Cloud storage used to be considered a passive solution, simply a virtualized hard drive to store archived files. The main purpose these cloud-based services originally provided was a great backup location, but that was about the only benefit. Simply said, cloud storage was viewed as a safety net for post production studios backing up assets, and it stopped there.

Today, the mindset on cloud storage has shifted and the entire industry is rallying around it. With the rising demand for cloud-based workflows, Suite's cloud storage is creating new opportunities for production teams around the world. By allowing studios to work directly off the cloud, Suite allows creative teams to store, share, and edit media instantly, as if everyone were working off of the same local hard drive. The result is faster work, better creative, and simplified collaboration with anyone in the world.

Why is everyone making the shift?

There are a lot of reasons why studios are making the shift to cloud storage. Backblaze, a B2 Cloud Storage company, and TV Technology, a broadcast-focused published, asked over 246 companies in the Media & Entertainment industry to outline their top reasons for making the switch (see below). Now, let's explore these reasons in more detail to see exactly how cloud storage is changing production workflows for the better...

‍Reason #1 - Cloud storage promotes collaborative production workflows

The top reason among the 246 correspondents who responded to the survey was that cloud storage solutions promote collaborative production workflows. To really understand how, we first need to understand what the workflow looked like before cloud storage, and then compare that outdated workflow with the improved workflow factoring in modern day capabilities. Here’s a quote from one of our clients, speaking about their workflow before the cloud: 

‍There was nothing worse than going to work on Monday, getting hit with 100 emails and then having to figure out which drive had the files you needed to make the requested changes. At times, it would feel like keeping track of your hard drives was like playing a game of Jenga.

Before studios began integrating cloud storage within their workflows, sharing assets and data was inefficient and cumbersome. The amount of time studios spend shipping hard drives through the mail or uploading, downloading and transferring their content could easily triple the amount of time it took to complete a project. In this "outdated" workflow, each person needed a localized copy of their files to actually work, forcing team members to constantly be transferring data to new hard drives and sharing those amongst the other collaborators involved.

Studios are shifting to cloud storage because of the new and improved workflow possibilities, allowing teams to collaborate faster and easier. This shouldn't be surprising given that the success of production and post studios frequently depends on collaboration among multiple people with a variety of creative talents. Services like Suite allow video production companies to easily access their files from anywhere with an internet connection, meaning once the files are uploaded they can be shared instantly with any person in the world, regardless of the size of the file. In short, this means studios no longer have to wait for files and instead can start working on projects within seconds.

‍‍Reason #2 - Cloud storage opens the talent pool

For many studios and creative agencies—especially those not located in production hubs like Los Angeles, New York or Atlanta—finding local talent is an ongoing battle. Post production studios are often forced to accept talent that’s "good enough" instead of "great" because that's what makes sense for their workflow. For many studios, there’s a need for someone to be present each day, sitting next to their teammates so they can easily review, bounce ideas, and collaborate.

Next, while cloud storage solutions like Google Drive and Dropbox allow assets to easily be downloaded and uploaded between team members, they only solve part of the problem. Remote workers still need to transfer files to-and-from their local computers in order to begin the editing process. Not ideal. It's no wonder that 32 percent of production studios listed that “opening the talent pool” was their top reason for shifting to cloud storage: Instead of studios having to choose to work efficiently with someone local or inefficiently with someone remote, studios can now experience the same productivity regardless of where their talent is located.

In turn, when studios learn that they can remove the repetitive transfer process from their workflow and, instead, directly integrate their files with cloud computers, their view on remote collaborators changes. With Suite, remote workers can now access the same files as efficiently as an in-house team member. Our virtual workstations also make it possible for everyone on the project to access the same workstation in real-time, allowing for synchronous collaboration that truly feels like sitting in the same room as your creatives. Powerful stuff, right?  

‍Reason #3 - Pricing and cost of storing assets

Cloud-based storage is expensive—there's no way around it. Whether a studio is filing its media assets on solid-state drives (SSDs) or in an on-premises server room, the cost of storing data is expensive and the cost of losing that data can be even worse. Not only does cloud storage offer cost flexibility, but it also offers security that physical storage solutions can't.

Suite's cloud storage provides a simpler way of budgeting your cloud storage costs. Not only does it help eliminate the need to invest in new hardware, it also is billed at a flat monthly rate, so forecasting your studio's costs is easier than ever.

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Want to learn more? Speak with our team today.