Creative Cow | LA-Based Venture 3D Selects Signiant Media Shuttle for Accelerated Delivery of Massive 3D Movie Files

Venture 3D, a stereoscopic 3D conversion production company based in Los Angeles, is using its Media Shuttle™ hybrid SaaS file transfer solution to facilitate collaboration with partners in Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul and Korea on an upcoming feature film. Built for workflows that demand fast, reliable delivery of massive files, and IT management features typically associated with more expensive solutions, Media Shuttle is allowing Venture 3D to dramatically broaden its business base in the Asia-Pacific region.

Known for its conversion work on “Titanic 3D” and “The Chronicle’s of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” Venture 3D is using Media Shuttle to deliver the film “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons” directed by Stephen Chow of “Shaolin Soccer” and “Kung Fu Hustle” fame. Venture 3D’s business success on the project requires the ability to move massive files – sometimes 200-300 GB in a single transfer ­– to multiple entities across Asia. As such the company required a solution that would give their global partners access to large files without the administrative constraints of FTP. In addition Venture 3D needed ultimate control over who is accessing clients’ high-value-assets, for how long, and to set limits on their permission to files.

“What we needed was a tall order – the ability to transfer large files quickly, access them anywhere, control and track file access and not be limited by the size of the file or the number of people that could access those files,” said Todd Cogan, SVP, Operations, Venture 3D. “Using Media Shuttle we are able to go outside of our circle of local partners to expand our business in Asia, while making the workflow process extremely easy for our clients. Solutions we have used in the past made content delivery laborious and cost intensive but with Media Shuttle we are able to move content efficiently and affordably.”

Exchanging digital assets of this size and frequency can be complex and Venture 3D needed its delivery solution to be both reliable and effortless for its production partners. Media Shuttle’s onboard checkpoint restart feature automatically retries or resumes transfers if they are interrupted for any reason, and email notifications alert users when content is delivered. The system’s graphical dashboard gives Venture 3D complete visibility into all file transfer activity, including average transfer rate, file size and speed.

“The notification feature was a great selling point for us as it takes the onus off the client and makes Venture 3D a desirable collaboration partner,” Cogan continued. “Media Shuttle gives us the freedom to work with partners of our choosing and allows us to work globally regardless of location and file size. Additionally, we can now work with the multiple offices of our partners in the region – essentially anyone who needs to partner with us – easily without delays or limitations.”

The newest addition to Signiant’s portfolio of accelerated file transfer solutions, Media Shuttle provides an effective alternative to FTP and public file sharing solutions – without associated file size constraints or security risks. Media Shuttle’s hybrid SaaS architecture lets users access fast file transfer capabilities through a simple interface in the cloud while maintaining the file cache within the secure control of their own network. Unlike other solutions, Media Shuttle gives IT the power to determine where content is stored – on private networks or in the cloud – and how network resources should be allocated for maximum enterprise efficiency. A flexible subscription-based pricing model makes Media Shuttle the ideal solution for project-based initiatives or enterprises looking to scale for demand.

“Venture 3D is leading the fast-growing market of 3D conversion and with Media Shuttle we are able to stay on the cutting-edge by having the most sophisticated solutions available to ourselves and our partners,” said Cogan. “Being able to defy the constraints of file size and distance and instead focus on creative collaboration we are able to perfect our specialty and in turn, advance the industry.”