Baltimore Russell's Lounge Discussions

Planning for delivery STARTS in preproduction. Make sure your project is ready for delivery be assuring throughout the process that you are award and properly planned for the requirements of distributors. Just because your DP is in love with 2:35 or your sound designer wants to mix in 7.1 does not mean its the right answer. Does you targeted VOD service accept 2:35 or do they only accept 16x9 or 1:85. Hulu only accepts stereo, where NETFLIX accepts 5.1, neither accept 7.1 for example. Make sure your image meets broadcast limits like peak luminance as an example, or that your dialogue is hitting -24 LEqm. DOn't even know what that means, let alone how to do it... make sure your mixing engineer does. I've attached some links and some spec data for a few of the principle VOD SERVICES to help you begin to understand the delivery requirements before you get caught with your proverbial "pants down". IF you cannot locate the listed PDF files you can find them on my BLOG at https://www.gearslutz.com/board/video-production-post-production/954125-... HULU Here's very basic specs for HULU - these are just basics, but it give you some idea as to where you're heading. Contact HULU for details before planning any delivery. http://www.hulu.com/advertising/ad-p.../custom-video/ http://www.hulu.com/advertising/ad-p...eo-commercial/ Size • 1280 x 720 or 1920 x 1080 • 16:9 pixel aspect ratio • No black bars • 1440 x 1080 • 4:3 pixel aspect ratio • No black bars File Formats • Quicktime movie (.mov) • MPEG-4 (.mp4) format only Max File Size 10 GB Animation No Audio • 2 channels only • PCM Audio • 16 or 24 bit only • 48 kHz sample rate • Audio is required Video Yes Frame Rate • 23.98 or 29.97 • Constant frame rate only Codec • Apple ProRes 422 HQ codec preferred • (H.264 codec is accepted, but bitrate must be at least 50 Mbps) • Interlaced video is not accepted Bitrate • Constant Bitrate (CBR) 15-30 Mbps • Main Profile @ Main Level (MP@ML) • 4:2:0 Color Space Progressive • Please make content progressive. NETFLIX http://newworlddistro.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/FullTechnicalSpecOp... AMAZON AMAZON VOD - Studio Submission Guidelines- these are just basics, but it give you some idea as to where you're heading. Contact HULU for details before planning any delivery. https://www.createspace.com/Special/...guidelines.jsp Studios, television networks, and video suppliers should follow these submission guidelines when preparing content for Disc On-Demand distribution. Required Assets for Delivery There are three essential assets required to create a Disc On-Demand DVD: Metadata: Sometimes referred to as “copy,” metadata provides critical information about each title. Source Material: The source material is the media on which you will be delivering your video content. Artwork: Artwork must be provided for the disc face and the case. A thumbnail image may also be required. Metadata Metadata should be submitted in a spreadsheet according to our specifications. We’ll send you complete instructions on how to prepare your files. Source Material There are two types of video source content for Disc On-Demand titles: Authored (DVD or authored digital files) Un-authored (tapes or digital files) Important notes regarding our DVD production: Our preference is always to receive an HD source for our titles wherever available. We only manufacture to single layer DVD-R media (DVD5). Never submit an original master. DVDs are manufactured as Region 0 (Region Free, Region ALL). The preferred source delivery is Region 0. We are unable to accept copy protected or encrypted source material (e.g. CSS, RipGuard, ProtectDisc). Authored Content Discs The quickest method for submitting source material is via an authored DVD. The features of your menu and disc structure will be duplicated exactly. Specifications Media: DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, or replicated DVD File Size: 3.9GB or 4.7GB single layer DVD5 File System Format: Audio_TS and Video_TS folders only File Names: 12 characters – uppercase letter, numbers, underscores (_), and periods (.) only (e.g. VIDEO_TS.BUP, VTS_01_2.VOB) Bit Rate: Maximum 6.5 mbps for combined video and audio tracks Audio: Dolby Digital (AC-3) Authored Digital Files Audio/Video TS Folders & Naming Folder data must conform to the “Disc” specifications outlined above. Audio and Video TS folders inside a folder named as the Title ID. ISO Disc Image File & Naming ISO must conform to the “Disc” specifications outlined above. Each ISO Image file must be named as the Title ID. Un-Authored Content Tapes Do not use LP or SLP mode. All tapes must begin and end with at least 20 seconds of leader and must include time codes. Audio peaks should never exceed 0db. We are currently unable to accept HD-CAM SR and DLT tapes. ACCEPTED TAPE FORMATS High Definition Format Format HD-CAM (1080p, 1080i) N/A HDV (720p, 1080i) N/A Standard Definition Format Format Digital Betacam (DigiBeta) NTSC, PAL BetacamSX NTSC, PAL BetacamSP NTSC, PAL Betacam NTSC, PAL MiniDV, DV (DV25) NTSC DVCPro (D7) NTSC, PAL DVCam (DV25) NTSC, PAL MPEG IMX NTSC, PAL Specify Start and Stop Time code In order to ensure that your content is encoded exactly as required, time codes for the first and last frame should be submitted with the source material. Un-authored Digital Files We recommend using DVCPro 50 or M-JPEG to create your digital files. We can accept MOV formats that do not use a proprietary codec. We recommend using these settings: High Definition MPEG2 File Format Attribute Settings VIDEO Dimensions 1920x1080 Formats Generic ISO MPEG program stream Frame Rate Same as Source Chroma Subsampling 4:2:2 Mode Constant Bitrate @ 100mbps -- Closed GOP AUDIO Format MPEG-2 Channels Stereo, 48kHz Bitrate 256 kbps Standard Definition MPEG2 File Format Attribute Settings VIDEO Dimensions 720x480 Format MPEG-2 program stream Frame Rate Same as Source Chroma Subsampling 4:2:2 Mode Constant Bitrate @ 15-20mbps -- Closed GOP AUDIO Format MPEG-2 Channels Stereo, 48kHz Bitrate 256 kbps Standard Definition MPEG2 File Format – DVD stream settings Attribute Settings VIDEO Dimensions 720x480 Format MPEG-2 Frame Rate Same as Source Chroma Subsampling 4:1:0 Mode Variable or Constant Bitrate: 8mbps max. AUDIO Format AC3 or PCM Channels Stereo 48kHz Bitrate Up to 256 kbps Authoring Menus Basic Navigation Menu The Basic Navigation Menu combines a background image with our common menu structure. Both the main menu and the chapter menu use the same background. If you don’t provide a background image, we will use a generic blue/black gradient. DVDs will play to a menu screen immediately upon loading. If chapters aren’t specified, a “Play” button will appear on the menu, which plays the whole disc. You can include more than one tape in your submission for authoring into one disc. For example: Intro Segment: play immediately upon loading (trailers, FBI warnings, logos) Main Segment: main program or feature Special Feature: extra videos or features Specify Chapter Time codes Chapters are an optional feature. Each chapter is specified by time code followed by the chapter name. The time codes and names will be used exactly as specified. A maximum of 30 chapters can be specified and each chapter name cannot be more than 30 characters long. Chapters are not available for the Special Features or the Intro Segment. Artwork Submission There are two types of artwork formats for Disc On-Demand titles: Print Ready Artwork Dynamic Template Artwork Print Ready Artwork All artwork submissions may be delivered either on a data disc, hard drive, or via FTP. Artwork must be designated with its corresponding Title ID. Name each folder as the Title ID and place the relevant artwork inside. Images must be submitted as RGB JPEGs. CMYK (or four-color) JPEGs are NOT supported. The standard DVD logo cannot be used as they are only licensed for use with replicated discs. A UPC barcode is automatically added during manufacturing. Its default position is in the upper right of the back cover. Be sure to leave this area free of important text and graphics. Do not create a white box in this area. The disc face printing is applied from the disc edge to the inside hub (inner hole) using full color. A small barcode is automatically added at bottom during manufacturing and is required for quality control purposes. IMAGE SPECIFICATIONS Format Naming Convention Image Size (pixels) Maximum File Size Full Wrap Cover Image FullCoverDVDImage.jpg 3300 x 2250 full bleed 6 MB Disc Face Image LabelImg.jpg 1417 x 1417 full bleed 2 MB Menu Background Image MenuBackground.jpg 720 x 480 2 MB Print Ready Artwork Guides We have created guide templates to help you conform already existing artwork to our specifications or to serve as a starting point if you are creating new artwork. The DVD-R logo is provided; bleed areas and barcode locations are also indicated. Download DVD Templates at: https://www.createspace.com/Special/...nuTemplate.zip Menu Art The Menu Background Image is not used for authored content and is optional for un-authored content. The attached template uses grey to indicate the safe zone, orange for the area reserved for buttons, and yellow for the chapter menu titles. There are a few items to be aware of when designing DVD menus: RGB JPEG formatting, using NTSC safe colors. Submit only one background image per title. Do not include buttons or highlights artwork as our system will place those elements automatically. The image must be created at 720 x 540 square pixels, then “squeezed” to 720 x 480. The image must be de-interlaced. It’s also often a good idea to slightly blur the image and decrease the opacity so it doesn’t detract too much from the menu elements. Download DVD Menu Template Dynamic Template Artwork If you do not have the resources to create artwork and you have a large set of similar titles, we can create a Dynamic Metadata Template for your disc and case art. Using this option, we combine a background design that is the same from title to title with the option to add a unique image you provide for each title. Unique text information per title is populated automatically from the metadata you provide. Additional fees may apply for this service. Returning Your Source Material All source material will be returned after your titles have been approved. Here's an example of ARTWORK Delivery specifications: http://www.entmerch.org/digitalema/c...age_010714.pdf Here's a link to an interesting CONTENT DELIVERY SUMMIT. ( Netflix, Telstra Global, Edgecast, Amazon, and others ) Content Delivery Summit 2013 Agenda There are some good Keynote address / presentations downloads as well. http://conferences.infotoday.com/doc...te-Netflix.pdf http://conferences.infotoday.com/doc...te-Telstra.pdf http://conferences.infotoday.com/doc...ummit-B101.pdf - Improving E commerce Perfromance http://conferences.infotoday.com/doc...ummit-A102.pdf - Dynamic site delivery with Amazon Cloud http://conferences.infotoday.com/doc...mmit-B102A.pdf - on going changes in Content Distribution http://conferences.infotoday.com/doc...ummit-B103.pdf - Pricing, COntract, Volume and Market sizing trends Some other DELIVERABLES overview 1. The entire film high res version 2. The entire film Prores 4444 version 3. The entire film h.264 version 4. each "reel" ( we did 30 min reels - that means 4 of them ) in the above formats. 5. the films LtRt / LoRo mix for each reel and the full length version. 6. the music LtRt / LoRo mix for each reel and the full length version. 7. the sfx/Foley/production sound - fully loaded M&E LtRt / LoRo mix for each reel and full length version. 8 the dialogue LtRt / LoRo mix for each reel and full length version 8. the 5.1 mix full length version 9. the 5.1 music mix full length version 10. the 5.1 sfx/Foley/production sound - fully loaded M&E full length version. 11. the 5.1 dialogue mix full length version. 12. each of 4 reels - 5.1 full mix for the reel 13. each of 4 reels - 5.1 music mix for the reel 14. each of 4 reels - 5.1 sfx/Foley/production M&E fully loaded mix for the reel 15. each of 4 reels - 5.1 dialogue mix for each reel 16. a bunch of behind the scene videos with the same break down of audio files 17. creation of title cards for all of the behind the scenes videos 18. all the music on a CD fully documented 19. all the perfect timecode data list of every word spoken in the film (for foreign dubbing) 20. all the timecode data for all the reels 21. the as shot script 22. the poster and all graphic elements 23. every contract / document and silly piece of paper for the lawyers to play with. 24. the chain of title / copyright information 25. full credits ( this movie has a lot ) list 26. at least one trailer with all the associated audio breakouts 27. at least 50 behind the scenes stills 28. at least 50 production ( in front of the camera ) stills 29. Both DISK DRIVE and TAPE based versions of all the Videos and film 30. lists of just about everything you can think of and all the other bits and parts that are on the various distributor lists. DOCUMENTATION you should be ready to deliver: 1. LLC Documentation, including ownership data, for the LLC you create to do the film project. 2. CREW contracts/deal memo with the following specifics: Work For Hire, Rights to use their image, payment, position, credit requirements, equipment to be provided, any other compensation. 3. CREW Engagement document - stating all services were rendered, all payments were made, everything created was work-for-hire, any potential copyright options belonging to artist are assigned to production company, anything created by artist was in fact created by artist, all credits are at the discretion of production company, company may freely assign these rights, artist may not enjoin or restrain distribution of picture. 4. CAST contracts/deal memo with the following specifics: Work For Hire, Rights to use their image, payment, position, credit requirements, equipment to be provided, any other compensation. 5. CAST Engagement document - stating all services were rendered, all payments were made, everything created was work-for-hire, any potential copyright options belonging to artist are assigned to production company, anything created by artist was in fact created by artist, all credits are at the discretion of production company, company may freely assign these rights, artist may not enjoin or restrain distribution of picture. 6. Location Agreements 7. Other service provider agreements 8. Insurance certificate 9. as shot script 10. document listing every single line in the final edit with lip-flap timecode data ( used for Foreign dubbing ) 11. CHAIN OF TITLE - document showing creation or and ownership of story, rights, script, etc. 12. Head credit list, tail credit list, Billing Block credit list. - They should all match up appropriately. 13. Credit obligations list for other credits 14. Credit and Logo Obligations for co-production companies, product placement, etc 15. Product placement contracts and obligations 16. Any Union or SAG/AFTRA documentation. ...this is a good start... there are always more depending on the project and distribution obligations. Hope this is helpful... cheers georgia

I would like to share ideas and strategies on how everyone else is going about monetizing your web series? Are you just putting it on YouTube hoping it will go viral? Are you sending it to festivals? Do you have a master plan? I am trying to figure out my plan right now and I thought we could all benefit from one another.

Hello Stage 32 friends! I wanted to let you know about the series People you Know that I created and is an official selection at the Miami Web Fest in October. We launched the series at the end of June and released the mid-season finale before Labor Day. You can see the trailer for all six episodes here: http://series.peopleyouknowtheseries.com Would love to hear feedback from you. We are gearing up to secure financing to continue filming the rest of the first season.

Hey gang, my name is Mark Isaacson and I'm a writer, director, actor and editor based all the way downstairs in Perth, Western Australia. I came across the site hoping to find a place where I could share my experiences in film and get the word out there about my projects. Though Perth is small, there's a good community out here just waiting to find a place in the world. It's exciting to be a part of it. My current project is Mars, a short web series that's still fresh faced (you can find it here - http://youtu.be/9ykodiNNUSc), but I'm hoping to build on a number of ideas I've had over the years that I'm only now finding the time to complete. I've studied screenwriting at the Film and Television Institute in Fremantle, WA, but most of my skills have come purely from a love of the industry and the imagination. I'd love to one day own and operate my own production studio that allows the youth of our community a place to create and promote their own work through various means, without having to worry about equipment or budgets. Who knows, maybe one day I'll make it happen. There's more about me, but I'll leave it at that for now. Glad to be here!

We're gearing up to launch our new television network October 17th and are looking for content to air. We are exclusive to the independent film community and are looking for everything from shorts and series to feature length films. Our rates are competitive to services like Netflix and with us you'll receive more exposure as your projects won't be buried under thousands of choices to rifle through. You can check us out at www.theindependentnetwork.us Genres of interest to us are comedy, action, fantasy, sci-fi, horror in all platforms from animation and puppeteering to live content. Children's to adult entertainment. Along with building our television network we are creating a global production company and will be looking for collaborative opportunities as well.

Hello everyone! So excited to be here and looking to make great connections. I am about to premiere my new series in June and looking to get started on filming on the rest of the season. Right now looking for a NY based producer to join our team as well as being a sounding board for us as we go through this process. We are quite ambitious with our goals for the series and have already secured some great talent in front and behind the camera. As always, best of luck to everyone on their projects and can't wait to see the work that you are doing.

Hello. I am new here and very excited to make connections and learn more from new colleagues. I am an actor/writer/producer and have co-created a new media series that will premiere in June. We are in the midst of preparing for our launch and gearing up to begin shooting the rest of the season. I look forward to meeting more creative types here and surrounding myself with positive energy. Thanks and I hope to support each of you as well.