Blackmagic Design announces Blackmagic Cloud Live Sync

Blackmagic Design has introduced Blackmagic Cloud Sync, a new feature of Blackmagic Cloud storage that allows a camera to sync media into a DaVinci Resolve bin while the camera is recording.

Within seconds editors can see media arriving in real time and start editing, even while the camera continues to record.

The key to Blackmagic Cloud live sync is the ability of the latest Blackmagic cameras, such as the Cinema Camera 6K, PYXIS, URSA Cine and URSA Broadcast G2, to record a full resolution HD proxy in H.264.These files are live synced to Blackmagic Cloud as they are recorded, and then also live synced down to all DaVinci Resolve workstations that are connected to the same cloud project.

On the camera, the customer simply logs into Blackmagic Cloud and selects a DaVinci Resolve project before recording. Then the recording will start live syncing to all connected DaVinci Resolve workstations. Editors can edit while colourists colour correct. Plus if multiple cameras are recording at the same time, the new multi sync feature will show all cameras in a multi view, so the editor can pick the best angle.

According to Blackmagic, in many ways this workflow is similar to live streaming into the edit software. If the user starts playing, the playback will never end as the media is syncing into the viewer just in front of the play head. The editor can see the play indicator jump back as each segment of clip arrives and the clip continues to grow in length. Plus the clip icon in the bin will show a red record indicator to show this clip is still recording on the remote camera.

This means when a camera starts recording, a remote DaVinci Resolve system can start editing and colour correcting as the scene is shot, then a DaVinci system back on set can see the colour grade the moment the camera stops rolling. It means a complex colour grading setup is no longer needed on set, as a postproduction facility can do it on a large DaVinci panel with colour accurate monitoring. The on set DaVinci Resolve system can then be used for playback of these colour graded shots the moment the shot has been completed. It’s concurrent postproduction and shooting, where both happen on the same shot at the same time.

For news workflows, a camera such as URSA Broadcast G2 can start recording and syncing into the editing system the moment an historical event starts to unfold. The editor doesn’t have to wait for the camera to stop recording, as they can edit a news segment the moment the camera starts rolling, getting the segment to air in seconds.

If a broadcaster wants to get the media to air as it records, they just have to go back a few seconds in the DaVinci Resolve viewer and press play. DaVinci Resolve will then play back the media as it arrives in a very similar way to live streaming. DaVinci Resolve becomes the media decoder and player.

“Live syncing media from our cameras directly into DaVinci Resolve bins is a workflow revolution. This simply has never been possible before,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. “It’s just like livestreaming into the DaVinci Resolve bin, even when dozens of DaVinci Resolve systems are collaborating via the same Blackmagic Cloud project. This is very exciting and it looks amazing when you see it working live!”