“It’s the next level of filebased workflows. My environment here is just not possible without FORK.” –JC Sierra, Digital Media Engineering Manager
A PIECE OF THE ACTION (SCRIPTS). “Every file that comes in, no matter what format, has to go through a script,” Sierra states. “They’re the livelihood of my system.” –JC Sierra The FORK Production Client is a versatile cross-platform software application that allows users to view the clips and modify their metadata, as well as perform a number of powerful and highly customizable action scripts available within FORK Production Server application. Discovery’s unique action scripts are customized by Primestream to perform all automated actions in the background as well as actions initiated by the users. “We had a lot of meetings with Discovery to address their workflow needs,” says Primestream’s engineer Tang Kanjanapitak. “Discovery wanted something that was easy to use and completely automated, as a responce we developed and implemented a solution that’s 99.99% suited to his workflow.” “Every file that comes in, no matter what format, has to go through a script,” Sierra states. “They’re the livelihood of my system.” Using the “Send To” command, files are distributed to unique folders to be archived, transcoded, or tagged before moving to a 378 TB SAN storage area network or a Diva-controlled Spectra T950 LTL5 tape archive. Discovery Latin America is currently a standarddefinition operation, so all HD content is down-converted to SD by a Telestream Vantage. For file-based drops into FORK, a script registers the full-resolution files with Edit2Playout, a FORK watch folder and media verification application, then a FORK Render Farm Unit running Telestream FlipFactory and Episode generates a standard-definition MPEG2/IMX 50. VFT proxy for editing in Avid or Final Cut, or for viewing it with the Production Client. The QC “Send To” delivers the files to an Omneon Media Server once a program is ready to air. “We don’t touch any of the scripts. They just work,” says Sierra. If a script needs to be rewritten, a Primestream engineer can remotly access the Discovery system and make the changes. Meanwhile, Sierra is able to monitor system activity with a customized FORK Production Server and Client interface. “When a file is ingested, the file name pops up green, which means there’s no proxy. When it turns red, a proxy is available, but it hasn’t been archived. When it turns to grey, it’s been archived,” he says. “The great thing about FORK Production Server is that I don’t have to teach people 100 different interfaces,” he continues, “though in an emergency I still have access to the native control GUI’s for the SAN and Diva archives.”
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