Atlantic
Zone
Virtual Studio Infrastructure
Building a complete VFX studio in the cloud: secure, scalable, and accessible from anywhere
Infrastructure
Security
DevOps
Support
What is a Virtual Studio?
A Virtual Studio is a centralized, datacenter-hosted infrastructure that replicates the full environment of a traditional VFX studio. It allows artists and technical teams to work remotely using lightweight clients or remote desktop solutions, providing the same experience as being physically present in the studio.
The infrastructure provides secure access to high-performance workstations, centralized storage, and all production services with minimal latency. This enables artists to work from anywhere in the world while maintaining professional-grade performance and security standards that VFX production demands.
Remote Access
Work from anywhere with lightweight devices
Secure
Centralized authentication and data management
Scalable
Virtualized compute resources that grow with your needs

v.1.0.0

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Core Infrastructure: The Virtualization Server
The heart of the Virtual Studio is a powerful virtualization server running Proxmox as the hypervisor. This single machine hosts all essential studio services in isolated virtual machines, providing a secure and manageable foundation for the entire infrastructure.
Firewall Gateway
OPNsense - The only service exposed to the internet, handling security, filtering, VPN, and routing
Active Directory
Central authentication and identity management with ACL/RBAC for all studio resources
Studio Services
License servers, monitoring, logging, wikis, and Fog Project for OS deployment

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Virtualization Server Specifications
Minimum Hardware Requirements
The virtualization server must be powerful enough to run multiple virtual machines simultaneously while maintaining performance and stability. These specifications ensure smooth operation for a small to medium-sized VFX studio.
Processing Power
AMD CPU with 64–100 cores for handling multiple VMs and concurrent workloads
Memory
128 GB RAM minimum to support virtualized services and prevent bottlenecks
Storage
1 TB minimum in software RAID 5 configuration for redundancy and performance
Network Connectivity
  • Internet connection: 1 Gbps minimum for external access and remote artist connections
  • Internal datacenter: 1 Gbps minimum, 10 Gbps ideal for storage and workstation communication
  • Redundancy: Multiple network interfaces for failover and load balancing

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Storage Architecture: TrueNAS Scale
A dedicated physical server handles all centralized storage needs using TrueNAS Scale. This system integrates seamlessly with Active Directory for unified permission management and provides the high-performance storage that VFX workflows demand.
Storage Configuration
  • RAID 1 or RAID Z2 (ZFS) for data protection
  • 20–30 TB minimum capacity
  • Full SSD configuration ideal
  • HDD with SSD cache as alternative
Network Requirements
  • Direct connection to virtualization server
  • 1 Gbps minimum bandwidth
  • 10 Gbps recommended for optimal performance
  • Low-latency connections critical
Security Model
  • No storage exposed to internet
  • All access through firewall
  • Active Directory integration
  • Expandable capacity on demand

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Workstation and GPU Resources
Physical Workstations
Bare-metal Windows or Linux machines joined to Active Directory. Deployed via Fog Project for artists requiring dedicated hardware.
GPU Servers
Servers hosting NVIDIA/AMD GPUs that power virtual machines for 3D rendering, compositing, and GPU-accelerated workflows.
Virtual Workstations
Windows or Linux VMs created via virtualization, accessed through remote desktop protocols for flexible resource allocation.

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Remote Access: Connecting Artists to the Studio
Artists connect to their virtual workstations through various remote desktop protocols, each optimized for different use cases. The choice of protocol depends on bandwidth availability, latency requirements, and the type of work being performed.
HP Anyware (PCoIP)
Industry-leading protocol for pixel-streaming with exceptional color accuracy and low latency. Ideal for color-critical work and digital painting.
NICE DCV
High-performance remote display protocol optimized for 3D applications and GPU-accelerated workloads. Excellent for animation and rendering.
SplashTop
Lightweight remote access solution with good performance over varying network conditions. Suitable for general VFX tasks.
Parsec
Gaming-focused remote desktop solution with ultra-low latency, excellent for interactive work and real-time collaboration.
RDP / SSH
Standard protocols for administrative access and scripting tasks. Essential for technical team management and automation.

Critical Factor: Latency - The datacenter must be geographically close to the majority of artists. High latency dramatically impacts drawing tablets, digital painting, and real-time interactions. Keep latency under 20ms for optimal experience.

v.1.0.0

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Scalability and Deployment Strategy
The Virtual Studio infrastructure is designed to grow organically with production needs. Start small and scale strategically as artist count and project complexity increase.
Initial Deployment
Begin with one virtualization server and one storage server. This foundation supports 5-15 artists with basic VFX workflows.
Add GPU Capacity
Introduce GPU servers as 3D rendering and compositing demands grow. Add progressively based on project requirements.
Scale Storage
Expand TrueNAS capacity with additional drive arrays. ZFS makes expansion seamless without downtime.
Expand Services
Deploy additional virtual services for specialized workflows: render farms, asset management, review systems.
Deployment Logic
  • Virtualization and storage servers run permanently
  • Workstations deployed on demand
  • GPU servers added progressively
  • Services scale independently
  • Zero downtime expansion

v.1.0.0

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Backup, Resilience, and Business Continuity
Backup Strategies
Protecting production data is critical for VFX studios. The Virtual Studio supports multiple backup approaches to ensure business continuity and disaster recovery.
  • Cloud backup: Optional S3-compatible storage (AWS, Wasabi, Backblaze) for offsite redundancy
  • Local snapshots: ZFS snapshots on TrueNAS for rapid recovery
  • Incremental backups: Automated nightly backups of critical project data
  • Version control: Git-based systems for code and pipeline tools
Resilience Design
The architecture is built for flexibility and growth while maintaining high availability for production teams.
  • RAID configurations protect against drive failures
  • Virtualized services enable rapid VM migration
  • Storage capacity expandable without downtime
  • Redundant network paths for failover
  • Geographic distribution possible for global teams

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Virtual Studio: Your Production, Anywhere
A Virtual Studio is a scalable and secure datacenter-based environment that provides remote artists with virtualized compute resources, centralized storage, and full studio services accessible through low-latency remote desktop solutions.
<20ms
Target Latency
For seamless tablet and real-time interaction
10Gbps
Internal Network
Recommended bandwidth for storage and GPU access
100%
Remote Capable
Work from anywhere with studio-grade performance
The Virtual Studio transforms how VFX studios operate, enabling global talent collaboration while maintaining the security, performance, and creative environment that artists need to produce world-class visual effects.

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Case Study:
Hybrid Studio for Monarch
Client: Monarch — VFX & Luxury Sector
Goal: Build a hybrid work environment for ~80 artists
Work Model:
  • Partially full-remote artists
  • Partially in-office artists
Challenge:
Provide identical performance, stability, and security for both groups,
regardless of location.

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Technical Implementation
& Results
1
Infrastructure Architecture:
  • All artist workstations centralized in a professional datacenter
  • Offices connected via dedicated dark fiber (10–100 Gbps)
  • Mixed workstation model:
  • Bare-metal machines for heavy workloads
  • Virtualized VMs hosted on servers for scalable capacity
2
Remote Access Platform:
  • HP Anywhere for secure, high-performance workstation access
3
Services Delivered:
  • Security hardening & monitoring
  • Maintenance & updates
  • Full technical support
Outcome: A robust hybrid studio supporting high-end VFX production with unified performance across remote and on-site teams.

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Zone
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