In our previous article in the Journey to the Cloud series, we looked at migrating backup and archives of media content to the cloud. The primary intent being to move off of legacy on-premise archive solutions and provide a higher degree of resiliency and flexibility in the storage and access of media libraries. Once those high-resolution media files are stored in a public cloud, they are much more accessible for a variety of use cases. 

In this article we’ll cover cloud-based, remote proxy editing which extends the usefulness of those cloud media backups to make them accessible for video editing. We’ll also cover one other benefit within this stage of the Journey, and that is a proxy-based browsable content library accessible to non-editors. 

Video Proxies in the Cloud
This stage in our journey builds upon the high resolution content stored in the cloud from on-premise backups. While this content is accessible for restoring to on-premise solutions, it’s not necessarily useful for editing from these cloud-based libraries. Large file size, object based stores, and latencies all make remote editing of these files impractical at this point in time. To address these hurdles we can turn to video proxy files.

Video proxy files are lower bit-rate and lower quality versions of the original high resolution source.  Instead of working with source content which can be 100’s of Mb/s, we can generate proxies of these files which can be on the order of 1 Mb/s. This much smaller proxy file can then be used for editing. Upon playback that file may not be as high-quality and pristine as the original, but it can be good enough to edit against. The important thing to note is that the proxy file is frame aligned to the high resolution, so that whatever you see in the proxy at a particular timecode will match the high resolution at that timecode. This means you can create a sequence using mixes of several different video and audio tracks, edit them in a tool such as Adobe Premiere Pro, and then take the resulting EDL (Edit Decision List) back to the original high-resolution content where it can be conformed against the original high-resolution content. Most editing tools have the ability to easily re-link the proxy files to the high resolution (using rules to match files) and some also have the ability to link the high resolution and proxy together so you can toggle at any time.

Generating Proxies in the Cloud
Now that we know proxy files are lighter weight facsimiles of high-resolution content we can focus on how they can be created. Several tools exist that can generate proxy-based content from original sources. EditShare FLOW is a media asset management solution that includes built in proxy generation capabilities. FLOW can be set up to automatically scan an object store and generate proxies of all this stored material. In addition, as a media asset manager, it takes care of managing the links between the two files, correlating those files for conforming and other workflows. In addition to FLOW, other 3rd party transcoders, such as AWS Elemental, can be configured to perform the same function.

The beauty of proxy files is the size. While the proxy bit-rates can be configured to suit one’s needs, the important thing is that they are significantly smaller in size than high resolution. For example, one may have high resolution content stored in DNX145 codecs (145 Mb/s) but the corresponding proxy can be 1 Mb/s – in other words, less than 1% of the original file. The result is that proxies are almost inconsequential in terms of overall storage costs.

Editing Proxies from the Cloud
We have our high-resolution content in the cloud and we have created their corresponding proxies, now what?  As with everything in video workflows, there are choices. 

Remote Proxy Editing
For many users, the attractiveness of using a local computer for editing is compelling. Home or office based computers can be set up to work against cloud video storage quite easily.  Depending on the tool, proxies can be either downloaded or streamed down to the local computer for easy editing. This process of working with proxy material is referred to as off-line editing. Originally this workflow was useful because most computers could not meet the processing or storage requirements necessary for high-resolution editing. While this may still be the case with the demands of some codec’s, this well established workflow is perfectly suitable for remote-editing proxy editing. 

Setting up access to your cloud environment is quite straightforward and will allow editors to quickly become productive.  In establishing connectivity to your cloud environment, it is worth noting, access to proxies should be controlled through a secure protocol such as HTTPS or via a VPN to ensure security of your environment. The FLEX solution comes bundled with standard security features enabled by a range of cloud services. When it comes to rendering/conforming a sequence, high-resolution files can be accessed via similar secure protocols, however it may be faster and more cost effective to remotely render projects on a workstation within the cloud environment.

Leveraging the FLOW system can further allow video editors to become more productive through the use of the FLOW Panel for Adobe Premiere Pro and the FLOW Window for DaVinci Resolve. These ‘plug-ins’ provide the ability to map both the proxies and high-resolution content so editors can have the ability to edit against the proxies while providing the ability to view specific scenes by toggling over to the original content directly within the NLE tool set.  Note that this high-resolution playback may be practical for viewing a specific frame or a media clip, if bandwidth is sufficient. However, this is not the best method for reviewing a sequence of high-resolution clips as the user experience will likely run into playback issues. Still, it serves as a very convenient spot-check for editors. 

The Journey to Cloud Based Proxy Editing
Once you’ve made the decision to backup your content to a public cloud provider, the steps to cloud based proxy editing are rather straightforward. This is simply a matter of creating the content proxies, and with the assistance of a media management solution such as EditShare FLOW, one can simply point their editing tool at the proxy and get started.

For many customers, there’s an additional benefit to building out proxy environments in the cloud, and that is content browsing and access. EditShare is seeing an increased interest in using a cloud environment to serve as the universal content library for organizations looking to unlock their media libraries from private vaults.  

Once content is loaded into a cloud, FLOW can surface a browsable repository that’s managed, controlled and viewable by not just editors but other creative individuals who may be interested in looking at finished and raw footage previously stored in proprietary vaults. In doing so FLOW provides a user-friendly method for content re-use within organizations, and enable workflows that can reduce infrastructure spend. 

Your Cloud Journey
EditShare continues to provide its customers with solutions that make the most sense for them. If that’s on-premise, EditShare has you covered. And if you recognize that a migration to cloud services will offer benefits to your organization over time, EditShare can provide you with that pathway that makes sense for your business.  If that’s simple backup and archives, we can help. If it’s extending that investment to allow for remote proxy editing or perhaps a browsable content library we can help there too. And if you are looking at perhaps moving your entire video production environment to a cloud environment we can help with that as well.  In upcoming articles in the series, we’ll dive into additional aspects of the Journey to the Cloud.

As organizations embrace cloud technologies for video production, often the first area of focus is the use of a public cloud for media backup. The economics and practicality make sense now more than ever,  different price points and capabilities can support a variety of needs. For many teams, it’s now a matter of if, how, and when.

Deciding if it’s time to move media from on-premise storage to the cloud begins with a review of costs and benefits. Traditionally, archives have meant tape – it’s density and costs are quite compelling but they have limitations such as accessibility, obsolescence, and missing tapes. More recently, object-based on-premise storage has become an attractive option.  Solutions can use low cost, commodity hardware managed by software (referred to as Software-Defined Storage), and they offer performance and scalability across servers as needed. 

Tape based systems, such as LT0, and on-premise object storage can be attractive to many organizations looking to build scalable content libraries. Increasingly though, the benefits of cloud based storage have emerged, and along with it the use of this methodology.  To begin, cloud video storage offers data durability levels far beyond any on-premise storage, often keeping multiple data copies across multiple geographic zones. And of course, the pay-as-you-grow economics, lack of IT overhead, zero footprint and robust security features  can all factor into one’s decision making process. 

Navigating the Strata of Cloud Offerings
Much like traditional storage systems, many public cloud providers offer a hierarchy of options when it comes to cloud storage.  For media storage archives, object-based storage provides the scale that’s appropriate. Generally these tiers vary in cost, durability, availability, accessibility and other metrics. Below is a quick snapshot of AWS and GCP based tiers:

The obvious attraction to cloud object storage is the ability to select a tier based on expected access needs and archive duration – the options are plentiful. One point of note, users are generally charged for access to these storage tiers, whether egress fees for pulling the content off of the cloud or access fees for retrieving files stored in deeper tiers. These fees should be considered in any archival economic analysis. If archival is your single cloud consideration there are also cloud providers such as Wasabi that provide competitive storage pricing without any additional access & egress charges. 

Okay, you’re pulling the trigger on cloud archival – now what?
Migrating a media catalog of a substantial size will take some time to transfer. Due to this fact of physics, you may want to consider the brute force method. An AWS Snowball, GCP Transfer Appliance and other similar solutions provide a hardware device that allows you to copy your data locally and ship the device to the cloud provider for upload. For catalogs of TB or PB’s of media, this is often the most practical option.

Alternatively, one can always simply copy content up to an object store. This may be practical for smaller catalogs or incremental updates where upload catalog sizes are reasonable and bandwidth is suitable. Beware though, a standard HTTP or FTP transfer will be slow for even the largest of pipes  – TCP/IP was designed for reliability, and not for raw speed. In many cases it is recommended that a user implements a file transfer acceleration solution from such companies as Data Expedition or Signiant. These applications allow for data to be moved up to 10x faster than a traditional protocol will allow. 

Managing your Archive Library
Intelligently managing your content library pays off in storage cost savings and reduces headaches due to aggravation caused by – “where’s that file”, “did I delete it”, and other similar maladies.  A proper media asset management platform will integrate seamlessly into existing workflows and allow for content producers to focus on storytelling. The best solutions give administrators the ability to easily and quickly set up configurations and infrastructure to automate the backup and archival of raw content, finished sequences, and final productions to the proper locations with minimal overhead.

EditShare’s FLOW solution was designed as a skinny MAM to accommodate these workgroup demands, in conjunction with FLEX storage. FLOW and FLEX make it easy to set up these media spaces for raw content and projects and design and apply robust automations.  This enables seamless workflows that backup content to near-line archives, cloud object stores, or deeper cloud archives with no tax on production teams activities.  

Disaster Recovery
Historically fires and other catastrophes drove companies to build out their disaster recovery plans – last year we added pandemics to the list. The increasing need to ensure business continuity in the face of future office closures is forcing many video production teams to look to cloud backups as an anchor point for DR plans.

As backup content libraries get stored to cloud platforms for resiliency purposes, cloud production solutions can also offer an on-demand DR solution in times of crisis. EditShare offers the ability to instantly use these backup cloud libraries as a source of editable content. In the event on-premise systems can’t be accessed, EditShare’s FLEX and FLOW systems can be instantly spun up, allowing virtual workstations to access and edit content with no downtime.  By backing up the FLOW database to the cloud, we can also ensure project continuity between on-premise and cloud workflows. Editor’s may also choose to use their home workstations to connect into FLEX to allow for proxy editing remotely. 

This ability to re-purpose media archives instantly and provide a video production environment allows organizations to manage their risks and costs while being prepared for future uncertainties.  A compelling insurance investment for most organizations.

The EditShare Advantage
EditShare continues to be singularly focused on helping video production teams increase their efficiencies and manage their costs.  Media production teams come to us for help assessing the scale and scope of their backup, archival, and disaster recovery needs because we can tailor a cost effective solution that meets their requirements.  With FLOW and FLEX, we make it easy to get media into and out of the cloud.  

Your Cloud Journey
Our ability to offer on-premise, cloud, and hybrid solutions enables the transition to cloud for existing environments and balanced approaches that optimize return on investment.  One of the first ways organizations leverage the cloud is for media backup, and they find the most success today focusing on object based storage and carefully considering their needs and the fees of a variety of solutions and providers.  After you choose a service, the next hurdle is selecting how to get their content into the cloud.  Solutions are optimized to the various transfer sizes and speeds required.  Once media is in the cloud, asset management plays a key role, aiding in the organization of media assets, as well as automation of changes and retrieval, integrating seamlessly with production workflows on-prem, in the cloud, or in between.  Finally, implementing a robust disaster recovery plan for media back up in the cloud adds risk mitigation for minimal investment.

This approach to cloud adoption is a journey, undertaken by teams looking for flexibility and capability without significant investment.  Key to their success is finding the most valuable ways to leverage the cloud, and adopting them gradually as their needs require. 

When you share multiple files in a review link, your audience can now access the files in a gallery that supports batch approval and downloading.

If you requested feedback on a review link, your audience can hover over an asset tile and click the thumbs-up icon to approve it. Viewers can also select multiple files and click the thumbs-up along the top of the page to approve multiple files at once.

When downloading is enabled on a review link, viewers can select one or more files and click the download button at the top of the page to download them. Clicking the download button without selecting any assets will download all of the files included in the review link.

In the bottom left corner of the screen, you can choose between gallery or list view, change the sort order, or open the review page with commenting and annotation tools for videos, images, and documents.

For added security, administrators can now require workspace users to log in using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

To set up MFA, users link their Shift account to their phone or tablet by installing an authentication app, such as Authy or Google Authenticator. When they log into Shift, they will be prompted to enter a six-digit code provided by the authentication app.

As an administrator, you can enable MFA on your workspace by visiting the Security Settings tab in the Administration section.

Note: Shift uses the same MFA code as Screeners.com. If you already use MFA to access Screeners.com, Shift will use the same MFA code to log you in.

You now have more ways to log into your Shift account. Enter your email address to receive a login link in your inbox, or click any of the icons below the email field to log in with your Google, Slack, Apple or Microsoft account.

Additional login options are also available when you access a Review Link. To comment on a public review link, simply click “Add Comment” on the review page and log in to start leaving feedback.

After you create a new Review Link or Spotlight Presentation link, the URL will automatically copy to your clipboard for instant sharing.

See the feature in action by right-clicking on a file in one of your projects, selecting “Share,” and picking either of the two options. Once you choose your link settings and click “Create Link,” the URL will be ready to paste elsewhere without any extra clicks.

You can now share files directly from the SHIFT GO mobile app for iOS and Android devices.

• When you open a project or folder, tap the blue airplane icon in the bottom right corner. 
• Select the assets you want to share. A blue checkmark appears on the assets you’ve selected.
• Once you’ve made your selection, tap the Share button again to view your review link settings. Enter your title and description, add your recipients, set an expiration date, and choose additional link settings. 
• Tap Share when you are ready to send your review link.

To simply create a review link without entering recipients, leave the “People” section blank, and tap Share. Then, tap the Share Link button to send the review link using email, text, or other apps on your device.

To download SHIFT GO, navigate to get.shift.io/mobile on your mobile device.

You can now access Spotlight video tutorials to learn more about creating playlists, customizing your template, and building your own microsite.

When you’re in the Spotlight editor, click the Help icon in your left-side navigation. Here, you’ll find links to three new videos on key Spotlight workflows.

Underneath, you can click “Roadmap and Feedback” to see what the Spotlight team is working on or to submit product feedback. Select “Knowledge Base” to access support articles and “Support” to chat with the Support team.

When you upload a video to SHIFT, the asset tile now features a progress bar and processing information, so you can keep track of your file’s progress as it is being processed. If you upload a video to a SafeStream-protected project, you can also see when the watermark is being prepared.

Producing, distributing, and sharing media assets and works-in-progress is complex during the best of times. As we collectively find our footing in the “new normal,” intuitive, flexible, and secure media management tools have become a business imperative.

Many teams struggle to manage content across disparate tool sets with different solutions for asset management, approvals, presentations, and distribution. This disconnected approach to managing media assets is not only cumbersome and inefficient, but it’s also incredibly insecure.

MediaSilo understands these challenges well, so we developed a solution that enables your team to create a branded, seamless, and secure production process all in one place.

Spotlight is a digital experience builder that is connected to all of your projects and assets in MediaSilo, whether you’re pitching your latest reel to a client, seeking buy-in for a new advertising campaign, or updating stakeholders on a project, Spotlight makes it easy to integrate, share, collaborate, and customize the experience all while staying on brand.

Here are four key ways MediaSilo is using Spotlight to reimagine media management for the new era:

1. Code-Free Customized Templates

Your MediaSilo account comes enabled with a collection of professionally designed templates ready for use. Customizing these templates to support branding is simple in Spotlight. Add your logo, brand colors, and fonts into your chosen templates, and your team has instant access to a library of templates where they can plug in company assets and publish or present custom branded reels, dailies, or microsites in minutes.

If off-the-rack templates aren’t for you, Spotlight supports a design-your-own template option for fully customized assets that are easy to deploy—no coding required.

2. Static and Dynamic Playlists

In today’s fast-paced production environments, there is no room for downtime. So, Spotlight’s powerful editor lets you build a client reel, design a brand-new microsite, or create an attention-grabbing presentation in minutes.

Using shareable playlists, you can group assets together into a reusable collection that can be inserted into any Spotlight presentation.

Playlists come in two varieties, and the type you use depends on where you are in the production process:

• Dynamic playlists: Creating a playlist from a project or folder allows the playlist to be automatically updated in real time when files are added or removed in a project or folder. This means you won’t have to resend links to clients to ensure they have the most current assets.
• Static playlists: These playlists house collections of assets that won’t be changed. Spotlight doesn’t update static playlists in real time, so they are primarily used for sharing finished work with clients.

3. Seamless Connection Between MediaSilo and Spotlight

You can easily pull media straight from your projects in MediaSilointo your Spotlight designs without having to download files or upload images between systems. Simply drag and drop media into the Spotlight editor, reorder as needed, and you are ready to hit play.

4. Secure Sharing with SafeStream

Whether you’re concerned about cyberattacks, intellectual property theft, or both, securing your workspace and assets is crucial. MediaSilo enabled Spotlight with high levels of security using proprietary technology and access management policies.

For example, if you need to share protected content with only a select group of team members, Spotlight provides multiple security options, such as restricting the audience that can view the asset, adding password protection, and making the content available only in the Spotlight workspace.

When you’re ready to share your finished work with the world, SafeStream watermarking will instantly secure your videos. SafeStream prevents content theft and misuse through personalized visible and forensic watermarks containing user data that can easily be traced.

Spotlight provides a secure, intuitive, all-in-one space to present, organize, and secure digital assets in MediaSilo making it easy for producers to transform their content into stunning visual experiences.

To learn more or get started with Spotlight today, dive into our Spotlight knowledge center and sign up for a free trial of MediaSilo.