As the demand for higher resolution, higher dynamic range, and higher frame rate media content grows in the media and entertainment industry, the need for increased storage requirements also rises. Coughlin Associates estimates that professional media and entertainment storage growth could reach over 180 Exabytes by 2024, with a potential increase to over 300 Exabytes within three years. The majority of this data is unstructured, such as video and audio content, which is doubling every 18-20 months and spread across various locations including on-premises, at edge locations, and in the cloud. IT leaders have adopted a hybrid cloud strategy to manage this data, using both local and remote storage for their operations.
File-based workflows are predominant in the media and entertainment industry, with many organizations utilizing both local and cloud-based storage for collaborative editing and other activities. However, managing rich media content across multiple locations can be challenging and limit the efficiency and economy of modern workflows. A solution that can manage file-based content wherever it resides and scale with the growth of these files is needed to realize the full potential of the content and improve collaboration.
Cinesite, a leading digital entertainment studio, has successfully leveraged Qumulo’s technologies, including Qumulo Global NameSpace and Azure Native Qumulo, to access geographically dispersed data as though it were local and provide cloud file storage. Qumulo’s solutions have enabled Cinesite to scale storage performance effectively without overprovisioning, control costs, and enable cloud-bursting for future customer requirements, including scalable 16K video workload capabilities. By using Qumulo’s global namespace, Cinesite has been able to exchange data globally and make the most of their international workforce.
Qumulo and Cinesite are working together to implement AI for predictive block and file access between locations, intelligent caching, and more responsive scaling. By utilizing Qumulo’s technologies, Cinesite has been able to render in 2K with a push to 4K and produce marketing stills at 2K, 4K, or 8K. The ability to handle occasional spikes in performance demand and only pay for higher performance when needed has allowed Cinesite to effectively manage their M&E workloads and projects, including video rendering.
With the continuous increase in M&E content size, the demand for increased storage and processing capability to support workflows such as video rendering persists. By utilizing Qumulo’s technology, Cinesite has been able to pay only for the cloud storage needed for video rendering projects and improve workflows by utilizing excess capacity in-house in different locations. Qumulo’s solutions have enabled Cinesite to efficiently manage their growing storage requirements and enhance their capabilities to serve current and future customer needs effectively.
