Freely Licensed and Open Source Pipelines for Art Based Film and Media Production

• Main Author: Anthony Whitehead
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Carleton University 2009-08-01
• Series: Technology Innovation Management Review
• Online Access: http://timreview.ca/sites/default/files/Issue_PDF/october09_osbr.pdf

Given the number of free/libre and open source licensed tools, and the number of "no cost" applications at the fingertips of the artist/animator/film developer today, the ability to "create what you will" is now an option for everyone. The advent of affordable media development tools has opened up the world of media production to those who were previously locked out of the Hollywood studio system. Proprietary software including Adobe Creative Suite, Autodesk?s Maya, Nuke, After Effects, Final Draft, and a litany of other necessary tools creates a financial wall so high that ?will? cannot overcome it alone. In this article, we examine a standard pipeline from a birds-eye-view for anyone with a will to create an Indie film. Without breaking the bank, the entire pipeline is achievable using F/LOSS tools and content that is available under a creative commons license. This allows high quality media development for all. In many cases, these same tools are being used by the Hollywood elite.