Modernized architecture for cloud-based media supply chains from Fox and Turner

The Fox Network Engineering and Operations group collects, prepares, and packages all incoming media for multiplatform distribution, and creates the substantial infrastructure that supports this distribution. In conjunction with SDVI Corporation, the group has created an AWS-resident resource management system to share media processing workloads across the group’s existing facility, a private cloud, and AWS; to dynamically provision and scale resources as required; and to automate the entire flow of the group’s media supply chain. This quick <10 min video gives viewers a common design pattern for implementing file-based media workflows at scale. The pattern includes using S3 as the underlying ‘Content Lake’ and bringing the processes/applications closer to the content lake and orchestrating the workflow via SNS and SQS. The metadata and state can be captured within DynamoDB. RedShift for historic analysis of workflow, AWS marketplace for pay-as-you go ISV application stack and Direct Connect for final delivery to the affiliates and distribution channels.

This workflow can be modernized further by orchestrating the workflow leveraging S3 notifications triggering AWS Step functions to decouple it further and leveraging specific function set for a specific task within the workflow without having to keep a processing fleet warm. Customers are also looking at leveraging several machine learning (ML) tasks such as Closed Caption Generation, Metadata tagging as well as Compliance tasks using ML within their media supply chain. Additionally the newly launched AWS Media Services can be leveraged in this fully decoupled model using the media services API from the step function. An example template is available here.

For a detailed discussion of the use case and benefits please watch:

This talk is designed for anyone wanting to implement a public/private/hybrid supply chain and identify the benefits, this presentation will help you understand how this paradigm shift not only allowed Fox to migrate from a capital-intensive operation to an operational expenditure (OPEX) model, but also how it gives Fox the agility to spin up new services on demand to reach revenue sooner and match infrastructure spending directly to revenue generation.

Similar customer story – Turner