HITS

Aiming to help both content creators and editors become more efficient with their workflows, metadata specialist GrayMeta used the IBC Show to announce a new plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro CC, one that provides content metadata created by artificial intelligence for the pro video editing and production software.

The plugin allows Premiere Pro CC users to easily mine specific content out of their digital assets, and then drag and drop editable, trimmed clips into software. The plugin uses metadata created out of the GrayMeta Platform, which covers details around people, landmarks, logos, objects and specific moments in the content.

“We’ve seen users create content in a fraction of the time, compared to scrubbing through content manually,” said John Motz, GrayMeta’s CTO. “It’s an extraordinary time-saver.”

Sue Skidmore, senior business development manager of partner relations for Adobe, added: “Adobe Premiere Pro CC is the industry-leading video editing software that enables professionals to create amazing content. By supercharging the creative process with insights provided by the GrayMeta AI-Powered Plug-in, content creators can be more efficient than ever.”

GrayMeta is demonstrating the new plug in during IBC at booth No. D53 in Hall 7.

Also at the IBC Show:

Video Gorillas

Media technology firm Video Gorillas announced during IBC that its Bigfoot Frame Compare solution — a “conform” and “compare” tool geared toward simplifying the usually manual-labor intensive process matching original film frames to the final edited work and comparing unique or common frames between different cuts — is now commercially available.

The scalable, proprietary technology leverages Video Gorillas’ patented computer vision/visual analysis, Frequency Domain Descriptor (FDD), and machine learning tech, and can auto-conform restoring or remastering projects by comparing frames from a reference picture to those from film scans, reconstructing a timeline using sequences of frames that have the most points in common, the company said.

“We worked with a select group of film and television customers on hundreds of projects for several months to prove the Bigfoot concept and achieved exceptional results, and we’re thrilled to make Bigfoot widely available to the Media & Entertainment industry,” said Video Gorillas CEO Jason Brahms. “Bigfoot enables a previously unimaginable level of speed, efficiency, and transparency in remastering, localization and restoration workflows, reducing the time to market for content owners, unlocking additional value in film and television libraries, and supporting ongoing preservation efforts.”

Additionally, Bigfoot will be able to handle matching VFX plates or green screen to reference picture, trailer reconstruction from scans, matching of stock footage, and more.

Prime Focus Technologies

Prime Focus Technologies used IBC to unveil major updates to its flagship product, CLEAR Media ERP, improving security, speed, and ease of operations.

The upgrades cover CLEAR’s DAX Production Cloud module, which offers a single software for dailies and post workflows, as well as CREATE, the company’s mobile-first solution for production management.

“The surge in pay TV programming is driving the need for greater creative enablement and seamless collaboration with multiple stakeholders across ever-growing production supply chains,” said Ramki Sankaranarayanan, founder and global CEO of Prime Focus Technologies. “The latest updates to CLEAR empower content creators with faster decision-making capabilities and stand testimony to our continued investment on improving Production workflows for the M&E industry.”

Among CREATE’s new features are an auto script breakdown function, casting process management, digital approvals, and centralized digital archives. For DAX Production Cloud, upgraded file management and security challenges are included, as well as a new “Actions” menu for access to production and collaboration tools, and a simplified upload function.

PFT is showcasing CLEAR Media ERP and updates to DAX Production Cloud and CREATE at booth No. 7.C05 during IBC.

Ooyala

Ooyala announced at IBC that it’s content supply chain optimization solution, Ooyala Flex Media Platform, will be among the first ever to support the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE)-developed Interoperable Master Format (IMF) standard across its content supply chain solutions.

IMF support means Ooyala Flex Media Platform customers will be able to reduce costs and enhance the efficiency of multi-version, multi-platform distribution, the company said, thanks to IMF’s ability to reduce the number of different versions of any one video file required for distribution to viewers.

“Ooyala is precisely aligned with IMF’s goals, helping content creators and distributors streamline their operations to be more profitable,” said Ooyala CEO Jonathan Huberman. “Unlike other technology partners, Ooyala provides end-to-end support for IMF across the entire content supply chain. And with seamless integration of existing tools into the Ooyala Flex Media Platform, we’re enabling IMF strategies for companies who would otherwise lack the necessary technology. The technology community has been listening to content providers, and we’re equipped to help them truly capitalize on global monetization opportunities.”

Irdeto

Content protection specialist Irdeto announced at IBC that Orange Slovensko has tasked it with securing content delivered through its new direct-to-home (DTH) TV service in Slovakia, with Irdeto’s Conditional Access offering now covering a wide range of premium content for the company.

Conditional Access is part of Irdeto’s 360 Security suite, designed to offer future-proof end-to-end security, offering encryption for digital video services for set-tops and more.

“The launch of our new DTH service in Slovakia is part of our ongoing plan to provide the best possible service to our customers, both in terms of content and accessibility,” said Karol Flak, TV unit manager of Orange Slovensko. “An effective managed service to ensure secure delivery of content is crucial to this success and Irdeto’s ability to provide a flexible business model which fully meets our requirements and expectations, combined with its strong track record in secure pay TV delivery, makes it the perfect partner to help us to achieve our goals.”

Richard Frankland, VP of EMEA sales for Irdeto, added: “As operators launch new services like Orange Slovensko’s DTH offering, it is critical to ensure premium content is delivered securely. Our partnership with Orange Slovensko will protect the DTH service and content delivery mechanisms, allowing its resources to be focused on developing its content offering and providing a great user experience for customers.”

Irdeto is showcasing its solution at booth No. D51, hall 1, at IBC.

SHIFT

SHIFT — the parent company of video-driven SaaS platforms MediaSilo and Wiredrive — announced it’s showcasing its new, combined media sharing, collaboration and review platform at IBC, featuring a “first-of-its-kind” feed solution that deposits all of feedback and review links from different media sharing platforms in one place.

“Our tools have been used by leading networks, studios, OTT providers and advertising agencies for years to develop work-in-progress, and we’ve taken what we’ve learned in the enterprise space to build a platform that actually fixes what’s wrong with review and approval,” said SHIFT CEO Kai Pradel. “We wanted to redefine the review process and put people at the center of it. Our goal is to get feedback out of email and back to where the content actually lives. We think SHIFT is a better way to manage the media that needs your attention.”

The new SHIFT platform allows both admins and content creators to retain permissions and security protocols, switching seamlessly between teams, while making it simpler for reviewers to track the review process.

Additionally at IBC, SHIFT is showcasing its on-demand forensic and visible watermarking service (SafeStream), along with its secure screening platform for pre-release content (Screeners.com). SHIFT is located at booth No. 9.LP20.