This September 22nd, after more than a year since producing six R&D international short films demonstrating the potential of remote production, the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) and participating partners came together to celebrate the work, the achievements in proving the concept, and each other.
The films screened at the Motion Picture Academy in Linwood Dunn Theater, and attendees flew in from all over the world.
Produced at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the productions aimed to truly push the boundaries of what could be achieved with the right production technology while creating and working remotely.
Hundreds of volunteers, including producers, directors, crews, and supporting teams, and donated resources from cameras, production gear, technology, software, and more, contributed to making the screening possible.
While a year and a half was not that long ago, the stories reflected the times. They were dark, twisted, humorous, and searching for hope. Viewers were drawn back to their own experiences, and what it was like producing under such conditions. Thankfully, we have come a long way since then.
While it was a standard Hollywood short film screening, it means so much more to those working hard to be recognized within the industry. Fair representation has been a key goal for the HPA, and like many entertainment organizations, it has been making major strides to prioritize representation within the industry. Evidenced by the fact that all of the films were led in some manner by women.
These international, working professional directors and producers were extremely proud of their work and to have been a part of this process. Everyone who contributed to the short films was represented or present at the screening:
- Hollywood – “Lederhosen” – Barbara Wilder
- London – “Kintsugi” – Bayra Bela
- Mexico City – “La Inquilina” – Sandra De Silva De La Torre
- Dubai – “Neo-Bedouin” – Abeer Abdullah
- Ulaanbaatar – “Shadow” – Azzaya Munkhbat
- Brisbane – “Tangent” – Ruby Bell
Proof of Remote Production with 5th Kind
The efforts of HPA and partners like 5th Kind not only proved that remote film production was possible. They paved the way for what is quickly becoming the new normal – a hybrid of remote and in-person production that will continue to evolve. The pandemic kickstarted a world of technology adoption at a rate not previously seen in the entertainment industry.
How did they prove this? The production of these short films took place in the winter of the pandemic. It was a time of uncertainty, and the HPA was attempting to demonstrate an international remote pipeline workflow.
“The challenge is that we’re living in a new [remote] world; the way that people have gone about doing their [production] jobs on the set has changed dramatically.” - Thomas Davis, Former Business Manager of IATSE Local 80
5th Kind helped remove those remote production roadblocks and directly supported 3 of the 6 films; “La Inquilina,” “Shadow,” and “Neo-Bedouin.”
For “La Inquilina,” 5th Kind’s CORE platform was the primary digital asset management system for Sandra De Silva De La Torre and her crew. The production worked out of the platform from development through delivery: directors and producers distributed dailies and sound assets, captured all the archival assets, and performed high-quality reviews.
With an editor in Los Angeles, one in Colombia, and a producer in Mexico City, and other crew across the world, a platform to bring all of these approved assets and workflows together was vital.
The second film that leveraged 5th Kind’s DAM platform was “Shadow.” 5th Kind CORE was the asset management system for the localization part of the production pipeline.
The final film the 5th Kind team supported was “Neo-Bedouin.” 5th Kind CORE was the localization asset management system, working with the global localization service Haymillian.
During the production of all six films, the 5th Kind team was creating LIVE – a platform that provides secure, real-time collaborative review for media production workflows. With 5th Kind LIVE completely released since the production of these films, 5th Kind is in an even more advantageous position to help productions manage and review digital assets live, onscreen, and virtually.
The Future of Production is Remote
While the screening was one reason to get together and celebrate in person after the past couple of years, this event was also about improving how everyone in the entertainment industry works together.
By making productions easier to manage, the directors and producers can better focus on the creative nuances of storytelling. And as a content manager and production pipeline facilitator, that's where 5th Kind shines.
Author: Paige Barnett
