Production Phases with ERA Infrastructure

Each stage of production has unique requirements. ERA’s hybrid approach ensures optimal placement of workloads, leveraging private cloud, on-demand compute, and local systems where they work best.

1. Active Editing & Finishing

Requirements:

• Low latency playback
• Frame-accurate editing
• High throughput shared storage
• Reliable finishing systems

ERA Solution:  Local or private cloud storage ensures predictable performance and low latency for artists. Your production core runs where responsiveness matters most.

2. Remote Collaboration

Requirements:

• Consistent workstation experience
• Secure access from anywhere
• Project sharing across locations
• Controlled bandwidth usage

ERA Solution: Private cloud workstations and secure remote access let teams collaborate without duplicating files or losing speed. ERA infrastructure makes remote work seamless and reliable.

3. Render & Burst Workloads

Requirements:

• High-performance compute on demand
• Parallel processing for large render jobs
• Flexible scaling for peak demand
• Cost efficiency

ERA Solution: ERA’s on-demand render infrastructure delivers fast, scalable rendering without requiring permanent hardware investments. Studios can meet tight deadlines and scale compute instantly while keeping costs controlled.

4. Nearline & Project Parking

Requirements:

• Expandable storage
• Fast recall when projects resume
• Cost-effective compared to primary storage

ERA Solution: Object storage and private cloud tiers keep paused or dormant projects accessible without overloading production systems. Projects remain ready to pick up without delay.

5. Archive & Long-Term Retention

Requirements:

• Durability and compliance
• Predictable costs
• Easy recoverability

ERA Solution: Managed storage tiers in ERA’s private cloud ensure assets are retained securely for the long term while keeping production systems lean. Historical and delivery assets are protected and easily retrievable.

Designing a Practical ERA Hybrid Model

Instead of asking “what should move off-site?” ERA teams focus on three questions:

1. What requires real-time performance?
2. What needs scalable compute or storage for bursts?
3. What needs to exist reliably and safely long-term?

Mapping the answers to infrastructure naturally creates a hybrid model centred on private cloud performance, with on-demand extensions and local complementing infrastructure.

A Typical ERA Hybrid Layout

Performance Core (Private Cloud / Local):

• Active edit storage
• Finishing systems
• Colour workflows

Flexible Extension (On-Demand / Private Cloud):

• Remote workstations
• Temporary project sharing
• Collaboration access

Scalable Extension (Private Cloud Compute):

• Render bursts
• Simulation compute
• Transcoding at scale

Capacity Extension (Object Storage / Private Cloud):

• Nearline project parking
• Version storage

Archive Tier (Managed Private Cloud):

• Delivery masters
• Compliance retention
• Historical assets

Benefits Studios Actually Experience

• Predictable Performance – Private cloud and local systems give artists a stable, responsive environment.
• Controlled Costs – On-demand scaling ensures high performance is available only when needed and infrastructure is lying around dormant.
• Faster Turnaround – Projects scale instantly with on-demand compute, meeting tight deadlines without delays.
• Safer Data – Centralised storage reduces duplication and accidental loss.
• Seamless Collaboration – Teams access the same project without duplicating media between locations.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating private cloud as just ‘off-site’ storage – It’s part of your production core — not a separate location.
• Overloading local infrastructure – Without hybrid scaling, bottlenecks occur during peak workloads.
• Treating all storage equally – Different workflow stages require different performance and cost profiles.
• Ignoring workflow patterns – Infrastructure should follow production needs, not IT assumptions.

Getting Started

Identify which part of your workflow creates the most friction today:

• Editors waiting for storage
• Render queues backing up
• Remote users struggling to access projects
• Storage constantly running out
• Archive becoming unmanageable

The best approach is to stabilise the production core with ERA on-demand infrastructure, then extend compute and storage on demand where needed.

The Takeaway

Hybrid infrastructure is not about moving workloads off-site — it’s about optimising production with ERA private cloud, on-demand scalability, and local systems working together.

The goal is to ensure production never notices when it scales, while studios gain speed, reliability, and cost efficiency.

Get in touch to see how ERA can help your team combine private cloud, on-demand compute, and local infrastructure so production always has what it needs – without compromise.