IBC Conference: Hollywood heavyweights edge closer to seamless IP production ecosystem

MovieLabs, the consortium formed by Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Studios, Walt Disney Pictures and Television, and Warner Bros. Entertainment will be hosting a panel called ‘MovieLabs 2030 – A Step Closer to the Vision’ at this year’s IBC Conference. Since the launch of its bold ‘2030 Vision’ at IBC in 2019, the organisation has been a driving force in pushing the boundaries of media production and creative technologies.

MovieLabs’ 2030 Vision is led by CEO Rich Berger and Advisor and Strategist Leon Silverman who bring decades of experience from their tenures at major studios and technology companies. Silverman has a deep background in post-production, having worked at companies like Pacific Video, Kodak, Disney, and Netflix. His experience includes leading Disney’s transition to file-based workflows, a precursor to the cloud-based, interoperable future that MovieLabs envisions.

Berger spent 18 years at Sony (including Sony Music, Sony Corp and Sony Pictures), where he helped launch Ultraviolet, a pioneering digital ownership platform. “Interoperability and working with companies across the industry has been in my DNA,” he says.

Silverman and Berger describe the 2030 Vision as being about creating a seamless, efficient, and secure production ecosystem that benefits everyone - from the largest studios to the smallest independent producers.

2030 Vision: progress so far

Since the release of the 2030 Vision, MovieLabs has made significant headway in realising its ambitious goals for the future of media production. Key accomplishments include:

Common Security Architecture for Production (CSAP): A major accomplishment has been the development of CSAP. This framework is designed to protect media assets in a cloud-based environment, addressing one of the most critical concerns of the 2030 Vision - security. “We created a whitepaper and dove into security, focused on zero trust,” says Berger. “We created a reference architecture called CSAP. Then we formed a group of companies sharing some experiences, asking ourselves: how do we start to implement this? How do we move to zero trust?”

Development of media ontology: MovieLabs has also made substantial progress in developing an ontology for media creation. This standardised framework aims to ensure that metadata and media assets are managed consistently across all stages of production, reducing inefficiencies and enhancing creative workflows. Berger explains: “Obviously films and television shows are getting made today. But we recognise that it could be a lot easier to do this if we if we had had a common ontology,” he says. “We started with significant enough breadth for it to be useful in some places, and now we’ve been digging deeper and extending the ontology in different areas. We focused on CG assets and have it released. We have audio coming up next.”

2030 Showcase Program: To illustrate the practical application of the 2030 Vision principles, MovieLabs launched the 2030 Showcase Program. This initiative collects real-world case studies from various companies that have successfully implemented these principles in their production workflows. Silverman notes: “We realised that we weren’t the only ones that were working on this. It’s a 2030 vision, but some of this is happening now. Companies were starting to implement principles – today. We thought, how do you measure this progress? We called out to the industry and asked them to submit case studies where they’re actually putting these principles into practice.”

Read more MovieLabs opens latest round of submissions for 2030 Showcase Program

Crucial for the industry

“The next phase of our journey is about bringing the industry together to tackle the harder aspects of interoperability” Rich Berger, MovieLabs

The advancements made by MovieLabs are not just about technological innovation - they represent a fundamental shift in how the media industry operates. By creating a more interconnected, interoperable, and secure production ecosystem, MovieLabs is addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing the industry today. As Silverman puts it: “What we’re trying to do is take the options that existed in the digital age, which didn’t work well together, and understand how we can, deliberately and collaboratively, come together to finally have workflows that work and flow.”

The importance of this work cannot be overstated. As Berger emphasises: “The next phase of our journey is about bringing the industry together to tackle the harder aspects of interoperability and to support the creative community. This isn’t just about technology - it’s about creating a framework that allows the entire industry to thrive.”

MovieLabs at IBC2024

The MovieLabs panel at IBC2024 will bring together thought leaders from major studios, technology companies, and other stakeholders to discuss the evolution of media production and the steps needed to achieve a more collaborative, secure, and efficient future.

The session will kick off with an overview of the 2030 Vision’s core principles and an update on the progress made since the vision was first introduced. Silverman will set the stage by reflecting on the milestones achieved over the past five years and will emphasise how these advancements have helped the industry move closer to realising the 2030 Vision’s goals of interoperability, security, and efficiency.

Moderated by Berger, the panel will feature a dynamic discussion with representatives from major studios, technology leaders, and cloud service providers, including new voices like the new CEO of Avid Wellford Dillard. These industry leaders will share their perspectives on the importance of interoperability and collaboration in achieving the 2030 Vision. They will discuss how their companies are aligning their strategic roadmaps with MovieLabs’ vision and the impact this has had on their operations and innovation strategies.

Another MovieLabs session will focus on real-world implementations of the 2030 Vision principles. Mark Turner, Project Director, Production Technology at MovieLabs, will lead a session that presents case studies from the 2030 Showcase Program, which demonstrate how various organisations have successfully integrated these principles into their workflows. Attendees will learn about diverse applications - from traditional Hollywood productions to sports broadcasting and even non-broadcast sectors like the Royal Opera House in London.

Turner will share insights from these case studies, focussing on the scalability and adaptability of the 2030 Vision principles. “What we’ve found is that these principles are not just relevant to Hollywood or the major studios; they are being adopted across the globe in various contexts, proving their universal applicability,” says Silverman.

Read more MovieLabs Announces Industry Forum for Media Creation

Looking ahead

“If we can just get some of those nuisances and friction out of our way, we can become more effective” Leon Silverman, MovieLabs

MovieLabs’ future aims are focused on expanding the adoption of the 2030 Vision principles by demonstrating their tangible benefits across the media production industry. Berger stresses the importance of overcoming resistance to change by showcasing the practical value of new workflows and technologies. “We’re collecting those people that understand the bigger picture,” he notes, pointing out that workflows are often siloed, leading to lost efficiencies and missed opportunities for collaboration. Through initiatives like the 2030 Greenlight, MovieLabs is actively engaging the creative community to reimplement workflows using the ontology framework. This approach moves beyond merely transferring files; instead, it brings applications directly to the media, fostering greater efficiency and seamless integration. By showcasing these improvements, MovieLabs aims to win over those who are initially reluctant to adopt new technologies, proving their worth not just through rhetoric but through real-world examples of increased interoperability and creative empowerment.

Silverman further underscores MovieLabs’ commitment to reducing the inefficiencies that currently hamper the creative process. He highlights the need for the industry to create high-quality media more cost-effectively, without compromising on quality. “If we can just get some of those nuisances and friction out of our way, we can become more effective,” he says, pointing to the potential for significant gains by eliminating redundant tasks like file duplication and serial workflows that slow down production. The overarching goal is to provide creative professionals with more time to innovate and explore new ideas. “We want to hand time back to the creative process,” reflects Silverman, emphasising that the drive towards more efficient workflows is ultimately about enabling artists and creators to focus on their craft rather than logistical complexities. This alignment with the creative community’s needs is a key element of the 2030 strategy.

Looking ahead, MovieLabs is turning its focus towards building a more unified and global media production ecosystem. Both Berger and Silverman recognise the importance of fostering champions within the industry - those who can advocate for and demonstrate the benefits of a more integrated approach to production workflows. Silverman notes: “There are champions who see it and help the rest of the industry understand it.”

By cultivating these leaders and continuing to involve the creative community directly in the discussion, MovieLabs aims to create an environment where new technologies and standards are not only developed but also embraced across the industry. In doing so, MovieLabs is not only advancing technological innovation but also ensuring that the evolution of media production continues to serve the storytellers who drive the industry forward.

Don’t miss MovieLabs’ panel session ‘MovieLabs 2030 – A Step Closer to the Vision’ on 13 September, with guest speakers from Marvel Studios, Warner Bros. Discovery and Sony Pictures.

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