By Andrew Shapiro

Disc replication and packaging is often the last step in production process. Those of us who regularly work in replication are afforded a unique perspective on the origin and maturity of consumer and industrial video and audio products. Like a Monday morning quarterback we can see holes, flaws and mistakes in the process that starts with an idea and ends with a replicated disc in professional packaging. From years in the industry, I can tell you that many of the oversights and bumps in the road are the same from project to project and client to client. Perhaps the easiest way to help our clients avoid some of these pitfalls is to have them place themselves in our shoes for a moment and look at their project backwards.

Many of you know that mystery writers are alleged to start at the end and work backwards. Doing so is an easy way for a writer to make sure all the small details and plot twists merge nicely at the end in into a neat, little package. The production process can work similarly. We work with a wide range of clients, some of whom have an exact and specific notion of what they need from the outset, but many of whom are either replicating for the first time, or replicating a type of product they have had little to no experience with before. The first question I like to ask is, “What, exactly do you want to walk away with?”

This seems like obvious advice but there are many questions that have to be considered in order to answer the main question. They include discussing:

• Who is your target audience?
• What level of technology do you expect them to have?
• What is the most important part of the user experience?

There are many more small details to examine as well, but when you have only a vague notion as to what the final product should be, looking at the big ideas behind the work often helps to focus and flesh out the project.

Once the above questions have been dealt with, at least tentatively, the next step also seems incongruous; we have to determine exactly what we are starting with. Now we have to look at what our source formats are, where we can find packaging and menu images; are multiple language assets necessary? The goal here is to clearly define our beginning and end points in the replication process. Only when those two markers are obvious and distinct can we lay out a path between them that has the least bends, forks or potholes.

At iDEA our experienced sales reps and talented engineers are happy to help with any step of this process, but the highest quality products and most impressive user experiences come about when we work in cooperation with our clients as a team. There are many things a replication client can do to make the process as smooth, efficient and cost-effective as possible:

• Organize assets. Creating a list of each piece of video, audio elements, images and other content that needs to be included in the project, and where they can be found, helps facilitate communication, reduce confusion in the authoring or mastering process and avoids delays while missing assets are tracked down.
• Poll potential clients. For large consumer distribution products, iDEA maintains current statistics regarding compatibility, typical usage and consumer preferences. But many of our clients have specialized user bases such as industrial, technical or medical audiences. Finding out ahead of time what the user wants and needs helps us give you a product people will use.
• Set specific development and replication timelines. One of the downsides of being the last link in the production chain is that two situations frequently occur. Either delays and over-runs occur in the production process causing the replication process to be rushed, or no time was allotted in the project for replication to begin with. Replicating thousands of quality discs does take time. While we have the capacity to handle rush orders, that is often a situation clients would like to avoid for budgetary reasons and quality assurance. Inquiring about replication time for specific orders before deadlines are set is often the key to eliminating headaches later.

In the end, the main component of a smooth and productive replication process is the same as it is for any collaborative relationship: keeping the lines of communication open. That’s why our sales and technical staff are always here to answer questions, offer advice and help our clients through a process that could otherwise seem intimidating.

The next time you are beginning a project that will go to replication, let me offer this advice: even though we are the last step in the project, maybe giving us a call first can help keep everything running smoothly and surely in the middle.

iDEA MEDIA SERVICES, LLC.
1700 West Hubbard Street
Chicago, Illinois 60622
Toll Free: 866.326.3416
Local: 312.226.2900
info@ideareplication.com