Forming Alliances
Some digital production companies form relationships with technology partners from traditional data processing and computer equipment providers. One example is Santa Monica’s Threshold Digital Research Labs’ relationship with database and systems giant IBM. Threshold’s chief technology & animation officer George Johnsen works with IBM to continually expand the functionality of Threshold’s custom in-house DAM system. The system helps Threshold manage its production across the globe on animation and CG projects such as Foodfight!. For Johnsen, it was important that the company’s DAM system fit the particular way Threshold works. “I wanted the software to adapt to us, not the other way around,” says Johnsen.

NXN’s founder/ceo Gregor vom Scheidt (left) offers data management software to companies that don’t build their own DAM systems. Threshold used their in-house DAM system to manage the data for its upcoming digitally-animated feature film Foodfight! (right) © Threshold Digital Research Lab.

Off-The-Shelf
Other organizations turn to software providers such as market leader NXN for turnkey DAM solutions. NXN offers systems integrated with development tools, processes for recording and disseminating creative feedback, and other industry-specific features. Says NXN founder and ceo Gregor vom Scheidt, “One of the reasons why we are spending time in this market is because customers want to get away from managing data. They would rather focus on the making the best possible movie or the coolest visual effects.” NXN’s biggest competitor is not another software company but companies that create and maintain their own in-house DAM systems.

So what are some of the trends driving the growth of the DAM industry?

Getting Photoreal
It’s become a truism that audiences demand increasingly realistic visual experiences from content creators. The need for realism increases the size, number and complexity of digital assets. Each second of the final visual experience might require dozens of digital assets to realize and each of these assets must be organized and tracked. It’s reasonable to expect this demand for detail and complexity to increase, further driving the need for effective DAM systems.

Oh, the Humanity
Although software is getting better at helping people organize, track and distribute digital assets, humans are still the best gatekeepers. Why? Because humans are generally better than software at identifying and dealing with the exceptions and special cases that arise in any creative endeavor.

In a smooth-running DAM environment data wranglers or production coordinators act as interpreters and detectives, knowing the project well enough to know where an asset really belongs. They provide quality control, reality checks and security for the ever-changing dataset. Humans also decide what is a digital asset and what isn’t.

Not Just for Studios
According to Tim Bicio, one of the developers of “Zion” — the in-house DAM system for EON Ent.’s Matrix feature, game and anime properties — the point is to make sure each incoming work product is properly identified and shuttled to the right set of eyes. Says Bicio, “Zion allows the [Wachowski] brothers to stay in close creative touch with EON’s vendors” (including CIS, Sony Imageworks, ESC and many others) across several time zones. Bicio and his team developed a homegrown combination of PHP, Perl, Javascript, and MySQL for Zion.