November 2013
www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope 49 The Workflow
The Allotment builds new post pipeline with Facilis TerraBlock
Shoreditch studio The Allotment began as a group of UK filmmakers sharing a creative space with a few outdated editing suites and half an idea to build a hub for local creative nomads. David Stewart tracks how things have developed since
SINCE ITS inception in June 2013 with the start of production on The Lumo Project — a four- part film series from Toy Gun Films and Big Book Media that chronicles the Canonical Gospels —The Allotment has achieved its vision. It has evolved into a full-blown boutique film editing studio with a cutting-edge post production pipeline supported by Facilis TerraBlock shared storage. Earlier this year, executive
producer Hannah Leader enlisted the services of
independent film editor and The Allotment founder Ben Hilton to complete post production for Lumo. Before commencing work on the film, Hilton researched the best kit available to design the studio’s ideal workflow from the ground up, starting with shared storage. “We knew Lumo would be a huge undertaking, so we had to find the best kit for the
job including a SAN that could act as our storage backbone,” says Hilton. “We wanted something affordable and centralised that could withstand the test of time — which is why we opted for TerraBlock. It’s become the glue holding our facility together.” The Allotment purchased
TerraBlock through UK reseller Tyrell, which was on-site to ensure installation ran smoothly. Today, the system sits at the centre of The Allotment’s 1500sqft studio, which was built atop an original Shakespearian theatre. It houses two Avid Media Composer 7 edit rooms complete with Apple Macs, Thunderbolt Displays and Avid Artist audio mixer, a main Media Composer 7 editing studio and a Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve colour grading suite, all connected to the TerraBlock via 10GbE.
With creativity driving Lumo
and every project the Allotment team takes on, TerraBlock has proved an asset to the team, removing the tedious task of media management. “We never have to worry about moving files around or waiting around to watch blue bars fill up, which frees up more of my time for the creative. TerraBlock is so simple to manage that once media is ingested, it’s smooth sailing,” Hilton explains. The plug-and-play functionality and advanced speed of the system have also come to play a key role in The Allotment’s everyday operations. “The fact that I can create a volume, quickly load media and remove it is nice. If I want to share a project with everyone, I just throw it onto the TerraBlock and we’re good to go,” added Hilton. “Speed has also been a real game changer
directors visiting the studio. Hilton says, “I’m not very technical, nor are the directors and freelancers we work with, but TerraBlock is so easy to use that there’s no need for an in- house IT person during rush reviews. Visitors can easily plug in, log on and they’re in business; it’s that easy. “TerraBlock’s taken quite a
beating from us on several projects, but no matter how much we push it, the system continues to perform really well. I never have to worry about editors running around like a bunch of headless chickens screaming that the SAN is down.”
The Allotment is also
Ben Hilton: “We knew Lumowould be a huge undertaking, so we had to find the best kit for the job”
over the last few years, especially with data rates so high, and TerraBlock is fast. We’ve uploaded hours of material and never once had to wait to see something happen.” Additionally, TerraBlock has simplified rush reviews for
Prepare for the unexpected By Holly Ashford
SWISS COMMUNICATIONS consultancy comexperts is enabling its clients to perfect their interview skills in a new ultra HD studio environment. Blackmagic Design’s ATEM Production Studio 4K has been installed in a facility, which aims to replicate the environment their high-profile clients will experience when interviewed on national TV or appearing in televised debates. comexperts’ client roster includes politicians, government officials, CEOs and business leaders from Switzerland’s public and private sectors. The company’s clients can now take part in training sessions directed by Patrick Senn, director of comexperts and a former TV and radio journalist. Senn uses his experience to create realistic crisis scenarios to help
in Swiss politics, so debate participants have to be completely at ease in order to perform at their best. Nerves and lack of preparation can have major implications on a politician’s ambitions, so our studio offers a great way to get used to being on air.” ATEM was selected as it
Blackmagic Design’s ATEM Production Studio 4K has been installed in comexperts’ facility
participants learn techniques to cope with potential situations they could find themselves in. The ATEM Production Studio 4K has already been used to prepare Swiss politicians for Arena, a weekly live debate
programme. “Our facilities are just 200m away from Arena’s studio, so a few hours before, we offer the opportunity for guests to warm up in a very similar environment,” explains Senn. “The show has huge influence
enables Senn to offer clients a highly realistic studio environment, built around the latest broadcast technology, at an affordable rate. “We felt that although broadcasters are still working across SD and HD, upgrading to the ATEM Production Studio 4K means that our clients can experience a really high quality broadcast experience, to ensure they are completely prepared for what to expect in a real studio situation within an affordable budget.” The switcher’s 6G-SDI and HDMI 4K video connections
currently working on a film and television series by XIX Entertainment that comprises more than 400 hours of 1960’s stock footage. Leveraging the rapid speed of the TerraBlock, The Allotment crew is able to quickly connect to the system, ingest hundreds of hours of material from all around the world and complete post production. “As a boutique studio with
aspirations to expand in the future, the scalability of TerraBlock is huge for us. It’s one of the main reasons we opted to purchase the system. You can tell through Facilis’ updates that they pay attention to and truly value customer feedback.”
www.theallotment.co.uk
enable the studio team to handle ultra HD 4K video sources via a single cable. The studio has a green box for chroma keying, three cameras and monitors for playback and review, which will all also be upgraded to support ultra HD 4K production. Actors at the studio play news presenters, angry customers or opponents in debates. “Our clients vary hugely in
terms of budget, market and training requirements, so it is important to be conscious of our logistics and technical costs, as well as our own consultancy fees, so this was a very
important factor in our decision to move early to 4K,” Senn continues. “Also, as my background is in journalism, rather than technical studio production, I need equipment for the studio that is broadcast quality but extremely simple to use within our studio set up. The ATEM Production Studio 4K fits this brief perfectly.”
www.blackmagicdesign.com
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