deep archive needs.
Benefits
- Centralized, scalable infrastructure for remote collaboration and onboarding.
- Simplified workflows by replacing multiple disconnected tools with one platform.
- Compatibility with existing S3-compatible storage contracts, maximizing prior investments.
- Flexibility to keep active projects on Shade while archiving older content to Google Drive.
- Reduced tool fatigue and streamlined media management.
- Improved control and security of in-house post-production workflows.
- Cost efficiency by consolidating platforms and optimizing storage usage.
Technologies Used
Want to see how Shade can improve your workflow?
Book a Demo