Guest post by Justin Nederkoorn,
travel photographer and videographer

Whether you’re a videographer who shoots the occasional event or a filmmaker who runs over 20 productions per year, data storage is often one of those aspects that is overlooked. Filmmakers often find the idea of optimizing data storage boring. And let’s be honest, spending your money on a new lens or camera body is far more exciting. But when you get to a point where you have over 30TBs of hard drives lying around your office and you start to lose track of where your projects live, it’s time to tackle your data storage workflow. If you’re not quite there yet, I strongly recommend preventing this situation. After all, if you’re going to spend over $1,500 on hard drives, you might as well invest in a proper NAS setup. But what exactly is a NAS, what factors are important to consider, and how do you get it up and running? In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get started.

What is a NAS station and why should you use it?

NAS stands for Network-Attached Storage. It is a storage device that makes data continuously available and accessible over the network. Think of it like a big external hard drive that multiple people can use at the same time from different devices without having to plug in directly. NAS stations have slots where you can insert drives optimized for heavy-duty server usage. These are significantly cheaper per TB compared to retail hard drives, and many NAS stations will allow you to slot over 100TB of storage. This means no more separate hard drives, plenty of room to archive all your projects, one location to access all your files, and easy collaboration. The best part: NAS stations offer a safety mechanism so that even if a drive fails, you won’t lose your data.

Benefits for a solo-filmmaker

• Cheaper data storage solution in the long run.
• Enough storage to preserve raw footage, which is especially important for long-term clients in case of future requests.
• Quicker write and read speeds compared to single hard drives.
• Clear data management workflow, making it easier to quickly find the files you’re looking for.

Benefits for production companies

• Allows your team to work on projects simultaneously, no matter their geographical location.
• Saves time with quicker data workflows. For example, your DP can offload their files, making them instantly available to the editor.
• Many production companies have over 30 drives that contain their projects. Keeping track of where projects live and storing these drives properly takes space, budget, and time.

Capacity, bays and RAID

The first step in deciding on your NAS setup is determining the capacity you need. The capacity ultimately determines the number of bays you need and the size of your drives, depending on the RAID setup you’re running.

50TB Range

• Ideal for: Solo filmmakers or content creators working with 1080p or limited 4K footage.
• Drive Bays & Size: A NAS with 4 to 6 bays could work well here. Using 8-12TB drives provides flexibility to expand later.
• RAID: Use RAID 5 for basic protection and enough space.

100TB Range

• Ideal for: Solo filmmakers or small production companies working on multiple 4K projects or even some 6K/8K content, with higher volume workflows and more storage demand.
• Drive Bays & Size: A NAS with 8 to 12 bays is more appropriate here. You could use 10-14TB drives, allowing more room for future expansion. 
• RAID: Go with RAID 5 or RAID 6 for a good mix of space and safety.

150TB+ Range

• Ideal for: Mid- to large-size production studios working with 8K footage, VFX-heavy projects, or large-scale video production, where storage demands grow fast.
• Drive Bays & Size: 12 to 16-bay systems with 14-18TB drives. Large drives are essential to balance capacity and performance.
• RAID: Use RAID 6 or RAID 10 for maximum safety and fast access to large video files

Factors to Consider:

• Footage Resolution: The demands of working with higher resolutions (4K, 6K, 8K) will increase over time, which can drastically increase file sizes. Make sure your NAS station is future-proof.
• Expansion: Most NAS stations offer the option to expand your station. This will help if you foresee growth in your data needs in the coming years.
• Project duration and archiving: If you keep raw footage or project backups for years (which I definitely recommend), factor in the storage needs for archiving.

RAID types can be very confusing at first, so let’s take a quick look at the most common ones and shortly explain how they work, when to use them and how much storage they leave accessible.

• RAID 0 (Striping)
  • How it works: Splits data across multiple drives to increase speed, but if one drive fails, all data is lost.
  • When to use: When speed is a priority and you have backups elsewhere (e.g., fast editing but not long-term storage).
  • Storage: 100% of total storage is available for reading and writing.
     
• RAID 1 (Mirroring)
  • How it works: Makes an exact copy of your data on two drives. If one drive fails, the other keeps everything safe.
  • When to use: For small teams or individuals who need protection for important files, but don’t need a lot of space.
  • Storage: 50% of total storage is available for reading and writing.
     
• RAID 5 (Striping with Parity)
  • How it works: Spreads data across several drives and adds a safety net. If one drive fails, you can still recover everything.
  • When to use: For mid-sized teams that want a good balance of space, speed, and protection (e.g., handling large video files).
  • Storage: Depending on your amount of drives, at least 66.7% of total storage is available for reading and writing. With more drives, the percentage increases.
     
• RAID 6 (Dual Parity)
  • How it works: Similar to RAID 5, but with extra protection. Even if two drives fail, your data is safe.
  • When to use: For larger teams or projects with a lot of data where safety is critical.
  • Storage: Depending on your amount of drives, at least 50% of total storage is available for reading and writing. With more drives, the percentage increases.
     
• RAID 10 (Mirroring + Striping)
  • How it works: Combines speed and safety by splitting and copying data across multiple drives.
  • When to use: For teams working with very large files (like 4K/8K video) that need both fast access and strong data protection.
  • Storage: 50% of total storage is available for reading and writing.

Optimising read and write speeds

By now, you’ve read that I’m a big fan of running HDDs in a NAS. But you might wonder: Aren’t HDDs limited to a read/write speed of 80-160MB/s? How am I ever going to be able to edit my 4K project if I’m limited to these speeds? Worry not, there are a few tricks we can apply to our NAS station to make it run significantly faster than traditional HDDs.

Running bays in parallel

The bays in your NAS station work together to achieve higher read/write speeds. This means that if you run only 3 HDDs in an 8-bay NAS station, you’ll end up with significantly slower results than if you were to run the full 8 bays. That’s why I recommend running as many bays from the start as your budget allows.

NVMe slots

When picking your NAS station, I strongly recommend looking for one that has NVMe slots. An NVMe SSD has a direct connection to the motherboard, making them much faster than HDDs and even regular SSDs. Because of their low latency, you can access your files almost instantly. Furthermore, if multiple people are accessing the NAS at the same time, NVMe SSDs can handle simultaneous requests without slowing down, ensuring smooth performance for everyone.

When setting up your NAS, make sure to configure your NVMe SSD as a read cache. This stores frequently accessed data on the NVMe drive while keeping the slower HDDs for mass storage. It significantly increases your read speeds for projects you’re working on.

10GbE connection

When picking your NAS station, look for one that has a 2.5GbE, 5GbE or 10GbE ethernet socket, or the option to upgrade to one. I personally prefer a 10GbE connection since this will prevent any bottlenecks in your data transfers from your network setup, achieving speeds of up to 10Gb/s. Furthermore, this ensures my NAS station is future proof. In practice, you won’t achieve these speeds with an HDD setup (you’ll likely max out at 1Gb/s), but this should be sufficient for most projects.

For solo filmmakers, I recommend running a CAT7+ (10GbE compatible) cable directly to their workstation. Ensure your workstation supports a 10GbE connection or look for hardware that will enable you to run such a connection.

For production companies, I recommend running the 10GbE connection to a 10GbE switch. This will allow you to connect multiple workstations to the switch, allowing everyone to enjoy the increased speed.

If even faster speeds are required

By implementing these upgrades to your NAS system, most filmmakers and production companies should now have reached a write and read speed at which they can comfortably work on projects directly from their NAS.

However, if you work on VFX-heavy projects or 12K footage, you might need to increase your read and write speeds even further. To make use of the full 10GbE (or even 25GbE) connection, you can run SSDs in your NAS station. This will significantly increase the cost per terabyte ($80-$120 vs. $15-$25) and will decrease the total storage available, as SSDs are generally much smaller in size. If you go this route, I would recommend running about 25% of your bays as SSDs so you still have enough bays to run HDDs as a long-term storage solution.

Key aspects of a NAS

Before I go on to give you recommendations based on your budget, let’s review all the key aspects that could influence your decision when picking a station. It’s up to you to determine which aspects weigh heavier than others.

Number of Bays & Drive Compatibility
As we know by now, bays are the slots where you put your hard drives or SSDs. More bays mean more storage. Most NAS units support 3.5" HDDs (more storage) and 2.5" SSDs (faster but more expensive). Make sure your NAS supports the type of drives you plan to use.

Expandability
If you outgrow your NAS, it’s helpful if you can attach an expansion box for more storage without replacing the entire system.

Hot-Swap Bays
Allows you to swap drives in and out while the NAS is running. This would be useful for quickly adding or replacing drives without turning off the system, minimising downtime. Look for this if you plan to expand or replace drives often.

HDD/SSD Compatibility
Some NAS models work with a wider variety of brands for hard drives and SSDs. More compatible drive options give you flexibility in terms of price and performance. Check what drive models are supported to avoid surprises when buying additional storage.

RAID Support
Make sure that the NAS model supports the RAID setup that you want to run. Some NAS units even have a Hybrid RAID option which makes setup easier. This is a simplified RAID system that automatically optimises your storage setup for both performance and data protection, without requiring you to manually choose a traditional RAID level

File System Support
The file system determines how data is stored on the drives. Systems like EXT4 are reliable, while BTRFS can offer more advanced features like snapshots. Most users will be fine with the default file system, but BTRFS can be considered for its added functionality.

Connectivity
The default ports determine how fast you can access your NAS over the network and how many devices can connect. You can look for a NAS that comes with a 10GbE port, or look for one that allows you to upgrade the port. If you want to connect more devices, you can always complement the available port(s) with a suitable network switch.

CPU Model
A faster CPU in the NAS helps with data encryption and other complex tasks, but you probably won’t need a very powerful CPU unless you’re using features like video conversion on the NAS.

Noise
Noise from the NAS comes from hard drives and cooling fans. More drives and faster drives (especially 7200+ RPM drives) make more noise. Powerful CPUs can generate more heat, leading to louder cooling fans. Consider noise if you work in a quiet environment. SSDs and larger fans tend to be quieter.

Security
Strong security features like encryption and frequent updates protect your files. Some NAS devices offer automatic backups to external services for extra peace of mind. Ensure the NAS has good security features if you’ll be storing sensitive data.

Supported Services
Not all NAS support features like Time Machine backups, SMB (for file sharing), or cloud services. Depending on your workflow, you’ll need to ensure the NAS supports the software or services you rely on (e.g., if you use Mac, make sure Time Machine is supported).

OS Stability & Support
A reliable Operating System makes sure your NAS run smoothly, while good customer support helps if anything goes wrong. Check reviews for OS stability and make sure the manufacturer offers good support and regular updates.

Deciding on your NAS setup

To help you decide on a good setup, I will list the products that I would pick depending on your budget, as well as the setup that I went with to optimize my own data management.

$1,000 NAS Setup

For smaller teams or individual filmmakers needing solid storage and decent speed.

• Synology DS420+ ($500)
  • 4 bays, expandable to 64TB with 16TB drives.
  • Dual-core 2.0 GHz CPU, enough for basic file handling and streaming.
  • Room for two NVMe slots for read/write caching.
  • Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports for link aggregation (not 10GbE but faster than a single connection).
• 2x Seagate IronWolf 8TB 3.5" NAS Hard Drives ($400)
  • 8TB total usable storage in RAID 1 for data protection (mirrored setup).
• Cat 6 cable, 5m ($20)
  • Decent quality Ethernet cable for connecting to your local network.
• Optional: Upgrade to 4 drives for future-proofing or add SSDs later if speed becomes critical.

Total cost: $920

What you get: A basic, reliable NAS with 8TB of protected storage (RAID 1), with the option to add more drives later. While it doesn’t offer 10GbE, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports can still handle everyday editing tasks and backups.

$3,000 NAS Setup (my setup)

For solo filmmakers or small-sized teams with a focus on expandability, fast access, and future-proofing.

• Synology DS1821+ ($1,100)
  • 8 bays, expandable up to 128TB with 16TB drives.
  • Two NVMe slots for read/write caching.
  • Upgradeable with a 10GbE network card.
  • Expandable to 18 bays with additional units.
  • 2.2GHz quad-core CPU for more demanding tasks.
• 2x WD Red SN700 1TB NVMe SSDs ($180)
  • For caching, speeding up access to frequently used files.
• Synology E10G18-T1 10GbE network card ($150)
• 4x WD Ultrastar DC HC550 3.5'' 16TB SATA III ($1,228)
  • 64TB raw storage (48TB usable in RAID 5).
• Cat 7 cable, 10m ($20)
• OWC Thunderbolt Pro Dock for 10GbE connection on Macbook Pro (400$)
  • Go for an OWC Thunderbolt 3 10GbE Ethernet Adapter (150$) if you don’t need to run a dock

Total cost: $3,078

What you get: A powerful and expandable NAS system with 48TB of usable storage, 10GbE speeds for faster editing and file transfers, and future room to grow with extra bays and caching.

$5,000 NAS Setup

For larger teams or production studios needing extensive storage, speed, and performance.

• QNAP TVS-h1288X ($2,200)
  • 12 bays for massive storage. 8 bays can be used for HDD drives, up to 128TB with 16TB drives. 4 bays can be used for SSD drives, adding significant improvements to write/read speeds.
  • Intel Xeon 3.3GHz CPU for heavy workloads, including video rendering and transcoding.
  • Built-in 10GbE port, no need to upgrade separately.
  • 2 M.2 NVMe slots for SSD caching, ensuring fast access to frequently used files.
• 2x WD Red SN700 1TB NVMe SSDs ($180)
  • For caching, speeding up access to frequently used files.
• 6x Seagate IronWolf Pro 16TB 3.5" NAS Hard Drives ($2,220)
  • 96TB of raw storage (64TB usable in RAID 6 for extra protection).
• Cat 7 cable, 15m ($30)
  • High-quality, longer Ethernet cable for a solid, fast connection.
• Netgear Nighthawk X10 AD7200 10GbE Smart Router ($400)
  • Advanced router with a built-in 10GbE port to support faster network speeds.
• OWC Thunderbolt 3 10GbE Ethernet Adapter ($150)
  • To connect your Macbook Pro or other devices to the 10GbE network.

Total cost: $5,180

What you get: A high-performance NAS system with 80TB of usable storage, built-in 10GbE for blazing-fast file transfers, and a powerful CPU for handling demanding tasks. Ideal for larger production teams or studios working with massive 4K/8K video files.

$10,000 NAS Setup

Designed for large production companies needing both high-speed editing and large storage capacity for archiving projects.

• Synology FS3400 ($5,400)
  • 24 bays that support both 3.5" HDDs and 2.5" SSDs, allowing for a hybrid setup.
  • Built-in dual 10GbE ports for high-speed network connections.
  • Intel Xeon D-1541 8-core 2.1 GHz CPU, powerful enough for video editing, file management, and transcoding.
  • 16GB DDR4 ECC RAM, upgradeable to 128GB for handling large workflows and multi-user environments.
  • Hybrid storage capability, letting you combine the speed of SSDs with the capacity of HDDs in a flexible RAID setup.
• 4x WD Red SN700 1TB NVMe SSDs ($360 total)
  • 4TB of SSD storage for high-speed access and editing. These SSDs will handle your active projects, making real-time 4K/8K editing and large file transfers fast and seamless.
  • RAID 10 for the SSDs provides 2TB of usable SSD storage with both speed and data protection.
• 10x Seagate IronWolf Pro 16TB 3.5" HDDs ($3,700 total)
  • 160TB of raw HDD storage configured in RAID 6, providing 128TB of usable storage while protecting against the failure of up to two drives.
• Netgear XS716T 16-Port 10GbE Managed Switch ($900)
  • 16 ports, all 10GbE, ensuring that multiple users can connect at high speeds. This switch allows for seamless collaboration across multiple editing workstations.
• 10x Cat 7 Ethernet cables (10m, $200 total)
  • High-quality Cat 7 cables to connect your NAS, switch, and workstations for fast, stable data transfers.
• 4x OWC Thunderbolt 3 10GbE Ethernet Adapter ($600 total)
  • These adapters allow multiple workstations to connect to the NAS at 10GbE speeds, providing smooth and fast access to footage.

Total cost: $9,160

What you get: A perfect balance of high-speed SSDs for live editing and large HDD storage for footage archiving. It provides 4TB of fast SSD storage for ongoing projects and 128TB of HDD storage for your entire media library. With robust 10GbE networking, powerful processing, and plenty of room for future growth, this setup is ideal for a production company handling large-scale, high-resolution projects with multiple editors and collaborators.

Final thoughts

Now that you have a solid understanding of NAS setups, it’s time to start optimising your own data management. By following the advice laid out in this article, you’ll not only save valuable time and money on your storage solutions but also simplify the way you work. Whether you’re a solo filmmaker or managing a large production company, a well-chosen NAS system will drastically improve how you store, access, and protect your files.

The budget options provided in this article are a great starting point, but I strongly encourage you to explore all the available options to ensure you pick a NAS tailored to your specific needs. Taking the time to select the right system is key to maximising your investment.

Keep the "Key Aspects" section of this guide handy, as it breaks down the more technical details into digestible pieces. Understanding these aspects will help you make an informed decision without getting overwhelmed by the jargon.

By implementing the right NAS solution, you’ll not only streamline your current workflow but also future-proof your setup for the ever-growing demands of higher-resolution video projects. It’s an investment that will pay off in the long run, keeping your projects organised, accessible, and safe—so you can focus on what you do best: creating great content.