VFX Editor Matt Carson on How Technicolor PULSE Brought Automation to "Stranger Things Season 2" Editing Process
Technicolor PULSE is a secure, web-based platform for the entertainment production industry. It integrates remote file management and VFX pulls into a single, cloud-based platform, enabling users to track, store and manage all types of content through every stage of production and post-production.
In a podcast interview for journalists, VFX editor Matt Carson describes how he was introduced to Technicolor PULSE when he was called in to help with production of Netflix's hit sci-fi series Stranger Things Season 2 early in 2017. He quickly discovered its power and its benefits.
"It was extremely user friendly," says Carson. "It took five minutes to figure out how to use PULSE -- how to set up the metadata fields. Once that was figured out, everything was a quick, painless process."
Podcast Interview with Matt Carson
Carson soon discovered that, with Technicolor PULSE, he had to spend much less time managing VFX files, enabling him to focus on his role as VFX editor.
"Normally a VFX editor has to do a lot of media management: you're getting files, you're checking files, you're sending those files to vendors to make sure that they've got everything they need to go ahead and start working.
"With PULSE it was an easy process. Once all the metadata was set up, I could go ahead and pull the files and trust that those files were being sent over to the VFX houses whether they were OpenEXR files, DPX files or metadata files. And because that process was so quick, the rest of the team could go ahead and start working on them much sooner than they would otherwise have been able to do," explains Carson.
On Stranger Things Season 2, Carson and his group had secure access through PULSE to content provided on Technicolor's private cloud.
Technicolor PULSE is highly secure. The system has undergone penetration testing and multiple successful rigorous security audits. To date PULSE has passed every test.
"Everything in [PULSE] is controlled and logged, as opposed to an on-premise environment where you don't really know what people are copying. From a content control perspective, [PULSE] is a winner," Carson says.
"Security has always been one of the biggest issues for studios, but with the speed and effectiveness of being able to use [PULSE], I would certainly hope dailies [the raw footage from a day's shooting] will be accessible through the cloud. Having everything loaded on the cloud and accessible by anyone, anywhere, anytime, just makes media management so much quicker and more efficient. You don't have to zip a file and wait for someone to download it. They can simply log in and access it. Everything is right there whenever and wherever you need it."
Carson has now finished his stint as VFX editor on Stranger Things Season 2, but he's become a convert to cloud and says he'll be lobbying for Technicolor PULSE to be used on his next assignment.
"I'll be pushing forward with PULSE into the next show and hoping that everyone is willing and able to go ahead and set it up."
