‘Academy on UltraViolet’ Heading to London

Capitalizing on the success of the inaugural Academy on UltraViolet last month in Los Angeles, DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group and the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA) have announced the Academy on UltraViolet London. The event is set for September 5 at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel in London.

The Academy on UltraViolet: London will provide an authoritative update on the latest technology developments that are driving the implementation and advancement of UltraViolet in England with an eye toward expansion to the greater United Kingdom and Europe.

“We are very encouraged by the growth we are seeing in UltraViolet, and the number of users continues to rise exponentially as more and more consumers begin to discover the flexibility and convenience of digital and the added value it brings to ownership,” says Ron Sanders, President, Warner Home Video and President, DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group. “Consumers want the ability to access the content they own from anywhere, on any device, and UltraViolet is the simplest and most cohesive way for the industry to deliver that functionality.”

The Los Angeles event attracted upward of 250 executives from studios, consumer electronics manufacturers, retailers and service providers, who spent the day trading insights on how to drive consumer adoption of the UltraViolet digital locker system initiative.

In addition to topics such as “Marketing UltraViolet,” “Evolving the UltraViolet User Experience,” and “Level Setting the UltraViolet Ecosystem,” the London event will feature perspectives from regional retailers and hardware companies.

For program information, or to register for the event, visit www.ultravioletacademy.com/london.

Hollywood Technologists to Showcase Latest Blu-ray Innovations at Blu-Tech Summit, Dec. 7, 2011 in L.A.

With Blu-ray sales up 58 percent and over 33.5 million U.S. homes Blu-ray equipped, the high-definition disc format continues to flourish amidst rumblings of the demise of physical media and rise of digital downloads. However, there’s more to Blu-ray than just HD and there’s even more to come, as indicated by next month’s first Blu-Tech Summit, Dec. 7 at the Hilton Los Angeles in University City, Calif.

This half-day technology summit will provide updates and previews of new BD features, workflows and technologies as presented by leading Hollywood Blu-ray developers, engineers, technologists, and producers.

“There’s still plenty yet to come from BD, and some of the smartest minds in Hollywood are hard at work on new BD-based technologies and production workflows,” said Conference Chair Guy Finley. “We’ll be covering behind-the-scenes advancements that will drive the format’s continued evolution, while expanding focus on emerging opportunities for packaged media.”

Sessions will include:

• How Consumers are Experiencing BD: What BD Producers Need to Know

• There’s a (Blu-ray) App for That:  A BD Programmer’s Guide

• Blu-ray Goes Over-The-Top (OTT): Rewiring the Content Delivery Ecosystem

• Here Comes 4K: Next-Gen Blu-ray Workflows

• The 2nd Screen for BD: Producing for a Multiscreen Market

• Perfecting the Art of 3D Blu-ray Production

• Blu-ray and the Cloud: A Behind-the-Scenes Report on UltraViolet

• Views from the Plant: Developments in BD Replication and Packaging

The Blu-Tech Summit is produced by the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA) in cooperation with DEG: the Digital Entertainment Group. It is sponsored by THX, BluFocus, Jargon Technologies, RCDb, Testronic Labs, Savvis, Cinema Craft and Fortium. Association and media partners include Variety, CDSA, The Hollywood Post Alliance and Digital2Disc.

To register and for regular program updates visit: www.BluTechSummit.com.

MESA Webinar To Explore Implications of EIDR

MESA will host a webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 9, exploring how unique universal identifiers will enable media and entertainment content holders to develop new consumer services, while realizing digital supply chain efficiencies. The one-hour discussion and Q&A session will feature speakers from The Walt Disney Studios, CableLabs, Rovi, and Movielabs. Particular topics include the importance of EIDR (the Entertainment Identifier Registry) to digital entertainment commerce, and how content owners, cable operators, and others are using EIDR in their workflows today.

Click here for more information.

Burbank Think Tank Call for Submissions: How to Build the Market for Packaged Media?

The next Burbank Think Tank will showcase a crowd-sourced program of fresh and innovative ideas from the home entertainment community about this timely subject. The most innovative ideas will receive a minimum of 5 minutes stage time to share their strategy with the audience. All submissions will be hosted on the Burbank Think Tank website.

Do you have an idea? A tech, marketing, sales, packaging, supply chain innovation that could help build the market for packaged media? Give it some thought and submit your idea in less than 150 words to Guy Finley, Executive Director, MESA, at guy@MESAlliance.org.

And join us for another one of our interactive, fun and thought provoking programs. Remember to bring your brain!

Inaugural ‘Burbank Think Tank’ Focuses on Impact of File-Based Workflows

By Mel Lambert

The evolution and impact of file-based workflows formed the focus of the inaugural “Burbank Think Tank,” presented by MESA and sponsored by Testronic Labs, held Thursday night at the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel. Moderated by Carolyn Giardina from The Hollywood Reporter, the six-member panel of industry insiders brought a hands-on focus to the operational advantages of file-based operations. The event attracted close to 200 attendees from the Burbank entertainment, production and digital services community.

Directly addressing the challenge of transitioning from a tape- to a file-based workflow, panelist Thomas Moran, senior director of media & entertainment at Savvis Communications, acknowledged that file sizes can pose problems. But Moran said that file-based workflows hold “several major advantages” for the TV/film post-production community and digital supply chain: “It is easier to make the media secure and prevent piracy; and the time to market is reduced.”

“Since media can be accessed in parallel, a file-based workflow becomes easier,” agreed John Crosier, SVP of digital architecture and delivery with Cinram. “But delivery can be harder,” because of increased storage and data-flow requirements.

File Standardization

Standardized file formats are widely considered a secret for success. Annie Chang, VP of post-production technology at Walt Disney Studios, outlined key aspects of the new Interoperable Master Format (IMF) project, which is being finalized by a consortium of film studios and post facilities, and hosted by The Entertainment Technology Center @ USC. “IMF combines a play list with essences” – audio, video, images, metadata and other material – “that can be mixed and matched to generate a variety of master files via an Output Profile List that contain instructions for particular versions,” says Chang, who chairs an IMF working group for the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE).

A working proposal for the open-standard specification to streamline the interchange and automated creation of downstream distribution packages will be published later this year. As Chang explained, IMF will store a single master set of file-based elements that can be assembled using multiple Composition Play Lists (“Recipes”), similar to that used in current Digital Cinema Packaging. The project promises lower costs, improved time-to-market and increased interoperability of existing production processes.

“Now we can record one master and use metadata to deliver different versions,” added Michael Zink, VP of technology strategy at Technicolor. “We finally have a standard.”

During the past year, Chang said, Disney has transitioned from 27 tape-based to 10 file formats, with a concomitant savings in mastering costs. The studio produces no standard-definition master, for example, instead using a high-definition master for such conversions. “But a one-terabyte file can take a long time to transfer,” Chang cautioned, “with increased distribution costs.”

Securing The Cloud

While The Cloud might offer some storage options for the post community, Garrett Smith, VP of production technology at Paramount Pictures, acknowledged that there are multiple types of private and public cloud services. “I was at a meeting yesterday and it could have been an episode from Seinfeld…but without Jerry,” he recalled with a laugh. “But some types will work for production.”

Security issues for assets stored in The Cloud also need to be addressed, Cinram’s Crosier noted. “Security is key for our clients, which is why we concentrate on internal cloud-based services.” As Savvis Communications’ Moran pointed out, “The Cloud is not all about technology. Security is inherent – we just need to find a way to make it work.” Moran cited the storage of secure financial information on cloud-based servers. “But The Cloud, as we now use it at an enterprise level, was not designed with security in mind. Because such companies do not have an IT core competency, they need to bring in experienced IT professionals.”

As Brian Kenworthy, VP of digital distribution at Deluxe Digital Studios, said, “Education is key. We need to collaborate with our clients,” to outline the benefits and drawbacks of cloud-based workflows, where appropriate.

Mel Lambert is principal of Content-Creators.com, a Los Angeles-based consulting service.

MESA Events This Week

Free Webinar: Learn How To Monetize Access to Digital Content

This webinar sponsored by ModusLink will explore key strategies to help you monetize and control access to digital content and services, including: end-to-end subscription management; system administration and back-office provisioning; piracy prevention and digital lifecycle management. Speakers include: David Sidebottom, Senior Consultant – Digital Media, Futuresource Consulting; Bill Routt, VP Technical Operations, MobiTV; and Jason Thibeault, Senior Director, Product Management, Limelight Networks.

The webinar takes place Tuesday, June 7th at 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern Time. Click here to register (http://mesalliance.org/moduslink/).

Bring Your Brain: Burbank Think Tank

Please join us for the debut event of MESA’s Burbank Think Tank series. Burbank Think Tank is a new, bi-monthly meetup developed by the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA), providing members of the Burbank entertainment, production and digital services community with an easy and accessible way to meet, mingle and advance the creation, production and distribution of entertainment content.  The initial BT2 hosted by Testronic Labs, ‘Waiter, There’s a File in My Soup,’ brings together a panel of visionary thought leaders in candid and expansive conversation on the explosion of the file-based world and the evolutionary changes that are happening to our supply chain.

The event will take place Thursday, June 9th at the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel in Burbank, Calif., from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free registration closes Tuesday at Noon.  Click here to register (http://www.mesalliance.org/burbank/).

MESA Debuts ‘Burbank Think Tank’

Burbank Think Tank (BT2) is a new, bi-monthly meet-up developed by the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA), providing members of the Burbank entertainment, production and digital services community with an easy and accessible way to meet, mingle and advance the creation, production and distribution of entertainment content.

The city is home to the most concentrated population of entertainment professionals in the world, and BT2 will develop into the place to be for the local community to share best practices, stay on the cutting edge, network and unwind at the end of a typically stressful, high-pressure workday.

The debut event, hosted by Testronic Labs, is set for the evening of June 9 at the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel. On the agenda: a panel discussion on the evolution and impact of file-based workflows. Click here to register.

Standardization Figures Prominently at ESCA EDGE Conference

By Mel Lambert

The thorny subject of standardization for both digital file formats and companion metadata figured prominently during several sessions at the seventh-annual ESCA EDGE conference, which was held Thursday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

As John Crosier, SVP of digital architecture and delivery at Cinram, acknowledged, “It’s like trying to tame the Wild West.”

Reliable and cost-effective delivery of streams and downloadable files between vendors — and ultimately, to consumers — depends upon a consistency of file structures and digital packaging. The Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) has initiated a number of subcommittees to look at Universal Media Identifiers (UMIDs) and other standardization strategies, while supporting the ongoing activities of the Entertainment ID Registry (EIDR), a recently launched global resource for cataloging commercial digital video/audio assets, including motion-picture and television content. DEG and MESA served as co-producers of ESCA EDGE.

Content producers and content distributors face different but complementary problems, Cinram’s Crosier stated. For film studios, he said, “the primary pain points are content creation, which lacks standardized metadata; fulfillment, [which involves] a
number of distribution formats; and control of cash, where we still encounter manual POS and royalty statements.” For retailers and vendors, Crosier said, the primary pain points include “quality control, with incorrect asset descriptions and lack of QC; metadata, with avails [advertising slots within content] and title [descriptors] maintained by different groups, making matches difficult; and product requirements, with inefficient methods for repurposing assets across territories.”

Dan Miron, EVP of worldwide supply chain management at Warner Home Video, and chair of the DEG’s Supply Chain Committee, described the activities of the group’s three new Task Groups. “The Universal Media Identifier Task Group is identifying methods that connect internal and external processes, orders, deliveries, avails, etc., and will work with HITS [the Hollywood IT Society] and EIDR to develop a media identifier.” The DEG’s Standards Task Force, meanwhile, is focused on examining candidates for standard file formats and metadata, together with package standards. Miron said that the Standards Task Force is busy “collecting metadata samples from EMA, DDEX and the film studios,” and looking for commonalities. Initial findings from the DEG task groups, expected by the third quarter of 2011, will establish a framework for future collaborations. Read more

ESCA EDGE Delves Into Digital and 3D Supply Chains, Cloud Technology

The upcoming ESCA EDGE conference — set to take place May 19 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles — adds three conference sessions covering critical entertainment supply chain issues:

The Cloud: Jake Winett, Worldwide Director of Industry Solutions, Media & Entertainment, Microsoft, will discuss how media companies are already beginning to leverage cloud technology to manage and deliver applications and content, and how the future of cloud platforms in media and entertainment will evolve.

Digital supply chain opportunities: This panel, moderated by John Crosier, Senior Vice President, Digital Architecture and Delivery, Cinram International will provide an update on activities of DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group in establishing a Universal Media ID along with metadata, reporting and file standards. Panelists include: Jeff Stevens, Vice President, Digital Archives, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution; Thomas Stilling, Executive Director, Operations, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment; Aditya Tahilramani, Director, Information Technology, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; David Tischker, Vice President, Client Operations, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; and Scott Ziola, Director, CRM Digital Distribution, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution.

Perfecting the 3D home entertainment supply chain: Buzz Hays, Senior Vice President of the 3D Technology Center at Sony Corp., will explain how Hollywood is working to perfect the 3D home entertainment experience, while creating new supply chain efficiencies. Hays, one of the leading experts in the field of modern stereoscopic production, is responsible for overseeing the production and post-production of all 3D content and 3D technology consulting for Sony.

ESCA EDGE is produced by DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group and MESA. Visit entertainmentsupplychain.com to register.

Signiant Joins MESA

The Media and Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA) welcomes Signiant, a leading developer of content supply chain management solutions, as its newest member.

“Signiant is proud to be a new MESA member because the organization’s goals are so tightly aligned with our own – namely, to support service providers in building efficiencies in the creation, production, and distribution of digital media and entertainment,” says Tony Lapolito, Signiant’s vice president of product management and marketing. “MESA’s market intelligence, research initiatives, industry advocacy, and collaborative workgroups will be a powerful asset to Signiant and our customers; likewise, we look forward to contributing our own best practices and knowledge of the rapidly evolving digital content distribution landscape.”

Guy Finley, MESA’s executive director, added, “Signiant adds a powerful new addition to the network of leading service providers that MESA is representing on behalf of the media & entertainment industry. Our current, key initiatives on digital supply chain and information technology will be greatly enhanced by having Signiant as part of the dialogue.”

At GameSupply: Videogame Execs Emphasize Need for Collaboration Across Supply Chain

By Mel Lambert

Greater sharing of information is a top supply chain priority for videogame publishers, distributors, and retailers, with the instant-access nature of emerging digital business models highlighting the industry’s imperative to improve physical product availability as well. Such was the consensus among game industry executives who spoke at the GameSupply conference in Burbank, Calif. on Wednesday.

Saul Berman, Global and American Strategy Consulting Leader with IBM, considered the changing retail model from physical to digital media in his conference keynote. “The game industry may grow,” he said, “but who will get the enhanced revenue stream? The record industry tried to stop the consumer doing what they wanted [with digital media], instead of monetizing the experience. The gaming industry needs to be agile and focus on the experience, interoperability and new revenue models.”

A panel moderated by Bob Lamont, Vice President of North Highland, acknowledged that as videogame revenues have overtaken both music and home video, supply-chain challenges have intensified. “A key to success is the manufacturers’ responsiveness,” noted Kurt Fisher, VP of Operations at THQ. “It is vital that retailers collaborate with the retail chain and actively share information with suppliers,” added Patricia Vessey, director of Merchandising Services at Best Buy.

“Consumers do not like to wait,” said Steve Brown, CEO of Cinram, reaffirming the game industry’s need to transition from physical to digital products. “We also need to reduce waste through demand management and actionable intelligence,” so that costs can be reduced dramatically by shipping products from multiple vendors in shared boxes. “Collaboration,” Brown agreed, “is the key to eliminating waste.”

The third annual GameSupply Summit was co-produced by the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) and the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA).

The day-long event ended with the presentation of three Video Game Supply Chain Awards by the EMA. Activision received the trade group’s Supply Chain Innovation award, while Sony DADC received an award for Supply Chain Efficiency and printing/merchandising firm Pacific Color Graphics received an award for Green Supply Chain Leadership.

Mel Lambert is principal of Content-Creators.com, a Los Angeles-based consulting service.

MESA Publishes Digital Edition of M&E Journal

The M&E Journal, published by the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA) has released its fall edition for digital distribution. The 92-page edition offers strategies and solutions for M&E executives, covering topics such as:

- Innovating the New Digital Supply Chain

- Are Mobile Apps the New Content

- Taking the Risk Out of Content Protection

- Social Networking Meets Entertainment Marketing

Click here to download your own edition for online reading or download: http://www.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=45956

BluFocus Event To Present Best Practices In Blu-ray 3D Authoring

Representatives from Hollywood studios and Blu-ray production facilities are convening in Calabasas, CA Aug. 3 for a hands-on seminar on Blu-ray 3D authoring.

Blu-ray quality assurance specialist BluFocus is staging the “3D-Focus” event to foster broader awareness of emerging best practices in creating Blu-ray 3D titles. BluFocus CEO Paulette Pantoja explains that while other industry seminars have provided a top-level marketers’ view of 3D home entertainment, “3D-Focus” is the first to offer Blu-ray developers hands-on demonstrations of authoring systems and other tools.

“The afternoon is designed for companies that currently develop or are interested in developing 3D Blu-ray material, as well as the customers they serve,” Pantoja says. “Our goal is to ensure the technology’s success by providing a forum for all involved to collaborate and learn how to create quality 3D material.”

Pantoja adds that the event is platform-neutral, with representatives from all of the industry’s major Blu-ray authoring systems discussing their 3D solutions.

3D authoring and encoding, menu and subtitle creation, 3D playback tools, 7.1 surround audio for 3D, 3D testing, verification and certification, Blu-ray 3D disc replication, and the “human factor” — a physiological review of 3D technology — are all featured on the preliminary agenda.

Presenting companies include: 1K Studios, ArcSoft, BluFocus, Deluxe Digital Studios, DTS Digital Entertainment, Intel, NetBlender, New Wave Entertainment, NVidia, Sonic, Sony Pictures, and THX.

DTS will host at its Calabasas, CA facility. The event is sponsored by 3D @ Home Consortium, NetBlender, Sonic, THX, and MESA.

Space is limited. To pre-register for complimentary admission, visit http://www.blufocus.com/3d-focus/part2.cfm.

Industry Coalition Formed To Promote Direct Mail Applications For Optical Media

DiscMail Direct, an industry coalition representing leading manufacturers, packagers and creative services companies involved in the use of optical media for direct mail applications, has been announced. The group has also joined the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) to advance this new digital advertising alternative.

The group, which includes those companies that created the manufacturing and fulfillment infrastructure for today’s $40 billion home entertainment market, will focus its efforts on educating marketers, ad agencies and brand managers about the latest technology advancements and response rates of DVD, Blu-ray and CDs as complementary direct-mail mediums to print and online marketing.

“Recent cost efficiencies in direct-mail optical media have led to several compelling case study success stories as well as an increased number of marketers who are already integrating DiscMail into their standard assortment of direct mail tools,” says DiscMail Direct Director Guy Finley. “DiscMail is digital advertising packaged for postal delivery. It converts any mailbox into a digital inbox. It combines the measurable analytics of digital advertising with a physical product that captivates and communicates to consumers.”

DiscMail Direct is under the direction of industry leaders including Arvato Digital Services, Cinram, Fusion 92 and Sony DADC. In cooperation with the DMA it is launching the industry’s first optical media direct mail research study and to educate marketers about the features of this unique physical-digital media product that combines the benefits of print-mail messaging with an interactive, web-enabled consumer experience. Read more

Insights From GameSupply: Hardcore Players, Gesture Controls Critical To Console Market

Nick Williams, analyst at OTX and creator of the Game Plan report, noted that the purchase intent of hardcore gamers (those who play more than 20 hours a week) is what will keep the traditional retail-focused game business afloat in 2010. While casual game players (less than 10 hours a week) are much more plentiful, the hardcore folks plan to buy 6 games on average in the coming months, far more than the casual players. By VentureBeat

BluFocus Lauches Testing Lab, Webinar For 3D Home Entertainment

With studios looking to bring their first 3D home entertainment products to market later this year, DVD and Blu-ray quality assurance firm BluFocus is launching a suite of 3D testing, certification and consulting services.

The Burbank, CA-based firm’s new 3D Focus Laboratory offers THX Certified High Performance 3D demonstration and testing environments for device manufacturers, content owners and producers to use as needed during their production process.

In addition, BluFocus plans to hold a webinar sponsored by MESA, THX and the 3D@Home Consortium next month to serve as a primer on Blu-ray 3D encoding and authoring. The goal of the March 4 webinar, says BluFocus CEO Paulette Pantoja, is to promote collaboration on 3D products between content owners, producers, and developers.

The webinar series will address the many “unknowns” surrounding 3D home entertainment, Pantoja says — ranging from technology issues to what consumers are willing to do for an optimal 3D home experience. Confirmed participants include Sensio and TDVision, which will discuss 3D video encoding approaches; Netblender, which will address authoring; and Trailer Park, which will make a presentation on 3D content creation.

For further program information on the “3D-Focus Part 1: 3D for Blu-ray” webinar, visit www.blufocus.com/3D-Focus/. Those interested in attending or presenting at future 3D-Focus Lab Webinars can contact 3D-FocusWebinar@blufocus.com.

For more information on the 3D-Focus Lab’s services, contact 3D-FocusLab@blufocus.com.

Future of Video Game Business To Be Discussed by Leading Industry Analysts at ‘GameSupply’ Conference

The research panel at the upcoming “GameSupply” conference will feature new data findings and insights from leading industry analysts on the future of the videogame business.

Attendees will hear how these experts think the video game industry will fare in 2010, how digital distribution will change the market and impact demand for packaged goods, how the demand for game apps on mobile devices and social media sites will transform the industry, and how gamers’ buying habits have changed during the “Great Recession.”

The industry analysts presenting at the session will be:

– Jesse Divnich, Vice President, Analyst Services, Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR)

– Colin Sebastian, Senior Vice President, Lazard Capital Markets

– Nick Williams, Director, Gaming Insights, OTX

GameSupply, the supply chain academy for interactive entertainment, will be held Feb. 10, 2010 at the Hilton San Jose in Silicon Valley. GameSupply is jointly produced by the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) and the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA). GameSupply

GameStop’s Tony Bartel And Microsoft’s Owen Roberts To Keynote ‘GameSupply’ Conference

Tony D. Bartel, Executive Vice President, Merchandising and Marketing, GameStop, and Owen Roberts, General Manager, North American Operations, Microsoft Entertainment and Devices, will deliver keynote addresses at next month’s “GameSupply” conference, the supply chain academy for interactive entertainment. Bartel will provide his insights on the video game market in 2009 and prospects for the future, as well as how greater supply chain efficiencies can impact those prospects. Roberts will address the operational challenges of synchronization of the video game hardware and software supply chains in light of the long lead time and high cost of game development, decreasing life cycles, and retail marketing strategies.

The one-day GameSupply event brings together video game retailers, distributors, publishers, and their service providers to share knowledge about new developments and technologies in the interactive entertainment supply chain. The conference, which was inaugurated last year, will be held February 10, 2010 at the Hilton San Jose in Silicon Valley. GameSupply is jointly produced by the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) and the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA).

Tony D. Bartel has been Executive Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing since March 2007. Prior to that, Bartel was Senior Vice President of International Finance, a role he held since joining GameStop in 2005. He has also held executive positions with NCH, PepsiCo, and Yum Brands, Inc., including Chief Financial Officer of Pizza Hut.

Since 2006, Owen Roberts has been responsible for end-to-end operations and launch management in North America for Xbox 360, associated software, and other Microsoft products. During his 11-year tenure with Microsoft, Roberts has spearheaded the European launch of the Xbox console and bridged gaps between the company’s various business units and worldwide retail teams as head of the Redmond-based “WW Retail Go to Market” initiative.

“Tony Bartel’s expertise in the retailing of video games and Owen Roberts’ experience in synchronization of hardware and software supply chains make them ideal choices to put in perspective the opportunities and challenges of video game supply chain management,” noted GameSupply Conference Chairman and MESA Chief Strategist Devendra Mishra.

In addition to the keynote addresses, GameSupply will feature seven sessions that will focus on the entire video game supply chain, from manufacturing, through packaging and distribution, to the sales floor.

Registration for GameSupply is $395 and is open to content holders, publishers, retailers, distributors, and service providers. Member companies of MESA and EMA, receive a $100 registration discount. For more information about the GameSupply conference or to register, please see www.GameSupplyAcademy.com.

The advisory committee for GameSupply consists of: Kurt Fischer, Vice President of Operations, THQ Inc.; Kim Motika, Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Operations, D3Publisher of America, Inc.; John P. Quinn, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Operations for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros.; and Murray Weir, Senior Director – Strategic Planning & Analysis, Nintendo of America.

Companies interested in sponsorship opportunities at the conference should contact Margaret Sekelsky at (310) 823-5805 or margaret@mesalliance.org.

CDSA Board Appoints MESA To Manage Ongoing Association Activities

New CDSA Executive Director, Martin Porter, to Assist in the Launch of New Standards to Protect Digital Assets Throughout the Supply Chain

CDSA, the Content Delivery & Storage Association, has named MESA, the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance, as its association management company of record.  As its first responsibility, MESA will manage the continued rollout of CDSA’s newly updated and expanded international Content Protection Certification Program next year.

Martin Porter, MESA Executive Director, will also serve as Executive Director of CDSA as the successor to Charles Van Horn, CDSA President, who is retiring after 26 years with the organization.  Under this new structure, MESA will provide organizational management for CDSA, while CDSA will continue to maintain its independent activities under the direction of its own Board of Directors.

“I have known and worked with Marty Porter in various capacities over the past 20 plus years and I feel confident that he will provide the value proposition for CDSA members that is so vital to the future health of the Association,” Van Horn said.

“CDSA has been the respected advocate for the content delivery and storage industry for 38 years.  Most recently, our association has been recognized worldwide for our long track record of effectively administrating industry-developed content protection procedures,” says CDSA Chairman Frank Russomanno. “We welcome Martin Porter and MESA on board to manage our membership and to market our new IP auditing system, which is the end-product of a tremendous collaborative effort by our member companies and which has been created to address the changing needs of a changing industry.”

Linda Dyson will remain in the position of worldwide director of CDSA’s global standards and certification processes for the Content Protection and Security Standards, and the Copyright and Licensing Verification Standards and Procedures.

“The new CDSA Content Protection Certification Program is an incredibly relevant and flexible series of IP protection protocols that set the gold standard for the way that service providers will handle and process their customers’ assets in this exciting period of transition for content delivery and storage,” Porter explained. “Our plans include promoting those companies that play a leadership role by their adoption of these programs, by enhancing the program’s overall visibility throughout the international content and storage community.”

Linda Dyson can be contacted at ldyson@contentdeliveryandstorage.org. Martin Porter can be contacted at marty@MESAlliance.org.

About CDSA’s Content Protection and Security Standards

For over a decade, CDSA has been recognized as the worldwide leader of Anti-Piracy and Compliance Programs. Most recently, the Content Protection and Security Standards (CPSS) were first written in 2008 by an international team of intellectual property, anti-piracy and security experts from both the physical and digital security arenas, thus giving coverage to the whole supply chain. By implementing these Standards, organizations effectively demonstrate effective process approaches for the handling, manufacturing, storage and delivery of valuable entertainment, software and information and assets in the home entertainment, video game and music recording industries.

About CDSA

CDSA, the Content Delivery & Storage Association (formerly IRMA, the International Recording Media Association), is the worldwide forum advocating the innovative and responsible delivery and storage of entertainment, software and information content. Founded in 1970, this global trade association’s membership includes companies involved in every facet along the digital and physical media supply chain. Beginning with the audiocassette, through the home video revolution, and into today’s digital delivery era, CDSA has always been the organization companies turn to address the most important industry-wide issues of their time. More information is available online at: www.contentdeliveryandstorage.org

Sessions To Address All Aspects of Videogame Supply Chain At ‘GameSupply’ Conference

The 2010 “GameSupply” conference, the supply chain academy for interactive entertainment, will feature seven sessions that will focus on the entire videogame supply chain, from manufacturing, through packaging and distribution, to the sales floor, according to the conference organizers. The one-day event brings together videogame retailers, distributors, publishers, and their service providers to share knowledge about new developments and technologies in the interactive entertainment supply chain. The conference, which was inaugurated this year, will be held February 10, 2010 at the Hilton San Jose in Silicon Valley. GameSupply is jointly produced by the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) and the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA). GameSupply

‘GameSupply’ Interactive Supply Chain Academy To Be Held February 10

EMA- AND MESA-SPONSORED EVENT MOVES TO SILICON VALLEY

The second annual “GameSupply” conference, the supply chain academy for interactive entertainment, will be held February 10, 2010 at the Hilton San Jose in Silicon Valley. The announcement was made today by the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) and the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA), who jointly produce GameSupply. The one-day event brings together video game retailers, distributors, publishers, and their service providers to share knowledge about new developments and technologies in the interactive entertainment supply chain. GameSupply

Amazon Selling PlayStation Download Codes

Sony Computer Entertainment broadens its retail reach for game downloads, with Amazon now selling access codes for games on Sony’s digital PlayStation Network. Via PlayStation.com

MESA Launches Blu-Breakfast Series

On Feb. 12 Media and Entertainment Services Alliance brought together the Creative/Authoring/Testing community for a breakfast discussion about Blu-ray and BD-Live.  The first in a series of workgroup  meetings, the event drew the top companies who provide these types of services to Hollywood.

After a lively discussion of the opportunities and challenges for the format, the group agreed there was a specific need for increased collaboration to build efficiencies along the supply chain within the industry.  The group has segmented into three workgroups to develop ideas and work together on actionable items that are relevent to their customers.

Collaboration is a fundamental part of MESA’s strategic plan.  To bring companies together in innovative ways, allowing the community to self-evolve according to their company’s needs, at a pace that makes them comfortable, is a valuable service to our member companies and their partners. 

If you are interested in learning more about the MESA Blu-Breakfast series or would like to become involved, please feel free to drop me a note at guy@MESAlliance.org or visit our group on LinkedIn to receive regular MESA updates.

Let the collaboration begin!

MESA News – Feb. 6

Studios/Suppliers

Navarre posts $47.7 million loss for fiscal Q3
By Susanne Ault – 02/06/2009
FEB. 6 | Company has already made moves to improve earnings More

Screen Media goes low on Blu-ray pricing
By Susanne Ault – 02/06/2009
FEB. 6 | Releasing titles with recognizable stars More

Universal bundles Blu-ray catalog titles
By Susanne Ault – 02/06/2009
FEB. 6 | Studio attracts new buyers with budget sets More

Genius lays off 17% of workforce
By Susanne Ault – 02/05/2009
FEB. 5 | Part of restructuring following GNRP acquisition More

Fox DVD sales, earnings decline in Q2
By Danny King – 02/05/2009
FEB. 5 | Horton Hears a Who! can’t compare to Die Hard 4, Fantastic Four 2 More

Warner Bros. Q4 earnings rise 7%
By Danny King – 02/04/2009
FEB. 4 | Dark Knight was 2008′s bestseller More

Physical media challenged, but still preferred
By Susanne Ault – 02/03/2009
FEB. 3 | NPD says maintaining retail selection is key More

Arts Alliance America changes name
By Cindy Spielvogel – 02/03/2009
FEB. 3 | UPDATE: Company now called Virgil Films and Entertainment More

Disney’s Q1 studio unit profit falls 64%
By Danny King – 02/03/2009
FEB. 3 | WALL-E, Caspian DVD sales trail year-earlier titles More

Wal-Mart, Target sell Zack and Miri sans ‘porno’
By Susanne Ault – 02/02/2009
FEB. 2 | Family-friendly packaging offered to larger retailers More

Wuthrich heads Warner international video, digital
By Susanne Ault – 02/02/2009
FEB. 2 | Executive to align studio’s packaged, digital businesses More

Image expects gains in Q3 earnings
By Susanne Ault – 02/02/2009
FEB. 2 | Supplier to raise fiscal 2009 guidance More

Taken scores box office touchdown
By Pamela McClintock of Variety – 02/02/2009
FEB. 2 | VARIETY BOX-OFFICE REPORT: Fox’s action pic wins Super Bowl weekend More

 

Retail

Retail sales to improve in second half: NRF
By Alan Wolf of TWICE – 02/06/2009
FEB. 6 | FROM TWICE: But group says stimulus bill comes up short More

Netflix, Wal-Mart attract more class-action lawsuits
By Danny King – 02/05/2009
FEB. 5 | Almost 40 parties sue since Jan. 2 claim of collusion More

Videogames surge, DVDs and CDs stall in 2008
By Danny King – 02/05/2009
FEB. 5 | Online video viewing jumps on TV episodes, report says More

Sears names new consumer electronics chief
By Alan Wolf of TWICE – 02/04/2009
FEB. 4 | FROM TWICE: Austin to oversee segment for Kmart, off-mail stores too More

Circuit City selling off real estate
By Alan Wolf of TWICE – 02/04/2009
FEB. 4 | FROM TWICE: Taps Gordon Bros. unit to manage sales More

Rentrak fiscal Q3 earnings double
By Danny King – 02/03/2009
FEB. 3 | Audience-tracking business jumps on Dish, NBC deals More

Netflix might start weekend distribution
By Danny King – 02/03/2009
FEB. 3 | Company plans unchanged by postal-service to stop Saturday deliveries More

Mark Fisher promoted at EMA
By Danny King – 02/02/2009
FEB. 2 | Retail veteran led membership growth at trade group More

 

High-Def

Falling DVD sales lowers media earnings
By Danny King – 02/06/2009
FEB. 6 | Execs debate whether drop-off is temporary or permanent More

OPINION: Ups and downs
By Paul Sweeting – 02/06/2009
Paul Sweeting is editor of Content Agenda
FEB. 06 | Cyclical, or secular? That is the question preoccupying studio minds these days as they stare into the abyss of plunging DVD sales. More

DVDs still preferable over downloads
By Susanne Ault – 02/05/2009
FEB. 5 | FUTURE OF PACKAGED MEDIA: Retailers look to grow Blu-ray sales More

BD Live promising, but has challenges
By Susanne Ault – 02/04/2009
FEB. 4 | FUTURE OF PACKAGED MEDIA: Disc developers say Web features future of Blu-ray More

 

Technology

Microsoft to offer video on Zune
By Marc Graser of Variety – 02/04/2009
FEB. 4 | FROM VARIETY: Company’s answer to the iPod gets upgrade More

NBC Universal doubles mobile-video market share
By Danny King – 02/03/2009
FEB. 3 | Views jump fivefold on Office, Rock More

NBC.com streaming Chuck in 3D
By Danny King – 02/03/2009
FEB. 3 | Series looks to capitalize on PepsiCo Super Bowl promotion More

 

VOD/Download

Universal, Fox, Summit shut VOD-DVD window
By Jennifer Netherby – 02/06/2009
FEB. 6 | Studios deliver on-demand simultaneous with DVD More

YouTube helps boost Monty Python DVD sales
By Jennifer Netherby – 02/06/2009
FEB. 6 | Web site program claims credit for comedy troupe’s Amazon sales More

DVDs still preferable over downloads
By Susanne Ault – 02/05/2009
FEB. 5 | FUTURE OF PACKAGED MEDIA: Retailers look to grow Blu-ray sales More

Netflix on Xbox Live users hit 1 million
By Jennifer Netherby – 02/05/2009
FEB. 5 | Microsoft’s own downloads jumped 174% between December, January More

Jaman adds E1 movies to downloads
By Jennifer Netherby – 02/04/2009
FEB. 4 | Deal includes foreign films, documentaries, classic TV shows More

• Latest Edition

• Featured Blogs

• 2nd Screen Blog

---