Free IT tools for small creative studios

Four plain tools for the questions small video and animation studios ask before they spend money: how much storage, how long an upload takes, whether remote editing will work, and how to back it all up. Each one shows its math and its assumptions, works without signing up and ends with a way to ask a person.

Quick answer

Use the storage calculator to size shared storage, the upload time calculator to plan remote transfers, the readiness checker to find what to fix before editors work from home, and the backup planner to set up a 3-2-1 backup. They are free, they run in your browser, and your numbers are not stored unless you send the request form.

Pick a tool

How these tools work

Each tool is plain arithmetic or a short set of rules. They show their working, state what they assume and link the source of every data rate, so you can check them or change the inputs. Results can be copied as a link, so a colleague sees the same numbers. Nothing is stored unless you send the request form.

We are a Los Angeles studio that helps small creative teams with remote editing setup, shared storage and NAS, backups, and security and onboarding, in person in Los Angeles and remotely across the US. See IT for small creative studios, or browse the Studio IT hub and the playback troubleshooter.

Questions about the tools

Are these tools really free?

Yes. They run in your browser, there is nothing to sign up for and they have no paid tier. At the end of each one there is an optional form if you want a person to help.

Do you keep the numbers I enter?

No. The numbers stay in your browser and in the page address, so you can share a result by copying the link. We store something only if you send the request form, and then we keep what you put in it.

How accurate are the results?

They are as accurate as the numbers you put in. The calculators show their arithmetic and their assumptions, so you can check them. Real storage, networks and cameras vary, so treat the results as planning figures and confirm with a test on your own setup.

Where do the data rates come from?

From the vendors' own documents: the Apple ProRes white paper, Blackmagic Design's published storage rates, the ARRI ALEXA 35 manual and a Sony help guide. Each figure links to its source, and you can type your own rate if yours is not listed.

Can you set this up for us?

We help small studios with remote editing setup, shared storage and NAS, backups, and security and onboarding, in Los Angeles and remotely across the US. Use the request form at the end of any tool and a person will reply.