The DPP has today released a groundbreaking new report exploring how production companies are now using the cloud as a key production tool. Next Gen Production looks at ten case studies, ranging in scale from a small digital agency to a Hollywood studio. The report asks if these pioneering companies are at the vanguard of a paradigm shift in how production companies make and manage their content. The work was made possible by DPP member companies Avid and Dropbox.
“People have been talking for a decade about how connected and cloud-led workflows could transform production processes,” said DPP Managing Director, Mark Harrison. “We wanted to find out if we have finally got to the point where technological maturity and business need have come together to make such a transformation possible. And the answer is they have.”
Although each case study addresses a different business challenge, several have common themes, such as:
Distributed working: companies are using the cloud so that teams spread around different cities or countries can access the same assets and workflows
Amplification: cloud applications enable small companies to punch above their weight
Metadata and AI: production companies increase their effectiveness, and revenue, by using AI analytics deployed in the cloud to better understand their content and their consumers
Security: virtual production has become a key enabler for companies who need to ensure their creative processes take place in a highly secure environment
“What is most striking about this incredibly diverse set of use cases is that each is motivated by a drive to be a more effective business,” says Harrison. “Ultimately these companies are seeking a competitive advantage.”
“It’s exciting to see the findings of the report and the evolution of media production, through the eyes of those living the change,” says Andy Wilson, Media Principal, Dropbox. “The move to connected and cloud-based working is having a profound impact on media workflows, how businesses are scaling their physical and virtual operations, and most importantly the culture of creative collaboration that underpins all of this.”
“The media industry is no longer asking if the cloud is viable for content creation because the early adopters among us have put in the hard work to prove that new benefits are there for the taking,” says Craig Dwyer, VP of Cloud and SaaS at Avid. “DPP’s breakthrough data flips the switch on that debate, so instead more of us can ask how soon can we go there too?”
The DPP launched the Next Gen Production report tonight at a sold-out special event at ITV. Mark Harrison will also present the key findings at the HPA Tech Retreat in Palm Springs on 20 February and at the Media Production and Technology Show on 13 May. The DPP will also use this research to initiate further work with its production members on best practice production.
