The post-production process involves so many important aspects from cutting raw film, combining that footage, to adding music, sound effects, and colour grading. And, depending on the size of the project, this process can take anywhere from a few months to even a year!
Storage is a key component that underpins the entire setup of a post-production house, their workflows and infrastructure. Some use portable hard drives or disposable media as a storage solution. And whilst these options are well-established solutions, they are not reliable or secure, especially as you grow and expand.
So what storage options are available? During the COVID-19 global pandemic, organisations were forced to move to remote working, resulting in a major shift towards cloud storage. Post-production houses were no exception to this transition and as we continue on this journey into the new norm' of hybrid working, cloud storage still remains a popular choice.
For a small post-production house who's storage demands can be a bit unpredictable in terms of growth and client requirements, there comes a point when they need to consider migrating to an object storage solution that's a bit more reliable, secure, and scalable but which option is best? Public or private cloud?
What is the difference between public cloud and private cloud storage? Private Cloud storage offers a platform that is highly supported and addresses a given workflow or problem that needs to be solved. It is possible to have private cloud platforms that are dedicated to one organisation or shared by many.
Public cloud is designed for hyper scale with global reach and requires third party expertise to implement and support the desired workflow or outcome.
Public Cloud vs. Private Cloud If you're considering a transition to public cloud, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Unpredictable Costs The cost of public cloud in creative workflows is far too unpredictable and those lovely large corporate discounts are not available to everyone, especially if your business is a small or medium-sized one.
For the vast majority of production organisations, predicting future content access patterns is impossible and as such the costs of data access is extremely unpredictable. Ironically, businesses are paying for access to their own content and when it comes to exit planning they are faced with steep, almost prohibitive, charges to move to 3rd party platforms.
Access Speed If you need access to your archive content you normally need it pretty quickly so having decent, reliable and affordable bandwidth can be an issue. If your content is sat in the coldest of archive tiers then content will be returned to you according to given SLAs and chosen cost structures. Again, unpredictable and unhelpful to production companies.
But wait, that's your data, isn't it? It is our mantra that our customers' content belongs to them, not us! Yet even today, there are storage vendors-MAM, DAM, and PAM vendors-and also cloud providers out there who force you to always use their tools or protocols to retrieve the content you own!
In the worst cases, they put the data into proprietary formats that ensure you are locked into them for data access and workflows. Your providers' SLAs are in their best interest, not yours, so be aware! Always read the small print.
If you are going to move content to the cloud, make sure every step of the supply chain adheres to the format rules you set. Data portability is not only important for moving to new platforms but also for using the data you own for multiple purposes. Content archived in one workflow should be available in all other workflows.
It is also important to consider a multi-solution, multi-cloud approach to not only protect against vendor lock-in but also against SPOF (Single Point of Failure), cyber-attack, or any other massive outages. Don't put all your eggs into one basket.
Metadata In many ways, the content and metadata are equally significant. If you can't find it, then you don't have it!
When possible, metadata should be transferable throughout the supply chain, maintained in an open format, and accessible via open APIs. Sadly, many content management services hold onto their metadata quite firmly because they view it as their crown jewels. Even if they don't transfer it when archiving to public cloud platforms, not all of those cloud storage platforms can support or handle more than a few items, so you must use a third-party programme to locate and access your own stuff.
Additionally, data analytics are more crucial than ever, but a lot of the material that is archived is dark media. Dark media is archival content that hasn't been indexed or categorised, making it impossible to search. The full archive must be accessible to analytics and metadata generating tools in order to make it searchable. Using deep cloud archiving platforms, it is either impossible or prohibitively expensive.
Media Archive Workflows To make public cloud platforms affordable, they have to be generic across all verticals. Many offer a just another me-too service. Specialisation needs people and expertise, which costs money. Some of the bigger players have media services they provide themselves, but there is, of course, an associated cost per play, and in the main, third-party applications are needed to make media work in that environment.
The biggest issue, though, is that content producers in post production need access to their entire archive, right now! This wouldn't be commercially viable (or likely possible) with public cloud alone.
Not forgetting PFR (partial file restore) - this wouldn't be possible from public cloud! Not ideal for a post production house who needs to sub-clip a section of content.
What Next? Whilst public cloud isn't the most suitable option
Europe Stories
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
04/12/2025
The ninth series of Dancing with the Stars returns to screens in early
2026 and will be proudly sponsored by Hyundai
Filling our Sunday evenings with glitz an...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAir Composition Builder 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: The Composition Builder 2025 application for macOS enables TV stations and Live Event broadcast...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAr just:live pro 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: just:live pro 2025 is a Single Channel Live Production Playout solution for video and static or real-t...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAr just:play pro 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: just:play pro 2025 is a Single Channel automated 24/7 Master Control playout solution with SD, HD and ...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAr live:cut 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: live:cut is an option to just:in mac pro 2025 and enables multicamera production workflows for up to 16 cam...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite NDI 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite NDI application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specific...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specifically for...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAir just:in mac pro 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: just:in mac pro is a macOS-based client-server multichannel capture solution to record SDI, HDMI, N...
03/12/2025
Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, Thomson's Young Journalist of the year 2025 is hoping the accolade will be a springboard to more cross-border collaboration between ...
03/12/2025
For the fourth time, Bad Bunny is the most-streamed Wrapped artist on Spotify gl...
03/12/2025
The wait is over. It's time to look back at the audio that defined your year with 2025 Spotify Wrapped, our annual celebration for fans, artists, creators, ...
03/12/2025
Por cuarta vez, Bad Bunny es el Top Artista Global de Wrapped en Spotify, con 19...
03/12/2025
Spotify Wrapped is back, and as always, it's powered by the billions of streams that fans around the world delivered throughout the year. From the artists w...
03/12/2025
Spotify Wrapped is the moment when hundreds of millions of fans around the world...
03/12/2025
With more than 700 million listeners around the world turning to Spotify to soundtrack their lives, it's time to look back at the audio that defined the yea...
03/12/2025
Con m s de 700 millones de oyentes en todo el mundo usando Spotify para acompa ar su d a a d a, es momento de mirar hacia atr s y ver el audio que marc el a o....
03/12/2025
From page-turning thrillers to inspiring memoirs, audiobooks are becoming a core...
03/12/2025
Com mais de 700 milh es de ouvintes em todo o mundo recorrendo ao Spotify para embalar seu dia a dia, chega o momento de revisitar o udio que marcou o ano. Nos...
03/12/2025
Spotify Wrapped celebrates the audio that defined our year, and the annual globa...
03/12/2025
Wuppertal December 3, 2025
Riedel and Haivision Join Forces to Advance Wireless Video TransmissionRiedel Communications today announced a new partnership with...
03/12/2025
Tell us a little bit about your job I am a Digital Marketing Executive working on Paid Social, PPC, and Organic Social. I joined the team in May 2025 and am enj...
03/12/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. and VIENNA - Dec. 3, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) and Normann...
03/12/2025
S an Nollaig
Celebrate 2025's top Irish sporting stars with RT Sport Awards live from RT Studios on RT One and RT Player
RT pays tribute to Ror...
02/12/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
02/12/2025
--
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the International Telecommunication Unio...
02/12/2025
Harmonic's cOS Platform Will Redefine Subscribers' Quality of Experience, Lowering Churn SAN JOSE, Calif. - Dec. 2, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today...
02/12/2025
S an Nollaig
Hollywood blockbusters The Banshees of Inisherin, Barbie and Oppenheimer make their Irish TV debut
Tune into the classics such as Love Actual...
02/12/2025
Showcasing fresh Irish storytelling and emerging talent Storyland 2025 signals a fantastic time for Irish drama
RT and F s ireann/Screen Ireland are proud to...
01/12/2025
MANCHESTER, UK - November 2025 - Announced two days before the 30th anniversary of Oasis' debut album, Definitely Maybe, the Oasis Live '25 tour marks t...
01/12/2025
01 Dec 2025
Kyivstar and Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation Select Go...
01/12/2025
The prequel to the global hit Sky Original mob crime saga, Gomorrah' is a s...
01/12/2025
Featuring Florence Welch, Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Flea, designer Bella Freud...
01/12/2025
Fox Corporation Chief Financial Officer Steve Tomsic to Participate in Upcoming ...
01/12/2025
Arvato Systems' Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Receives BSI C5 Certification (T...
01/12/2025
Summary This short video gives you an summary of the changes in under two minutes.
--...
01/12/2025
As the festive season approaches, RT Supporting the Arts is proud to showcase a...
01/12/2025
Festive specials of Christmas in Kilmainham presented by Marty Whelan, High Road Low Road, Callan Kicks the Year and Keys to My Life
Ring in the New Year with ...
01/12/2025
Architect and television presenter Hugh Wallace, best known to RT audiences as a long-serving judge on Home of the Year, has died at the age of 68.
In a state...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
The post-production process involves so many important aspects from cutting raw film, combining that footage, to adding music, sound effects, and colour grading. And, depending on the size of the project, this process can take anywhere from a few months to even a year!
