Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1512899
www.postmagazine.com 30 POST NOV/DEC 2023 WORKFLOW BY DAN GOMAN CEO ATELIERE CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIES WWW.ATELIERE.COM n the media and entertainment industry, the need to optimize costs and work within reduced budgets has become key to business success. Driven by extreme inflation and strikes that have rocked the industry, the de- mand to remain or become profitable in a competitive landscape has forced media companies to reflect on how technology can enable them to optimize budgets and reduce time to ROI. Past trends, particularly the "toolbox eˆect," where companies utilize a range of disparate tools and custom scripts to manage their media supply chain, have proven to be out of alignment with cur- rent market needs. This approach is not only out of style, but leads to increased costs, and hinders the ability of business- es to remain agile and flexible. The toolbox eŽect The disorganized "toolbox eˆect" hap- pens when media supply chain man- agement involves using a mix of various tools and custom scripting to handle diˆerent aspects of content creation and delivery. While this may have been more acceptable in the past, it is no longer sustainable or eŸcient for today's media landscape. Custom scripting, in particular, presents numerous challenges, primarily driving up costs and creating a tension between profitability and adapt- ability. Furthermore, the ineŸciencies and limitations associated with custom scripts add to growing concerns about cost optimization. It makes it practical- ly impossible for media companies to adapt to changing needs or take advan- tage of new monetization opportunities as they present themselves. Productized professional services vs. no-code/low-code platforms Amidst the growing need for cost optimization and immediate ROI in the media industry, productized professional services may appear as viable solutions. However, they're often associated with long deployment times (months or even years) and high ongoing develop- ment costs, mainly because businesses depend on vendors to make all adjust- ments to their workflows and keep them running on a daily basis. The introduction of no-code/low-code media supply chain platforms oˆers a solution to the industry's need for cost optimization. These platforms provide numerous benefits, including eŸciency, COST OPTIMIZATION & IMMEDIATE R.O.I. I OUTLOOK ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE his year has seen virtual pro- duction shed its science-project status. Gone are the experimental stages and first-time setups. Instead, we have huge, complex virtual-production stages that run like clockwork. There's just one problem — most still aren't scalable. The costs are high and you need a huge team of technical wizards to make it work. In a world still recovering from strikes, many productions aren't able to pay for that. That's why, as 2024 approaches, I believe we'll transition into more nimble, flexible stages that can be built quickly and operated by just a few people. To meet this need, we'll see an increasing number of stages that can switch shape and size very quickly, helping produc- tions get the shots they require. And it's not just infrastructure that'll be more flexible. Productions will also use tech- nologies like 2.5D and generative AI to be flexible, too. With 2.5D and AI tools, a new school of creators will be able to capture backdrop footage with their phones and upload it to an LED volume. It's a process that's much more adaptable and cost-ef- fective than hiring a team of artists to create 3D backdrops from scratch in a game engine. At Disguise, we're busy develop- ing products to help. For instance, we recently integrated with SaaS platform Volinga.ai, creators of a NeRF-based technology enabling the capture and representation of 3D scenes from 2D images. After uploading their phone footage via the Volinga RenderStream plug-in, Disguise operators will be able to convert it into a 2.5D image with parallax. That means they can modify the weather or atmosphere of their phone scene, then capture it from any angle on a virtual-produc- tion stage, with- out recreating it in 3D. These tech- nologies mean processes that traditionally take a long time can now be done almost instanta- neously. In the coming years, they'll let new- comers quickly generate 3D worlds without requiring a high budget or huge team, helping to create a customized fit for creatives across diˆerent budgets and projects. For me, this is all very exciting. When you start matching productions with the right virtual-production stage, team and infrastructure, you'll see an explosion of creative possibilities. Next year, I believe we won't just be seeing amazing virtual-pro- duction tech in shows like The Mandalorian, it'll be incorporated into indie films, TV episodes and commercials. A.I. WILL MAKE VIRTUAL PRODUCTION MORE ACCESSIBLE BY ADDY GHANI VP OF VIRTUAL PRODUCTION DISGUISE WWW.DISGUISE.ONE T