Cloud-based video production: Five benefits for your business

What is cloud-based video production?

Cloud-based video production platforms allow you to store, manage, edit, render, and produce on-demand and live video content in the cloud. Another aspect of cloud-based production is the ability to control, access, and manage remote AV equipment.

Production and broadcasting companies used to rely on local video production facilities, such as production control rooms and editing studios. Every camera, computer, mixer, switcher, hard drive, and production personnel had to be in one place. Cloud-based production offers an alternative, decentralizing these resources and reducing reliance on on-premises video production hardware.

Benefits of cloud-based video production

Here are five key benefits your business can gain by leveraging cloud production workflows.

1. Unlock anytime, anywhere collaboration and contribution

With cloud-based video production tools, team members located anywhere in the world can bring their expertise to your latest video project. All they need is a steady Internet connection. Remote contributors can also send assets to the cloud, making them available for further production.

This offers tremendous flexibility. For example, a video editor and a director can work on the same video while being miles apart. With a cloud tool like Frame.io, the director can leave comments in the timeline for the editor to act on.

These capabilities also offer big value in live event production. With a cloud-based video workflow and remotely controllable gear, a producer can mix and switch an event – even multiple events – from a central location. For example, Epiphan Edge can grant you access to a distributed fleet of Pearl hardware encoders to record, mix, switch, and stream video and audio signals from anywhere.

2. Accelerate your video production pipeline

Traditional video production pipelines often flow linearly: an editor’s work can only start once they get footage stored on physical drives. With cloud, team members can work in parallel.

For example, with a cloud tool like Epiphan Unify, you can upload footage to the cloud for team members to access as soon as it’s available. Your content marketing team can begin cutting down longer content into highlight reels and posting them on social media platforms.

Non-linear production can also free up team members to take on more opportunities. This can be a game-changer for production companies, helping ramp up their operations.

JEEMAN Productions is a great example of the potential of a cloud-powered pipeline. This small production team was able to meet growing demand for its services by switching to cloud production.

3. Save on expenses

Cloud-based production is cost-effective. It can reduce or even eliminate the need for a centralized office location. Your team can work together remotely given the right tools, accessing assets and collaborating in the cloud from anywhere.

It can also downsize your travel expenses. Rather than paying for flights and accommodations for your entire crew, you can send only those who need to be at the venue to set up and manage your gear.

Another big plus is the low upfront investment. Many cloud-based production solutions offer pay-as-you-go pricing models. These are classified as operational rather than capital expenditures. This can be beneficial for your company’s accounting.

4. Get the processing power you need

Are your company’s video production needs outstripping your capacity? Cloud power could be just what you need to balance the scales.

Need 4K streaming and recording but don’t have the local processing power or bandwidth? Looking for dynamic overlays and smooth on-screen graphics for your live production? Need to add live automatic transcription? Cloud tools like Epiphan Unify bring processing power directly to your productions, helping transcend local production limitations.

5. Boost production resilience

Storing and processing video in the cloud improves resilience against data loss since there’s redundancy built in.

Video in the cloud is stored on several backup servers, and all team members can access it. Compare this to footage stored on a single SD card, on a single computer, in the hands of a single person. Sending your video directly to the cloud also eliminates the chance of losing your data in transit – a pain video producers know too well.

Live streaming through the cloud is safer, too. Cloud-based live production environments provide access to the controls to multiple operators, which means a remote operator can take over production if necessary. The success of the live production no longer relies on the operator’s local bandwidth.