eMAM Delivery Bundle Setup and Configuration

Required components:

1.       eMAM Vault or Workgroup

2.       Telestream’s Vantage:

a.       Vantage Transcode Pro Connect

b.       Vantage Avid Advanced Option

c.       Vantage Analysis

Technical Understanding Level:

1.       eMAM Administrator Training (Empress Technical Staff)

2.       Vantage Workflow Designer Training (Telestream Technical Staff)

Vantage Workflows:

Three Vantage workflows will come with the eMAM Avid Delivery bundle. Administrators will simply import the Vantage Workflows into the Vantage Workflow Designer. Upon importing the workflows there is no need for further setup, as the workflows are pre-configured.

Ingest: This ingest workflow transcodes original video files to H.264 proxy and delivers them to the pre-designated folder location(s) on the eMAM managed storage. Audio files will pass though this workflow as well, and a proxy .wav file will be placed in the pre-designated folder location on the eMAM managed storage. eMAM will redirect all other file types as defined in the eMAM Ingest profile.

Delivery: This Vantage workflow receives a request from eMAM to transcode the original video file (stored in the eMAM Originals Folder) into an MXF/AAF format and deliver the generated files to a predefined Avid Media Files folder. Vantage will create the necessary folders for Avid Media Composer to understand where the related files are, as defined in the AAF file.

eMAM Ingest and Delivery Profiles

Ingest Profile: Within the SuperAdmin Web UI, eMAM Administrators will create an Ingest Profile that monitors a watch folder for inbound media that triggers Vantage to process all video and audio files through the Vantage Ingest workflow. The Ingest Profile will link the ingest process with the Vantage Ingest Workflow via a Workflow ID, which can be found in the Vantage Designer application. The eMAM Ingest Profile will define which eMAM Managed Storage will be used and the locations where the Original, Proxy and Thumbnail files will be stored after the ingest & transcode process has completed.

As an option, Administrators can enhance the Ingest Profile by adding a transcode process that immediately makes an MXF Op1a from the original file. This can be set up in the Advanced Settings/ Configure Transcoders area. Click on the Edit tool for the Op1A Platform and add the Vantage Workflow ID provided by the eMAM technician. Upon ingest, an MXF/Op1a file will be added to the Original folder. When a user delivers an asset to Avid, Vantage will re-wrap the MXF/OP1a to an AAF without additional transcoding.

Delivery Profile: Using the same SuperAdmin UI, Administrators will create a Delivery profile describing the link with the Vantage Avid Delivery workflow through the Workflow ID (different ID than ingest workflow) and the location where the MXF/AAF files are to be delivered. The Delivery Profile will link the delivery process with the Vantage Avid Delivery Workflow via a Workflow ID, which can be found in the Vantage Designer application. The eMAM Delivery Profile will define the location where the MXF/AAF files will be delivered to (ex: Avid Media File Folder on Production Server) once the delivery & transcode process has completed.

Both the Ingest and Delivery Profiles will be given a custom name, which is recognizable by the eMAM Director user (e.g. Delivery to_Avid, shown above)

Workflow Steps

Users will login to the Director UI using their given login credentials.

Ingesting Assets: Users will place the Ingest Widget on their Director workspace, which will allow them to start the Ingest process. Users can select Add Files or Add Folders to the Ingest Widget. They will be prompted to select an Ingest Profile, in this case Vantage_Avid_Ingest, assign assets to Projects and Categories, and add Tags and Metadata. Once the Save and Upload buttons are selected, eMAM will begin the ingest process using the eMAM Profile settings and the Vantage Ingest Workflow.

When the ingest process has completed, the assets will show up in the Browser Widget, ready for previewing.

Delivery Process: When users are ready to deliver assets to Avid, they simply drag-n-Drop them into the Delivery Widget. Once they select all the assets they want to delivery to Avid, they Select Deliver from the Delivery Widget menu. 

The user will be prompted to select a Delivery profile, in this case Delivery_to_Avid.

Click on the Add button and eMAM will begin the transcode and delivery process using the Vantage workflow.

The final output from the deliver process will resemble the diagram below.

Avid Media Composer

Importing Media into Avid MC: Once the delivery process has completed, the Editor can open up the Avid Media folder and Drag-n-Drop all the AAF files into the Media Composer Project Bin. The AAF files will link all the MXF media to the project. The Editor is now ready to edit the media.

Once the Editor has finished a sequence, a flattened file can be exported and saved to the Ingest Watch Folder. eMAM will index the media and make it ready for review & approve, delivery to web, mobile or broadcast and archive.  

Avid Interplay

eMAM facilitates the automated process of ingesting media from the eMAM system into Interplay via the Interplay Transfer Engine. Users simply select the media they would like to use in their project, move it to the Delivery Widget in eMAM Director and select Deliver from the menu. The eMAM/Avid workflow will check-in the material into the Interplay system. Once the media is available, Media Composer and Avid Newscutter editors can begin editing the media.

Conclusion

eMAM can help control and manage the media editors use in their productions. Search, Preview and Deliver media at the push of a button. Finished material can be exported back to the eMAM system for use in other automated workflows like Review and Approve, Delivery and Archive to LTO, ODA or Cloud based storage.

For more information on this and other automated workflows, please contact us at www.empressmam.com or by email at sales@empressmam.com.