Cloud is increasingly important in providing secure accessibility, streamlining media workflows and facilitating enhanced collaboration. Sony’s Ci Media Cloud Services, an ecosystem of cloud-based applications built for media organisations to collect, organise, collaborate, deliver, and archive media assets, has been continuing to enhance its offerings to create a more valuable solution for several applications.
For post-production, Ci’s Workflow app provides functionality for a secure VFX pull workflow that enables VFX frames to be automatically delivered to VFX houses by simply submitting an edit decision list (EDL) to Ci. Productions must first upload original camera files (OCF) to Ci where preview proxies are created. To initiate the VFX pull workflow, an EDL is submitted to Ci. Ci locates the referenced OCF and converts the referenced clips to the desired output format. The generated frames are dynamically provisioned to the VFX vendor who is notified when delivery is complete. Benefits of the app include increased speed and lower operational costs, and it helps solve common ownership and accessibility challenges.
Ci’s improvements for collaboration, which can benefit editing and sports users, among others, includes in-app commenting, clipping and livestreams, which simplify the way creative teams review and collaborate on content and allows for quicker publishing to social media. Ci is also integrated with Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology to receive live streams from sports venues, allowing officials to review, mark up and collaborate on decisions in near real time, regardless of location. This workflow makes content readily available to licensees and rights holders.
Additional enhancements to Ci include a Ci Mobile app on iOS and Android for viewing content and a tvOS app for screening content on Apple TV 4K, as well as more granular control of BYOS3, 6 times faster livestream ingest and Japanese localisation.
During NAB, Sony is hosting live presentations in booth #C10901 and livestreaming at https://pro.sony/nab. Topics include imaging, IP, EDL Pull cloud workflow, connecting cameras to the cloud, virtual production, drones and more.