Unify Hub – Global Unified File System for Media Workflows

Media workflows have rapidly changed over the past few years and continue to evolve with speed.

In pre-pandemic times, workflows seemed much simpler, though no two projects were ever identical.

A common workflow would involve media crews shooting on multiple cameras, with rushes downloaded on set, checked and given a colour pass before being sent to post-production for audio syncing and organisation for editorial. This process typically began on set and ran long into the night so footage would be ready for editors the next day.

When the pandemic arrived, production teams had no choice but to work remotely. Editors moved away from traditional media hubs such as Los Angeles, New York and London.

Today many editors continue working remotely, and production companies must adapt their workflows to retain talent and maintain productivity.

To support this new way of working, media organisations need solutions that provide:

• Higher levels of security and encryption

• Reduced service costs

• Retention of editing talent working remotely

• No compromise on editing speed

• Compatibility with existing workflows

• Flexibility to adapt to new technologies

This is where Unify Hub Generation 2 provides a solution.

Unify Hub is a globally unified file system designed to optimise workflows for production and post-production companies working with large media files.

It provides an efficient and flexible approach that allows organisations to maintain existing workflows while adapting to modern production environments.

Unify Hub allows teams to access media globally without relinking files, eliminating versioning issues and allowing editors to work at full project resolution whether in the office or remotely.

It supports complex workflows such as:

• multi-site production environments

• remote editing teams

• contractors working outside the office

• globally distributed production teams

How Unify Hub Works

For users working in the office, there is no change to existing workflows. They continue connecting to their local storage as usual.

Remote users connect via VPN and then mount shared workspaces using the Unify Hub Connect application.

Through the OnePath service, users can mount workspaces using any protocol on Mac or PC and launch projects without needing to relink media files, saving significant time.

If internet speed is sufficient, media files play back immediately.

If bandwidth is limited, Unify Hub Connect uses block-level caching to accelerate the portions of media being accessed, allowing smooth playback after the first pass.

This approach enables editors to access high-resolution files without downloading entire media assets.

Portable Servers for Remote Production

For productions working in multiple locations, workflows can be accelerated using portable servers.

These servers allow production teams to ingest footage on location while automatically synchronising new media with the main storage system once an internet connection is available.

This ensures that media becomes available to editors at the main office as soon as synchronisation completes.

Unlike many cloud-based solutions, this approach allows organisations to maintain control of their own infrastructure and security, rather than relying on third-party cloud storage.

A Global Single Source of Truth

Unify Hub allows organisations to maintain a single source of truth for their media assets, while enabling accelerated access to files from multiple locations around the world.

This means teams can work on the same project using the same file paths regardless of where they are located.

Whether you are a small production team or a multinational media company, Unify Hub enables flexible workflows that support both current and future production needs.

Remote working becomes simple when the right infrastructure is in place.