THE SPROCKETSHIP
MOBILE STUDIO

The Sprocketship Mobile Studio is our response to an essential need to work smarter and reinvent the relationship between studio and agency.  A product of our years of studio and film experience, the Mobile Studio is custom built for the Portland agency scene.  Our mantra:  there is no connection like a direct connection.  The Mobile Studio pairs our VFX and CG muscle with the client creative like never before.

We found time and time again that the shortest point between point A (the problem) and B (the answer) is simply by sitting right next to you.  For projects that demand it, the mobile studio is brought on-site and can typically set up in remnant office space.  Down the hall, a quick shout away.  We also appreciate "over the shoulder access," and have (on occasion) set up in the desk next to the agency side Creative Director.  Maximizing collaboration, communication, and reaction time.  Unmatched interactivity and personal attention.

As artists, we aim to realize the vision of the client and strive for perfection.  Our livelihood, not to mention our developing reel and portfolio, depends on visuals that make an impact.  With well defined deadlines and budgets, it's a sprint to create at the highest level given the time and resources.  Working on-site gives the client more iterations from our iterative pipeline.  More versions means a better, more refined end product.  We show early;  we show often.  We catch problems before they become real problems that take up valuable time.  Working side-by-side, we're able to create significantly more revisions and dial in on a direction more quickly than the slower feedback loop inherent to working out of house.  Ultimately this maximizes efficiency and allows us to put more resources towards our top priority:  refining projects with less compromise.

The Sprocketship Mobile Studio isn't like any freelancer you've ever hired before, that's for sure.  Senior artists with 10+ years in on industry standard software, with enough hardware firepower to truly produce at max efficiency (no iMacs here!).  It's an extension of our studio, tightly packaging all of the battle tested processes and techniques we've developed at the mothership.

Speaking of the mothership, the on-site artist has the full backing of our studio and is able to spin up specialists and support artists as a project changes scope or direction.  We're ready for any twists and turns.  The on-site artist then doubles as a project manager, defining tasks, handling reviews, and supervising the flow of work from studio to client.

Bottom line - it's a measurable difference you can see in every final product from our Mobile Studio, and a compelling solution for small team post production.   Below you'll find some common configurations and our Mobile Studio FAQ.




THE SINGLE

The Single is our most popular Mobile Studio configuration.  We provide a single artist on-site;  an organized generalist, well versed in finishing.   They take the torch from editorial and carry through to completion, typically including 2d compositing, motion graphics design and animation, roto/paint cleanup, and color.  Any elements that our generalist believes might be best handled by a specialist is pushed to the studio and completed in tandem.  For example, the specialist lifeline might be tapped for a single CG shot, difficult or tedious roto/paint work, a matte painting for a sky replacement, a complex motion graphic animation, or a smoke fx particle simulation.  All flowing back to the on-site generalist for compositing and review using our secure system for file sync between locations.

The Single is engineered from the ground up to give the artist maximum output, using considerable computer horsepower and the best tools to deal with the task at hand.  Powered by Nuke Studio (conform + compositing), After Effects (motion graphics), and Blackmagic Resolve (color), our system is built for speed and ready for your locked edit.  We regularly work with 4k, 5k, and 6k resolution footage, and pack in serious render power (4 nodes) and swift file storage to minimize turnaround times and maximize interactivity.  A priority is placed on maintaining flawless color precision throughout, and delivering uncompromised quality without the friction of long render times. 

As we move through compositing and towards the final color session, our calibrated, color correct monitors (Eizo CG243W or better) provide an image you can trust with your final broadcast deliverables.  Using our established systems and workflows from our studio, you can rest easy knowing that all files are securely backed up off site nightly.  The Single represents a fantastic option for finishing most commercial and short form live action projects.




THE DUO

For agency work, safe to say it's all about small teams.  We've responded to the demands of ambitious projects by offering the extended capabilities of two or more artists working directly on-site.  The Duo extends on the compositing and finishing capabilities to add a second artist, typically a CG generalist or motion graphic artist generating top tier assets and artwork.  Other artist combos might include dual compositors to handle multiple spot campaigns, an editor and motion graphic artist, or perhaps a compositor and a roto/paint artist.  Anyone deemed mission critical or "core team," who stands to work on the majority of the project would make a great candidate to be included on-site.

The Duo ups the ante, more than doubling the rendering and storage capabilities with up to 12 render nodes* (with even more render power available remotely from our studio if necessary), empowering the small team with the headroom to produce at a high level.  In fact, the system in place for the Duo has previously powered a Sprocketship team of 10 artists working on site, and it performed admirably.  Never before has there been an option for tapping an instant team with this power and scalability.

*power and ventilation must meet requirements

MOBILE STUDIO TECH

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  • Custom built Sprocketship workstation - ranges from 6 core/64GB RAM (finishing) to 36 core/256GB RAM (CG)
  • Lightning quick SSD and RAID workstation storage, 6k certified
  • Top of the line graphics card for optimal Resolve and CG acceleration (Nvidia Titan-X, Blackmagic Decklink 4k)
  • Rock solid ZFS fileserver tuned to serve workstation + renderfarm
  • Color correct calibrated monitors + optional 55' Samsung large format 4k review monitor
  • Control surface for color session (Tangent Wave or better)
  • Renderfarm ranging from 4 (Single) to 12 render nodes (Duo) in reduced noise/ventilated enclosures
  • Industry standard software and plugins - Nuke, Maya, Adobe Creative Suite, Primatte, Trapcode Particular, Neat Video, RSMB, etc
  • Studio tested production management and dailies (review) system
  • Offsite nightly backups (internet connection required)
  • All tightly packaged for easy load in/tear down and clean operation, requiring just 2 power points and wired internet.

MOBILE STUDIO FAQ

Q

Is the Mobile Studio just for agencies?

A

We designed the Mobile Studio to bring the advantages of an in-house production team to forward-thinking agencies that see the upside of a direct connection.  Our intent is to make this available to any project with these needs.  To name just a few:  independent filmmakers, directors, design firms, corporate marketing groups, artists, editorial companies, and production companies.

Q

Great info, but how does the process work?

A

  Step 1:  You have a project that you would prefer to do all VFX and finishing in-house.  Call us.

Step 2:  We come to your space with our Technical Director to discuss the scope and concept, and also the location and integration of our setup.

Step 3: We deliver and set up all equipment.  The system is pre-assembled in racks and road ready cases and can generally be ready to work in under an hour.

Step 4:  Our artist(s) work alongside your team to complete the project, utilizing our expanded team at Sprocketship HQ if necessary.

Finally:  The project is completed and delivered.  Project archives are left with you or kept on file at Sprocketship and revisions can be accommodated down the line.

Q

What services does the Sprocketship Mobile Studio offer, exactly?

A

We are very much a "best tool for the job" shop and offer VFX Compositing and finishing on Nuke Studio, Color Grading with Blackmagic Resolve, CG utilizing Maya and/or Cinema 4D, and design services/motion graphics using After Effects and the Adobe Creative Suite.  We are currently developing editorial services to offer those where necessary, using Premiere and Resolve.  All options are staffed with a senior artist and can further call on the resources and expanded services offered by Sprocketship's full studio.

Q

What area is served by the Sprocketship Mobile Studio?

A

Anywhere in the Portland, Oregon metro area.  We also consider short term bookings in Seattle on a case by case basis.  We do have a rig in development that can be checked onto a plane and taken on-set for DIT and VFX Supervision purposes, nationally.  Coming soon!

Q

What kind of requirements and infrastructure does the larger Duo setup need?

A

Our largest project to date put the mobile studio to a true test.  It saw 10 artists working in-house (18 including those out of house), with associated workstations.  It used the full Duo setup with 12 render blades going full tilt.  Not all uses of the Duo are this ambitious, but just to give you an idea of what we consider to be the top end requirements - we did this in a 800 sq ft room, an unused "back room" in a larger production house.  Fortunately it did have 2 dedicated 20A power circuits, which is a requirement for the render blades and power overhead.  For that project, we did work next to the Duo server rack in the corner of the room, but admittedly with all 12 render blades it does produce some white noise despite the noise dampening, so we recommend a closet or stashing it in a 2nd room to be ideal.  Beyond 2 power circuits, all we require is a hard line internet connection.

Q

Is there a minimum booking for the Mobile Studio?

A

Many of our light finishing or color grading-only projects are completed in a single day, including setup.  We do have a 1 day minimum.

Q

What if we have a revision or another version after the project is finished?

A

Projects are archived and these requests can easily be accommodated from the Sprocketship HQ at a reduced cost without having to bring the Mobile Studio out again, unless you would like us to.  For non-CG projects (comp, finishing, color, etc), we're happy to deliver you a hard drive of the project files archived for your own safekeeping or future use.

Q

How much does the Mobile Studio cost?

A

In many ways, it's still early days for the Mobile Studio, even though we feel like our "beta testing" phase is out of the way and we're operating kink-free.  We do hope to eventually pin down the variables more and publish a rate card, but for now the projects are coming in diverse enough that we are bidding the Mobile Studio on a per-project basis.  We have been careful to keep our operating overhead minimal, and we think that you'll find Sprocketship and the Mobile Studio services lower - in some cases significantly - than traditional post-production or color suite rates.

Don't hesitate to call us at (503) 893-4091 to discuss the possibilities further.