Building a Cloud VFX Studio: Costs and Key Considerations
As more VFX studios are looking to scale with flexibility, the public cloud is an attractive option. However, while cloud services offer many benefits, they also come with significant costs. In this article, we’ll break down the expenses involved in setting up a VFX studio in the cloud—and why it might not be as cost-effective as it initially seems.
Assumptions for Our Hypothetical Studio
Let’s assume we’re setting up a VFX studio for a small team of 4 artists and 2 producers. Here’s the setup:
Artist Workstations: These workstations need to handle everything from rendering and simulation to creative tasks. We’re looking at high-performance specs: multi-core CPUs, 128GB of RAM, large SSDs, and powerful GPUs.
Producer Workstations: These are less powerful than the artists' workstations but still need adequate performance for editing, coordination, and review.
File Server: A robust server with 100TB of fast SSD storage to accommodate the large files common in VFX production.
Now, let’s dive into the cost breakdown for running this setup in the cloud.
Breaking Down the Costs
1. Compute Costs (Workstations)
For high-performance workstations, cloud providers typically charge based on the compute resources (CPU, GPU, RAM) that you use. The costs for these resources can vary, but here’s an estimate.
Artist Workstations: Expect to pay around $4 to $6 per hour for each workstation.
Monthly Cost (for 4 artist workstations):Running 10 hours a day for 30 days = $4 to $6 per hour * 10 hours * 22 days = $880 to $1320 per month per workstation.
Total for 4 artist workstations: $3,500 to $5,300 per month.
Producer Workstations: These are less powerful, costing around $1 to $2 per hour for each workstation.
Monthly Cost (for 2 producer workstations):Running 10 hours a day for 30 days = $1 to $2 per hour * 10 hours * 22 days = $220 to $440 per month per workstation.
Total for 2 producer workstations: $440 to $880 per month.
Total Compute Costs:
Artist Workstations: $3,500 to $5,300
Producer Workstations: $440 to $880
Total Monthly Compute Costs: $4,000 to $6,200
2. Storage Costs
VFX work often involves massive assets, such as high-res textures, renders, and simulations. You’ll need high-performance, fast storage to handle these demands.
Storage Costs: SSD storage is typically around $0.10 per GB per month for high-performance options.
Monthly Storage Costs for 100TB:
$0.10 per GB * 100,000GB = $10,000 per month.
3. Other Costs
Data Transfer Costs: Moving data in and out of the cloud can incur additional charges, typically around $0.09 to $0.12 per GB for outbound data.
Backup & Redundancy: It's important to back up your data. Expect to spend around $1,000 to $2,000 per month for backup storage and retrieval.
Cloud Security: Protecting your data and systems requires investment in firewalls, encryption, and monitoring. These measures typically cost between $500 and $1,500 per month.
Persistence: A Key Consideration
A critical factor to consider is that cloud instances are non-persistent. This means if you stop or terminate an instance, all the data on it is lost unless you’ve saved it elsewhere. While this can save money when instances are idle, it also means that you'll continue paying for every hour that the instances are running, including for overnight rendering.
For example, let’s say your workstations are running for 10 hours during the day. If you leave them on for an additional 14 hours overnight for rendering, that’s an extra 14 hours of compute time each day. Over time, these additional hours can significantly increase your costs, particularly with high-performance instances.
Committing to Longer-Term Instances
Cloud providers offer reserved instances or savings plans, which allow you to commit to using specific instance types for a longer period—typically one or three years—in exchange for lower rates. This can be an attractive option for studios that know they’ll be using cloud resources regularly.
However, the downside is that once you commit to a particular configuration, you’re locked into that setup. If your needs change, or if you want to switch to a more powerful instance or different setup, you may end up paying for resources that no longer fit your needs. This reduces flexibility, even though you can benefit from the lower rates.
Total Estimated Monthly Costs
Compute Costs: $4,000 to $6,200
Storage Costs: $10,000
Other Costs (data transfer, backups, security, etc.): Varies, but can add another $1,000 to $2,000 per month
Total Monthly Cost Estimate: $14,000 to $18,200
The Real Costs of Cloud-Based VFX Studios
Setting up a VFX studio in the cloud is not inexpensive. When you add up compute costs, storage fees, and other operational expenses, it becomes clear that this model may not be the best choice for smaller studios.
Additionally, managing this infrastructure requires technical expertise in cloud architecture, security, and VFX workflows. Without the right experience, you could end up spending more time and money than necessary, and the performance may not be as reliable as you need.
Pixel Secure May Be More Cost-Effective
While the public cloud may initially seem like a good option, the costs and complexity quickly add up. For smaller studios or those who want to focus on production without worrying about infrastructure management, it may make more sense to consider other options.
By using Pixel Secure’s Remote Workstations, you can access the same high-powered infrastructure without the sky-high costs or the headache of managing everything yourself. Our environment is optimized for VFX production, letting you focus on creating amazing visuals while we take care of the heavy lifting.
