On a busy shoot, there’s never enough time to handle everything at once. Between checking cameras, managing media, and keeping production moving, offloading and transcoding can feel like one more thing to juggle. That was exactly the challenge DP Joshua Rosales faced, until ShotPut Studio’s Automation Pipelines helped smooth out the process.
Getting Started
“The automation was very straightforward to set up,” Joshua explained. “Being able to just drag and drop existing presets and view them all from the same screen was really helpful.”
It wasn’t entirely frictionless at first. Joshua admitted it took a moment to figure out how presets were added to the workflow. “I expected to just drop it in and have it become the next step in the pipeline. Once I realized I could hover over a step in multiple regions, it all clicked. After that, it was really smooth to work with.”
Joshua’s completed Automation in ShotPut Studio
Once past that initial learning curve, the interface felt “very intuitive and seamless.” Nothing felt like a workaround. Instead, it became a tool that adapted naturally to his process.
Fitting Into the Workflow
Working with Blackmagic RAW (BRAW) on this particular shoot, Joshua knew transcoding would be critical. “Being able to have the footage set to offload and then automatically transcode right after was awesome. It didn’t slow me down at all. It actually made everything easier.”
Because the automation ran quietly in the background, he didn’t have to change his on-set process or worry about queuing steps. “Once I set up the workflow, I could just set it and forget it. No re-adding steps, no manual oversight. ShotPut handled everything, even 6K BRAW, without breaking a sweat. Having the console report any errors as they happened was incredibly reassuring.”
Saving Time When It Counts
With a small crew, time was precious. “Being able to automatically set up the transcode without watching the offload was a huge time saver. As the DP, I was constantly needed elsewhere on set, so I couldn’t sit there monitoring every step.”
An in progress Automation job
The automation even improved communication with other departments. By sending ProRes transcodes with LUTs applied directly to a separate drive, the script supervisor could easily review shots on an iPad without any extra work. “I didn’t have to download apps or teach a new workflow. ShotPut did the heavy lifting for me, which freed me up to focus on shooting instead of tech support.”
Standout Features
“The transcoding options were incredibly useful. I loved being able to tweak presets directly from the pipeline without jumping back and forth between windows. It saved me so much time when experimenting with different setups.”
The Automation Log used for tracking each step
The visual design also made a difference. “The drag-and-drop regions are super clear. You always know what’s connected to what. I liked that I could switch between a visual pipeline view and the console view to check for errors. Seeing progress in real time gave me peace of mind.”
Real-World Results
On this particular shoot, the team had to maintain tight continuity on a low budget and under unpredictable conditions. “Having shots ready to go in an easily accessible format allowed our script supervisor to pull them up instantly without pulling me aside to help troubleshoot. That alone saved us a ton of time.”
When a mid-production idea came up to send files to an extra destination, Joshua simply added another step to the pipeline. “I didn’t have to start from scratch. I just dropped it in and kept moving. It saved me from a lot of stress.”
The reporting feature also paid off. “Searching through the thumbnail reports on the iPad was much faster than squinting at tiny native previews. We could match shots quickly and keep production flowing.”
Final Thoughts
For Joshua, ShotPut Studio Automation Pipelines didn’t just speed up offloading and transcoding. It streamlined collaboration, reduced stress, and let him stay focused on what mattered most, getting the shots.
“Knowing I had the workflow tested and ready to go meant I could prep once and then trust the process,” Joshua said. “Everything was ready when I needed it, without me needing to think about it.”
Ready to give ShotPut Studio’s Automation a try? If your ShotPut Studio license is active and under maintenance, the update is already waiting for you. Just open the app and select ‘Check for Updates.’
If your maintenance has expired, updating is easy. Log in to your account, navigate to View Licenses > Update, and choose either a one-time 12-month update plan ($120 USD) or enroll in automatic updates ($99 USD/year) to always stay current.