Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1481306
www.postmagazine.com 21 POST SEPT/OCT 2022 H ybrid and remote collaborative post production workflows aren't just for those times when remote is a must; they are increasingly essential for dealing with modern challenges and opportunities. The ability to plug into centralized storage and high-performance virtual workstations remotely brings a wealth of equally-valuable capabilities — from time and cost savings to gains in flexibility and resilience — that benefit post workflows any time. THE SETUP Remote Picture Labs (RPL) maintains private cloud and high-performance workstations that enable the company to facilitate remote collaborative post workflows involving multiple creatives across the US and much of Canada. In some cases, the company's remote solution is employed to bring a greater degree of flexibility to a traditional or established workflow. A show that created dailies in Vancouver and had a major post presence in Calgary, as well as in Los Angeles, was able to migrate its post operations from Calgary to California once most of the work was done because the show's assets remained accessible in the RPL data center. Authorized creatives from the Calgary team were able to log in remotely and leverage the power of RPL's workstations to collaborate on recuts and other final work to help bring the project to completion. In other cases, production companies or post teams opt for a hybrid or remote collaborative workflow because they've heard about the efficiency and gains, and they're ready to take advantage of those benefits. Setup is simple: post supervisors and their team members fill out basic infor- mation for credentials and for any workstation elements — monitors, speakers, keyboard, computer, thin client, and even a chair and standing desk — they'd like shipped out to make the solution completely turnkey. Users access the RPL environment via PCoIP client software or an ultra-secure Zero Client endpoint device, and are typically up and running in about 10 minutes. BENEFITS & CAPABILITIES While authorized team members enjoy remote 24/7 access to creative tools and media files, managers win in countless ways. They gain the flexibility to hire creative talent, no matter where they are located; to bring on new team members quickly; reduce their real estate costs; and improve their resilience in the face of staff illness, facility or travel issues, and other challenges. Shifting to a centralized storage pool and virtual workstations, they find that technical management becomes easier and faster. For example, upgrading the entire team to the latest version of Avid Media Composer can be done within an hour. Performance and security are looked after, as well. The data center environment allows RPL to use the fastest machines available, and these virtual machine clusters effectively provide backup. The systems are protected both physically and at the network level, and they're supported by a team with deep expertise in networking and storage. To ensure a seamless experience, RPL uses sophisticated monitoring tools to examine network performance and help individuals optimize their connection. The company also shifts between dual 10-gigabit lines from different providers to prevent latency issues. RPL customers also have the option of ramping up and down internet speeds, going from a 100x100 line to a gigabit x gigabit line and back as demand requires. COSTS As offered by RPL, a hybrid or remote collaborative workflow is comparable in cost to a traditional setup. Given the many benefits this model delivers, it's proving to be a compelling solution for a wide variety of post workflows. storage CENTRALIZED STORAGE BENEFITS BOTH REMOTE & HYBRID WORKFLOWS BY KEITH GORE, CO-FOUNDER, REMOTE PICTURE LABS, HTTPS://REMOTEPICTURELABS.COM FOLIO PHOTONICS RETHINKS ARCHIVING WITH NEW OPTICAL DISC TECHNOLOGY SOLON, OH — Folio Photonics (https://foliophotonics.com) reports that is has achieved a significant breakthrough in multi-layer optical storage disc technol- ogy that will enable an unprecedented level of cost, security and sustainability advantages. Leveraging patented advancements in materials science, Folio Photonics has developed enterprise-scale optical storage discs with dynamic multi-layer write/read capabilities, which will enable the development of low- cost, high-capacity disc storage. With disc availability targeted for 2024, Folio's multi-layer disc capacity is expected to start at 10TB per cartridge (1TB per disc), with an aggressive road- map to multi-TB capacities. The roadmap is enabled by the addition of layers due to its easily scalable polymer co-extrusion process, as well as significant increases in capacity per layer. Unlike tape, Folio Photonics ACTIVE (Affordable, Cybersecure, Time to Data, Immutable by Design, Viable, ESG [Environmental, Social, Governance]) archive storage will provide random access to archives to ensure effective data retrieval. Unlike HDD, ACTIVE archive storage is 'Immutable by Design,' mean- ing it is not susceptible to radiation, heat, cold, etc., and offers a 5X lower ac- quisition price ($25/TB for HDDs vs. less than $5/TB for Folio). Folio Photonics discs are highly sustainable, with lifespans over 100 years, and will provide 80 percent power savings over HDDs.