Alpha Dogs is a full-service post house that specializes in both SD and HD projects. They use two TerraBlock storage arrays from Facilis Technology (one 9 TB and a second 12 TB unit) with RAID 5 software data protection. The TerraBlock systems are tied to the company’s 13 rooms and, according to Curren, have had a positive impact on their workflow, allowing the company to have more people working on the same projects in audio, graphic and the editing suites at the same time. They can capture in one room, turn the project over instantly for color-correction in another, and then hand it off to audio, all while the graphic artists are using the media off the drive for their design work. This significant time savings has meant happy clients and increased profitability.

The company has opened a series of AlphaDogs Digital Service Stations (www.digitalservicestation.com), which they refer to as the “Kinkos of digitizing media.” They’ve created a field-station model and now have five rental facilities sending clients their way; two in Los Angeles and one each in San Francisco, Denver, and Chicago. Producers bring in their FireWire drives and AlphaDogs copies the footage to the TerraBlock for higher-bandwidth playout.

Q: How much storage do you need to execute an HD project?
A: It all depends on the size of the project. For example, if we were working on a 90-minute movie in 1080i, it would take about 650 GB of storage for an uncompressed 8-bit workflow. When you take into account audio, rendering, media handles, etc. it can go upwards to 1TB for the 90-minute movie.

Uncompressed HD is incredibly storage intensive, so while it is the best quality format, you have to meet the hefty storage requirements. Anything less than a 4 GB fibre-channel throughput will end up choking you. The TerraBlock is a great choice for anyone working in HD due to the bandwidth, number of spindles spreading the workload, and easy ability to add more storage in a few minutes.

Q: What formats and projects do you see most of coming in your doors?
A: It depends on what our clients are looking for, but we are certainly seeing a trend toward all HD. Some SD clients still want the final output to be in both SD and HD, so they are covered today, and in the future when the networks go all HD. As for projects, we have always been known for our post-production work, and we're now branching into more feature work in addition to a heavy load of Reality TV work. We also handle commercials and documentaries. For example, we are just finishing a Tom Petty documentary that Peter Bogdanovich directed in HD. Finally, we offer resolution-independent motion graphic design and effects compositing.

Q: What's the biggest challenge with HD production right now?
A: Education. With so many manufacturers coming up with so many frame rates and sizes, varying HD tape formats and now file-based formats, there is a constant call for educating the folks that have to work with them. Our clients lean on our expertise constantly, and many have learned that they benefit by talking to us about post before they start production. We've also made our own educational contribution through our monthly Editors’ Lounges (www.editorslounge.com) by hosting various manufacturers in a more intimate setting.

Q: What tools are missing from the production chain that would make your life easier?
A: We desperately need a tool that allows for easy project conversion both ways between 23.98 and 29.97. And a low-cost way to get a high-quality conversion from 29.97 source to 23.98 video. We need better 720p support in various editing platforms that allow for easy frame conversion.

Q: How do you ensure data security? What format do you create your deliverables in? Why?
A: The RAID 5 protection scheme covers securing the media. I just had one drive go bad after hitting this system heavily for over two years. The only way I knew we lost a drive was that the system warned us. Everyone was still working as if nothing had happened. I was able to hot-swap with a new drive, which immediately started rebuilding itself with no data lost. Our deliverables vary from compressed QuickTime movies to HDCAM SR 4:4:4 and everything in between. It all depends upon the client and their needs.

Q: Can you complete an entire project, from editing to final output, on an Apple Final Cut Pro system? What are the limitations?
A: You can. We’ve done quite a few in both SD and HD, but there are some real challenges. When FCP is pushed to the limit, it can be very testy. Media management is probably FCP’s weakest area, and having the ability to keep all of the media in one centralized place on the TerraBlock definitely helps limit these issues. On the other hand, having the ability to easily move a project from online to the Apple Color station for the final color pass is very nice.