In-depth discussions with industry experts
Panels and 1-1 IABM TV interviews
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We catch up with Greg Dolan, Chief Commercial Officer at Xytech to discuss their MediaPulse Media Orchestrator. We hear how the workflow streamlines and automates content processing workflows and information flow across departments and vendors.
We also discuss Xytech’s recent acquisition of ScheduALL and what it means for both companies and also customers.
Software defined workflows span the media ecosystem and the wider technology ecosystem allowing assets, systems and processes to be joined and run together. Workflows address repetitive tasks that an organisation runs regularly and can optimise pipelines by allowing content to be processed frequently and quickly.
Across the industry, most implementation and transformation projects have traditionally been collaborative because individual groups of people from different companies and multiple disciplines work together to achieve a common aim. But it is often the case that they are working alongside each other rather than combining their intellect and jointly determining the best solution for a client, even if that means their system or technology is not core or managing some of the key functions as part of the overall solution. As systems have become diverse there is a real Venn-like overlap of functionality and it is essential that vendors now work side by side, within these common areas, to determine the most optimal solution for that workflow, operation, site or organisation.
It’s probably an understatement to say that 2020 has been a year of change for media companies. Faced with the widespread disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, they’ve quickly embraced remote production to cater to a fully work-from-home environment and ensure business continuity.
Production teams of all sizes have been challenged to adapt to a new operational reality that centres around being as agile as possible. As well as collaborating on projects remotely and seamlessly sharing content and assets between disparate team members, they’ve had to find ways to quickly roll out different services to different sites and significantly reduce their dependence on physical data centers.
March of 2020, when much of the world went into quarantine, is a month most of us will not forget. For most businesses there was uncertainty and for many there was chaos as they scrambled to set up remote work environments and adapt quickly to new regulations without clarity on how long the situation would last. Since that time, the M&E industry has gone through immense change, and the disruption that the coronavirus pandemic caused has brought new workflows and, in many cases, accelerated changes that were already happening.
Editors and artists strive to produce creative, compelling content while working under the pressure of tight deadlines, shrinking budgets and fierce competition. And, somebody has to make sure that they have the right tools so they can focus on the work at hand rather than being bogged down by technology issues. Finding the right solutions means professionals can focus on content creation rather than fighting with archaic systems that no longer meet their needs.
Businesses in any vertical markets are based on tangibles. R&D, investment, cashflow, production workflows, company management, staff skills and efficiency are all identifiable commercial factors needing to be balanced for the business to be run efficiently. Of course, they can be subject to any number of intangible or unpredictable factors. This means any good business leader or manager has to indulge in games of “What if?” to predict what might happen if operating conditions change. Or equipment needs upgrading. Or a global pandemic strikes.
But how do those in the decision-making process know that simulation modelling is the right fit for their business? Debra Slater, Managing Director at Three Media, and an expert in the field of simulation modelling and optimisation, talks to IABM to address the most commonly asked questions.
Based in Los Angeles, Love Productions is an independent subsidiary of a leading UK production company with both entities specialising in unscripted content. Popular shows such as ‘The Great American Baking Show’’,’ ‘Singapore Social’, ‘Made in Mexico’ and many others air on major networks and streaming services including Netflix, Amazon and Facebook. Initially set up as a production office to develop U.S. shows back in 2013, as work expanded Love Productions decided to bring postproduction totally in-house. At that point, Head of Post Production Charlotte Pai was given the challenging task of researching and building the new facility from scratch.
Based in Auckland, Images & Sound is New Zealand’s longest established full-service post house with an extremely impressive portfolio. The company’s clients range from small independent filmmakers to large international studios and while long form documentaries and drama make up the majority of work, TV commercials and web content add an important contribution to the mix. All deliverables benefit from Images & Sound’s combination of experience and creative talent underpinned by a range of leading edge technologies employed in 4K HDR workflows, Dolby Atmos Home Theatre mixing, high-end VFX and grading. Collaborative working, essential to provide speedy throughput, is facilitated by the deployment of Avid NEXIS to serve the edit suites.
Unusual times call for new ways of working. As the COVID-19 crisis deepens, it is becoming obvious that, to maintain business continuity the Media & Entertainment industry must pivot rapidly towards remote collaborative production. While companies across the industry scramble to put together new workflows, it is worth examining some of the successful businesses that have been working this way for years.
The Finish Line, one of the most successful post production companies working out of the UK, is one of them. The facility uses EditShare’s Flow and QScan tools amongst others to ensure that its staff can work collaboratively wherever they’re based in a truly distributed workflow. Its business has been built from the ground up for pop-up and remote post production with a technology-focused facility that centralizes content without all of the expensive glamour associated with high-end finishing. Investments are made into people and technology. It’s a fascinating set up and a fascinating story, as the workflows that have helped them buck the recent crisis were actually established coming out of the global financial crash of 2008.
