Samsung: Failsafe storage for fearless filmmaking
Posted on Nov 5, 2025 by Admin
When Rob Hutt’s storytelling depended on speed, reliability and creative flow, the Samsung Portable SSD T9 was part of his Failsafe production toolkit
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Shooting cinema-level quality with limited resources means every piece of kit has to earn its place. For independent filmmaker Rob Hutt, that philosophy underpins every project he takes on – including his latest short film Failsafe, a psychological thriller exploring memory, identity and control.
Known for his award-winning shorts, Hutt has built a reputation for emotive storytelling with handheld, immersive camerawork. “I’ve always shot like I’m chasing the moment rather than staging it,” he says. “My films are designed to feel immediate and alive – as if the viewer is right there inside the story.”
To achieve that kind of energy on-set, speed and reliability are non-negotiable. That’s where the Samsung Portable SSD T9 came in. His stripped-back production workflow for Failsafe revolved around a full-frame mirrorless camera, 35mm prime and monitor-recorder, forming a compact yet cinematic rig capable of capturing high-quality ProRes footage. But behind the scenes, the Samsung portable drive was the crucial component tying all production data needs together.
“When you’re shooting ProRes on a high-end monitor-recorder, you’re generating serious data,” says Hutt. “The Samsung portable drive just keeps up. It doesn’t slow you down.”
Roughly the size of a credit card and weighing only 122g, the Samsung Portable SSD T9 combines portability with professional-grade performance. Using USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 connectivity, it delivers soaring read and write speeds of up to 2000MB/s, allowing vast 4K or 6K files to transfer in mere seconds. For an under-pressure filmmaker juggling multiple set-ups in a day, every saved minute counts.
Just as important, the Samsung Portable SSD T9 remains cool and quiet under load, thanks to Samsung’s advanced thermal management system. Even after hours of continuous transfers between camera, recorder and edit suite, the portable drive’s performance doesn’t waver, allowing Hutt’s small team to move from shoot to post-production without waiting on technology to catch up.
Performance was not the only reason it earned a place in Hutt’s kit. Independent shoots often mean unpredictable conditions – cramped interiors one day, outdoor set-ups the next – and the gear needed to survive both. The Samsung Portable SSD T9’s rubber-armoured design is built with a dotted, non-slip finish and offers drop resistance up to three metres, giving you peace of mind when working on location. “It’s engineered for durability and reliability,” says Hutt. “You can throw it in your pocket or kitbag and not worry about it.”
The portable drive’s endurance extends beyond physical strength. With capacities up to 4TB, it provides ample headroom for multi-day shoots and extended projects. “Having all that storage meant we could shoot a full day, back up and still have space left over. No juggling cards, no compromises,” says Hutt.
For Samsung, the Portable SSD T9 represents the culmination of years of solid-state innovation. Built around V-NAND technology and enhanced with Turbowrite algorithms, it maintains consistent top-tier performance even under sustained heavy workloads. Read and write speeds stay high throughout, not just for short bursts. The portable drive is built for professional compatibility, working with Windows, MacOS, Android devices and external video recorders.
When combined with Samsung’s Magician software, users gain access to performance benchmarking, firmware updates and drive health monitoring – plus, with AES 256-bit hardware encryption, files remain secure.
For Hutt and his team at Progress Studio, which supports every Rob Hutt Films production, tools like the Samsung Portable SSD T9 are what make professional-level filmmaking possible on an indie budget. “Production is always a balancing act because you’re pushing for cinema-level quality with limited resources. Reliable, affordable gear like the Samsung Portable SSD T9 makes that a lot less daunting. It lets us focus on the storytelling rather than the tech.”
That balance proved essential on Failsafe, which involved dynamic handheld sequences, rapid lighting changes and on-the-fly adjustments, all demanding constant backups. “When you’re capturing something that might only happen once, you can’t risk losing a frame,” he says. “Knowing the Samsung Portable SSD T9 was backing us up gave us total confidence.”
After each shoot, footage was moved directly to the Samsung Portable SSD T9 and then to the editing suite, where such speed meant immediate access to dailies. There was no waiting for transfers or conversions; just plug in and start cutting. “That’s what modern production should feel like,” says Hutt. “Everything in sync, nothing holding you back.”
With Failsafe now heading for the international festival circuit, Hutt credits his lean but powerful workflow, and the reliability of his gear, for enabling him to compete on a global stage. “The Samsung portable drive was every bit as essential as the camera and lens,” he says. “When your story depends on split-second timing, you need tech that can match the pace.”
Store more with PRO results
Samsung’s PRO Plus micro SD 1TB gives you the space and speed to store a huge amount of data. With read/write speeds up to 180MB/s and 130MB/s, this tiny card handles high-performance tasks, ideal for action cams, drones and smartphones. And with Samsung’s trusted protection against water, extreme temperatures, X-rays, magnets, drops and wear, your data stays secure wherever you go.
More information at samsung.com/uk/memory-storage/portable-ssd
This article appears in the November/December 2025 issue of Definition
