Visual Data Completes Major Expansion And Renovation
March 31, 2010

Monetizing content is mission critical for content owners, and the ability to modify and refine assets is, now more than ever, a top priority. Visual Data, an industry leading provider of integrated, end-to-end post-production solutions for the seamless repurposing and distribution of content for all media platforms, has the perfect solution:  TIME TAILOR. 

Time Tailor is destined to become a content owner’s best friend – whether enabling the preparation of feature films for television broadcast, repackaging content for syndication, or leveraging an existing time slot.  Time Tailor is a vanguard technology that will save countless hours of needless editing and increase advertising revenue.
The need to alter content is not new, and refitting it for broadcast has always been an arduous process.  Content owners have historically used a combination of methods to fit programming into reduced time slots. Editors altered content by shortening or editing out entire scenes and the vintage “varispeed” method has been utilized. Countless billable hours, rough cuts, pitch corrections and artifact clean-ups later – an airable program was created – once the closed captioning was redone…
Time Tailor has made these time consuming, expensive and inefficient workflows obsolete. 

Time Tailor is a fully automated system that removes frames from material. Run times can be reduced up to 10% in a way that is virtually undetectable to the listener/viewer. Up to eight channels of audio are processed along with video, without pitch correction requirements, and always maintaining synchronization of audio and video along with other vertical interval data such as closed captioning.

Time Tailor checks a sequence of fields to find those which essentially duplicate the information of adjacent fields. These fields are then removed. Of course, it is not always possible to find duplicate fields, so Time Tailor “blends” the images in fields adjacent to the removed field to make the change virtually undetectable to the viewer.

Time Tailor- Features Films for Television

A significant portion of ancillary feature film revenue is derived from sales to networks, cable broadcasters, and as part of syndication packages. Each of these outlets has standards related to profanity, nudity, cultural standards or potentially offensive content. Studios and distributors are required to deliver content that meets the Standards and Practices (S&P) guidelines of individual outlets. In addition, most require a specific run time for the feature, along with a specified number of Acts and Act breaks.

These requirements might seem straight forward, but the studios and other content owners face considerable challenges in repurposing their features for broadcast. Most significantly, directors have the right to approve all changes in content per their Directors Guild agreement. This requirement has traditionally been a major issue when it comes to repurposing for time.

Visual Data has made this problem disappear.  As Visual Data’s first step, the necessary edits are completed to comply with S&P requirements.  Directors are usually more forgiving when it comes to this issue, as they realize the FCC has mandates for broadcast television and the studio has no choice. Once the S&P editorial process has been completed, Time Tailor steps in to ensure that the program reaches the proper length.  Because Time Tailor does not edit out any material to get content to the specified run time, directors do not have to be concerned with changes to their work, and studios do not need to be bogged down with multiple approval passes. In the few cases where extreme reductions in a feature’s length are required, and it exceeds Time Tailors acceptable quality level for run time reduction, Visual Data will perform minor edits before engaging Time Tailor.
The Visual Data solution ensures that everyone involved is satisfied.  The studios are happy because costs are reduced, time is saved, and perhaps most importantly, Directors are happy because the most minimally invasive methods were used to repurpose their work. 
Time Tailor- Episodic Television and Reality TV
Today, every penny counts.  Every ounce of promotion and each dollar of advertising revenue could mean the difference between profit and loss.  Program distributors are always looking for ways to make more money when airing their series episodes, and they generate revenue by selling advertising.

Broadcasters typically specify a total run time for a 30 minute or 60 minute time slot, which limits the amount of commercial time they can sell within a program. As advertising dollars fall, program distributors have a new option to increase advertising dollars courtesy of Visual Data. Time Tailor can reduce the run time of a typical 30 minute program by :30 and :60 seconds, creating space for additional spots to be sold and additional revenue to be generated; all without editing the program or changing the content. Time Tailor can process programs in both their Standard Definition and High Definition formats and can format new commercial blacks as needed.
Cable broadcasters are turning to Time Tailor to increase their promotional space.  Cablers are always looking for space in which to air promos to promote their other series without giving up outside advertising dollars. Time Tailor allows the broadcaster to reduce the run time and create space to promote their additional programming without losing precious commercial time. 
Time Tailor- Visual Data
Visual Data has earned its reputation for outstanding quality, service and dependability by providing integrated end-to-end post-production solutions for over 15 years. Time Tailor is a key weapon in the arsenal of services Visual Data provides to enable Distributors in their quest to get content delivered on time while meeting all broadcast specifications.

Visual Data strategically integrates services, all in one location, to fulfill complex deliveries and solve difficult problems for clients with ease.

For more information on Time Tailor and other Visual Data services, please contact:
Alexandria Briare, VP of Sales
 818.558.3363, abriare@visualdatainc.com