MelroseMAC Creates New Avid Workflow For UFC

MelroseMAC, a technology reseller and systems integration company, recently completed work for PositiveImage Video (PIV), which produces Ultimate Fighting Championship’s UFC Ultimate Insider and UFC Road to the Octagon.

Through its professional services division, MelroseTEC, the company redesigned the post workflow from input to archival, utilizing both existing and new technology to provide an end-to-end custom solution.

UFC Ultimate Insider was coming off its first full season on Fuel TV — 40 episodes — and had pushed the boundaries of its existing Final Cut Pro/XSAN-based workflow. UFC then added UFC Road to the Octagon, a documentary series airing on Fox, which required an entirely different workflow, and from Brady Nasfell’s (Line Producer at PIV) point of view, ultimately tipped the scale toward making a switch to Avid.

“When we were working on UFC Ultimate Insider it was one editor addressing one segment at a time,” said Nasfell.  “However, when we added Road to the Octagon, we had multiple editors working on segments, which made the number of versions and collaboration problematic on the system and workflow we had at the time.”

Showrunners Ollie Stokes and Bryan Delancey said a new system was essential.  “The Olympics and other major sports projects are edited on Avid, and we needed the same kind of rapid turnaround ability for the UFC. MelroseMAC, made this happen during the busiest time of the year, allowing the seamless transition our projects demanded.”

MelroseTEC was tasked with leveraging PIV’s existing storage and sharing solution with a new, upgraded Avid-based workflow.  The company networked in the existing SANmp storage as the entry point for the various file formats (RED EPIC, 5D) as they came in from the field for transcoding.

MelroseTEC then installed a new Avid ISIS for easy sharing of files among editors, and used a Mac Mini server as the bridge for the entire system. Through the Mini, all the editors working via Avid Media Composer on various segments can access any and all content.

“Brady and PIV had been longtime clients of MelroseMAC, but on the Apple side,” said Brian Boring, Vice President, Solution Sales at MelroseMAC.

“When they learned about our expertise in Avid, they gave us the chance to provide them with a custom solution to fit their needs.  Our design turned out to be the best solution that was brought to the table.”

MelroseTEC provided a variety of products for the new workflow including over a dozen Avid Media Composers, an Avid ISIS 5000, Dell Force 10 switches and multiple Apple iMacs, Mac Pro’s, Mac Mini Servers, and Boland Monitors.

Antonio Nacrur, director of post services and solution engineering at MelroseTEC, led the install and worked in collaboration with PIV throughout the process, which spanned roughly three weeks from blueprint through installation.