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Filmmaking Camera, lighting, sound, editing and the crew roles behind every shot.

Cloud Editorial: Meaning & Definition in Film

Cloud editorial is a post-production workflow that allows film editors and assistants to collaborate remotely by accessing project files and media stored on cloud servers.

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The Edit Suite in the Cloud

Traditionally, film editing was a centralized process requiring the entire editorial team—editors, assistant editors, and producers—to work in the same physical building, connected to a high-speed local storage network (a SAN). Cloud editorial completely decentralizes this workflow. The core media files (often low-resolution ‘proxy’ files) and the editing project files are stored on secure, high-availability cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure. This allows an editor in Los Angeles, an assistant in London, and a director in New York to all access and work on the same project simultaneously, from anywhere in the world with a robust internet connection.

How It Works

This workflow relies on a combination of cloud storage and sophisticated software. Editors can stream the media directly from the cloud or, more commonly, download the lightweight proxy files to their local machine for smooth, responsive editing. The editing project file, which contains all the metadata about the cuts and timeline, is constantly synced back to the cloud. Professional editing software like Avid Media Composer (with its Edit On Demand service) and Adobe Premiere Pro have built-in tools for ‘bin locking,’ a crucial feature that prevents two users from accidentally working on the same sequence at the same time and overwriting each other’s work.

Accelerated by the necessity of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, cloud editorial has rapidly become a standard workflow in the industry, offering unprecedented flexibility and the ability to assemble the best creative team for a project regardless of geographical location.

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More Filmmaking Terms

Entries filed on the same shelf as Cloud Editorial, each with the one-line answer first. They are the words that usually come up in the same conversation.

All 913 terms

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    The blue hour is the brief period of twilight in the morning or evening when the sun is below the horizon and the sky is filled with a deep blue, indirect light.

  • Casting Notes

    Casting notes are brief descriptions of a character included in a screenplay, typically when the character is first introduced, to guide the casting process.

  • Red Code

    A Red Code is a critical alert on a film set that signifies an immediate and serious problem requiring a complete halt to production until it is resolved.

  • Music Editor

    A music editor is a technical and creative specialist responsible for managing and seamlessly integrating all musical elements into a film's soundtrack.

  • Light Check

    A 'light check' is a brief pause in filming for the lighting and camera departments to confirm that the lighting is correct and to make minor adjustments before the next take.