Hands of a bride and groom adorned with traditional jewelry and henna, symbolizing a wedding ceremony, set against a blurred festive background.
Case Study

Smooth 4K Editing for ZDF’s International Emmy-Nominated Team

“After the installation, working with Pro Data was a walk in the park. 

EDITOR, JAN Dottschadis

How ZDF editor Jan Dottschadis cut multi-codec 4K projects faster and more reliably with iodyne Pro Data.

From Emmy-Nominated Documentaries to Megacity Mumbai

Jan Dottschadis is a Berlin-based video editor at ZDF,one of Europe’s largest broadcasters. While most of ZDF still runs in an Avid environment, Jan has steadily shifted to DaVinci Resolve for projects that demand more creative flexibility and speed. His credits include reportages and documentaries, one of which was nominated for an International Emmy.
 
For ZDF’s Megacity Mumbaiproject, Jan needed a solution that could handle full 4K timelines, multiple camera codecs, and the flexibility to move between editing setups without being tied to a traditional shared storage system.
Man in a yellow shirt dancing in a vibrant street scene from ZDF's Megacity Mumbai, showcasing urban life and cultural expression.
Two men interacting at a vibrant street food market in Mumbai, showcasing colorful food stalls with various Indian snacks like Dahi Puri and Ragda Pattice, highlighting the lively atmosphere of urban street culture.

The Challenge

In Megacity Mumbai, Jan wasn’t editing from the comfort of a post house — he was often working in tight hotel rooms and improvised workspaces while traveling.
 
Jan was also determined to keep this project in Resolve. Before Pro Data, working outside the Avid setup meant slower workflows and extratranscoding. This would have pushed edits late into the night and eaten into review sessions.

“We saved several hours per day just by skipping transcoding, thanks to Pro Data. That’s time we could spend actually editing or resting before the next day of production.”

EDITOR, JAN Dottschadis

Key ingredients

  • Editing Software:DaVinci Resolve(switchedfrom Avid 3 years ago)

  • Workstation:Apple M3 MacBook Pro

  • Storage:iodyne Pro Data with dual Thunderbolt connection

  • Workflow:Full 4K native editing, with render cache written directly to Pro Data
iodyne Pro Data storage device connected to Apple M3 MacBook Pro, editing software interface displayed, various editing peripherals including keyboard, control surface, and audio interface, showcasing a professional video editing setup.

The Results

With Pro Data, Jan was able to edit, render, and play back the entire project natively, saving time and preserving image quality.
 

Lightning bolt emoji symbolizing fast and efficient 4K editing capabilities with iodyne Pro Data storage solution.Full-speed 4K editing and playback:Across four different raw codecs(intraframeand long-GOP).

 

Laptop representing high-performance editing capabilities with iodyne Pro Data for seamless 4K video production.  Portable & reliable:Pro Data, paired with M3 MacBook Pro was on-the-go until the job was done.

 

Clock showing 12:00, symbolizing efficiency and time management in video editing workflows with iodyne Pro Data storage solutions.  No wasted time:Eliminated additional proxy creation and transcoding,and accelerated delivery.

 

Smiling face emoji representing satisfaction and peace of mind in video editing workflows with iodyne Pro Data storage solutions.  Peace of mind:Confidence that the project would be secured and editing would be a“smoothride.”

Motorcyclist in striped shirt passing by a man in an orange shirt, set in a bustling urban environment, highlighting the fast-paced nature of city life.
Bride in traditional attire smiling under floral canopy, surrounded by guests in colorful clothing at a festive celebration.

Explore the gear that Jan used.

Check out iodyne Pro Data: High-performance shared Thunderbolt storage for creative teams.
 

To cover the basics, and get iodyne Pro Cables: Reliable connections for maximum throughput.

Ready to level up your workflow?

Reach out to us