B-Reel's four-step digital production process is available on the wiki site Stndrd.org.

Producers at integrated prodco B-Reel have started an open source initiative to solicit feedback on digital production standards and practices.

Unlike traditional film and motion graphics production, there are no accepted industry-wide standards that address concerns unique to producing integrated campaigns, interactive websites, banners and mobile applications.

The 10-year-old hybrid company hopes to remedy that problem with Stndrd_, a wiki site containing a bid sheet and a document outlining a four-step digital production process that production teams in B-Reel's Stockholm, New York and London offices have followed for the past six years.

"We thought it was about time to throw out an initiative that everyone can help develop in order to create some sort of standard in the business," says Niklas Lindstrom, executive producer in B-Reel's New York office. "A lot of agencies are lacking a process to do integrated production. They're leaning a lot toward their production partners to give them the process."

Lindstrom hopes the open source approach will engage agencies, other digital production companies and their respective industry bodies, AICP Digital and the Society of Digital Agencies (SoDA). The Association of Independent Commercial Producers formed AICP Digital, headed by Digital Domain president Ed Ulbrich, in part to establish standards for digital production.

The idea for Stndrd_ arose barely a week ago during a discussion among B-Reel's producers. "In the past few months, the conversation about standards seemed to become a hot topic again," company CEO Anders Wahlquist said in an email announcing the platform. "Rather than allowing our ADD natures to take control again, we thought it best to create a platform for the dialogue to take place, in an open-source style."

Lindstrom says the feedback so far has been positive. In the coming weeks, B-Reel will launch a forum and best practices for specific categories. "Take banner production," he says. "Banner production is not necessarily simpler but it's a faster production in terms of time."

Digital production includes all aspects of traditional film production but with added variables, Lindstrom says. Interactive production involves more asset management, development, tracking and in some cases, close collaboration with the client's IT department in order to deliver content and host websites. "That's a special trip of its own," he laughs.

Lindstrom points out that the bid sheet B-Reel posted on Stndrd_ isn't a template to be filled in but rather a supportive document that agencies and production companies can use to ensure they don't miss something that could cause problems or cost extra money down the line.

So when can the ad industry expect an agreed upon set of standards and practices? "The industry's been around for a long time and we don't have a mutual process yet. It's maybe a bit too much to ask that this will solve everything. We ‘re hoping this is an attempt that will open up for discussion," he says. "We thought we have nothing to lose. If it doesn't work, it was a nice try anyway."

stndrd.org

www.b-reel.com