Film and TV production, like tourism, is a sector where COVID-19 has had a fundamentally disruptive impact. The demand for new content grew significantly. The global over-the-top (OTT) market is projected to grow at over 19% through 2026, one of the fastest growth rates registered by any industry in the middle of the pandemic. Conversely, content production slowed down drastically, with gathering and social distancing guidelines in place constantly. This has created a situation where demand has almost outstripped supply.
However, like every other industry, production crews can effectively continue work while complying fully with restrictions in place. What is needed is a scalable communication system that can be activated at short notice and is capable of servicing hundreds of production staff worldwide. Enter phone systems hosted in the cloud. This is essentially a virtualized collaboration setup that can be effortlessly recreated at any filming location. This lets you shoot your scenes with a skeleton crew (actors, directors, producers, and filming staff) on site, while allowing everyone else to virtually connect in from wherever they are.
Class5 Technologies offers end-to-end film industry communication services, with everything from the necessary hardware to a virtual collaboration platform for production crews to connect and work for their temporary, short-term projects across the nation.
The best part about using phone systems in the cloud for this kind of work is the newfound freedom they give you for future projects. As abundant surveys have made obvious, remote work is here to stay. And if filming teams can continue to work seamlessly with only essential personnel on site, there are huge savings to be made in logistical costs.
Here are all the ways production teams can benefit from using phone systems hosted in the cloud to support their filming:
Transport-ready Communication Hardware
Depending on who your communications partner is, you can have access to some very mobile communications setups. With Class5 for example, you’re provided with everything from routers to network switches, WiFi access points and VoIP handsets that you can easily transport, set up, dismantle, and repeat as often as necessary. If your location lacks convenient access to wiring, we offer long range antennas that serve as bridges, connecting you to the closest local network.
Entirely Virtualized and Scalable
Class5’s phone systems based in the cloud offer scalable solutions for virtual collaboration on set, allowing for larger concurrent calling capacity and video conferencing capabilities. This means that while your on-site crew is filming, hundreds more can remotely observe in real-time and offer the input and support that’s required of them via video conferencing. The solution is scalable to include as many people as you need from anywhere in the world, even for entirely virtualized office operations.
Wildix’s virtual collaboration platform allows your teams to stay connected and work together without missing a beat. Features like advanced calling, chat, file sharing, video conferencing, and digital faxing enable you to work as seamlessly as if you were all in the same building. It’s purpose-built to redefine virtual project management and operations.
Hosted, Hassle-free Systems
Phone systems based in the cloud offer you the unique advantage of not having to worry about clunky landlines and hardware maintenance. Class5’s cloud-based Private Branch Exchange (PBX) is hosted at AWS (Amazon Web Services) data centers. This means you only carry with you the equipment you need to broadcast connectivity at your filming location, while the data and communications are safely facilitated through our servers, which are managed by us as part of the service.
Secure and Compartmentalized
With collaboration and phone systems hosted in the cloud and being managed by Class5, you needn’t worry about leaks, security breaches, or privacy issues. Network access is compartmentalized as well. Your accounting department, for example, can be hosted on a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) separate to that of your other teams. Cinema and film festival stakeholders can receive limited authorizations to access secure cloud servers to download digital film reels as and when necessary.
Ideal for Seasonality
Class5’s turnkey solutions let you pick up where you left off at the end of filming the last season of your show. Your old numbers, extensions, collaboration platform provisions are all kept ready for your next shoot.
Cost Savings
Film collaboration via phone systems in the cloud is the future. It can maximize your ROI and offer vast savings in your filming expenses. If your writers, editors, technicians, and support staff can contribute just as effectively from their homes or distributed offices, think of all the money you save in terms of logistics, insurance, and production.
Class5 Technologies has a significant body of experience enabling film and TV crews to collaborate virtually and powerfully nationwide. Contact us for more information to host your phone and communication systems in the cloud for your next shoot.