The Consultancy

Scope:

Throughout the Cinemedia Centre Specification (Part B), emphasis is placed on on-going management, maintenance, upgrade and integration for the duration of each project and beyond . The common thread running though all Modules is World Wide Web presence. It is therefore, appropriate that this medium be used as a core management tool to provide instant access to information required for the management of physical and digital resources.

The evolving complexity of digital technology means that there is a primary relationship between the building and the displays within it. From the outset it is important that the foundations of an effective [on-line] infrastructure be firmly laid down so that the management of the displays can be integrated with the building itself (e.g. cable location maps). Most of the physical displays will be hardware and software dependent. Effective management of these resources will require that tender specifications and commissioning documents reflect Cinemedia's requirement for long-term access to screen content both [On-line} and [Off-line].

Method:

This consultancy will be directed towards the publication [on-line] of a A Guide to Good Practice. It will involve attendance at meetings (where required), on-going consultation with John Smithies, Simon Banks, Philip Walsh and Robin Wright. It will also seek to integrate other Cinemedia stakeholders into the development of this document.

Key Objective:

The key objective is to create the foundations for an effective [on-line] management system capable of providing long-term access to Cinemedia's digital resources.

See also [on-line] document Seven Pillars of Infrastructure Development .

[http://www.duckdigital.net/FOD/FOD0847.html]

Outcome:

A Guide to Good Practice will be a draft document developed in consultation with Cinemedia stakeholders. This will assist builders, production stakeholders and suppliers to identify how they are to address long-term access issues.

This guide will clearly identify the structural and metadata elements deliverable with each project element as an [on-line] resource for the management of either [on-line] or [off-line] assets.

These guidelines need to be simple and easily understood. They will be promoted as a minimum requirement in order to:

• ensure that digital assets can be migrated across platforms with minimum content loss (e.g. standard file formats, compression and encoding).

• ensure that hardware and software dependent assets carry references to format, copyright, access and other metadata adequate for their effective management (e.g. CD-ROMs, and proprietary products).

• ensure that digital assets can be transferred between individuals, business units and partnerships. (e.g. filing naming protocols, access to cable maps, format information).

• ensure that digital resources can be re-used or re-purposed to suit Cinemedia programs. (e.g. survey exhibitions)

• ensure that appropriate copyright control and access conditions are maintained.

• ensure that evaluation of long-term access strategies will occur against a benchmark of international standards and the specified aims of each project.

• ensure that appropriate information is easily available to asset managers at all times.

Personnel:

Simon Pockley: operating under the trade mark and trade name of (CC) reserved Duck Digital .

60 Bridge Street, Northcote, Vic. 3070. [voice] 61 3 96511510 [email] simonpockley@gmail.com

Timeline:

8-12 weeks

Charges:

Fees will be charged at a pro-rata rate based on $60k per annum. Cinemedia will provide facilities (access to a computer/telephone).

(CC) reserved S.Pockley: Duck Digital 873