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[ The Video Agenda ]
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How to define asset management
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by Mark J. Pescatore
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I remember the asset management system at a production facility where I interned. It was a loft. When we needed to access the archive, the low guy on the totem pole (that would be me) would have to climb a ladder and sort through a bunch of boxes filled with tapes. The hope was always that the producer had been kind enough to label the tape and store it in the correctly labeled box. Or that the last intern had remembered to put it back in said box.
We didn’t use the archive much.
When I was a program manager, asset management was a bit more organized — bad loft memories scar you for life. We filled in standardized labels on the spine and front of the 3/4-inch master and its protective case. The library was kept quite orderly, and “retired” programs were either recycled or meticulously stored away. Raw footage got a little less tender loving care — brief, scribbled descriptions on a Hi-8 tape spine sticker and a pulled record tab was sufficient for our small facility.
But even with a system in place, even with a high level of attention to detail and a low number of employees, tapes would get lost. How?
John Varney, chief technology officer of the BBC, really hit the nail on the head during a recent press conference in London to discuss the Siemens acquisition of BBC Technology. The problem with removable media, he said, is that if it’s removable, someone will remove it.
A Clear Vision
I’d bet most of you are dealing with the universal problems of storage space, consistent labeling, and organization. We’ve all had to deal with physical asset management — the “simple” task of tracking our tapes and the inevitable hazards of using media that can walk away.
Maybe you’re thinking it’s time to make the move to digital storage. Great, there are certainly plenty of companies out there that can help you sort out the technical details of storage area networks, proxy video, metadata, and all sorts of other terms that will become part of your vocabulary.
But before you decide to tackle your asset management problem, you have to be able to define what your asset management problem is.
During the Thomson Grass Valley pre-NAB press event in January, ABC’s director of advanced technologies, Jim Casabella, discussed the differences in asset management systems. Production asset management, for example, is very workflow specific and usually emphasizes collaboration. Thumbnail and proxy images are almost required elements of the system, as they help editors identify clips quickly.
Archive asset management systems, in contrast, aren’t designed for specific workflows. Instead, they manage a large number of assets and are part of an overall preservation strategy. You’ll need an even stronger emphasis on metadata, so that searches can be broad or focused as needed.
Either way, you don’t want to jump into digital asset management without a plan and a clearly defined set of goals. Remember, ingesting even a few thousand hours of your archives will be an expensive and time consuming process, and chances are your funding opportunities for this type of project are limited.
Join The Evolution
According to Casabella, asset management is less of a revolutionary process and more of an evolutionary process for most agencies. The infrastructure of the system you choose needs to properly reflect the needs of your agency. Whether it’s a production, archive, or some sort of hybrid system, it should solve the day-to-day issues of your department — from sharing new footage between current promos to digging deep into your archives for those historic clips that will bring perspective to your next training video.
Look, I’m not saying that the hours of footage you have from the 1970s of people in wide ties talking about the metric system is a gold mine, but you never know. The fact is, you can’t be sure when you or someone else is going to need that one shot from your archives. It’s a whole lot easier to share if you know where to look.
Really, an asset management system has to shine in two key areas. First, the user interface has to be accessible. An intimidating GUI or complicated metadata entry system will not endear a system to your team — and if you’re team isn’t on board, you’ve wasted an awful lot of time and money for a system that won’t accomplish what it should.
Likewise, your asset management system needs to efficiently share assets. I know that sounds kind of elementary, but the whole idea behind adopting this type of system is minimizing your reliance on tape-based assets and improving access.
To learn more about some asset management success stories, check out our EAM supplement on page 47. And until that asset management system is in place, feel free to call on the companies in this month’s stock footage buyer’s guide, which begins on page 24. Shameless plugs, I know, but I’m just covering my assets.
Mark J. Pescatore is the editor. Contact him at mpescatore@cmpinformation.com.
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