hosting by

Producing Multimedia: Basics with a Five-Block Foundation

By Jeffrey Lewis

Premise:

Assets are files.
Multimedia is produced from thousands of files.
Multimedia is complex.
Complexity is grounds for chaos.
Chaos should be avoided.
Managing individual media assets means managing the smallest and lowest risk element in the interactive production environment. Media assets are static and establish the foundation of the project.

Media asset files are extremely concrete, they do not change their minds, they do not go on vacation, take long lunches, or deliver ranting monologues. They completely understand their roles.

Compared with internal and client risks, managing these small fundamental elements will provide a tangible, measurable and easy means to reduce general project risk. Project risk manifests itself in production errors, which include misnamed files, lost files, lack of team communication, and lack of general project documentation. All these errors are directly related to time, which is directly related to budget.

The following paragraphs define the FIVE FOUNDATION BLOCKS you need to design a successful multimedia production environment. These foundation blocks will help you intelligently manufacture multimedia. And, if you are a client, they will assist you in contracting multimedia work. They will help you understand some of the complexities involved in multimedia production, equipping you with information enabling you to be the informed client.

Before you can do anything well, it is necessary to have mastered the fundamentals. Within many multimedia production environments, fundamentals have a tendency to be lost or disregarded. Due most likely to the consistent and overused paradigm of needing things complete yesterday, and making room for efficient planning the first fundamental to be thrown out the window. Do you know any successful production environments (automotive, motion pictures) that remove an extensive planning process when allocating resources and developing projects?

Throughout all other aspects of life, one hears "stick to the basics", "practice the basics, and then again, practice the basics. How many free throws do each of the Blazers practice a day? How much time is spent feeling the ball and understanding its qualities? Take this principle into the multimedia production environment. How well do you know your multimedia environment? How well do you know the intricacies of each file type?

Is your environment consistent, or are its conventions continually changing? Do basketball court dimensions or ball sizes change from game to game? Do basic rules change from game to game? Point is, conventions are set for a reason. The belief that multimedia is a completely chaotic production environment in which it's impossible to keep a task organized, is a myth, as is the suggestion that crisis mode is the best mode in which to produce.
Every time a new process such as directory organization, new file naming convention, new conversion and delivery procedure, is introduced, critical time is wasted understanding, disseminating, and implementing the changes. And, because time is money, money is spent where it will give little return. The less time that is spent changing the fundamentals, the more time that can be spent producing quality products and raising the standards.

To understand a multimedia production foundation, look at any piece of architecture. How strong is the foundation? A building is only as sound as its base. This goes for multimedia as well. Just as a weak foundation develops cracks, leaks, and collapses, the inferior multimedia project will be slow, have prevalent bugs, and show a general lack of quality. Foundation processes can be found in every manufacturing environment because they provide methods for success. All successful manufacturing environments have standardized production processes. Manufactures know what fits, how much it will cost, and how long it will take. In multimedia production, five building blocks lead to a secure foundation:

· Committed File Naming Convention
· Organized Server System
· Consistent Workflow
· Accurate Production Data
· Centralized Project Team Communication

Committed File Naming Convention
Commit to one naming system that will support development on both Mac and PC platforms for all projects. When developing a naming convention, use a set alphanumeric construction that describes the hierarchy of assets within a project. If media art is produced on a Mac platform, then programmed on a PC, it is helpful to include the 3-digit file type extension. A naming convention is essential for keeping the thousands of elements within a project.

Organize your Server System
Make sure your file directories include a logical, intuitive organization system. Subdivide every project into working folders for graphics, audio, video, and programming. Make separate directory folders for final versions, and make the directory system consistent across all projects. Among the benefits, this system will simplify the file backup, archiving and retrieval process.

Establish a Consistent Workflow
Establish a workflow between production groups that is based upon the file directory organization. Delineate a process that will allow the media artist to deliver final art to programming, including establishing one place on the server where programmers can always find the final artwork. Time is saved when everyone knows exactly where completed files can be found.

Accurate Production Data
Production data is detailed documentation of the production process. Production data includes production lists, file attributes, scripts, completion dates, programming descriptions and quality information. It can be compiled into precise reports that will be useful in future projects. Not only will this data be useful for building proposals, schedules, and budgets; it will also be helpful in identifying glitches in the production process, thereby increasing efficiency. Production data can be acquired through a comprehensive production database or even a minor spreadsheet. To be most effective, data acquisition should be automated. To build automation, a consistent naming convention, organized server system, and consistent workflow are imperative.

Centralize Project Team Communication
A common area for team communication is essential. An ideal area would take the form of a project web site from which project news and all pertinent information can be disseminated. The site could be as complex as a company wide Intranet or as simple as a web site that posts meeting times and milestone dates.

Conclusion
In short, understand the complexity of producing multimedia, understand the inherent risks and address them by implementing the five foundation blocks of multimedia production.

Committed File Naming Convention Organized Server System Consistent Workflow Accurate Production Data Centralized Project Team Communication

The best foundation has all five of these administrative elements in place, providing an effective system for production. Invest the time in the early stages of the project to properly organize your production. Doing so will reduce the level of chaos and make the production environment that much more conducive to getting "IT" done. Organize your production environment before you manufacture and poof, chaos disappears.

.