[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”2%|20%|2%|20%|false|true” custom_padding_tablet=”4%|0%|4%|0%|true|true” custom_padding_phone=”6%|0%|6%|0%|true|true” border_color_top=”#e1e1e1″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”7b1bf5ad-cc2a-4448-981c-4963d88bd6e8″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
It seemed so sensible: Relying on an encrypted digital cinema package (DCP) delivery workflow to securely distribute hundreds of physical hard drives, each containing your final film for film festival and cinema projection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But then you discover a corruption in your DCP. It won’t ingest, or a security key fails, leaving you staring at a dark screen \u2013 all while the audience grows restless. Not only must you recall, fix, and re-ship every other DCP drive, but you also have to deal with the expense and embarrassment of a cancelled screening.<\/span><\/p>\n But the situation is above avoidable: High-capacity cloud transfers can eliminate the risks of logistical risks, delays, and expense of physical shipping. <\/span>In this blog post, we\u2019ll show you how to achieve an efficient, cloud-based DCP process when you send large video files for film festivals.<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”26px” width=”100%” width_tablet=”100%” width_phone=”100%” width_last_edited=”on|tablet” max_width=”100%” custom_margin=”|-54px|0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px|||0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_cta title=”Receive DCPs the cloud-native way” button_url=”https:\/\/app.massive.io\/en\/signup” button_text=”Start for Free” module_class=”starttrial” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h5″ header_font=”||||||||” header_font_size=”26px” header_line_height=”1.3em” body_line_height=”1.8em” background_color=”#202332″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”#072231″ background_color_gradient_end=”#031119″ custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”18px” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#0472ef” button_bg_color_gradient_start=”#0472ef” button_bg_color_gradient_end=”#005dc6″ button_bg_color_gradient_direction=”90deg” button_border_width=”0px” button_font=”Roboto|700|||||||” button_custom_padding=”10px|42px|10px|42px|true|true” custom_margin=”||20px||false|false” link_option_url=”https:\/\/app.massive.io\/en\/signup” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” border_color_top=”#3d72e7″ border_color_left=”#3d72e7″ box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”-13px” box_shadow_style_button=”preset1″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”on|hover” button_custom_padding__hover_enabled=”on|hover” button_custom_padding__hover=”|2em|||false|false” button_border_width__hover=”0px” button_bg_color__hover=”#005dc6″ button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n Integrate MASV with cloud and on-prem storage for automated, hands-free DCP ingest for film festivals and cinemas.\u00a0<\/span> [\/et_pb_cta][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”2%|20%|2%|20%|false|true” custom_padding_tablet=”4%|0%|4%|0%|true|true” custom_padding_phone=”6%|0%|6%|0%|true|true” border_width_top=”1px” border_color_top=”#e1e1e1″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”7b1bf5ad-cc2a-4448-981c-4963d88bd6e8″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|true” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_id=”Fundamentals” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ custom_padding=”23px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n If you\u2019re new to the world of encrypted DCPs, here\u2019s a quick recap of the technical process. For a comprehensive deep dive into the topic, read our guide: \u201c<\/span>DCP: What is a Digital Cinema Package<\/span><\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”production-workflow” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”2514b1ee-af07-4bc3-a96b-c9aaa32f4a18″ text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n A DCP is a<\/span> correctly named and configured directory<\/span><\/a> of files \u2013 not a single, self-contained video and audio file. They\u2019re used to send large video files for film festivals and cinemas.<\/span><\/p>\n Most DCPs are created by digital cinema encoding facilities, like<\/span> Simple DCP<\/span><\/a>, which create and perform quality control on the DCP prior to release. But there are also self-serve tools filmmakers can use, like DCP-o-matic, to convert video, audio, and subtitle files into a DCP. A DCP folder directory contains the following:<\/span><\/p>\n Other important elements of a DCP include:<\/p>\n You can visit the Inter-Society Digital Cinema Forum (ISDCF)’s website for an illustrated guide<\/a> to the latest DCP naming convention best practices.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/massive.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The-Top-5-Reasons-DCPs-Fail-infographic.png” alt=”Top 5 reasons DCPs fail infographic. Avoid DCP delivery issues for film festivals and cinemas. Drive formatting, KDM, frame rates.” title_text=”Top 5 Reasons DCPs Fail: DCP Delivery for Film Festivals” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_id=”notion” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” header_3_text_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Encryption is the process of securing your assets with a private key that must be used to unlock them. These are paired with public keys, also known as certificates, used to deliver key delivery messages. DCPs don\u2019t have to be encrypted, but without encryption, they can be easily copied and distributed by anyone with access.<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s how DCP encryption works, including the difference between DKDM vs. KDM:<\/span><\/p>\n All this makes the certificate chain incredibly fragile: A single incorrect digit in a server ID or a sudden change in the venue’s equipment can prevent the DCP from playing. <\/b>This has led some film festivals, such as<\/span> Sundance<\/span><\/a>, to state that they \u201cstrongly prefer\u201d receiving unencrypted DCPs \u2013 although that carries a significant element of risk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”physical” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_4_text_color=”#444444″ background_color=”rgba(158,213,247,0.19)” custom_padding=”2%|3%|2%|3%|false|true” border_width_left=”5px” border_color_left=”#3d72e7″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \ud83d\udca1 Go deeper: <\/strong>Accelerating downloads by up to 90% for the Canadian Film Institute and Ottawa International Film Festival<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”2%|20%|2%|20%|false|true” custom_padding_tablet=”4%|0%|4%|0%|true|true” custom_padding_phone=”6%|0%|6%|0%|true|true” border_width_top=”1px” border_color_top=”#e1e1e1″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”7b1bf5ad-cc2a-4448-981c-4963d88bd6e8″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|true” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_id=”Steps” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” header_3_text_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n So what does all of this look like in practice? Here\u2019s a four-step guide to an encrypted DCP delivery workflow.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/massive.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/DCP-workflow-diagram.jpg” alt=”DCP delivery workflow diagram for film festivals and cinemas, showing DCDM mastering, targeting, KDM management, and ingest.” title_text=”DCP Workflow Diagram: Encrypted Delivery for Film Festivals” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_id=”descript” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”1.8em” header_3_text_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n If all goes according to plan, the KDM will perform decryption on the DCP to allow it to play correctly.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”physical” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_4_text_color=”#444444″ background_color=”rgba(158,213,247,0.19)” custom_padding=”2%|3%|2%|3%|false|true” border_width_left=”5px” border_color_left=”#3d72e7″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n\n
<\/p>\nUnderstanding DCP Fundamentals<\/b><\/h2>\n
What is a DCP? <\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
How does DCP encryption work?<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
The Standard DCP Delivery Workflow: Step-by-Step<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n