Industry leaders participated in a 360° forum about how to establish an efficient and effective metadata system that unlocks new ways to re-use and monetize content. Cutting-edge solutions for gathering and recording metadata and for leveraging current and library content were presented. Discussions centered on interoperable metadata workflows from postproduction to distribution to archiving; using metadata to designate manageable assets and to create search solutions for long-term profit on multiple platforms; metadata verification; balancing automation and manual input and industry-wide best practices.

With the expansion of digital filmmaking, file-based libraries and new consumer platforms, the time is right to develop metadata systems that enable content owners and distributors to tap new forms of ROI from their media assets. A holistic metadata system promises to increase efficiency, eliminate errors and repetition and reduce costs; improve access to content; aid preservation efforts; strengthen DRM; and perhaps most importantly, open the door to new business models using games, social networking, AR, VOD and Internet channels.