Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1256765
BITS & PIECES www.postmagazine.com 5 POST MAY/JUNE 2020 ARCH PLATFORM MOVES VFX TO THE CLOUD LOS ANGELES — Arch Platform Technologies (https://archpt.io), a provider of cloud-based infrastructure for content creation, has announced the commer- cial availability of its secure, scalable, cloud-based visual effects platform. The Arch platform allows studios to leverage a powerful VFX infrastructure in the cloud from anywhere in the world. By moving VFX to the cloud, the Arch platform eliminates the legacy costs and inefficiencies of on-premises machine rooms. The platform empowers VFX teams to scale up and down quickly anywhere in the world, and build and manage capacity with cloud-based workstations, render farms, storage and workflow management — all in a highly-secure environment. Arch Platform Technologies was founded in 2016 by VFX and technolo- gy executive Guy Botham to create a cloud infrastructure for Vitality VFX, a Hollywood-based VFX company. Botham enlisted CTO Edward Churchward, a cloud computing expert, to design the Arch platform, which was subsequent- ly used to provide VFX for Warner Bros., Disney, Fox, Sony and Netflix. Recently, Solstice Studios, a Hollywood distribution and production studio, leveraged the Arch platform for the VFX work on the studio's upcoming first movie, Unhinged. The platform has also been used by VFX companies Track VFX and Fat Belly VFX, and is now commercially available to the industry. "We knew early on that cloud-based computing could be a potential solution to enable flexibility to scale up and down based on demand, but that no one had yet applied it to VFX operations," explains Botham. "To that end, we engineered a robust Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), which now enables a group of VFX artists to collaborate on the same infrastructure as if they were using an on-premises system. Networked workstations can be added in minutes, nearly anywhere in the world, including at an artist's home, to create a small to large VFX studio environment, running all the industry standard software and plug-ins." Botham adds, "We believe the Arch platform is a game changer for the global VFX industry — enabling productivity, flexibility and therefore material savings, untethered from the traditional office environment." "Arch is scaling rapidly to provide the solution for the immediate industry requirements," states Arch Platform Technologies CEO Laura Teodosio. "We're right at the intersection of film, VFX and technology, and our platform allows the creative industry to scale without constraints. We're excited to build upon the success we've had with studios and VFX companies, and to bring the next iteration of the Arch platform to a wider audience." Botham, who also founded Vitality VFX, is a film entrepreneur and film and technology executive. His credits include Wonder Woman, Avatar, The Social Network, Wolverine, The Avengers and The Revenant. Churchward has deep experience utilizing new technologies to spearhead the transformation of film production and distribution. Teodosio is an experienced software entrepre- neur, engineer and film producer, who has worked extensively at the intersec- tion of technology and entertainment and has been brought on to oversee the next phase of growth.