Overview

A major VFX production required highly scalable, GPU-intensive cloud workstations to support a globally distributed team of artists. The project demanded real-time collaboration, rapid iteration, and overnight rendering of approximately 700,000 stereo 8K frames, requiring massive computational power. Traditional on-prem infrastructure was not available and the time to stand it up would impact the already pressed schedule. There were also questions around feasibility due to the scale and speed required, necessitating a flexible cloud-based solution.

Actors & Requirements

Actors

  • 300+ VFX Artists & Technicians – Required remote, high-performance workstations to access and modify complex scenes in real time.
  • Pipeline Engineers – Managed asset distribution and rendering workloads across 100+ cloud-based workstations.
  • IT & Security Teams – Ensured seamless integration, data security, and uptime for a global workforce.

Technical Requirements

Compute Power

  • Each artist workstation required access to cloud GPUs equivalent to NVIDIA RTX A6000 or higher.
  • Rendering workloads leveraged a fleet of 100+ virtual workstations, dynamically scaling based on demand.

Rendering Performance

  • Needed to process 700K frames per night at stereo 8K resolution, requiring sustained high-speed data transfer and compute resources.
  • Each frame involved complex volumetric lighting, real-time physics simulations, and high-polygon assets, requiring dedicated GPU instances.

Collaboration & Workflow

  • Artists worked across multiple time zones, requiring low-latency access to cloud assets.
  • Cloud infrastructure had to support real-time updates to massive scene files without data bottlenecks.

Security & Compliance

  • Encrypted access and virtual machine isolation to protect intellectual property.
  • Secure file storage and transfer ensuring no asset loss or unauthorized access.

Workflow & Key Actions

Artist Workstation Deployment

  • Artists connected to high-performance cloud VFX workstations via a low-latency virtual desktop interface.
  • Workstations dynamically adjusted GPU and CPU allocation based on workload intensity.
  • Artists and IT collaborated on end-to-end error collection and diagnostics, identifying multiple render tooling bugs and immediate feedback to the product teams. This allowed for weekly software improvement releases and positive artist feedback. No festering frustrations!

Cloud-Based Rendering & Processing

  • 100+ cloud instances ran simultaneously, each processing thousands of frames per night.
  • A render queue management system distributed frame calculations across multiple instances to optimize throughput.
  • Unlike public cloud, there were no noisy neighbors or technical limitations from the cloud provider.

Asset Streaming & Collaboration

  • Artists worked on high-resolution assets stored in a centralized, high-speed cloud file system.
  • Changes to assets were instantly synced across teams, enabling real-time iteration without re-rendering delays.
  • Collaboration across the pipeline and IT teams netted a 6 hour reduction per workstation in asset replication across the workstations weekly.

Security & Data Integrity

  • Multi-factor authentication and zero-trust architecture ensured only authorized users accessed the workstations.
  • Automated backup and failover mechanisms guaranteed continuity in case of unexpected outages.

Project Finalization & Optimization

  • Once rendering was complete, final assets were securely transferred over data center class WAN connectivity to post-production teams, rather than over remote artist home ISPs.
  • Usage analytics helped refine resource allocation for future VFX productions.

Expected Outcomes & Impact

  • Scalability Without Limits – On-demand provisioning of GPU power and workstations ensured production stayed on schedule.
  • Optimized Rendering Speeds – Processing 700K frames per night at 8K stereo resolution was streamlined through cloud automation.
  • Seamless Remote Collaboration – Artists and engineers worldwide worked in real-time as if they were in the same studio.
  • Cost Efficiency – Cloud-based deployment reduced hardware investment while maintaining peak performance.
  • Future-Proof Infrastructure – The successful deployment of this cloud VFX workflow paves the way for even more ambitious real-time rendering projects.

Why CenterGrid’s Virtual Studio?

  • Tailored for High-End VFX – On-demand provisioning of GPU power and workstations ensured production stayed on schedule.
  • Flexible & Scalable – Dynamically scales GPU power and instances based on production load.
  • Enterprise-Grade Security – Ensures compliance and protects valuable intellectual property.
  • Accelerated Rendering & Collaboration – Artists get real-time access to powerful compute resources, enabling creativity without technical bottlenecks.