Quantum Corp. (NYSE: QTM) announced that New York-based production and postproduction studio Nice Shoes has deployed Quantum’s new Xcellis™ high-performance, shared workflow storage, enabling faster turnaround of projects and establishing a scalable foundation for future growth. Working with Quantum partner Alliance IT, Nice Shoes incorporated Xcellis into its environment to provide greater flexibility in optimizing its collaborative media workflow and in scaling storage capacity and performance.
“As a production and postproduction studio for major global brands, we are continuously raising the bar to deliver compelling content within very compressed timelines,” said Robert Keske, chief technical officer at Nice Shoes. “We are always looking to enable greater efficiency and productivity across our workflows, especially as we’ve expanded into new service areas with our Creative Studio and into more regions with our offices in Chicago and Minneapolis. Quantum’s new Xcellis storage provides the unique combination of performance, scalability and simplicity needed to adapt quickly and cost-effectively.”
Powered by Quantum’s StorNext® platform, Xcellis enhances productivity in collaborative media environments, simplifies the overall storage architecture and streamlines operation and management. The new workflow storage system consolidates media and metadata management, extends connectivity options for both Fibre Channel and Ethernet clients and supports hosted applications within one easy-to-manage, fully scalable hardware solution.
Xcellis also provides the performance and reliability needed to meet extreme production and delivery deadlines. It provides optimized high-speed Fibre Channel SAN connectivity and industry-leading streaming performance. In addition, offering continuous scalability that doesn’t require a forklift upgrade or interruption of business operations, Xcellis enables agile, intelligent and cost-effective expansion by facilities ranging from the largest studios to boutique creative houses such as Nice Shoes.
“Xcellis gives us critical flexibility in handling an increasing volume of media content as we’ve been receiving and starting to deliver footage at 4K or higher resolution,” said Keske. “Backed by the StorNext platform, Xcellis provides the ability to tune capacity and performance to suit evolving workflow requirements, which can change from project to project. As a result, we have the freedom to adapt our storage resources to any new challenges or opportunities that our clients bring to us.”
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More