Dirty Work Launches

Dirty Work has launched today. Founded by industry visionary and entrepreneur Gregg Katano, the company is solely focused on providing Media Data Management services to the production and post community.

According to Katano, Dirty Work is focused on what is typically considered the "unglamorous" side of the entertainment industry. "However, Data Management is the crucial process which shepherds a media project from shooting it to showcasing it on a movie screen, television, computer monitor or mobile device," he explains. "It is imperative that this is handled by experienced Data Managers, because it concerns the processing and handing of many disparate elements that eventually make up a final project."

Under Katano's leadership, Dirty Work offers a seasoned staff of Data Managers handling projects from clients including studios, production companies, motion graphics houses, and post facilities – any company that offers production, editorial, visual effects, or motion graphics services on various media projects that will be showcased on a array of media devices. "With each new device and broadcast format," points out Katano, "there is a new standard, a new set of technical specifications that content must adhere to in order to be played."

Dirty Work is being launched now "because the timing is right," continues Katano. "The Data Age is truly upon us. Presently, practically every media project has been edited, altered and enhanced in a data-centric environment. Shooting digitally is quickly becoming the standard. More and more, what we are now seeing on our TVs, computer monitors, and all mobile devices such as cell phones and iPods are coming from a data media source. Movie theaters are in the midst of replacing their film projectors with digital ones, which will also play back a data media file. This evolution has called for various companies to make adjustments and adapt to this new data-centric production work flow."

Currently, there are two main types of Media Data Management. The first occurs during production and postproduction of a digital media project. Footage is captured in a variety of formats: film, videotape, data files, and it needs to be brought into and out of a company's production infrastructure (which does not typically include the costly, yet very necessary equipment). When working with Dirty Work, however, once in this data form, the Dirty Work Data Managers organize the data, properly format the data for each various production platform used by a variety of digital artists, assist with a logical naming convention for the data, handle the distribution to each production platform or production facility. This process repeats itself throughout the life cycle of each production. The second occurs when the project is finished and ready to be exhibited in a variety of media. At this point, the final master project is either layed off to multiple videotape formats or converted to various file formats with appropriate compression and aspect ratios for varying distribution platforms, as well as tape formats.

"Right now, smaller production companies and post houses have only but a few possible options which may not be the most efficient or reliable: taking their project to a dub house or renting the necessary equipment," says Katano. "At a traditional dub house, they have an existing business model that deals mainly with large quantities of basic tape and media replication rather than a dedicated company focused on the highly specialized service of data management. Renting the equipment themselves may not be the most ideal option. This allows the moviemakers and production companies to oversee the process, but the equipment costs thousands of dollars per each day of rental. One runs the risk of renting the equipment for one day with the hope that all of their material gets captured only to find out that they have either missed elements after the equipment had been returned. In addition, the equipment is not always user friendly. One runs the risk of either capturing or laying off their material without the complete confidence that their material was transferred correctly. Here lies the opportunity for Dirty Work. We offer the best of both worlds – the equipment of a dub house and Data Managers who will treat digital media projects with the same amount of care with which they were created."

For Katano, the launch of Dirty Work has been long in coming. "Many years ago, I was driving along in my car and the song 'Dirty Work' by Steely Dan came on the radio. I laughed to myself and thought that it would be an amazing name for a company. I thought about what the 'unglamourous' side for the production and postproduction community was, and after some research and more brainstorming I realized that the proverbial 'Dirty Work' for most companies was Data Management: the type of work that people don't like to do, or that disrupts their normal business workflow. Though many may consider it dull and techy, for years now, I have come to appreciate its sexiness as it has become more and more such a vital part of the production and post production process. But it is crucial that it be handled by the most experienced Data Managers."

Dirty Work was launched in Culver City because Katano believes this area of Los Angeles continues to be the up-and-coming area for creative companies. It is also centrally located and can be accessed by clients in Santa Monica, Hollywood, South Bay, etc. Dirty Work will also offer pick-up and delivery services.

Katano concludes by noting that Dirty Work will open with its main office, and hold on expanding until the company has solidified its brand, its quality control, as well as its client experience and satisfaction. "We will eventually consider opening up additional Dirty Work locations in other cities," he adds. "We will strive to become the go-to collaborative resource for as many clients who are now venturing into this data centric frontier."

www.dirtywork.tv