Building a Stable Foundation for Growth
May 2026
When Red Star began its next phase of growth, the studio wasn’t just facing technical challenges - it was recovering from a sudden and difficult loss that left its IT environment fragile and increasingly hard to manage.
What followed was not simply an upgrade project, but a full reset: stabilising the studio’s technology, restoring confidence, and creating a platform for future growth.
The Situation
Red Star’s IT environment had evolved organically over time. But when their internal IT lead unexpectedly passed away, as well as mourning a beloved colleague, the team were also left facing growing risks around performance, reliability, and scalability - at a time when production demands were increasing.
The immediate need was clarity and stability. Longer term, the studio needed an IT environment that could properly support how animation work happens.
The Approach
NTI was brought in to assess, stabilise, and rebuild confidence in the studio’s technology.
The engagement began with a full audit of systems, workflows, and production requirements - but just as importantly, it involved working closely with the team to understand how artists, producers, and external partners interacted with the technology day to day.
Rather than applying generic IT fixes, the focus was on aligning infrastructure with real production workflows - ensuring that any changes made sense in practice, not just on paper.
At the same time, NTI took over full responsibility for managing the environment, removing pressure from the internal team and allowing the studio to keep the focus on production.
What Changed
The priority was to stabilise and simplify.
Within a short timeframe, key systems were rebuilt and optimised to remove bottlenecks and reduce risk:
- Faster, more reliable connectivity improved day-to-day collaboration
- High-performance storage and backup ensured project data was secure and accessible
- Render capacity was restored and expanded, removing delays in production workflows
- Workstations were upgraded to better support 3D and animation workloads
- Core systems were standardised, making onboarding and support significantly easier
At the same time, security was strengthened in a way that didn’t interrupt how the team worked - enabling both safe remote access and smooth collaboration with external partners.
As our studio grew, we needed an IT environment that could truly support us.
NTI stepped in at a critical moment, bringing structure and clarity when we needed it most. Two years on, their support has been exceptional - they’ve become a trusted extension of our team and a partner we rely on.
The Impact
For Red Star, the biggest change wasn’t just technical - it was operational confidence.
The studio moved from a position of uncertainty to having a stable, well-managed environment that supports both current production and future growth.
- Fewer disruptions and more predictable performance
- Faster onboarding for artists and collaborators
- Improved collaboration across locations
- Confidence that systems can scale alongside the business
A Partnership, Not Just a Fix
What began as a recovery project has evolved into an ongoing partnership.
NTI continues to provide managed services, monitoring, and strategic guidance — ensuring the environment evolves alongside Red Star’s production needs.
Our focus was to stabilise Red Star’s IT infrastructure quickly,
But also to build something that would last. That meant understanding how the studio works in practice and ensuring the technology supports it.
