Games/Interactive

IBM today announced that Weta Workshop, the award-winning concept design and manufacturing arm of the Wellington-based Weta Group of Companies, has upgraded and expanded its implementation of high-speed transfer software from Aspera, an IBM company, to meet growing demand for high-volume transfers of large 2D and 3D design and video files. By upgrading, Weta Workshop can now transfer multiple large 3D design or video files that often exceed 7 to 8 GB each in under an hour. The speed of delivery is particularly important when the Workshop needs to send alterations to production teams on set; Aspera enables the team to share 3D design files quickly and reliably with clients anywhere in the world, guaranteeing the files are always delivered on time.

Weta Workshop is best known for its design and effects work on award-winning film projects such as The Lord of the Rings motion picture trilogy, King Kong, The Chronicles of Narnia, Avatar and a large number of other blockbuster movies and television series. Over the years, Weta Workshop has expanded its business from traditional manufacturing processes to include digital 3D modeling solutions for large and small-scale props, costumes, animatronics, miniatures, set dressing and exhibitions. This is primarily due to technological advances in 3D printing and milling techniques.

Additionally, the business needed a way to quickly move higher volumes of video-based content captured by their behind-the-scenes team. This shift in production process required changes to their digital collaboration workflows, based on the need to move even larger assets and larger volumes of data between members of the design and manufacturing teams and overseas clients and collaborators.

To accommodate the increases in file sizes and transfer volume, and preserve the security and reliability of their existing file transfer workflows, Weta Workshop decided to expand its network pipeline and upgrade its licensing of Aspera Connect Server to take advantage of the additional network bandwidth. Connect Server is used to quickly and securely send large files from the Workshop’s New Zealand headquarters to production teams and film sets in the US, Canada, Australia and the rest of the world. Clients use the free downloadable Connect Browser Plugin to initiate uploads and downloads. The company’s IT team monitors all transfer activities through Aspera Console, the web-based management application that provides a centralized transfer history database, and detailed auditing and reporting.

The initial decision to deploy Aspera’s high-speed file transfer technology came after a discussion with the heads of technology at sister company Weta Digital – an early adopter that has used Aspera since 2005 as a reliable way to transfer large data files that are at the core of the visual effects business.

“Aspera is the only trusted method of exchanging files with digital media companies. We followed Weta Digital’s lead and selected Aspera, and we haven’t looked back since. We’ve had a truly great experience,” said John McMullen, IT manager at Weta Workshop. “Plus, the support we’ve received over the years has been exemplary.”

“For Weta Workshop, Aspera is the bridge that connects globally dispersed teams and clients, improving collaboration and accelerating the approval process so designs can be finalized and ready for manufacturing or use in production whenever needed,” said John Wastcoat, VP business development, Aspera. “By deploying Aspera, they have essentially future proofed their workflows with the ability to increase transfer volume, speed and throughput to match any increases in their business.”

Aspera will showcase its solutions for Asia’s broadcast, audio and film industry at BroadcastAsia, booth 5G4-08, May 31 – June 3, 2016.