Author: Eric Holland
Part of my job with LucidLink is working on creative content to help tell our story. I’m currently working with a vendor on an Adobe Premiere Pro production, and the latest phase was sending some screen captures for them to use. The process that worked best for them was sending the assets via email. This is where I ran into my first workflow speed bump. To accommodate, I spent about 7 minutes downloading the asset and 8 minutes uploading it to a Google Drive link. I think the entire video was about 9 minutes in length. This was the light-bulb moment I needed to grasp the pains of the creative process.
My past office experience has been with Windows software, so joining LucidLink gave me my first taste of the Google Suite. To be honest, I love having all of my office programs located in one place. The flexibility between Docs, Sheets, and Slides has been a nice addition to my day-to-day. My office tasks are made much easier. When office work becomes creative work, that’s when Google Drive becomes a challenge.
Bringing Creativity Back to the Future
Imagine going on vacation this summer, but the method of packing means bringing every piece of clothing and pair of shoes that you own. You may be thinking “what a complete waste of time.” Similarly, when creative professionals use Google Drive to work on projects, they constantly download (pack) and upload (unpack) all their data. This ends up wasting time for the creatives, which can be costly elsewhere in the creative process.
Since 2012, Google Drive’s sync & share technology creates local copies of a file on all shared devices. Once copied, it analyzes and automatically pushes out all changes made through the cloud. This is what’s called the “syncing” process and requires communication between all connected devices at all times. Constant communication between devices takes time and slows down the creative workflow. This is especially evident when working on any large rich media files. Unfortunately, Google Drive is still trying to pack and unpack everything, on every trip.
LucidLink breaks the old rules of how data travels to-and-from the cloud, only packing and unpacking the data that is needed. This is especially important when working on big media files because the larger the file, the longer it takes to upload and download. Instead of archaic sync and share methods, LucidLink created a better and easier way to create from the cloud. I like to say everyone else is driving a Honda Civic, while LucidLink is driving the DeLorean from Back to the Future Part II.
“Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Roads”
Since hindsight is 20–20 (pun intended), it’s clear COVID-19 challenged creativity. Although globally accessible, Google Drive remains problematic as creatives work with gigabytes, sometimes terabytes, of data. Collaboration on projects became difficult — sometimes even impossible. Deadlines were stretched and product quality began to suffer. The needs of the creative world changed in 2020, making the 2012 methods of Google Drive no longer acceptable.
LucidLink is perfect for this new reality. Our SaaS solution is built to support the movement to remote and hybrid work. Using LucidLink means deadlines are easily met, costs are reduced, and creativity is at its best. Files get immediately accessed and streamed to anywhere you need them, no matter the size. This unique performance reminds you of your local drive and allows teammates to access files on-demand, by whatever application they are working in. Just let LucidLink work its magic in the background while you work with your favorite editing tools.
LucidLink’s next-level performance is being used by large creative organizations like A&E Networks, Adobe, Fleishman Hillard, Legendary Entertainment, and Spotify.
It’s Not About Doing More; It’s About Focusing on Less
For sync and share to thrive, it must be limited to smaller files. Google Drive’s performance works well with its office tools like Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Introducing media assets like photos, PDFs, 4K, and 8K footage are examples where Google Drive will come up short. Download “headaches” and size limitations create an environment where creativity is compromised. Let’s face it, there’s nothing creative about waiting on downloads or worrying about storage.
LucidLink presents the best of both worlds: practical yet powerful. The invisible experience paired with its jaw-dropping performance is why LucidLink Filespaces is the new standard for all post-production workflows. Energy gets repurposed into creativity. Time turns into an improved work-life balance. LucidLink really changes the way to work, without changing the way you work.
To top it off — let’s talk security
My thoughts on data security are similar to how I feel about the seatbelts and airbags in cars: it should automatically be part of the package. Keeping data safe should be the standard for any solution. LucidLink got their security package right because they take the “trust no one approach.” Simply put, LucidLink and the cloud storage providers get “zero knowledge” of any data you’re storing or sharing. Data is encrypted on your device and stays encrypted even when it’s in transit. Only you can “see” your data.
Technology is Best When it Brings People Together
New technologies are invented every day, but few technologies reinvent how we live. I don’t know about you, but I consider this a reinvention of creative life:
- Workflows can leave the office for good
- Your creative flow remains uninterrupted
- Costs are reduced and project quality is elevated
- The work-life balance is greatly improved
It’s finally possible to control the creative workflows and save money while doing it. Users find LucidLink simple yet sophisticated, making it a no-brainer for anyone working on large files. Stop worrying about downloads and distance. Try LucidLink for free.
