Collaboration is essential in any media workflow. Successful projects are often linked to collaborative efforts, as multiple teams come together to work on various phases within the media supply chain – all with the same goal to create the best possible entertainment. Whether it’s remote editing, review and approval, or teams accessing archive content, when done right, collaboration leads to efficient and timely content processing. However, creating and maintaining synergy throughout the media chain is no easy feat.
Continuity in Storage Workflows
Most broadcast and media organisations have large archives of media assets. As the archives continue to grow with the generation of new content, the need for optimisation becomes a higher priority. Media teams all have specific and varying requirements, although most are bound by the common need for flexibility. Assets now need to be accessible from multiple locations, rather than from a single office, to satisfy the culture of remote working. And while many workflows such as preparation, transcoding, or content packaging, have embraced cloud-based infrastructure, when it comes to storage, there are specific challenges around cloud adoption.
It’s not that media companies don’t have the desire for consistency and increased collaboration in the cloud. It’s just that there are some logistical roadblocks in the way. Moving from legacy platforms, like LTO or ODA, can be quite unwieldy. When dealing with Petabytes of physical data, a ‘lift and shift’ operation takes up valuable time and resources. But media companies can take a more iterative approach and augment legacy tech with more modern solutions.
Content can be moved to media-focused, on-prem object storage that can handle the subsequent transition of media and metadata to the cloud. By migrating archive content in stages, as needed, the right on-prem platform will synchronise effortlessly with cloud storage. Scalability and accessibility are clearly the cloud’s key selling points. However, there are considerations to take into account before jumping on board with the first cloud storage vendor that comes knocking.
Identifying the Right Solution
Effective content collaboration requires a tailored approach. Requirements vary from business to business, and you should choose the storage and workflow infrastructure which will directly benefit your organisation’s needs. In many cases, a cloud-based approach allows media teams to work smarter. The right cloud storage platform should enable real-time collaboration, giving you instant access to your files and the ability for creative teams to work on projects simultaneously. But as we know, not all solutions are created equal. Many public cloud vendors lock companies into restrictive agreements or use metadata as a bargaining chip. This stops you having full ownership over your media. Therefore, before you sign on the dotted line, you should make sure your chosen solution provides, at a minimum:
- A media-focused interface
- Easy integration with other media platforms
- Self-serve access from anywhere
- Transparent costings – no hidden fees
- Future-proof access to content and third-party integrations
- Secure, multi-departmental use
- Automated file backup and disaster recovery
- Comprehensive analytics, compliance, and user auditing
If the solution you’re considering can’t meet the above, you should ask yourself, “is this the right platform for our company needs, for now and for the future?”. If you don’t feel confident in your storage systems ability to adapt and provide consistency in years to come, it’s time to find one that can. As the saying goes, buy nice or buy twice – don’t waste budget on a solution that can’t grow with your organisation, and doesn’t give you complete control.
As the desire for unstifled collaboration grows within the entertainment sector, the value of cloud-based media workflows is obvious. But the cloud solution you choose needs to have been created with media workflows in mind. Integrating purpose-built, future-proof systems throughout the supply chain makes it easier to maintain consistency during the creative process. When multiple people work together without restriction, content quality, and workflow efficiency improve.
MatrixStore Cloud is a revolutionary media-focused cloud storage platform that gives you instant access to your content. Its intuitive media interface makes protecting, finding, and sharing content straightforward, empowering creativity and collaboration between global teams.
About Object Matrix
Object Matrix is the award-winning software company that pioneered object storage and the modernisation of media archives. It exists to enable global collaboration, increase operational efficiencies and empower creativity through deployment of MatrixStore, the on-prem, hybrid and cloud storage platform. Their unified deployment approach ensures content spans on-prem and cloud storage whilst their focus on the media industry gives them a deep understanding of the challenges organisations face when protecting, processing and sharing video content. Customers include: NBC Universal, TV Globo, Warner Bros. Discovery, MSG, ATP and the BBC, to name but a few!
