Lola VFX Selects the VAST Data Platform to Power Next-Gen Film and TV Visual Effects

The VAST Data Platform supercharges and simplifies data management for industry-leading media and entertainment organizations, significantly reducing playback delays, improving editing efficiency, and enabling more collaborative film and television production processes

VAST Data, the AI data platform company, announced its collaboration with Lola Visual Effects (VFX), a leader in computer generated effects for feature films and television series. A pioneer in the industry, Lola VFX is aggressively adopting new AI technologies and deep learning tools to push the boundaries of cinematic artistry. By leveraging the VAST Data Platform, which was built to support these technologies, Lola VFX has been able to streamline global collaboration on its data-intensive feature films and television series, and is transforming how stories are told and experienced using visual effects.

Lola VFX began its journey with VAST in 2022, responding to the rapidly growing demand for higher resolution formats such as 4K, 6K, and 8K in film and television that have been the cause of a generational change across the industry. These new formats and the incredible visual effects being used across the media and entertainment industry today require managing massive amounts of visual data, which poses significant challenges. For instance, a typical shoot day for Lola VFX might yield over a dozen reels of 6K footage, amounting to multiple terabytes of data created per day.

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This substantial increase in data volume presented three distinct challenges: the transfer of huge data volumes from the filming location to central infrastructure created consequential delays; sharing these large files with VFX artists across the globe was a slow and laborious process; and the necessity for real-time playback of high-resolution content during review and approval stages was critical, but was consistently impeded by persistent caching issues. To overcome these challenges, Lola VFX selected the VAST Data Platform.

“In the midst of a revolutionary shift within the Media and Entertainment industry, VAST has been a game-changer for us,” said Edson Williams, Founder and Managing Partner at Lola VFX. “Our operations demand infrastructure that not only supports but enhances real-time global collaboration. Our demands are extreme, but VAST actually exceeded our expectations. Initially, we anticipated a 24 to 36 month payback period, but with the remarkable efficiency gains we’ve experienced, we expect to see a significant return on our investment in as few as 15 to 18 months – a testament to the incredible impact of VAST’s technology on our workflows.”

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Key benefits for Lola VFX with VAST include:

• Enhanced Productivity and Collaboration: The VAST Data Platform eliminated playback delays with its high throughput and scalable architecture, addressing challenges related to data size. VAST improved the efficiency of the editing process across over 60 artists allowing real-time collaboration on large files worldwide.
• Streamlined Administration and Reduced Data Ratio: VAST simplified data management and enhanced playback, collaboration, and project completion efficiency. Lola VFX also achieved a 2:1 data compression ratio.
• Increased ROI and Global Access to Media Assets: VAST Data Platform’s global namespace facilitates seamless collaboration across Lola VFX’s locations, further increasing the return on investment. Artists worldwide can now access Los Angeles-based media assets with minimal latency, regardless of their geographic location.
• Unleashing New Creative Opportunities: VAST’s robust metadata services and global namespace have paved the way for automated asset tracking and integration of production systems. This advancement allows for orchestrated work and data movement, tailored to artist schedules and locations.

“Lola VFX is defining a genre of digital doubles that blurs the very definition of cinematic reality,” said Jeff Denworth, Co-Founder of VAST Data. “This pioneering work utilizing deep learning is extremely data intensive and requires infrastructure with unparalleled speed, efficiency, and scalability. With the unique architecture and capabilities of the VAST Data Platform, Lola VFX is completely changing the landscape of visual storytelling.”

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