Production of DASHCAM horror movie resulted in a 2nd runner up placement in the audience awards category at the Toronto International Film Festival 2021.
With the expert support of Dot Group, Aspera accelerated and supported multiple stages of DASHCAM’s production process.
DASHCAM is a film released in September 2021 by Blumhouse and Shadowhouse Film production houses. Blumhouse is a renowned US-based horror production giant known for producing high-quality micro-budget films. Some of the iconic films that came out under the wing of Blumhouse production include Paranormal Activity, Halloween, Split, The Visit, Get Out and The Purge.
DASHCAM premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in the Midnight Madness section and was named 2nd runner up in the audience awards. Furthermore, DASHCAM has been selected for the 2021 BFI London Film Festival.
The production process required enabling a seamless collaboration of a team of 120 people. The team members were working remotely, meaning they needed to set up a secure platform to support ultra-fast daily back-and-forth large file transfers.
THE CLIENT
DASHCAM is a film released in September 2021 by Blumhouse and Shadowhouse Film production houses. Blumhouse is a renowned US-based horror production giant known for producing high-quality micro-budget films. Some of the iconic films that came out under the wing of Blumhouse production include Paranormal Activity, Halloween, Split, The Visit, Get Out and The Purge.
DASHCAM premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in the Midnight Madness section and was named 2nd runner up in the audience awards. Furthermore, DASHCAM has been selected for the 2021 BFI London Film Festival.
The production process required enabling a seamless collaboration of a team of 120 people. The team members were working remotely, meaning they needed to set up a secure platform to support ultra-fast daily back-and-forth large file transfers.
THE CHALLENGE
DASHCAM required a cloud-based solution capable of carrying out large file transfers seamlessly while also being cost-effective.
Data transfers at high speed
DASHCAM had to move large content files between the editorial and camera teams during daily shoots and then between editorial, VFX and post-sound and pictures teams.
Short-term product use
As a one-off film, the production team wanted to avoid procuring expensive solutions and instead needed flexible contract terms without buying into the solution permanently.
Quick deployment
Being a budget-restricted project, the DASHCAM production could not carry out a lengthy new technology procurement cycle, nor a long implementation and user onboarding process. The team required a solution to use out of the box.
Ease of use
DASHCAM production couldn’t afford a steep learning curve for their transfer technology. The project required a solution that accommodates the collaborative efforts of multiple remote-working teams while also being easy to use.
All in one data distribution platform
The production wanted a solution that could facilitate their ongoing file transfer processes across different production stages. However, it also needed to act as a platform that provides:
- Easy collaboration
- Fast transfers
- Maximum security
SOLUTION
Dot Group helped the DASHCAM production team implement and set up IBM Aspera as a cloud-based solution hosted on IBM servers.
Fast, secure and easy file transfers
IBM Aspera allowed the team to accomplish fast package uploads and transfers while calculating the exact time of file arrival to maximise efficiency.
A reliable content distribution platform
The project administrators used Aspera as a space to upload and distribute content to all team members throughout production and well into post-production.
Security and transparency over file transfers
As the industry-leading file transfer solution, Aspera delivered the highest levels of security while also ensuring visibility and control over each transfer.
Training support from Dot
With the expert Aspera support from Dot Group, the DASHCAM production team was able to customise the solution to fit its exact requirements cost-effectively, quickly and securely. Dot’s Aspera experts were always available to assist Aspera users and provide guidance when needed.
IBM Aspera supported DASHCAM production by:
- Allowing editors to send daily in-production content to collaborators quickly
- Easing the remote work collaboration
- Maintaining cross-departmental alignment throughout the production process
- Accelerating the approval process by speeding up the content transfers
- Enabling efficient collaboration between production and post-production phases
- Saving time by maximising the speed of each content transfer
- Eliminating unnecessary infrastructure cost
THE RESULT
On top of the achieved success of the DASHCAM film at the TIFF 2021, the production process was also a success. By partnering with Aspera and Dot Group, the DASHCAM project team was able to enjoy:
- Fast deployment
- Ultra-fast large file transfers
- Efficient production process
- Maximum transfer security
- Scalable solution
- Flexible contract arrangements
- Personalised and always available Dot’s expert support
“The Aspera platform was an invaluable asset and always reliable. The DOT team were always on hand at short notice to advise on ‘best practices’ for getting the most out of the AoC interfaces highly flexible functionality”? They also ensured each member was comfortable with using the platform by offering screen share tutorials at the start of our production.”