A system for providing media essence includes a media managing processor that receives a transfer request that defines a minimum format quality and a required time for media essence to be available, and generates a media transfer work list that identifies a task for transferring a required range defined by the request. The system includes a media mover worker that selects a source site that has a first flow that includes the required range at a first format that satisfies the defined format quality, executes a load operation from the selected source site to the identified target site, updates a media mover queue to include the task to monitor a progress of the load operation, and controls the selected source site to load a second flow of the essence at a second lower format when the monitored progress indicates the load operation will not be completed by the required time.