3Com Gigabit Ethernet technology goes Hollywood

Technology is changing the entertainment industry. Movies, television shows, commercials and music videos increasingly use digital editing platforms rather than traditional film-based methods for audio-visual production.

However, while digital editing is now simpler and more accessible, the cost and complexity of reliable high-speed networking previously prevented independent producers from scaling up to compete with the industry`s biggest players. Today, this is changing due, in part, to a powerful Gigabit Ethernet network from 3Com Corporation.

Zoic Studios, a Los Angeles production house launched in August 2002, is using affordable 3Com Gigabit Ethernet network to serve high profile clients such as Fox, UPN and the Sci-Fi channel, among others. The 3Com solution delivers the reliable uptime and high-throughput desktop connections Zoic needs to create riveting visual effects and meet its stringent production deadlines.

"Downtime is a killer in our business," said Saker Klippsten, chief engineer, Zoic Studios. "Besides $50 000 a day in lost productivity, it`s the fastest way to lose clients. Fortunately, with 3Com switches, it`s no longer an issue. The 3Com network gives us the big-studio reliability we need and helped us jump-start our business so we can compete effectively and better serve our growing clientele."

For series such as UPN`s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Zoic artists used network-based Alias Wavefront`s Maya 3D software to create "dustings" - effects that make a body appear to turn to dust. For Sci-Fi`s Battlestar Galactica, the 3Com solution allowed Zoic artists to create "high-definition, photo realistic computer-generated scenes," utilising 2D and 3D graphics applications such as Discreet Combustion and Newtek`s Lightwave. For the 2002-2003 television season, Zoic intends to bring these solutions to CSI Miami and Century City for CBS.

Zoic is using a 3Com SuperStack 3 Switch 4950 and a SuperStack 3 Switch 4924-based network. The 3Com solution also uses Zoic`s existing Cat 5e copper wiring, keeping installation costs low.

Zoic also supplies network connectivity to a guest lounge reserved for visiting clients, showcasing its works in progress. The studio relies on 3Com virtual local area networks (VLANs) to isolate and safeguard specific client projects.

As a start-up, Zoic needed to get up and running quickly to leverage the contacts of its three veteran Hollywood producer founders. The studio required an affordable, scalable, easy-to-manage solution that could deliver Gigabit Ethernet desktop connections. Reliability and redundancy were also key requirements.

After consulting with value-added reseller Virtual Micro and evaluating products from Cisco and Foundry, Zoic selected the 3Com solution for its cost-effectiveness, reliability and scalability. The studio was impressed 3Com Network Supervisor, which manages the 3Com switches. The resulting reliability, which protects Zoic`s revenue stream by ensuring that critical applications are always available, was also a decisive factor.

The 3Com solution delivers Gigabit Ethernet links to 24 artist workstations, four servers equipped with 3Com PCI Gigabit NICs and another SuperStack 3 Switch 4924. This 4924 distributes 1000 megabits per second (Mbps) links to an additional 18 artist workstations. The switches also feed 10 SuperStack 3 Switch 4226T switches, which in turn carry 2000Mbps connectivity via aggregated ports to over 250 PCs used as a video-rendering farm.

"3Com gave us the best and most affordable way we found to get a Gigabit network that always works and can scale to meet our needs - however they evolve," concluded Klippsten. "It puts us on an equal footing with our bigger competitors and is invaluable to the creation of our visual effects."