Dell EMC Entertainment Solutions to Unlock the Power of Ideas and Projects
Dell EMC integrated hardware and software solutions help entertainment and media companies achieve high results and, in particular, speed up content production. Whether working with 4K video streaming, requiring a high load on the network, or resource-intensive production of virtual reality (VR) content, Dell EMC integrated systems will easily ensure uninterrupted complex workflows and harmonize the hardware platform.
Today, in the media and entertainment industry, content delivery is common using the same media that were used to create it. This makes the integration of Dell EMC systems into content production not only efficient, but also economically viable.
Dell EMC components provide content creation, rendering, delivery and storage.
At the end of 2016, the turnover of the global entertainment industry amounted to 1.81 trillion dollars. It is expected that by 2020 it will increase to 2.14 trillion dollars. The value of high-quality content has grown in the field of film production, television, game development, as well as in fundamentally new areas - educational and scientific.
The specific nature of information consumption is changing: on-demand distribution of content comes to replace broadcasting. Users view information on high-resolution displays, which provide a vivid picture and reinforce the viewing experience.
Changes in the creation and consumption of content led to the emergence of new companies, the expansion of their activities and intense competition for their “piece of cake” in a promising market. Success in this struggle depends on how quickly market participants master new technologies and achieve maximum efficiency with their help.
To achieve high competitiveness will help fast and modern hardware platform. In this case, the faster and more harmoniously the devices work after installation, the less time it takes to configure them after deployment, the more profitable the process of content production will be. But the specifics of the media and entertainment industry in a large number of different workflows with individual equipment requirements.
To create content of some types, such as 3D-animation, VR, layout or non-linear editing, the computing power of workstations is sufficient. But 3D rendering or transcoding video formats will require more processing power of data centers. To perform these tasks, you need a fast network, high-performance data storage and professional high-resolution monitors with accurate color reproduction.
Digital video production for television or cinema is demanding on the storage system, as well as the ability to view and edit content in 4K mode. In the future, the 4K format will be replaced by 8K and HDR, for which the hardware requirements will be even higher.
Dell EMC provides a complete set of hardware solutions: workstations, professional monitors, servers, network equipment and data storage. The Dell Precision Workstation Portfolio includes a variety of models, from mobile devices and all-in-one systems to rack-mount systems. Dell UltraSharp monitors with PremierColor technology provide accurate color reproduction in projects where color is key.
The Dell EMC PowerEdge server line also includes a wide range of systems for intensive computing tasks. The Dell EMC Isilon series includes high-performance storage systems that complement the Dell EMC network hardware.
All these components are effective in their own right, but their combination produces a strong synergistic effect. Sophisticated individual elements become part of an integrated solution and together allow companies to achieve maximum efficiency. A single supplier is able to provide rapid deployment of equipment and its quality support, as well as eliminate cases of shifting responsibility on each other by different suppliers when problems arise - problems will be quickly identified and resolved.
Companies in the media and entertainment industry are already taking advantage of the synergy provided by Dell EMC solutions. Studios specializing in the production of high-quality content, Dell EMC helps to accelerate the 3D rendering, storage, processing and delivery of content with multi-format video transcoding, as well as to make comfortable work with demanding formats and applications. Animal Logic, a major player in the visual effects market, is one of the most striking examples of this.
Animal Logic is an Australian animation and visual effects company. The company has offices in Sydney, Los Angeles and Vancouver. Animal Logic has a solid track record in film production: Happy Feet, The Lego Movie, The Lego Batman Movie, The Matrix, 300, Legend of the Guardians: The Soul of Ga'Hoole and others. Hardware integration with Dell EMC solutions has benefited businesses and increased company productivity.
The stunning visual effects in the LEGO Batman film were made possible through the use of the IT solution of Dell EMC
Animal Logic has been working with Dell and EMC equipment for almost a decade. “We have been using EMC Isilon storage since 2008,” explains Alex Timbs, head of IT for Animal Logic. “We have data storage in Sydney with a capacity of about 8.5 PB and a system of 0.5 PB in a studio in Vancouver.” Animal Logic uses Dell Precision mobile workstations and UltraSharp monitors, as well as PowerEdge servers: a C6300 chassis with C6320 dual-socket blades.
In the studio in Sydney deployed 256 two-socket nodes and another 128 - in Vancouver. They make up a significant part of the equipment for 3D-animation. Animal Logic also uses the Dell EMC network hardware for its Avid editing packages.
The density of the equipment is fundamentally important, as Animal Logic places its data centers in Schneider Electric containers, in which the available space is very limited. One of the containers Animal Logic bought from Dell EMC, and the hardware was adapted to work in a limited space.
“The Dell EMC management platform was very useful,” continues Alex Timbs. - Its deployment was fast and did not create delays in the production process. Secondly, we got powerful tools for content production: Dell Precision mobile workstations and UltraSharp monitors, and PowerEdge servers as the main equipment. ”
Animal Logic and Dell EMC have strong partnerships with a long history. “It’s important for us that the supplier understands our business,” explains Alex Timbs. “It’s not enough just to provide us with equipment at a reasonable price; we want to work with a like-minded person, for whom our success is as important as his own. This makes the provider a partner in making films. ”
Before Dell acquired EMC, both vendors already understood the needs of the media and entertainment industry. “There was a risk that the formation of the corporate culture of a new company would take time, and this would affect its effectiveness,” explains Alex Timbs. “But the combination was so successful that it only contributed to our success.” Today, Dell EMC is able to offer comprehensive solutions covering hardware, software, and a wide range of services. A single team of specialists understands our business well and seeks to minimize the bureaucracy in cooperation with us. ”
Alex Timbs points out Dell EMC's key advantage as a manufacturer — the willingness to create customized solutions, as well as a keen interest in a partner’s business. “The most important thing is to be able to listen to the customer and be ready for dialogue in order to achieve a common result,” explains Timbs. “For example, we asked our former team of partner managers to survive after Dell merged with EMC — and they continue to work.”
Another important component of effective cooperation between the manufacturer and the customer is to help the customer in selecting the right equipment and setting it up. For example, Animal Logic had the opportunity to test various Dell EMC hardware configurations before deployment, sometimes even before their official release. This made it possible to solve a number of customer problems with the choice of the amount of data to be backed up and archived. Dell EMC specialists offered to work in test mode with new equipment and helped the customer choose the right product for their tasks, making sure that it works correctly when testing.
“According to the results of testing, it becomes immediately clear whether the company is suitable for such a decision and whether it is coping with its task,” says Alex Timbs. “When we developed a new hardware solution with Dell EMC, the manufacturer prepared a proven configuration for it and provided resources to support and monitor the render nodes. Dell EMC always supports high-tech projects by offering pre-sales and after-sales expertise. We always have the resources at our disposal so that we can get the most out of our platforms. These are on-site assistance for setting up administration tools, updating the BIOS to the most compatible version, and recommendations for working with images. ”
“Dell EMC has a single point of contact for sales and support. Support specialists always exchange company business information with the sales department, and vice versa, explains Alex Timbs. “So the entire supplier team knows what tasks the customer faces, what solutions and services he needs.”
“The merger of Dell with EMC allowed us to create new products and expand the range of services. Now we have the opportunity to comprehensively implement complete business solutions, ”continues Alex Timbs. “Both companies have accumulated vast experience in understanding customer needs, finding solutions at a reasonable price and competent support.” According to Animal Logic, the head of the IT department, these qualities make the selling company a real and valuable content creation partner.
It is also worth noting that the mono-vendor solution reduces the cost of customer training. Environments can be homogeneous, that is, contain products from one supplier, or heterogeneous — include many different products from different vendors. Homogeneous, homogeneous environments are easier to maintain, because training is simplified and reduced in time, easier to maintain and repair (one set of spare parts).
In the following material, we will review the multimedia products and entertainment products of Dell EMC, go over examples of workflows in this industry, and analyze which hardware offerings will be useful for each of them.
Today, in the media and entertainment industry, content delivery is common using the same media that were used to create it. This makes the integration of Dell EMC systems into content production not only efficient, but also economically viable.
Dell EMC components provide content creation, rendering, delivery and storage.
| Software Certification | For companies from the media and entertainment industry, full compatibility of the software with their hardware platforms is important. Dell EMC Solutions Certified by Key Content Makers |
| Testing for a specific workload | Dell EMC offers tailored hardware solutions for a wide range of content creation and distribution tasks. The company's specialists are ready to work with customers to create and test the “ideal solution” for a specific workload. |
At the end of 2016, the turnover of the global entertainment industry amounted to 1.81 trillion dollars. It is expected that by 2020 it will increase to 2.14 trillion dollars. The value of high-quality content has grown in the field of film production, television, game development, as well as in fundamentally new areas - educational and scientific.
The specific nature of information consumption is changing: on-demand distribution of content comes to replace broadcasting. Users view information on high-resolution displays, which provide a vivid picture and reinforce the viewing experience.
Changes in the creation and consumption of content led to the emergence of new companies, the expansion of their activities and intense competition for their “piece of cake” in a promising market. Success in this struggle depends on how quickly market participants master new technologies and achieve maximum efficiency with their help.
Multimedia Platform
To achieve high competitiveness will help fast and modern hardware platform. In this case, the faster and more harmoniously the devices work after installation, the less time it takes to configure them after deployment, the more profitable the process of content production will be. But the specifics of the media and entertainment industry in a large number of different workflows with individual equipment requirements.
To create content of some types, such as 3D-animation, VR, layout or non-linear editing, the computing power of workstations is sufficient. But 3D rendering or transcoding video formats will require more processing power of data centers. To perform these tasks, you need a fast network, high-performance data storage and professional high-resolution monitors with accurate color reproduction.
Digital video production for television or cinema is demanding on the storage system, as well as the ability to view and edit content in 4K mode. In the future, the 4K format will be replaced by 8K and HDR, for which the hardware requirements will be even higher.
Dell EMC Solution Line
Dell EMC provides a complete set of hardware solutions: workstations, professional monitors, servers, network equipment and data storage. The Dell Precision Workstation Portfolio includes a variety of models, from mobile devices and all-in-one systems to rack-mount systems. Dell UltraSharp monitors with PremierColor technology provide accurate color reproduction in projects where color is key.
The Dell EMC PowerEdge server line also includes a wide range of systems for intensive computing tasks. The Dell EMC Isilon series includes high-performance storage systems that complement the Dell EMC network hardware.
All these components are effective in their own right, but their combination produces a strong synergistic effect. Sophisticated individual elements become part of an integrated solution and together allow companies to achieve maximum efficiency. A single supplier is able to provide rapid deployment of equipment and its quality support, as well as eliminate cases of shifting responsibility on each other by different suppliers when problems arise - problems will be quickly identified and resolved.
Companies in the media and entertainment industry are already taking advantage of the synergy provided by Dell EMC solutions. Studios specializing in the production of high-quality content, Dell EMC helps to accelerate the 3D rendering, storage, processing and delivery of content with multi-format video transcoding, as well as to make comfortable work with demanding formats and applications. Animal Logic, a major player in the visual effects market, is one of the most striking examples of this.
Animal Logic: the benefits of synergy
Animal Logic is an Australian animation and visual effects company. The company has offices in Sydney, Los Angeles and Vancouver. Animal Logic has a solid track record in film production: Happy Feet, The Lego Movie, The Lego Batman Movie, The Matrix, 300, Legend of the Guardians: The Soul of Ga'Hoole and others. Hardware integration with Dell EMC solutions has benefited businesses and increased company productivity.
The stunning visual effects in the LEGO Batman film were made possible through the use of the IT solution of Dell EMC
Animal Logic has been working with Dell and EMC equipment for almost a decade. “We have been using EMC Isilon storage since 2008,” explains Alex Timbs, head of IT for Animal Logic. “We have data storage in Sydney with a capacity of about 8.5 PB and a system of 0.5 PB in a studio in Vancouver.” Animal Logic uses Dell Precision mobile workstations and UltraSharp monitors, as well as PowerEdge servers: a C6300 chassis with C6320 dual-socket blades.
In the studio in Sydney deployed 256 two-socket nodes and another 128 - in Vancouver. They make up a significant part of the equipment for 3D-animation. Animal Logic also uses the Dell EMC network hardware for its Avid editing packages.
The density of the equipment is fundamentally important, as Animal Logic places its data centers in Schneider Electric containers, in which the available space is very limited. One of the containers Animal Logic bought from Dell EMC, and the hardware was adapted to work in a limited space.
“The Dell EMC management platform was very useful,” continues Alex Timbs. - Its deployment was fast and did not create delays in the production process. Secondly, we got powerful tools for content production: Dell Precision mobile workstations and UltraSharp monitors, and PowerEdge servers as the main equipment. ”
Animal Logic and Dell EMC have strong partnerships with a long history. “It’s important for us that the supplier understands our business,” explains Alex Timbs. “It’s not enough just to provide us with equipment at a reasonable price; we want to work with a like-minded person, for whom our success is as important as his own. This makes the provider a partner in making films. ”
Before Dell acquired EMC, both vendors already understood the needs of the media and entertainment industry. “There was a risk that the formation of the corporate culture of a new company would take time, and this would affect its effectiveness,” explains Alex Timbs. “But the combination was so successful that it only contributed to our success.” Today, Dell EMC is able to offer comprehensive solutions covering hardware, software, and a wide range of services. A single team of specialists understands our business well and seeks to minimize the bureaucracy in cooperation with us. ”
Alex Timbs points out Dell EMC's key advantage as a manufacturer — the willingness to create customized solutions, as well as a keen interest in a partner’s business. “The most important thing is to be able to listen to the customer and be ready for dialogue in order to achieve a common result,” explains Timbs. “For example, we asked our former team of partner managers to survive after Dell merged with EMC — and they continue to work.”
Another important component of effective cooperation between the manufacturer and the customer is to help the customer in selecting the right equipment and setting it up. For example, Animal Logic had the opportunity to test various Dell EMC hardware configurations before deployment, sometimes even before their official release. This made it possible to solve a number of customer problems with the choice of the amount of data to be backed up and archived. Dell EMC specialists offered to work in test mode with new equipment and helped the customer choose the right product for their tasks, making sure that it works correctly when testing.
“According to the results of testing, it becomes immediately clear whether the company is suitable for such a decision and whether it is coping with its task,” says Alex Timbs. “When we developed a new hardware solution with Dell EMC, the manufacturer prepared a proven configuration for it and provided resources to support and monitor the render nodes. Dell EMC always supports high-tech projects by offering pre-sales and after-sales expertise. We always have the resources at our disposal so that we can get the most out of our platforms. These are on-site assistance for setting up administration tools, updating the BIOS to the most compatible version, and recommendations for working with images. ”
“Dell EMC has a single point of contact for sales and support. Support specialists always exchange company business information with the sales department, and vice versa, explains Alex Timbs. “So the entire supplier team knows what tasks the customer faces, what solutions and services he needs.”
“The merger of Dell with EMC allowed us to create new products and expand the range of services. Now we have the opportunity to comprehensively implement complete business solutions, ”continues Alex Timbs. “Both companies have accumulated vast experience in understanding customer needs, finding solutions at a reasonable price and competent support.” According to Animal Logic, the head of the IT department, these qualities make the selling company a real and valuable content creation partner.
It is also worth noting that the mono-vendor solution reduces the cost of customer training. Environments can be homogeneous, that is, contain products from one supplier, or heterogeneous — include many different products from different vendors. Homogeneous, homogeneous environments are easier to maintain, because training is simplified and reduced in time, easier to maintain and repair (one set of spare parts).
In the following material, we will review the multimedia products and entertainment products of Dell EMC, go over examples of workflows in this industry, and analyze which hardware offerings will be useful for each of them.