M+E Connections

Gracenote introduced Studio System Projects, a new enterprise-level collaboration platform that it said Oct. 3 was designed to help Hollywood studios, TV networks and other content creators better manage content creation.

The new integrated solution adds project management capabilities on top of Gracenote’s existing Studio System platform’s entertainment data and those new features will “help content creators streamline workflows and optimize development processes in their ongoing quest to create the next big hit,” according to the company.

“Studio System users can license Studio System Projects to gain access to the new project management and collaboration features,” Simon Adams, Gracenote GM of video, told the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA). There is some additional cost, he noted. But the company didn’t specify how much extra cost there is.

“We are in discussions with a number of major networks and studios who are assessing” Studio Systems Projects now, Adams told MESA.

He added: “Before the Studio System Projects product was scoped and developed, we consulted with several Studio System customers. We asked them what tools they regularly used and what features and functionality would be most useful in a third-party solution. Their feedback was critical in shaping Studio System Projects as it exists today. Given the consultative way the solution came to life and the fact that it is built on trusted Studio System data, we believe reaction to the offering will be very positive.”

The new suite of Web-based tools enables internal content creation teams to more efficiently manage the creation of movies and TV programs, from story idea creation all the way through production and final release, by improving collaboration, organization and productivity, Gracenote said.
 
Studio System Projects users can create their own custom project records to serve as centralized stores for all related documents and materials related to a project, from script drafts, storyboards and concept art, to casting videos and detailed tracking notes, according to the company.

Users can also attach talent to projects and track them as credits or participants. Via list building and sharing features, meanwhile, users can collaboratively select candidates and access full profile details, in addition to talent representation information from the underlying Studio System database.
 
Studio System Projects arrives at a perfect time because video programming is being developed at an unprecedented pace today by a wide variety of content creators, from broadcast and cable networks to on-demand streaming platforms and theatrical studios.

In this era of “peak TV” and content explosion, the creative community is seeing more demand than ever for professionally-developed movies and shows, as well as heavier pressure to produce commercial and critical hits, Gracenote said. To meet that growing demand, content creators are reviewing and assessing thousands of pitches each year to decide what to develop. For each show or movie they greenlight, various critical decisions on whom to write and produce a project and whom to cast takes place, the company said, noting that, “typically, a disparate combination of software applications, local drive storage and email are used to manage” the development process.
 
“The entertainment industry has lagged other industries in terms of access to integrated tools and data enabling better business decision-making and project management,” Adams said in Gracenote’s announcement.

He added: “The next evolution of Studio System brings content creators a platform delivering much needed collaboration and workflow capabilities on top of the industry’s most trusted entertainment information database. By providing modern tools and a secure environment to replace disconnected solutions, Studio System Projects allows Hollywood to maximize creativity, accelerate development and produce that next big hit.”
 
“Underpinning” Studio System Projects is the entertainment industry’s most accurate and timely data on TV, movie and digital projects, according to Gracenote. The information covers every stage of development, financial information and prior box office results, along with talent and representative contact information, it said. 

Currently, the Studio System database contains data on hundreds of thousands of projects and millions of actors, producers, directors and writers, all sourced and vetted by Gracenote’s Hollywood-based editorial team, the company said.  

Gracenote’s Studio System web and mobile applications are “relied upon by virtually every major network, studio, talent agency and production company to track what is happening in their world,” it said.
 
Gracenote will showcase the new Studio System Projects solution at the Hollywood Innovation & Technology Summit (HITS) Fall event, Oct. 4 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

To learn more about Studio System Projects, visit http://www.gracenote.com/studio-system-projects.