EditShare at #IBC2018
We’ve been having a lot of success with EditShare since the introduction of their proprietary EFS file system in 2017. Since the move to a single namespace put the storage system’s flexibility, resilience and performance into line with Avid and other big players the value add of the Flow MAM system included in the EFS range has become hard to resist amongst the small to medium post houses and agencies. New releases around IBC this year mean that more and more people can access these user friendly and powerful workflow tools.
Flow as a Service is GO!
Flow has previously been tied into EditShare’s storage platform but with the release of Flow as a service we can now deploy Flow on to 3rd party storage. We’ve been part of the Beta testing phase of Flow SaaS and have been seriously impressed with the new interface and with drag and drop round tripping of sequences between Flow and Avid, here’s a quick synopsis of the new features. Flow SaaS is shipping now with our first customer installation already underway, these new features will be integrated into all-in-one EFS servers in the new year so don’t feel left out if you’re already an EditShare customer!
Flow Automation gets integration with StorageDNA and AWS Glacier
Flow Automation is EditShare’s graphical workflow management tool and in this new release its ability to archive to serious LTO solutions and Cloud has been given a real boost. I’ve always had reservations with EditShare Ark, their current LTO solution which ties you to a proprietary tape format and ignores the flexibility of LTFS as an open source platform, not to mention it’s potential for delivery as we move into the world of UHD. You can now archive directly to StorageDNA and Glacier from Flow and keep your proxy files online for viewing and editing. Archive can be ad-hoc or driven by Automation logic and custom metadata.
Flow Browse is now Flow Story with a significant upgrade on proxy editing workflows.
New flow interface
It was obvious when EditShare took on LightWorks that they would be looking to implement the veteran NLE onto their integrated suite of tools but up until now it has been little used as an extra license option. Moving forward Flow Story is the main Flow interface which keeps the metadata manipulation of the previous Flow Browse but adds in a serious implementation of LightWorks. You can add transitions, mix audio, record guide VO and even add colour correction using Flow’s proxy files on or off site, then simply let your editor know and they can drag the sequence out of Flow directly into an Avid or Premier bin automatically re-linking to the online media. When they’re done they can simply drag it back out of their suite into flow for you to view and annotate almost instantly without rendering out a viewing copy.
New QSCAN interface with Macro design tools
QScan AQC is a new addition to EditShare’s roster. It brings ease of use to the previously murky world of AQC. They have intuitive reporting mechanisms based on a timeline format. Errors are reported clearly with thumbnails and timecode stamps that can be navigated by hovering your mouse rather than scrolling through a 10-page PDF file.
Configuring templates in AQC tools has previously been a frustrating and time-consuming process of trial and error but not anymore with QScan’s single pass analysis process. When you run a file through the system all analysis data is stored in a database. This means after you’ve generated your database you can dynamically adjust thresholds in your template and see the results instantly.
Ease of use is a real focus for the QScan team and at IBC this year they have introduced a very neat tool to allow users to have a single watch folder destination for multiple templates. Using macros built with familiar binary logical operators you can set up rules to direct submitted files to the correct template. For example, if a submission is an AS11 AND 30 minutes long send it to the DPP template but if the next file is a DNX120 MXF file (same as source) with a short duration it’s likely to be an online editor performing a PSE check to send it to a simple template running just a PSE and blocking filter. It’s a simple idea but one that makes user’s lives much easier.
If you want to look at these new tools and see what they can do for you give Tyrell a call for a demo!
