MPAA, Content Creators and Tech Firms Promote Universal Digital IDs for Movies and TV Shows
Over the past decade there has been an incredible shift in the use of digital technology for all aspects of movie and television content creation and distribution. While consumers are familiar with one or more of the numerous services used daily to access and enjoy digital content worldwide, our industry has embraced the efficiencies that the Internet brings for all aspects of the production process – glass to glass.
From the instant that video is captured from the glass of a camera lens to the instant it is displayed on a consumer’s television, phone or tablet, a complex yet efficient set of digital work flows is used to track and guide the content from pre-production through to post-production and finally to multiplatform distribution and beyond.
In order for a process like this to be successful, each digital asset (film, TV Episode, trailer, etc.) must be properly and uniquely identified. Towards that end, the MPAA has joined the Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR) and existing industry participants such as Google, Netflix, Microsoft and Cisco to support and extend the efforts of our member studios who are all currently active in the organization.
EIDR is an opaque ID (similar to a UPC code used to identify physical packaged goods) with all information about the registered asset stored in a central registry. Its structure consists of a standard registry prefix, the unique suffix for each asset and a check digit. 1
EIDR’s primary use is focused on existing and emerging requirements of the complex supply chain associated with the distribution and consumption of both movie and television content. EIDR is not a replacement for existing identifiers. Specifically, EIDR has been designed to be interoperable with the ISAN identifier used in the rights collections space.
We plan to work closely with the EIDR on several fronts: to ensure seamless interoperability with ISAN, to identify internal systems that can take advantage of an EIDR identifier and to explore ways in which integration with the EIDR registry can enhance existing industry workflows currently managed by the MPAA.
As the EIDR continues to evolve as a key mechanism for enabling automated distribution and supply chain workflows, the MPAA is very pleased to join in and support these efforts.
Twitter: @_AlexDeacon
—–