Media Management: Archiving & Repurposing
The Advantages
of a Script-based News and Automation System
NewsKing NewsRoom and NewsCast Automation
A Script-based NewsRoom Computer System (NRCS) is one
where all the elements required to visualize a story are contained on a
single document – the Script. The advantages of a Script-based
newsroom system are fairly obvious.
The first advantage is that the Script is a single
piece of work; it is presented in a logical, sequential order; all human
reactive information appears in a readable format. A simple read-through of
the Script tells you everything you need to know to Present the Story,
Produce it and Direct it.
The second major advantage of a Script-based Newsroom
becomes evident when you add Automation into the “Presentation
stage” of a newscast. Because the Script contains all the
instructions (CG, Video, Camera, Stills, etc.), the newsroom system can
transfer this information instantly to any and all devices from the single
News Rundown generated by the Producer in stacking the show. There is no
manual “building” of an automation rundown by a Director
because that work is already done. If a Producer moves, adds, deletes or
modifies a Script, the NewsCast Automation Rundown is immediately and
automatically updated to reflect that change. This renders obsolete another
whole layer of hardware and software that would be required by third-party
automation vendors, or by the media object system pushed by some newsroom vendors.
Obviously, the more layers of hardware and software
required, the greater the expense of installation, maintenance and, most
importantly, standardized operation in the hectic, live environment of a
newscast.
Thirdly, and the least appreciated aspect of a
Script-based News and Automation system, is the media asset management
capabilities already present in the design.
A finished Script is essentially an envelope that
contains all the information needed to present a story … the words,
primary video, secondary video and the requisite information to recall
these elements. When a Script moves into the Archive, it represents
everything needed to retrieve any and all of these elements … including
but not limited to … Video information like Metadata and/or Clip
ID’s, Format, Duration and Outcue; CGs that identify Who, What, When,
Where; Still Store images that enhance the narrative portions. One of the
greatest advantages of Script-based Automation is that every word in a
Script is Searchable … including the contents of every
production element.
Sure you can store a finished program with all the
program elements recorded, but for repurposing selected elements of a story
in the same or different format, it’s far more efficient to store
these elements as separate but connected elements. The result is once you
find a story, you can copy, paste or move any portion of that Script into a
new script that immediately recreates all the elements you have chosen to
carry forward.
This repurposing of any material means you
don’t have to locate a particular asset because the Script-based
Automation system tracks primary video and will recreate the secondary
video either exactly as originally produced or based upon the look of the
format the Script is currently being repurposed for.
To Find
out more about NewsKing NewsCast Automation
|