HITS

The spring edition of the “M&E Journal,” published by MESA and geared toward senior media and entertainment executives who oversee their companies’ digital futures, is now available online.

The 152-page publication features insights from more than two dozen MESA members, from Alteon to Wasabi Technologies, with the issue’s main focus centered on how automation is impacting every corner of the media and entertainment business.

Along with the cover section — “The Future is Automated” — the issue offers industry insights for several crucial industry areas, including “Workflows and the Cloud,” “Smart Content,” and “Security Solutions.” Additionally, the “M&E Journal” also features columns from MESA’s executive leadership.

Here’s a quick look at what’s included in the “Workflows and the Cloud” section:

• “Everything, Everywhere: Finding Success in the New Cloud-based Distributed Media Ecosystem” by Vision Media’s Jason Deadrich. The way entertainment media is created, distributed, and consumed has changed so dramatically, the age of traditional post-production workflows is over, and the age of cloud-based distributed media has begun. Multiple sources, in multiple formats from multiple locations now converge to create new media for global distribution.

This transformative field requires new workflows and an altogether new ecosystem.

• “How Cloud Storage Serves the Demands of Modern Media Production” by Wasabi’s Whit Jackson. Wasabi’s Global Cloud Storage Index showed that 74 percent of media and entertainment respondents will increase the amount of data they store in the public cloud in 2023.

This article presents the key ways media and entertainment can benefit from this cloud adoption to unlock new possibilities for the industry.

• “The Changing Landscape of OTT Platform Testing” by Giant Worldwide’s Kevin Lebre. In an environment of viewing anything, anytime, anywhere, how do OTT players maintain customer engagement, and how can they keep up with a constantly shifting landscape? We will explore how automated testing and benchmarking services support OTT providers in avoiding or remedying poor application performance, compatibility issues, and consistency of content delivery.

Thus, minimizing sub-par experiences for the consumer.

• “Setting the Stage” by Slalom’s Igor Mandrosov and Steven Polster. For more than a decade, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Slalom have partnered to modernize and streamline the organization’s processes, from award submissions to the red carpet.

By replacing many systems with single, integrated enterprise architecture, Slalom helped the Academy accelerate its ability to empower and advance the media and entertainment industry.

• “It’s All About Operational Efficiency” by Ateliere’s Dan Goman. Modern digital media supply chains like Ateliere Connect facilitate content packaging and delivery instructions through simplified tag-based templates. The no-code, tag-based templates automate microservices such as transcoding, metadata transformation, asset collection (including artwork and documents) QC, and delivery. Each title stores media components, allowing simplified packaging recipes and deliverables.

• “Mitigating the Impact of Change” by Sohonet’s Chuck Parker. Remote collaboration, virtual production, cloud workflows, and the inclusion of AI, ML and ChatGPT technologies are all market-changing factors facing media and entertainment today.

But while technology can mitigate some of the pressures facing filmmakers, it’s how you employ them that will determine who will not only thrive, but survive.

• “Managing the Quality Assurance Process” by OOONA’s Alex Yoffe. Quality assurance is a critical aspect of media workflows. OOONA has developed a new tool to manage the QA process of media assets. Additional tools such as SynCheck complement the granular QA features of the OOONA toolkit.

These provide a complete solution to ensure media content is accurate, meets clients’ expectations and only needs to be delivered once.

Beginning Monday, June 26, look for stories from the spring edition of the “M+E Journal” every week in the “M+E Daily” newsletter.