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December 2014

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www.postmagazine.com 39 POST DECEMBER 2014 OUTLOOK STORAGE O OUTLOOK O OUTLOOK ne of the challenges that we continually face is how much is enough? How much capacity is enough? How much performance or bandwidth is enough? With the continued growth of 3D and high-resolution media formats, such as 4K and even up to 8K, we may never have the answer. The industry continues to need more storage space, higher performance and transfer speeds, and the ability to simplify project work- fl ows and content management. Take 4K, for example. While 4K technology has been around for a while, it will soon be widely adopted among mainstream consumers. A recent study from Parks Associates found that 4K TVs will reach mass-market pricing in the next two-to-three years, and surpass 80 percent of households in 10-12 years, much more quickly than the adoption rate of HDTVs over the last 15 years. Even consumer technology is making the leap to ultra-high defi nition, with aff ordable 4K-capable products, such as the GoPro Hero4 camera, available for just $500. This advancement into 4K will con- tinue to impact the storage industry, as consumers and creative professionals alike begin placing a higher priority on transfer speeds and overall storage capacity (one hour of RAW 4K content requires a bit more than 1TB of storage; approximately 300MBs per second). To process and edit this data, storage devices will look to utilize new transfer methods, such as USB 3.1, which will double the speed of USB 3 fi le transfers to 10GBps. They may also look to take advantage of the ultra-fast Thunderbolt technology, which today provides a con- nection up to 20Gbps, with rumors of an even faster Thunderbolt interface within the next two-to-three years. We're also seeing advancements in network attached storage (NAS) technology, particularly in a space I like to call the "professional cloud." While some companies have already developed advanced cloud technology that goes beyond the basic personal cloud for average consumers, I think the need for professional cloud products will continue to grow quickly. With increased con- nectivity and data bandwidth, network and remote access will be integrated into advanced storage solutions, such as RAID systems, as an added feature to complement access in physical units. Will that be enough? While there will always be a need for a physical edit bay or backup, especially amongst professional artists, our world is becoming more connected than ever, and the desire to have a fully-integrated and networked data ecosystem will infl uence the future of external storage solutions. s the year quickly closes, my colleagues and I have been re- fl ecting on our collective decades in the music business, producing and licensing songs ranging from orchestral recordings at Abbey Road Studios, to gritty, edgy, hip-hop from the streets of London. Through fi rst-hand experience, constant industry challenges, triumphant wins, oc- casional misses, and earnest hard work, our stories have come together to form a series of notable trends that are sure to carry through to 2015… and beyond! GLOBAL PRODUCTIONS It's pretty obvious to any content creator that the constantly-shifting landscape has a vast frontier. All content needs to travel well from screen to shining screen; things need to stay as engaging on a phone or embedded in a blog as they are on the newest 50-inch smart TV. The onus is on rights-holders to make their content available across any platform, and that means we are talking global rights, in perpetuity, platform-agnostic, forever and ever, amen. By working with all the major performing rights organiza- tions, music companies can ensure fair compensation for composers across the entire panorama of video consumption. THINK GLOBALLY, ACT HYPERLOCALLY While we think on a global level, we act on a local plain. I like to call it acting hyperlocally. Thanks to the proliferation of cable networks and the explosion of reality television, we are seeing an ever-increasing demand for niche music. The unprecedented success of shows like Duck Dynasty and Gator Boys has grant- ed us the opportunity to seek and record a catalogue of highly authentic South- ern Americana and Bluegrass music. If there's a need for Hollywood Orchestral, Nashville Country, or Dominican-infused Reggaeton, we are making it happen from the best locally-sourced musicians. Moreover, editors and producers are using music in more sophisticated ways, identifying dramatic undercurrents or foreshadowing scenes. While unscripted programming famously relies on wall-to- wall music, more conventional dramas and sitcoms still need something tailored and emotional. Producing music for vid- eo and screen is an exercise of constant checks and balances to best accommo- date the meticulously-crafted scenes and imagery wherever possible. This all sets the tone for a fl exible production music operation that demands versatility, nimbleness, and a "ready, set, go" attitude. For production music, and all music in picture, the 2015 outlook appears to be a broader base of musical styles and locales packaged together with simple and transferable rights structures. BY MIKE WILLIAMS VICE PRESIDENT/GM G-TECHNOLOGY CULVER CITY, CA WWW.G-TECHNOLOGY.COM BY BRAD BURNSIDE HEAD OF CREATIVE AND SYNC AUDIO NETWORK NEW YORK CITY WWW.AUDIONETWORK.COM HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? HYPERLOCAL CONTENT, GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OUTLOOK SOUND LIBRARIES O OUTLOOK O OUTLOOK O A

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