SAN Solutions Supports Fast, Flexible Tapeless Workflow at Florida State University Film School

July 7, 2009

Source: SAN Solutions

SAN Solutions Video/Audio Production SAN Provides Reliable, Scalable Foundation for Creation and Delivery of Award-Winning Student Productions

SAN Solutions announced that the College of Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts at Florida State University (the Film School) is using a SAN Solutions Video/Audio Production SAN to support student projects. Installed in the school's post facility, the SAN provides a reliable, scalable storage and distribution network for the Film School's storytelling curriculum in digital cinema, as well as traditional film production for audio and visual elements.

"To better support students and faculty at the Film School, we needed to evolve from a tape-based, sneaker-net infrastructure to a centrally served, streaming environment," said Chuck Allen, professor at the FSU Film School. "SAN Solutions was the only company able to demonstrate the experience and knowledge necessary to architect and implement a complete, reliable solution that would provide fast access to assets throughout the post-production and delivery workflow. Now, at any point in this workflow, anywhere in the facility, our Video/Audio Production SAN allows us to access, manage, and evaluate student projects very quickly."

The Film School curriculum focuses on the art, craft, and business of storytelling, providing a one-on-one setting for the majority of instruction. Faculty members work with students in a studio facility that consists of production offices, sound stages, screening theaters, digital production and post-production equipment, and grip and camera trucks. The school produces in excess of 250 short narrative film productions each year. Each is written, produced, crewed, and posted by students from super 16, 35mm, or RED acquisition.

Installed in the Film School post facility, the SAN Solutions Video/Audio Production SAN supports ingest, screening, and finishing stations as direct-attached fiber clients and is linked to editing workstations via a GigE network. The school runs a Final Cut Studio workflow with an occasional Avid-based production. The Film School also uses Nuendo for audio editing/mixing duties and Sound Miner for sound effects management. The SAN supports all aspects of file-based film workflow, including syncing, editorial, screening, sound design, ADR and foley, mixing, color grading and timing, and conforming.

The file-based workflow supported by the Video/Audio Production SAN has enabled the Film School to realize faster-than-real-time ingest, transfer and delivery of assets, and faster and more reliable delivery of projects for screenings and faculty review. Operating invisibly in the background, the SAN Solutions networked storage infrastructure allows students and faculty at the Film School to focus on the creative aspects of the storytelling process.

The FSU Film School has won a total of eight "Student Oscars" from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has placed as a regional finalist 12 times. Four student titles have gone on to win top awards in festivals that qualified them for entry into the non-student Oscars. The Film School also has earned a total of 24 collegiate Emmy Awards from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

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