Sample Digital

Film Studios - Production & Postproduction

dax|D3 Speeds Time to Creative Decision

In fast-paced, fast-turn, creative-driven industries like film and video production, making the right decision has never been more important. As demand for product has increased, the time allotted to creative development, production and release has been drastically reduced. Cost-effective locations abroad have created a logistical challenge as audio-visual and rich media content and documentation are in demand across multiple time zones simultaneously.

dax|D3 is the first and only production workflow accelerator designed specifically for the unique requirements of Production Studios. dax|D3 was designed to speed delivery of production elements, like dailies, visual FX, Electronic Press Kit elements and rough cuts, and streamline workflow and collaboration. dax|D3 incorporates full media asset management capabilities with workflow tools to ensure the highest levels of security and user access controls, getting creative materials in front of those who need them as quickly as possible.

dax|D3 removes the risks and inconveniences of email or FTP; and the associated costs and delays of DVD or tape duplication and couriers. Central management of all elements enables production and creative executives to manage every step throughout the production process.

Step 1

Production dailies and elements can be accessed from any Mac or PC connected to the internet, or via a set top box deployed at a primary usage location, like a movie studio or production office. The system works in both SD and HD qualities, up to 1080p, and provides instant access to dailies encoded at telecine meaning off-set editors and production executives are no longer 2-3 days behind the shooting schedule waiting for tapes to arrive. Editors and creatives can collaborate on clips, cuts and shots immediately.

Step 2

At the studio, the system is configured to deliver creative materials to designated executives first, who can select favorite takes or clips that can be released to other members of the studio team, or pre-selected for viewing in a screening room. Executives can review creative selects or whole dailies reels; create and name playlists by organizing favorite takes and/or clips in a sequential order; re-shuffle takes; and add notes and comments associated to SMPTE time code.

Step 3

Once content is approved, dailies, cuts or playlists can be released to production, post-production, marketing, visual FX, publicity, product placement, casting and business affairs so they can immediately start their work on ancillary marketing and publicity materials such as trailers, sizzlers, commercials and EPK materials. Producers can collaborate with visual FX and titling houses and the Set Top Box enables high resolution content display with tools like frame-by-frame advancement, backwards and forward, as well as the ability to mark favorites.

Marketing can start making selects of their own by assembling playlists that can be used in the bidding process for trailers, sizzlers and commercials. Beyond dailies and rough assembles or edits, the system can distribute secure watermarked elements to trailer houses and creative agencies in native Avid or Final Cut Pro formats. Creative Agencies can view content approved by the marketing department and order or import chosen selects or clips for editorial. dax|D3 even incorporates unique watermark identifications for each creative agency to ensure the highest levels of security. This process reduces expenses in duplication of physical media, watermarking, encoding, transcoding and media services, while speeding time of delivery and time to decision.

Publicity can use the system for full Electronic Press Kit development. All EPK dailies can be distributed through the system - behind the scenes footage, director and actor interviews, DVD extra materials and more can all be wrangled the same way a regular movie project does.

dax|D3's workflow tools can also be used for tasks like Photography Kill Sessions. Users can log into the system and approve and reject photos; add notes and comments associated to photos; build slide shows; zoom; rotate; compare side by side (up to 4); and rate favorites.

Product placement can do screen grabs or clips of product shots and securely make available to product sponsors and partners.

Casting can monitor performances and storylines.

Simplified and centralized asset storage form the core of a collaborative environment for the exchange of ideas and approvals between studio personnel in all departments and divisions. Simply put, dax|D3 is a universal command center for managing all studio production assets - providing faster time to market, reduced operating costs and a significant contribution to a company's bottom line.

dax|D3 is already in use by such companies as 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., Walt Disney, Lionsgate, CBS, Showtime and Summit Entertainment to name a few.