Media workflows have become extremely complex due to the diversity of data and the abundance of storage mediums, locations and formats of today’s production pipelines. Here’s what you need to know about abstraction, a new approach to data management that’s helping media and entertainment get data bloat under control.
The Data Pipeline is Not What it Used to Be
To say that the data pipeline of media workflows was once simple is not very accurate. Media and Entertainment have always had a very complex and intensive workflow. Yet with the adoption of cloud and higher resolution formats, studios see new, distributed workflows with more remote participants, diverse storage mediums, data locations, distribution models and a complex and varying degree of data management. This often translates to data chaos with key stakeholders finding it difficult to get oversight and control over the complex distribution of their data.
One of the biggest challenges studios face with the pace of data growth is data bloat. Many studios find that having data replicated and used across so many systems and locations means they often don’t have an oversight of how many copies of identical content exist. They may find they have seven copies of the same file!
With deadlines becoming shorter and content production pipelines accelerating, they often don’t have the time to care (as long as they have a working copy). Yet this has detrimental impact on budgets, efficiency, and proper asset archiving.
Getting Smart About Media Assets – The Rise of Abstraction
The trend towards multiple cameras, more content, 8K resolution and new consumer formats means the data explosion won’t stop any time soon for media and entertainment. Studios need to get smart about data management. They don’t need to use less tools or locations, they need a way to oversee all their data in a new way.
Abstraction is a new approach to data management that separates content from its metadata so you can view it in unified way across storage mediums, locations, and platforms.
Using standards such as C4, they can identify files independently of how a studio might be organizing or naming them, they type of storage they reside on or the different software tools in production functions. It doesn’t matter if your data is in the cloud, on NAS or object storage, abstraction enables a single pane to view data from a central location, regardless of where or how it resides, and without impacting your workflow.
From Abstraction to Intelligence and Automation
Abstraction is a powerful tool and there are multiple ways to approach it. Solutions such as our partner StorageDNA use abstraction to provide users with the ability to track, process and visualize data to understand data usage. For example, you can have a real-time overview of the cost implications of any of your storage environments, projects or users, understand duplicities, or answer key questions to make better decisions.
Another key benefit is by implement rules and automation. This is really key in helping contend with the growth and complexity of data, as you can move unused data to low-cost tiers with little manual management and help keep budget and content at peak efficiency.
Webinar Series: Abstraction for Media and Entertainment
Join us for a webinar series to understand how abstraction is used in media workflows. I’ll be joined by our partners StorageDNA to talk about their solution DNAfabric and the power of abstraction for hybrid media workflows and data-driven decisions on media assets.
