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Producer Updates as of June 5, 2024     

by | Jun 5, 2024 | What's New

EFFECTIVE JUNE 5, 2024: As a reminder to the February 22 announcement sent via email and posted to the Discovery Production Guide (accessible via your login to Discovery’s Producers Portal) – WBD’s updated Photosensitive Epilepsy testing policy for content delivered to Discovery’s Producers Portal goes into effect on June 5, 2024. Please note, this testing applies to content delivered globally, but local jurisdictions outside North America may have different procedures after technical evaluation.

We will have a new resource page available on the Production Guide and distributed via email as soon as we can. We appreciate your cooperation at this time and are available to answer any questions you may have.

PLEASE REVIEW: Below are answers to some PSE-related “Frequently Asked Questions” we have received from our production community since February. Please read below and reply to this email or your network contacts with any questions.

  • As of June 5, 2024, WBD will only be using the Cambridge Research Systems Harding Flash Pattern Analyzer to assess for PSE failures on incoming program master files delivered to Discovery’s Producers Portal. If your teams have delivered content to us since February 2024, you may have seen Harding notes on your tech evaluation reports already, as that is when we began running this analyzer. Since February, content has only gotten a full fail status where the Harding analyzer and our retiring analyzer detected the same harmful patterns.
  • All new episodic masters and content delivered after June 5, 2024 will be subject to this assessment only.
  • Existing episodic masters and content accepted before this date will remain accepted/approved unless there is reason to request redelivery.
  • Pre-checking or paying for certain tools is not a requirement of delivering to Discovery’s Producers Portal. All content will be assessed on inbound delivery regardless.
  • You may continue pre-checking with tools that do not run Harding FPA, but a pass certificate from another analyzer does not guarantee that your master will pass the Harding analyzer, and certificates from non-Harding analyzers will not be accepted going forward to overturn a Harding analyzer failure.
  • WBD will be using Telestream Qualify to complete the Harding FPA assessment. As we gather information about any other software tools tuned to Harding FPA (such has Harding FPA Desktop), we will provide that information as a part of our permanent resources.
  • The Harding FPA is a unique algorithm with different sensitivities than our retiring analyzer.
  • All framerates delivered via Discovery’s Producers Portal after June 5, 2024 are subject to the new testing algorithm. The retiring policy excluded some framerates.
  • Your Technical Evaluation report is available via the Producers Portal (or via email for some operating territories). As always, you will receive timecode-based feedback about any technical failures, including PSE.
  • PSE failures that are full vendor faults and out of the allowed specification boundaries, which will typically require redelivery, will be marked as a “VF” in the right-hand column of your report if you receive a PDF. Other content may be flagged if it is close to failure parameters. If you ever have questions about accessing or interpreting your report or next steps, please reach out.
  • In some situations, local legal and/or regulatory guidelines outside of North America may dictate how/if your network requires redelivery or edits for PSE faults. Please reach out to your network contact if there are any questions about your local territory’s rules.
  • Your network contacts will be able to explain to you options available for extenuating circumstances, such as Harding failures close to scheduled premiere. Licensed acquisitions with failures also may be handled case-by-case, depending on operating territory. WBD has considered these possibilities within our policy.

COMING SOON: NEW CONTACT INFO: Our production deliverables support email address is changing soon! For now, you can still contact us at production_ops@discovery.com, and we will send an update when our new support email is live.

US Productions: RATE UPDATE: regarding the US AoN production insurance program, there will be an increase to the rate this year, going from $1.01 to $1.06. This is in effect from May 1, 2024.

Thank you for your attention to these matters.

Producer Updates as of February 21, 2024     

by | Feb 23, 2024 | What's New

Photosensitive Epilepsy (PSE) Testing: Warner Bros. Discovery’s Standards

Our multimedia visual products require approved flash pattern analysis to check for photosensitivity if they may be a problem for photosensitive viewers. WBD continues to use industry-standard software to test all incoming content.

POLICY CHANGE:

Program masters delivered to Warner Bros. Discovery via producers.discovery.com on and after February 22, 2024 will be evaluated with a different flash and pattern analysis software than content delivered prior to this date. We understand you may have questions if your program’s technical evaluation report contains different feedback after this date. To accommodate active production delivery timelines, WBD will enter a policy adjustment period described here, until June 2024.

TIMELINE:

POLICY STARTING ON FEBRUARY 22, 2024: If content falls outside the test parameters, it may be rejected. The operations team will work with you to determine a path forward based on legal requirements, including the current policy of allowing certificates from compliant flash and pattern analyzers. You may see different information noted in your technical evaluation report from our flash and pattern analyzer.

POLICY STARTING ON JUNE 5, 2024: At the end of the policy adjustment period in June, content that fails the PSE testing within WBD’s automated supply chain will be rejected based on those standards only. The acceptance process comes to a halt until the content passes this evaluation.

Warner Bros. Discovery strongly recommends that providers use a Harding Flash and Pattern Analyzer on all content before delivery to ensure it meets those standards.

As always, the deliverables and operations teams at WBD are available to you and your network contacts to answer any questions regarding any faults within your master technical evaluation reports.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

 

Emergency Alert Tones: Policy Reminder

Production partners must not, under any circumstances, add real or simulated emergency alert tones to a program. If the program includes recordings of naturally-occurring alert tones, the production partner must cover (bleep) or silence the emergency alert tones. For production partners unfamiliar with EAS tones, the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) makes simulated training tones available on their website. https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/audio/132794 . Please also see the EAS page under Policies in the Discovery Production Guide which includes a training video.

Producer Updates as of May 20, 2022

by | May 20, 2022 | What's New

WHAT’S NEW?

Producer Updates as of May 20, 2022

To Producers contracted with Discovery brands (discovery+, Discovery, HGTV, TLC, Food Network, ID, TRVL, OWN, Magnolia, Animal Planet, Motortrend, Science, Cooking, DIY, DA, and AHC (including US & International networks):   

Please read this entire email and forward to all production/post staff.  You can also find this information in the Producer’s Portal Production Guide.  Production companies are responsible for the information contained herein.    If you have any questions, please contact Production_Ops@discovery.com.     Thank you!

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COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARK FOR COMMISSIONED CONTENT

Going forward, the new copyright and trademark for all Warner Bros. Discovery content is listed below.  The only change is adding “Warner Bros.” and “Inc.” to the language for content that is Commissioned.   The copyright does not change for Coproductions.  The rest of the Production Credits do not change.   Program Masters which have already delivered or are due to deliver soon do not need to be modified.  

COMMISSIONED CONTENT:
Copyright:
© [Year] Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. or its subsidiaries and affiliates. All rights reserved.

Trademark:
[Trademark] is a trademark of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. or its subsidiaries and affiliates.  All rights reserved.

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DISCOVERY BRANDS ARE PARTNERED WITH ARRAY CREW!

Created by filmmaker Ava DuVernay, ARRAY Crew is a personnel database of below-the-line crew members with a special focus on the amplification of women, people of color and other underrepresented film and television professionals.  Available in the United States and Canada, ARRAY Crew connects 9,000+ qualified film and television professionals across more than 600+ job categories with producers and department heads looking to hire.  From development to distribution, ARRAY Crew is for all types of projects including unscripted, animation, documentary, news and scripted. 

ARRAY Crew is available to all Discovery productions across all divisions. Please visit the ARRAY Crew resource page in the Preferred Vendor section of the Producer’s Portal Production Guide to learn more and visit www.arraycrew.com to begin crewing up!  

FOLLOW:

@ARRAYNOW and share #ARRAYCrew on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn

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PRODUCTION STILL IMAGES – New process for producers delivering to International networks (already in place for US networks)

Production Still Images and a new Photo Caption Log will be delivered together in a zip file and uploaded to the Producer’s Portal.   Producers will no longer upload to Google Drives or other storage methods.  This new process takes effect immediately for any projects newly greenlit or in contract negotiation.   For projects with executed contracts that are currently in progress, please consult with your Production Management team and/or the Photo Services team.   

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. When images for a given episode are ready for delivery, please complete the Photo Caption Log.   Template is posted in the Production Guide.
  2. Images & Photo Caption Log should be together in a single .zip file, with no sub-directories.   Filenames in the Photo Caption Log should match exactly the image file names, including file extension.  Number of images in zip file and number of records in photo caption log should match.
  3. Upload to Producer’s Portal under applicable episode, to the Deliverable Type “Production Stills & Log”

Please see an overview presentation on the Production Stills page in the Producer’s Portal Production Guide.

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PHOTO-SENSITIVE EPILEPSY REQUIREMENTS 

  • Producers are strongly encouraged to obtain PSE Certification.  There are vendors listed in the Production Guide who can provide certification and there is a document deliverable in the Producer’s Portal which allows you to upload certification.   Please also see the PSE FAQ document located in the Global Technical Specifications section of the Production Guide.
  • TRAVEL CHANNEL PRODUCERS:
    • Paranormal programming often fails PSE tests which causes costly delays.  To reduce these PSE fails:
      • Run PSE tests at rough cut and fine cut to identify issues and make corrections
      • Run PSE test at master delivery and fix failures before uploading master
      • Upload passing PSE certificate to the Producer’s Portal.   Passing PSE certificate on the master delivered by the Producer supersedes any PSE failures indicated on the TE report by Discovery.

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PRODUCTION BUDGET UPLOAD

  1. Check the Deliverable Status in the Producer’s Portal to see if your budget passed or was rejected. It usually only takes 30-60 seconds for the system to read the upload and update the status.  Hover over the status and it will tell you the reason for the failure.   This will save you the trouble of having to go back and make corrections to a budget that failed a while ago.
  2.  Use the correct Excel template, “Assumptions Only” or “Assumptions and Budget Details”.    If you are a Movie Magic user, you must upload the XML export + the Assumptions Only template.  If you are using Excel only, you must use the Assumptions & Budget Details template.
  3. For Movie Magic Users, always upload 2 files: If your MM XML export or Excel Assumptions fails and you make a correction, you have to re-upload both files, even if one has already passed.  

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PRODUCTION SCHEDULES – Please keep Delivery Dates updated!  It is required and will reduce inquiries!

Reminder that delivery dates and shooting dates should be updated weekly and/or when the Program Master File delivery dates change.   Critical dates include:

    • Deliverables – Rough Cut(s), Fine Cut, Picture Lock, and Program Master File(s)
    • Production Phases – Shooting Dates & Locations (please enter for individual episodes unless the shooting dates are the same for all episodes and then enter under All Episodes)

Long-form programs have 7 key deliverables which must be delivered either before the Program Master File or on the same day.   The Trailer must deliver 4 weeks prior to the Program Master File.   Snap In Content, Textless Material, Program Graphics Master, Final Script, Music Cue Sheet, and the final Rights Waiver Log must deliver on the same day as the Program Master File.   

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YOUR COMPANY CONTACTS IN THE PRODUCERS PORTAL – Please keep updated!

  • Reminder that Super Users at every company are responsible for keeping their company contacts up to date.  Please remove/add contacts to your company as applicable and ensure their security setting is correct.   Here are the definitions again:
    • Super User – Can manage company contacts & bio, can submit program proposals, can edit schedules, can upload deliverables, can open deliverables which have been restricted 
    • Basic –  Can submit program proposals, can edit schedules, can upload deliverables
    • Post House – Can upload media deliverables only for specific projects controlled by Super Users
    • Read Only – Cannot complete any of the above functions.  Added only for basic contact information purposes.
    • Note: Reminder that anyone uploading a document deliverable can mark it Restricted which allows the uploader + Super Users to open the document.   Other users can see that the document has been uploaded but cannot open it.
  • These emails are sent to production company contacts who are working on active projects with Discovery brands and have a legitimate email address with their company domain name.   We cannot add recipients to the distribution list manually.   Please ensure your contacts are current for this purpose as well.   

New Still Image Process

by | Apr 13, 2022 | What's New

WHAT’S NEW?

New Still Image Process

PRODUCTION STILL IMAGES – New process for Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Science, and Motortrend

Production Still Images and a new Photo Caption Log will be delivered together in a zip file and uploaded to the Producer’s Portal.   Producers will no longer upload to google drives or other repositories, although some projects currently in-flight may close out using the previous process – please consult with Production_Ops@discovery.com if you have questions. 

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. When images for a given episode are ready for delivery, please complete the Photo Caption Log.   Template is posted in the Production Guide.
  2. Images & Photo Caption Log should be together in a single zip file, with no sub-directories.   Filenames in the Photo Caption Log should match exactly the image file names, including file extension.  Number of images in zip file and number of records in photo caption log should match.
  3. Upload to Producer’s Portal under applicable episode, to the Deliverable Type “Production Stills & Log”.    (Right now “Scripps” is appended at the end of the deliverable name – that will be removed.)  

Please see an overview presentation on the Production Stills page in the Producer’s Portal Production Guide here.

(This notice does not apply to Food Network US, HGTV US, Cooking Channel, DIY, Travel Channel US, and Magnolia since this delivery method is already in place for these networks.) 

Producer Updates as of February 18, 2022

by | Feb 18, 2022 | What's New

WHAT’S NEW?

Producer Updates as of February 18, 2022

COVID-19 GUIDELINES AND POSITIVE CASE REPORTING

Discovery’s Covid-19 Guidelines have been updated and are posted in the Production Guide.    Please also be sure to communicate all positive Covid cases to your Discovery Production Manager, even if it does not disrupt production.

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*NEW* RECIPE FORM & INSTRUCTIONS

Please note that there is a new Recipe Form & Instructions posted in the Production Guide.    The new form must be used going forward for all productions; the old form will no longer function in Discovery systems.   The key change is shown below – the ingredients & method are now split into 2 fields.

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PRODUCTION SCHEDULES – Please keep Delivery Dates updated!  It is required and will reduce inquiries from Discovery!

Reminder that delivery dates and shooting dates should be updated weekly and/or when the Program Master File delivery dates change.   Critical dates include:

    • Deliverables – Rough Cut(s), Fine Cut, and Program Master File(s)
    • Production Phases – Shooting Dates & Locations

Long-form programs have 7 key deliverables which must be delivered either before the Program Master File or on the same day.   The Trailer must deliver 4 weeks prior to the Program Master File.   Snap In Content, Textless Material, Program Graphics Master, Final Script, Music Cue Sheet, and the final Rights Waiver Log must deliver on the same day as the Program Master File.

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PRODUCTION STILLS DELIVERY – New Global Process Coming!

In the coming weeks, all stills deliveries will follow the same process:  the Production Stills & Log will be part of one form and the stills will be embedded in the form.   They get uploaded and ingested in Discovery systems.  Delivery via other methods will not be necessary although some projects currently in-flight may close out using the existing process.   More information to come with training and templates.   (This notice does not apply to Food Network US, HGTV US, Cooking Channel, DIY, Travel Channel US, and Magnolia since this delivery method is already in place for these channels.)

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LEGAL ALERT – USE OF GRAFFITI AND STREET ART IN CONTENT

Discovery Legal has observed an uptick in claims based on the inclusion of graffiti and street art in programs. Like all original artistic works, graffiti and other forms of street art are subject to copyright protection.   A fleeting use of street art may be defended as de minimis. However, many copyright owners reject this defense, forcing production companies to either litigate or settle. Fair use may not be a viable defense unless the program is commenting on or critiquing the street art (and, as a reminder, any reliance on fair use material in your program must be approved by your BLA representative before including the material, as set forth in the “Fair Use Procedure” section of the Production Guide). Production companies are responsible for clearing all artwork – including graffiti and street art – included in their programs.  Permission should be obtained from the copyright owner, which is not necessarily the building owner or municipality where the art is located. If you have questions about this notice, please reach out to your Business & Legal Affairs representative.

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SOURCE FOOTAGE – Retention Policy & Retention Letter Template

  • If it is decided that for your project you will retain the source material, the standard retention period is 4 years.  If you have questions or concerns, please discuss with your Discovery Production Manager.
  • A new Retention Letter template is posted in the Production Guide
  • Reminder that Snowball devices which are not shipped back within 10 calendar days will incur penalties which compound daily.

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PRODUCER’S PORTAL TRAINING VIDEOS

New training videos will be posted in the Production Guide next week.   Topics include:

  • Registration, Company Management, and General Navigation
  • Submitting a Program Proposal
  • Uploading Document Deliverables
  • Uploading Media Deliverables

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EMERGENCY ALERT TONES & PHOTO-SENSITIVE EPILEPSY REQUIREMENTS

  • Production partners must not, under any circumstances, add real or simulated emergency alert tones to a program.  If the program includes recordings of naturally-occurring alert tones, the production partner must cover (bleep) or silence the emergency alert tones.  For production partners unfamiliar with EAS tones, the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) makes simulated training tones available on their website.   https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/audio/132794 .    Please also see the EAS page under Policies in Discovery’s Production Guide which includes a training video.
  • Reminder regarding Photosensitive Epilepsy delivery standards.  Please see the PSE FAQ document located in the Global Technical Specifications section of the Production Guide.

COVID-19 Guidelines – Version 5

by | Feb 10, 2022 | What's New

WHAT’S NEW?

COVID-19 Guidelines – Version 5

Version 5 – Updated February 2022

 

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Please see the attached updated COVID-19 Guidelines.  Contact your Production Management team with questions.