Getting Started with Flow Capture Immediates

Capture footage from the camera and send it to the cloud with Flow Capture Immediates, empowering production and post production teams to collaborate seamlessly and securely across sets and locations.

By integrating with QTAKE, as soon as the camera stops recording freshly shot footage is ready and available to review in Flow Capture in as little as seconds after cut is called. Flow Capture can transcode to MXF on upload, which gives you the ability to download a DNxHD36 or -45 clip that can be put directly into an Avid timeline. Edited clips from there can be sent back to set via QTAKE so the director can review a cut on set, saving time, eliminating pick-ups, and keeping the production under budget.

This quickstart guide goes over everything you need to know to get your team up and running with Immediates. You'll feel comfortable getting started and going live in just 10 easy steps.

10 Steps to Getting Started with Immediates

You'll want to check these to make sure your setup is correct. They're also helpful to reference if you're having trouble (but you can also reach out to support@moxion.io for that).

Let's get rolling!

Administrator Training

Flow Capture's has self-managed user administration, making it super easy to add users on the fly, right in app without having to go through us! It's more secure for you, since you know who everyone is and what access they should have, while also cutting down on the red tape. Flow Capture Administrators are the dedicated team members responsible for adding users and granting permission and access levels, creating Folder structure, and defining security settings.

If you're not sure who should be a Flow Capture Admin, check out our Admin Training Videos to learn more about what the Admin Permission set entails: Admin Training Videos

Secure your Video Assist Operator

Since Flow Capture Immediates requires QTAKE, it's important to hire a video assist operator that uses and works with QTAKE.

If you haven't already hired a video assist operator, here's a list of QTAKE certified Video Assists you can find based on your location: QTAKE Operators

If you have, and they aren't familiar with QTAKE - don't worry! We will train them on the QTAKE/Flow Capture integration in Step 7.

Secure the proper QTAKE licenses

Our success team works with the video assist operator(s) to get them setup and answer any questions about the Immediates process, but the production should confirm that they have the following on their rig before then:

In each case, the video assist(s) on the Production will want to make sure QTAKE Server and the required modules are all installed on their rig.

And on a Multi-Unit shoot working with QTAKE Central Server, a small internet-connected computer (such as a Mac mini) in the production office is also required to allow the video assists on each unit to talk to each other. With that, the clips from each unit will show up automatically on each assist's rig. Otherwise, they (and anyone else on the production) can use Flow Capture to reference one unit's clips against another's.

* Please note the QTAKE pricing is for reference only and is best purchased directly from QTAKE by the Video Assist. You will need to contact QTAKE directly in order to set this up.

QTAKE version

We will get the Video Assist Operator set up in Flow Capture, but if you're working with a Video Assist Operator who is already using QTAKE, it will be good to make sure they are using a version of QTAKE that works well with Flow Capture.

QTAKE Server (QTS) - The QTAKE/Flow Capture integration is dependent on running the most up-to-date version of QTS. Please ensure that you're running the latest version by opening QTS, selecting the QTAKE Server menu at the top, and selecting Check for Updates. If there is a newer version, please download and install it before proceeding in order to ensure a smooth setup and integration.

If you don't already have QTAKE Server, you can contact QTAKE here.

QTAKE - Version 1.5 and above will work. Visit QTAKE for news of the latest updates: QTAKE News

Ensure on-site Internet or Wifi

If the production is providing internet, it’s important to ensure that Immediates have a dedicated connection whenever possible. A shared connection can cause significant drops in upload performance. A strong internet connection is ideal, but the Flow Capture Immediates workflow can function on as little as a 4G hotspot.

It’s important to note that you should always prioritize Immediates if the production finds itself in a situation with limited connection options (or if a connection has to be shared). While the crew may be unhappy about having to stay off their phones, the more people using set internet means less bandwidth for Immediates to get up and out to those who need them.

That said, even if the connection is lost or interrupted, QTAKE Server will queue them for later upload once it regains a connection. These are our connection recommendations for Immediates:

Upload - 3.0mbps
Viewing - 1.5 mbps (minimum)
SD - 3 mbps
HD - 5 mbps
HDR - 12 mbps

A typical workflow that combines Immediates and QTAKE's live streaming abilities is for folk on set connect to the QTAKE stream via their local Wifi to view footage on their iPad/iPhones and then Flow Capture is used for viewing offset and anywhere else in the world.

Set up security settings

Flow Capture complies with web broadcast security standards demanded by film and television companies around the world. We are built from the ground up as an industrial strength media hub for filmmakers and our security and attention to detail is second to none. In short, your assets are kept secure while your team is given the freedom they need to explore and create.

Before you start uploading footage and adding production and post production team members, the most important step is to make sure you have all the proper security settings in place.

Digital Rights Management (DRM)

Digital rights management (DRM) is a way to protect digital media from being shared, leaked, or copied. We turn DRM on by default to protect your assets from any activity that might compromise the security of your content.

We default this to ON in your account and recommend you keep it on!

Multi-factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) increases the security of your work on Flow Capture significantly by combining more than one independent identity verification method. The first is a user's email/password combination that's established by them as their login credentials. The next is an authentication code sent to, or provided by, a separate personal device such as a smartphone that is otherwise removed from our traditional login process.

To learn more about setting up MFA and how it works, see our guide: Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Watermarking

Flow Capture allows you to create watermarks that can be overlaid on any video or photo assets, as well as PDFs. These watermarks are also burnt into any assets that you choose to make available for download or iOS offlining.

With the proper permission set, you can set watermarks on the Company level, the Production level, or even the Folder level. To learn more about Watermarking, see our guide: Watermarking

Transcode to DNX36 and DNX45

If you're using Flow Capture for Dailies or taking advantage of the editorial workflow and bringing MXF files into Avid, head to the Upload Options for the Immediates Folder to set up transcoding to DNX36 or DNX45. This allows your editorial team to pull down the MXF files into an Avid timeline.

We don't offer higher quality DNxHD transcoding options because the proxy files we get from QTAKE through the Immediates process are of too low a bitrate to provide the quality that would be expected at DNxHD115 or 175.

Add your Video Assist Operator to Flow Capture

The first person you should add to your Immediates Folder is the Video Assist Operator or DIT, whoever will be operating QTAKE to send recorded clips from set into Flow Capture. The Video Assist Operator should have an Uploader permission.

Add to the Immediates Folder

Head to the Manage Teams panel via the Admin tab:

Select New Contact in the Contacts Column, and enter their Name and Email Address in the pop-up opened.

Once the Contact has been added, click on the Folder in the Production or Folder Selector column, right under Manage Teams. Then, click on the Video Assist Operator's User card in the Contacts column.

After clicking the User card, you'll see Assign highlight in the Contacts column.

In the Participants column, click on the User Card again to open the Permission options, and change the permission to Uploader.

That will allow them to send files up to Flow Capture from QTAKE. If you also want them to be able to receive files from Flow Capture, such as previs or other reference material, you'll need to grant them Downloader (No Watermark) permissions.

You can also give us your Video Assist Operator's name and email address, and we will add them with Uploader permissions to the Immediates Folder with your consent!

Connect your Video Assist Operator for Training

Once your Video Assist Operator has been added with Uploader permissions, they can set up the QTAKE integration up to Flow Capture. We have a handy guide here that walks them through the step-by-step: Setting up Immediates

Add (and train) your Editorial Team

If you're using Flow Capture for Dailies, or opting for the full editorial workflow, you'll need to set up training for your editorial team members. These are folks who will be working with the Immediates clips directly, whether that's downloading them to get a head start on editing or to quickly put into a sequence that gets exported and uploaded back to Flow Capture for a quick director review.

You can add your Editorial Team members in the Manage Teams panel. We recommend following the best practices in this guide in Setting up Team members for adding your Editorial Team: Setting up Teams and Adding Users - Workspace Collaborators

Onboard your Remote Video Village

Anyone who isn't uploading and distributing content, or downloading and preparing cuts for review should be added as a Viewer permission to the Immediates Folder.

To get the most out of Immediates, you'll want to invite Viewers directly into the Folder so they can view incoming footage within a minute after shooting. Inside the Folder, Viewers will be able to use the metadata sorting options to organize footage in flexible ways.

For more on how to add a team of users to a folder, have a look at our Importing a Team video.

Other training and guidance

Adding your cast, crew, showrunners and directors to Flow Capture is one thing, but making sure they feel comfortable and excited to use Flow Capture is quite another. We've prepared the following guide to help set your entire production viewing Immediates through Flow Capture up for success: Viewing Flow Capture Immediates

Aaaand, Cut!

With your Video Assist uploading Immediates into Flow Capture directly from camera to cloud, your editorial team working with footage the moment the camera stops rolling for lightning editorial turnaround, and your creatives and executives happy to watch the action in the moment, it's showtime!