C&I Studios Powers Bi-Coastal Post Workflow With Blackmagic Cloud, Cloud Store Mini

Blackmagic Design
(Image credit: Blackmagic Design)

FREMONT, Calif.—C&I Studios has completed post production on “From DC, I Love You” with Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, grading, visual effects (VFX) and audio post production software.

The bi-coastal post workflow was enabled by the Blackmagic Cloud and Blackmagic Cloud Store Mini network storage solution, it said.

“To the Cities that I Love” is an anthology series that chronicles relationships and how they come to an end. For “From DC, I Love You,” editing, color grading and sound mixing were done in Los Angeles, and media management was completed in New York City.

C&I Studios relied on Blackmagic Cloud to host the project library on the DaVinci Resolve Project Server, providing instant collaboration on the same timeline for the dispersed team, Blackmagic said.

“With DaVinci Resolve Studio 18, we all worked from the same timeline in Blackmagic Cloud,” said Joshua Miller, founder and CEO of C&I Studios. “Blackmagic Cloud meant we didn't have to send the DRPs [DaVinci Resolve project files] back and forth. All footage was loaded onto our server, and then with a Blackmagic Cloud Store Mini in each location syncing media, everyone in any studio could work on the project at once….”

“We just finished several projects where I had to make proxies of huge files. Because of the speed of the Blackmagic Proxy Generator and ability to process raw files, our projects moved flawlessly,” he said.

With a Blackmagic Cloud Store Mini in Los Angeles and New York City supporting each local team, the media stayed synced and shared throughout post.

“This was everything for us. We were already using 10G speeds in our network, so to be able to transfer directly from our server to the Cloud Store Mini created one seamless process for our workflow. Our DRP was then in the cloud, and we could simultaneously collaborate on the project. Someone was working on color while someone else was editing, meaning the overall post process was faster and more efficient,” said Miller.

Prior to Blackmagic Cloud, Miller noted that he would have to send the DRP to the next team member in line, and around and around again. “It was difficult because you had to be careful about working on the latest version that was individually sent to you. With Blackmagic Cloud, we no longer have to work piece by piece or worry about version control. Blackmagic Cloud changed our entire workflow,” he said.

“You can collaborate on a project at the same time anywhere in the world with your team, whereas before everything had to be in network, in one building or mailed out. Now anyone in the world can work on one project. As an international company, this is crucial to our success,” he said.

More information is available on the company’s website.

Phil Kurz

Phil Kurz is a contributing editor to TV Tech. He has written about TV and video technology for more than 30 years and served as editor of three leading industry magazines. He earned a Bachelor of Journalism and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.