Web-Based Solution Offered Collaborative On-Site Content Management
HOLLYWOOD, ca, march 3, 2014 —Pronology, a developer of cutting-edge tapeless workflow solutions, was behind-the-scenes for this year’s 86th Academy Awards® telecastproviding the star-studded event with its latest asset management solutions. Pronology’s user-friendly interface provided the production staff with an unprecedented level of visibility and creative control over the thousands of assets that are part of a show of this magnitude.
“There is an incredible amount of preparation that goes into making the Oscars® broadcast successful, and logistically speaking, it was a challenge in and of itself to manage the enormous amount of content that the show generated,” says Pronology Co-Founder Jonathan Aroesty. “Pronology allowed everyone involved in the show, from producers to playback operators, to efficiently organize and search through the huge number of pre-produced audio and video elements. This enabled them to instantaneously share clips, notations and approval decisions between the various content providers and edit facilities, regardless of their location. Pronology’s asset management software allowed the creative process to be a truly collaborative one.”
Pronology’s interactive interface enabled users to log, annotate, organize, view and remotely exchange content and information instantaneously, which allowed all members of the creative team to collaborate in real-time. Pronology’s innovative solution proved to be particularly significant in terms of managing the voiceovers for this year’s nominee packages, which were recorded on-site at the Dolby® Theatre, at Hollywood & Highland Center®. The use of Pronology’s asset management software offered a secure portal for the audio department to arrange, share and transfer content to Chainsaw, the edit facility charged with compositing and delivering all of the final elements.
“We have relied on Pronology’s software for the past four Oscar’s telecasts, and the company has always helped keep us organized during these large-stage events,” says Chainsaw Co-Owner Mike Polito. “In an environment in which there is large potential for miscommunication, Pronology helped bridge the gap between the many different creative parties involved, simplifying the workload and streamlining the production process.”
Prior to the broadcast, every clip must be formally “approved” by ABC Broadcast Standards and Practices (BS&P). In the past, this had been a tedious and time-consuming task; the process was made simple and effortless by Pronology. The BS&P team monitored the deliveries coming from Chainsaw in real-time, directly from its offices across town. As soon as content was created, it could be approved for air, greatly eliminating any potential workflow bottlenecks and further streamlining the process.
In addition to its innovative workflow solutions, Pronology’s asset management software also ensured data security, which is of the utmost concern. These safeguards guaranteed that all of the show content remained confidential and could only be accessed by designated, authorized personnel.
“Data security and cross platform capability are a primary concern at the Academy Awards, as it is one of the largest and most highly anticipated entertainment shows in the world,” says Academy Awards Engineer-in-Charge Tim Kubit. “It requires hundreds of playback elements, which need to be created and approved in a secure environment prior to the live broadcast. Pronology's asset management software ensures data protection throughout the creative and approval process, allowing our team to work efficiently and securely. The software's ample security safeguards and features provide me with flexibility and peace of mind during a show of this caliber.”
Along with the coordination of all of the pre-production elements, Pronology’s comprehensive solution proved advantageous during this year’s live broadcast as well. Heather Sabin, awards show curator at Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences® (AMPAS) Film Archive, was on scene with access to the full Pronology toolset to record, log and tag this year’s broadcast for post-production and distribution purposes. Pronology then provided access to the content via its secure cloud based web-portal after the show, so that AMPAS could review the material in preparation for sharing it with interested parties.
About Pronology
A joint venture between Playback Innovations and WheresMyMedia, Pronology’s Digital Asset Management solution simplifies the task of content creation and distribution for today’s tapeless workflows. Designed from the ground up by actual users, the tools have been built first and foremost for ease-of-use. Pronology allows a limitless number of users to simultaneously and remotely acquire, manage, approve, log, distribute, transcode and archive content. Its user-friendly interface and format-agnostic infrastructure offer a complete all-in-one solution, while also providing the flexibility necessary to accommodate a wide range of possible workflows. For more information, please contact us at 212-660-1600 / info@pronology.com or visit us online at
