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MovieLabs publishes Ontology for Media Creation

The conceptual framework and set of defined terms enable both people and software to communicate with greater data interoperability

By Jenny Priestley

Non-profit technology research company MovieLabs has developed an ontology for production technologists who are designing software-defined workflows for the media and entertainment industry.

The conceptual framework and set of defined terms enable both people and software to communicate with greater data interoperability.

The ontology has been co-developed with the Hollywood studios DreamWorks Animation, Marvel Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros, with contributions from leading software companies across the industry.

According to MovieLabs, the need for a common ontology is driven by the complex world of media creation, “in which different production participants and software tools rely on unique sets of concepts with various definitions, introducing the potential for confusion and error when the same word has different meanings in different contexts or tools”.

The goal is to improve the efficiency of human–to–human as well as machine–to–machine communication in the production process, whether in verbal or visual form. In the case of software, the ontology is a foundational tool for the development of interoperable schemas for data exchange and APIs.

Richard Berger, CEO Movielabs, said: “Software-defined workflows are a fundamental part of the 2030 Vision which MovieLabs launched two years ago, envisioning a future where all production processes take place in the cloud with streamlined and more efficient creative workflows. In order for software-defined workflows to be integrated into the production process, all pieces of the workflow need to communicate with each other in a predictable manner. 

“We created the ontology to aid the communication between humans, machines and automated processes. The adoption of the ontology will deliver consistent communications which will save time within the production process and also reduce the chance of misinterpretation and error.”

The Ontology for Media Creation is available here.

Jenny Priestley

Jenny has worked in the media throughout her career, joining TVBEurope as editor in 2017. She has also been an entertainment reporter, interviewing everyone from Kermit and Miss Piggy to Tom Hanks; and spent almost 20 years appearing on radio, and occasionally TV.

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