EditShare FLOW is a media management platform that supports and manages media collaboration in a smarter way. While EditShare FLOW was originally designed to work as a media management tool for EditShare EFS shared storage, it has been opened up read, edit, and share all media- across multiple servers and USB devices- on a single post house network.
The EditShare FLOW workflow can be broken out into five separate products- FLOW, AirFLOW, FLOW Story, FLOW Automation, and FLOW Cloud. Below we break down each product and how it can help your media facility collaborate faster and easier.
What Is FLOW? | FLOW Introduction (Episode 1)
FLOW is EditShare’s Asset Management and Remote Collaboration toolset. Traditionally, FLOW asset management was only available with EditShare shared storage. While there are still benefits to having it with EditShare storage- it is now open to working with all third party storage devices available on a network.
FLOW Control is the web-based application for managing the FLOW system, an administrator can configure third-party storage destinations to be scanned, proxied, and used by FLOW. Currently, FLOW supports numerous storage instances as well as storage that can be read through standard network protocols like SMB or NFS. LTO Archive integration is also available.
The idea is that FLOW will become the central management system to all of your storage destinations- tape, cloud, and on-prem storage. All of the media can be proxied and viewed from anywhere in the world.
What is FLOW? | AirFLOW (Episode 2)
AirFLOW is EditShare’s web-based interface for enabling remote collaboration workflows. When a user logs into AirFLOW, they will see all the remote storage locations that the administrator has given them permission to see.
If you know the folder structure, you can browse the directory to the folder you would like to work with and start working with those clips.
Search is powerful – A quick search will put all metadata at your fingertips A quick search will search every metadata field for every asset a user has permission to see, including file name, or any of the custom metadata that has been tagged. You can also do an Advanced search with filters and additional options.
Once you find the material that you’d like to work with you can play those files in the web browser. The proxy files that are generated are timecode accurate, framerate accurate, and can split to up to 8 channels.
In addition to playing the file in real-time, you can also place markers using the “M” key. Markers will allow you color code and comment on the timeline. Those markers then become searchable within the AirFLOW search as well.
Projects can also be created in AirFLOW. AirFLOW projects have a variety of permissions and settings allow you to share with select groups or individuals, or the entire network. Within Projects, bins can be created so you can begin to categorize and organize your media files. Using “in,” “out,” and “plus” buttons to create subclip in your bin.
A Sequence can also be created, although it is limited to one video track only. Any media inside AirFLOW can be dragged, dropped, and repositioned within an AirFLOW sequence. That sequence can later be opened within any supported NLE.
What is FLOW? | FLOW Story (Episode 3)
FLOW Story is a powerful editorial application for remote productions. Flow story allows a user to perform basic video, color, and audio editing from a web browser. FLOW Story can access, edit, and share media, projects, and sequences available on AirFLOW or from your local computer hard drive. While AirFLOW does most of the basics, FLOW Story has more advanced editing capabilities.
In FLOW Story, you can create multiple audio and video tracks, which then can be moved around, layered, with the ability for standard J-Cuts and L-cuts. Transitions- like dissolves and wipes- can be added.
FLOW Story also has basic ability for color correction, 3D movements and titles, mattes and keys, and some basic plugins.
The audio editing tab gives the ability to do volume and pan automation, as well as some basic audio plugins.
FLOW Story also has integration with popular stock footage sites like audio network and Pond5.
FLOW Story can be directly published to Vimeo or YouTube. It can also be published to FLOW, with three different options- create sequence proxy, create clip for sequence, or upload unsynced local clips into FLOW.
What is FLOW? | FLOW Automation (Episode 4)
FLOW Automation adds an additional layer of intelligence to your FLOW system. The Automation application installs on Mac and Windows. It allows an administrator to come up with custom workflows or advanced automation using a software interface.
FLOW Automation interface is fairly straight forward to navigate. The best way to see its functionality, is by looking at a few examples.
Examples – Review/Approve Workflow – In this example, a custom metadata field called ‘request approval’ can be triggered. The system can be setup to email approvers assigned to file or project, generate a link to a proxy of the media, and send a custom email to the approver, informing them that the media is ready to be reviewed.
The approver can now select another custom metadata field called “approved.” The ‘approved’ trigger could then transcode the file to its deliverable format, then sends the file to a QC server, and based on the QC servers ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ a different notification can be sent back to the team with the QC error details.
FLOW Automations can be as easy or complex as the facility needs.
What is FLOW? | FLOW Cloud (Episode 5)
FLOW can interface with cloud storage or completely hosted in a cloud environment.
This is an open platform with broad compatibility across creative tools for editing, audio mixing, and grading. Enables high-performance cloud storage and collaborative editing.
Virtualized in AWS, and other public and private cloud environments, FLOW Cloud simplifies migration to the cloud with pre-configured and pre-tested EFSv solutions. These turn-key configurations allow you to immediately adapt your workflows from traditional, on-premise environments to cloud-enabled remote workflows.
What is HELMUT? | Adobe Workgroup Management
Helmut will help orchestrate, standardize, and streamline workflow for large Adobe workgroups. Editshare EFS and Flow customers enjoy seamless integration with the Helmut solution- offering complete project-based workflows for Adobe teams.
Helmut Groups into four separate modules- Helmut FX, Helmut IO, Helmut Cosmo, and Helmut Housekeeper. Let’s breakout It down:
Helmut FX extends the storage, administration, and media management capabilities of Editshare EFS and FLOW into user and project management for Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Audition. Helmut FX allows users to create projects from custom templates, auto-mount, and create folder structure. Users and Group permission settings can also be configured within FX. FX offers a single project management UI, where users can create, access, and lock their projects.
Helmut FX solves major pain-points, like working with multiple versions of Adobe software, or workgroups using multiple operating systems in their workgroup.
Helmut IO focuses on input, export, transcode, and rendering of assets, sequences, and compositions. It frees up workstations, flow, and editors from doing routine transcoding tasks within a workflow. Backed by the power of Adobe Media Encoder, Helmut IO reduces the margin of error for users while simplifying the entire process of bringing media in-and-out of a workflow.
Helmut Cosmo is the centralized database for Helmut- tracking projects, asset usage, and project-based metadata. Cosmo facilitates the ability to synchronize FLOW’s database, EFS storage, and your adobe projects and related content. Cosmo also has web UI for exporting and uploading media directly into your adobe project- even while other editors may be actively working in a project.
Helmut Housekeeper automates and streamlines tasks such as project-based archive, restore, consolidation, and deletion within Editshare EFS.
What is FLOW? | Next Steps
If you want to learn more about how FLOW fits into your post production workflow, contact us. Our engineers are standing by to help answer your questions, install your equipment, and support your overall workflow with our 24/7 service plans.
