The challenges of multi-site remote workflows in the cloud
The idea of remote workflows has become so important, more so than anyone could have predicted pre Covid. Even those video providers that are not yet ready for fully cloud-based workflows are beginning to seriously think about how they could begin that transition.
Once you move media workflows to the cloud, the applications are endless. When we started thinking about how to move our Cinedeck servers to the cloud, we didn’t really appreciate just how many different workflows and scenarios that would open up. From multicam live video capture to checking sensor data on board tender ships, the applications go way beyond what we could have imagined and that is pretty exciting.
At the beginning of that process to move our Cinedeck servers to the cloud, we did realize a few important things:
We would need lots of computational power
Video is data hungry as are the processes involved in capturing, transcoding, and distributing that video. Without the right amount of power, the video quality would be significantly impacted.
Making sure we had the right amount of computational power involved painstaking work creating specs for exactly what we needed and reviewing the various cloud providers to see who could deliver that. Amazon Web Services was the best fit and we have not been disappointed.
Editors need tools to just work
Editors don’t have time to learn new complex tools and they generally want to work with the tools they are familiar with. They need to spend their time editing video content, not dealing with complex workflows and new systems.
We have worked hard to make sure our tools are simple to use and integrate with existing workflows, making the editors’ job easier and ensuring they can continue to work in familiar environments. The servers are attached to Elastic Block Storage to allow workflows such as edit while capture. However, once recorded, those video files can be simply moved to whatever storage the customer already has.
We needed to enable true remote collaboration
Covid has meant that live events need to be recorded and streamed with as few people on site as possible. Even post covid, being able to reduce the amount of hotel rooms, flights, etc is of course going to be extremely beneficial. Putting Cinedeck in the cloud means that our customers can turn up to a live event with a couple of encoders and record direct to the cloud. Edit while capture can happen with the editor located anywhere in the world, simply receiving the files as they are recorded and all the associated metadata.
There is an event coming up that is using our cloud servers, which will have two stages and five cameras per stage. The event is in Atlanta but it will all be operated by someone sitting in LA. This epitomizes the meaning of a remote, collaborative workflow.
Partnerships would be key
Video workflows involve lots of different pieces of the puzzle, from encoding to distribution. Partnering with other vendors in the ecosystem is important for ensuring integration with different parts of the workflow and a seamless experience for users.
We have a number of partnerships in place already, helping us to streamline those workflows. This includes with Lucidlink, allowing customers to edit directly from the cloud. Our partnership with Envoi enables cloud recording and distribution workflows. More recently we have been working with Dixon Sports to enable live logging.
Video production is no longer limited to broadcasters
It is very clear that video is everywhere and pretty much everyone needs to be able to create and distribute video. We are working on an even easier way to capture live video directly in the cloud. Our one button record solution will make it possible for video producers without the technical video experience to very quickly and easily record and capture live video in the cloud and we are very excited to bring it to market soon.
The Cinedeck team was recently invited to join The Workflow Show, CHESA’s bi-weekly podcast, to discuss live media ingest and the challenges of multi-site remote workflows in the cloud. You can listen to Jane Sung, COO, Charles d’Autremont, Product Development, and Ilya Derets, Project Manager, talking to Jason Whetstone and Ben Kilburg from CHESA.