In conversation with Thomas Warner, Glenn Broere, sales manager at Drylab Media Tech Group PLC, shared insights into the company's innovative dailies distribution platform.
This platform is revolutionising how production teams review dailies on set, offering a blend of low-resolution proxies with descriptive metadata.
Broere elaborates on the platform's efficiency, cost reduction in post-production, and Drylab's strategic market penetration efforts, amidst the current dynamic media landscape.
Thomas Warner (TW): Glenn, can you start by introducing yourself and your role at Drylab?
Glenn Broere (GB): Sure, Thomas. I'm Glenn Broere, Sales Director at Drylab Media Tech. My background spans across media and entertainment since 2012, working with studios, production companies, and content aggregators. At Drylab, we specialize in an on-set dailies distribution tool, catering to production companies, studios, cinematographers, digital imaging technicians (DITs), and producers.
TW: For those unfamiliar, can you explain what an on-set daily distribution tool is and its importance?
GB: On-set daily distribution is crucial for film production. Our tool works even without internet connectivity, allowing DITs to merge low-res proxies with metadata from various sources, like camera cards and scene information. This process, which can be likened to AirDrop functionality, enables production teams to review dailies on set, ensuring continuity and reducing costly post-production corrections.
TW: How does Drylab's product stand out in the industry?
GB: While there are similar solutions, Drylab's uniqueness lies in its on-set focus and the marrying of metadata to low-res proxies without internet dependency. Unlike other solutions that are folder-based, Drylab functions as a database, offering intuitive tag-based searchability for filmmakers and post-production teams. This approach is much more user-friendly and efficient.
TW: What's your strategy for introducing this new concept to the industry?
GB: Our strategy involves attending film festivals and industry events, and building relationships with studios and production companies. We're also focusing on individuals who create content on set, like DITs, who find our tool particularly beneficial. This hands-on approach allows us to demonstrate the practical advantages of our platform.
TW: Given the recent industry disruptions, such as strikes in Hollywood, do you see these as opportunities for Drylab?
GB: Absolutely. These disruptions present a unique opportunity for us. As productions seek more efficient ways to create content, our tool becomes increasingly relevant. Our conversations with cinematographers, producers, and production companies have been overwhelmingly positive, and we're seeing growing enthusiasm for our product.
TW: How do you approach pricing for such a diverse market?
GB: Our pricing model is flexible, catering to different production scales, from feature films and TV series to documentaries. We offer incentives to filmmakers to encourage adoption, and the response has been so positive that many are eager to use our platform for subsequent projects.
TW: Can you share how you incorporate feedback into product development?
GB: Feedback from cinematographers, DITs, and producers is invaluable. They provide us with practical insights that help us refine our product. For instance, our current work on a joint Korean and Japanese production has highlighted the importance of intuitive features like tag-based file searching, even for users unfamiliar with the language.
TW: What can we expect next from Drylab?
GB: We're expanding beyond our strong markets in Sweden and Norway, having signed 16 distribution agreements, with more lined up for 2024. We're also launching a new version of our creator tool and have a robust product roadmap for the next few years. Expect some exciting announcements from us towards the end of this year and into 2024.