XDCAM

What is Workflow Innovation?

In the truest sense of the expression, Workflow Innovation is a dramatic change in the way work is performed. Processes become seamless, work styles more efficient, and the completion times of jobs significantly shorter. Workflow Innovation has now been made possible with the introduction of state-of-the-art Sony professional optical disc camcorders and decks - the world's first professional audiovisual systems to utilize a blue-violet laser as a means to read from and write to an optical disc. Based on an open architecture, these devices can be easily integrated with existing systems and include advanced electro-mechanics and robust tracking and error correction techniques that provide the stability and audiovisual quality expected of Sony.



Transforming the Process

For ENG, where the acquisition-to-transmission process traditionally involves a series of discrete steps such as script writing, shooting, ingesting, editing, and transmission, the introduction of professional optical disc products means you can optimize the process, and can even remove the ingestion sub-process altogether. With a professional optical disc product at the acquisition point, only the required footage need be selected for transfer (via FTP) to the in-house edit suite. This not only removes a process step, it also enables other sub-processes to be accomplished concurrently, increasing overall production efficiency. As processes transform, so must work style. This calls for a change in the mindset of individuals in the production process, and this can be achieved through full utilization of Sony professional optical disc product features such as random access, metadata, and proxy data. Tasks that were once impossible in some locations are now not just possible, they're often easier and more logical to perform too.

Optimizing Every Step

The natural next step is to shorten the time required to accomplish each stage of the process and, as a result, cut the length of the process as a whole. Sony professional optical disc products help you do this by providing Workflow Innovation that reduces the time needed to incorporate scripts, edit, transfer information and locate archived material. Examples of these Sony innovations include the seamless integration of scripts and metadata during acquisition via PC or PDA, the quick cut editing of proxy data, or the transfer of footage from the field to the edit suite in required clips rather than complete sections. Users can also directly upload proxy data to a web site, or quickly search for archived material at the touch of a button.

As a result of these advances, communication between journalists, camera operators, and editors throughout the reporting, shooting, and editing process becomes seamless, and the process of locating and re-purposing archived material becomes shorter. Studio editing is changed forever, meaning time spent in the studio can be used for other important tasks instead. What's more, the decision-making process – affecting planning, gathering data, analysis, and concept creation – can be done in a fraction of the time as compared to traditional methods. And the cost savings associated with this new way of doing business can be significant and measurable.

Learn More