DRAFT

CyberPort One

Project Description

A demonstrator project intended to research the processes and procedures involved in post-producing video material from two remote locations.

The project will be divided notionally into two phases, high and low bandwidth.

In the first phase, collaborative activities around the areas of scripting, storyboarding and production design will be conducted online.

In the second phase, transfer of media files and collaborative post-production procedures will be conducted and documented.


Participants

Phase 1: AFTRS Melbourne and Sydney, Monash CTIE
Phase 2: AFTRS Melbourne and Sydney, Monash CTIE and UCLA


Outcomes

1. Expertise: Staff and students of AFTRS and Monash will gain knowledge in online production techniques.

2. Product: material produced will be of a professional standard, to be used as demonstrator material in training at CILECT institutions. Documentation of the processes available on CyberPort website.

4. Software and IP: Toolsets and procedures will be developed over the course of the project in collaboration with Monash CTIE.

3. Documentation: the process will be documented for the creation of learning materials.

Personnel

Executive Producers: Rod Bishop, Prof Greg Egan
Content Producer: Simon Britton, Prof John Bird
Writer/Director: Kathy Mueller
Visual Effects Supervisor: John Colette
Broadband consultant: Richard Nelson
Toolset development: John Colette, John Bird, Simon Britton
UCLA liaison: Lesley Dyer.
Website coordination: Michael Rosas, AFTRS.


Task Breakdown

Stage 1 - Low Bandwidth (existing ISDN between AFTRS Melbourne-Sydney and Monash)

Task 1 Tests of scripts and storyboard transfers and collaborative processes
Issues: Standard methods of sending and reading text and graphics files

Objectives: To establish procedures for exchanging scripts, storyboards and other pre-production elements between a creative team that is geographically remote. Keeping an up-to-date set of production documents available to a set of remote participants.
Action: Set up production website and Intranet. Provide all participants with basic standardised toolset including web browser with collaborative functions email client, IRC, FTP client, photomanipulation tools, MPEG encoder/player

Task 2 Test of NLE file transfers

Issues: Resolution/bandwidth/file transfer times

Objective: To establish parameters for the transfer of video audio and graphics files in a low-bandwidth environment.

Action: Test file transfer times via production Intranet and directly between online M100s.


Task 3: Test NLE Project exchange and collaborative processes

Issues: Different ways of exchanging NLE Projects offline and online. Real-time collaboration tools and file transfer, IRC.

Objective: To establish protocols for the exchange and synchronisation of NLE Projects.

Action: Establish common sets of files on NLE in AFTRS Melbourne and Sydney. Explore different strategies for synchronising Projects on both machines.

Resources: Simon Britton, John Colette, Richard Nelson



Stage 2 High bandwidth (ADSL/ATM)

Task 1 Shoot material for online tests (see schedule below)

Issues: Planning a shoot with the requirement that post-production is going to be carried out with the principal creatives (writer, director, producer) geographically remote and communicating via a broadband network.

Objective: To produce professional-standard video materials, which can be used in a test of collaborative post-production procedures. To establish protocols for the conduct of the online post-production phase.


Task 2 - Transfer of digitised media (video and audio) from shoot

Issues: Resolution/file size/transfer time. Logging and tracking of media files.

Objectives: To establish protocols for the management of and exchange of media files between two remote locations logging iterations of edits and composites. To test the parameters of high resolution/high bandwidth media file transfer.

Task 3 - Transfer and approval of iterations of composites

Issues: Resolution/transfer time/usability of images for approval. The approval process offline and online video conferencing, online collaborative tools. Increasing bandwidth as composite approach final iterations. Logging and tracking of media files.

Objectives: To establish parameters and procedures for the successful exchange and approval of temporary composites, involving a variety of online scenarios.

Task 4 - Collaborative editing procedures

Issues: Combinations of communication technologies (videoconferencing, collaborative tools, and voice links). Exchange of iterations of EDLs in real time.

Objectives: To establish protocols and procedures for the conduct of an edit from involving the creative principles and the editors in remote locations.

Task 5 Consolidation of project information

Issues: Dissemination of information gained during trails

Objectives: To make the information available to individual and organisations in AFTRS, CILECT, Monash and beyond involving print publications and websites.



The Product:

An excerpt from an original comedy/drama, developed by Kathy Mueller and Simon Britton.
The segment will include a title sequence and scenes with at least two special visual effects shots.


Shoot: June 1999

Five scenes to be shot over a weekend, which will all require special visual effects to be completed at AFTRS Sydney Digital Media Department.

Budget