Taking Object-Based Media from the Research Environment Into Mainstream Production

Abstract

In our International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) 2017 paper, we described our experiences with Object-Based Media (OBM) and outlined our aims for developing a toolkit to enable authors to make such experiences quickly and easily. Here, we describe the progress we have made developing this toolkit. We show how its development was shaped by collaborations with producers: first, how the data model and player were shaped by working with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Arts program MAKE! Craft Britain and second, how the tools and player were trialed at a workshop during the 2018 Encounters Film Festival in Bristol. We then describe the impact of two long-form productions on the tools. A commission designed to create a responsive media experience for a younger audience and an episode of the BBC’s technology magazine program Click, who approached us to make an interactive edition of their program. In addition to presenting the current state of the toolkit, this article considers decisions made during the toolkit’s development, in terms of its design and architecture, how it integrates with other systems, and how we engaged with users, including experienced production teams. We reflect on how these decisions are helping with our long-term goals of discovering where OBM can bring out new forms of audience experiences.