Category: Technology

Metadata for Distribution: Case Studies from Metadata Madness

Post author By Philip
Post date July 22, 2016

A few days ago I wrote about metadata’s application to distribution. A recent panel discussion at the Rights and Metadata Madness conferenceÂ outlined some of the challenges and case studies from Rovi, MLB and Viacom outlining their metadata needs and the practices they’ve developed to deal with them.

The article is worth a read, but I’ll highlight the challenge outlined by Michael Jeffrey, VP of market solutions at Rovi:

A feature-length movie with a sports theme and containing content that includes music from other properties can have assets from 20-50 separate entities.

And each of those entities can have restrictions on what the maker of that movie can show, he said, adding that itâ€™s possible you canâ€™t show any beer cans or canâ€™t use an actor in any promotions.

Now let’s add the formatting, duration, and other issues from my earlier post!

Google adds to smart APIs

Post author By Philip
Post date July 20, 2016

Google today launched a new API to help parse natural language. An API is anÂ Application Programming Interface, that developers can use to send data to, and get a response back. Natural Language Parsing is used to understand language that is available in computer-readable form (text). Google’s API joins an increasingly long list of very smart APIs that will understand language, recognize images and much more.

A lot has changed since I last wrote about Advances in Content Recognition late last year.

Apple Pro Apps Assisted Editing Lumberjack Metadata

Final Cut Pro X Creative Summit 2016 Discount

Post author By Philip
Post date July 19, 2016

The Final Cut Pro X Creative SummitÂ is on again in October this year.

Three days of cutting-edge training on the latest FCPX and Motion.
Hear directly from Apple Product Managers. Learn from top industry experts.

Apparently I slip in as an ‘industry expert’ with these sessions

10:30am SaturdayÂ Using Transcripts in FCPX
10:30am Sunday Â Â Production Kit in a Bag

Greg and I will also be showing the Intelligent Assistance Software apps, and will have some amazing things to show with Lumberjack System.

Metadata

Production in the Cloud

Post author By Philip
Post date July 18, 2016

Metadata is one of the most useful tools we have, if we have the tools to use it! Aside from the obvious problems when no metadata is gathered during the shoot, or insufficient metadata is gathered, other issues arise because there are not always tools in the production chain that use the metadata that has been gathered!

A recent student film was used as a template by the Entertainment Technology Center at USC with the purpose of realizingÂ the long-hoped for promise of production metadata, with some fairly ambitious goals.

The results are interesting and important, particularly considering that this is what I would categorize as Technical metadata, rather than Content metadata.

Metadata

Metadata isn’t just for production!

Post author By Philip
Post date July 14, 2016
2 Comments on Metadata isn’t just for production!

Although my focus is very much on metadata for production, and in particular Content Metadata, there’s a whole other area of metadata for distribution, built around the EIDR ID and fleshed out largely by Rovi. But there’s another area where metadata will likely have to apply: distribution deliverables.

Apple Pro Apps Metadata

Keywords and Roles: friends or adversaries?

Post author By Philip
Post date July 13, 2016

We were discussing metadata in Final Cut Pro X after dinner last night, as one does, and Greg challenged me to think about the difference between Roles and Keywords (Ranges).

I’d spent time thinking about how best to translate metadata from Lumberjack into FCP X before we gained organizational folders for Keyword Collections in an Event, and was mildly surprised we didn’t have anything we thought would map well to Roles.

And that was the last time I thought about it until last night. It took a minute or two, but then it hit me, and it was totally obvious why there was no place for Roles in a “logging and pre-editing” tool.

Keyword Ranges (and Collections) are for organizing Clips.

Roles are for organizing a Project (timeline), and I guess for exporting information to Producer’s Best FriendÂ where we make good use of Role information.

Assisted Editing Interesting Technology Item of Interest The Technology of Production

Which technological innovation will take your job?

Post author By Philip
Post date July 12, 2016

We’re all aware that technology changes the workplace. Jobs disappear; sometimes to be replaced by other jobs that didn’t exist before. During the industrial revolutionÂ we were replacing manual labor with machines. The coming revolution is for white collar “knowledge” jobs. How soon will yours be among them?

Apple Pro Apps Lumberjack The Business of Production

The Terence and Philip Show Episode 72: Workflow 2016, featuring Lumberjack

Post author By Philip
Post date June 27, 2016

In this episode I get to spend a lot of time talking about the background the Lumberjack System, in the context ofÂ the very unsexy topic of workflow, particularly automating the workflow. IÂ share many of the background decisions related to Lumberjack System – ourÂ logging and pre-editing system for Final Cut Pro X – including why it’s limited to FCP X.

Other topics include automation; Digital Heaven’s announcement of SpeedScriber; how Lumberjack has developed based on user, and use, feedback; the post NAB development of noteLogger; Prelude LIveLogger and the Premiere Pro ecosystem and NLE market shares; how development resources are allocated.

Apple Apple Pro Apps

“Works with iMovie/Final Cut Pro X” Trademarks

Post author By Philip
Post date June 22, 2016
7 Comments on “Works with iMovie/Final Cut Pro X” Trademarks

Patently Apple reports Apple have filed forÂ Trademarks for: ‘Mac – Works with iMovie’, ‘Mac – Works with Final Cut Pro X’ & Combo of Both.

This certainly isn’t the first time Apple have filed forÂ “Works with” Trademarks, and that’s what makes it interesting. Previously these type of trademarks have been for Apple Ecosystems, like iPhone, iOS, iPad, CarPlay, AirPrint, et al.

While I have no idea what it might mean – developers have no clues yet – it is interesting that iMovie and Final Cut Pro X are being considered as part of a larger ecosystem. For those who don’t know, these days iMovie is a version of Final Cut Pro X with a simplified interface.

Apple Pro Apps Interesting Technology Item of Interest The Technology of Production Video Technology

The Terence and Philip Show Episode 71: NAB 2016

Post author By Philip
Post date June 3, 2016

Terence Curren and I recorded our thoughts on NAB 2016.Â Â Topics covered include general impressions of NAB 2016, and why Terry did not attend this year; Blackmagic Design Resolve; Avid’s business; market fragmentation; HDR and expanded color gamut; Studio Daily’s Top 50 influencers (including Philip); Zcam; Lytro cam; VR; innovation; Apple watch and NDA’d Final Cut Pro X preview.

Episode 71: NAB 2016