Information Systems Department London School of Economics and Political Science University of London Course title IS499 Summer Dissertation Student number 968326 Title of assignment Dissertation project report Date of submission 1 September 2000 Hardware used (Computer: type, make and model; Printer: type, make and model; any further relevant information) Toshiba Portégé 3020CT and IBM (LSE standard) PCs. LSE standard laser printers. Software used (operating system and application packages: give version numbers) Microsoft Office 2000 (Word and Excel). ABC Flowcharter 3.0. IBM ViaVoice Millennium Edition voice recognition software. Any limitations in hardware or software that you would like the examiners to take into account None Declaration to be signed by the student I have read and understood the guidelines and agree to abide by them. I declare that this work, submitted as part of the requirement for the above course, is my own and that I have acknowledged any use of the published or unpublished work, in any format, of other people. Signed The challenges for Sohonet: A stakeholder analysis of a digital network system. Abstract This essay presents an analysis of Sohonet, a digital network used primarily by film and broadcasting postproduction companies located in Soho, London. Some observers argue that Sohonet has been, and will continue to be, a successful information system that shows that the relatively small production companies in London can forget their rivalries and work as comrades when needed. The argument set forth in this essay, however, is that despite its promising start, Sohonet could face serious challenges in the future. The sources of these challenges are found mostly in a wider interorganisational context, and are often rooted in cultural and political issues rather than technical ones. This paper identifies these challenges, and the associated potential problems, and shows how they may influence the future development of Sohonet. The argument is supported by an analysis of the factors that are currently shaping the use of the Sohonet network. The potential challenges are identified through identification of Sohonet’s stakeholders and their perceptions, and by relating these to the context in which they originate. A prediction is made as to what a likely future development scenario might be for Sohonet. In the final chapters, conclusions are presented followed by reflections on the research process. Keywords: Sohonet, network, film and broadcasting, visual effects, stakeholders, context, perception, culture. Acknowledgements I would like to give special thanks to the following people for their support, insight and guidance given to me during the preparation of this paper: The people in the organisations I interviewed, some of who asked to remain anonymous. Mr. Jon Ferguy, Head of Technology at Sohonet. Mr. Richard Holford, Head of IT at the British Film Institute. Mr. Jonathan Warner, IT-Manager at The Mill. Mr. Gareth Wredden, Managing Director at Sohonet. Dr. Steve Smithson, Head of the Information Systems Department at the London School of Economics, and my dissertation supervisor. Dr. Edgar Whitley, Senior Lecturer of Information Systems at the London School of Economics. Mr. Juan Palacios, Mr. Coen Ching, and Ms. Sue Barclay, and the rest of my fellow ADMIS-students at LSE. And to those of you not mentioned here, but whom I love and respect immeasurably: Thanks for putting up with me during this busy period. Table of contents 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 1 2 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. .................................................. 4 2.1. STAKEHOLDER THEORY................................................................................................................................. 4 2.2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. .......................................................................................................................... 6 3. THE CONTEXT IN WHICH SOHONET EXCISTS. ................................................................................... 8 3.1. THE BRITISH FILM INDUSTRY. ....................................................................................................................... 8 3.2. THE BRITISH VISUAL EFFECTS INDUSTRY .................................................................................................... 12 4. IDENTIFYING SOHONET STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR PERCEPTIONS..................................... 16 4.1. SOHONET STAKEHOLDERS ........................................................................................................................... 17 4.2. A SUMMARY OF THE CURRENT PERCEPTIONS OF SOHONET.......................................................................... 23 5. POSSIBLE FUTURE SCENARIOS FOR SOHONET................................................................................ 27 5.1. SCENARIO 1: REMAIN AS CURRENTLY IMPLEMENTED. ................................................................................ 28 5.2. SCENARIO 2: A UK-BASED NETWORK FOR ANY TYPE OF DIGITAL CONTENT. .............................................. 29 5.3. SCENARIO 3: A GLOBAL NETWORK FOR VISUAL EFFECTS CONTENT. ........................................................... 32 6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 35 6.1. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................... 35 6.2. REFLECTIONS .............................................................................................................................................. 36 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................................... 38 APPENDIXES ..................................................................................................................................................... 42 APPENDIX A: LIST OF QUESTIONS USED AS A GUIDE DURING INTERVIEWS. ........................................................ 43 Glossary There are many different interpretations and definitions of the area of film making known as visual effects - special effects, digital effects, etc. To avoid confusion throughout the rest of this paper, and to explain the differences, here is a glossary (Scammell 1999): Special Effects - Image enhancements that are an obvious and intentional manipulation of the original image - as well as surrealistic effects these include explosions, destroying cities, aliens, animation. Digital Effects - This is a recent term used to apply to any manipulation carried out specifically on a piece of equipment that works with digitised film. Physical effects - Models, explosions, prosthetics - any change in the environment that is then photographed. Compositing - the process of putting together two or more images to make one. Generally carried out on digital equipment it is often called digital compositing. CGI - This refers to “Computer Generated Imaging”. Often incorrectly used to refer to any digital image manipulation, more correctly it means images that have been born inside a computer, as opposed to 'real' images that are manipulated by a computer. Examples: dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, metal man in Terminator 2. Visual effects - anything that produces an image than cannot be seen naturally. These include effects that should never be seen as effects - removing telegraph poles, enhancing the sky, superimposing models etc. Note that visual effects encompass all of the above terms, and include a broad set of skills from model makers, through animation, to creature shops, prosthetics, to digital compositing and CGI. Post-Production - The literal meaning is “all the work carried out after principal photography.” In the film business historically this was the editing and sound dubbing. In the television world for many years post-production has also included the visual effects that have been predominant in TV commercials for about 20 years. Many of these companies are now making a successful move into visual effects for feature films. Visual effects are often described as part of the film post-production process, although this is rarely the case these days (Neale and Smith 1998). Particularly CGI work may be the first part of the film to start work, often in research, and other visual effects may be part of the overall production process. Some studios retain the origins of this work by keeping it under post-production, others now place control of this work under production, and others have a completely separate department. However, generically visual effects are still known as part of “post-production”. 1. Introduction ”Our industry is in a unique position, on the threshold of a technological revolution that once was the stuff of dreams. With strong links to both Europe and the US, it provides us with an extraordinary opportunity for substantial growth and lasting success. We cannot claim to have all the answers - it is just the beginning. But it's time for all of us in the film industry, and those that comment on it, to honestly face up to the realities and then perhaps we have a chance of realising our dreams.” Alan Parker, British film director and Chairman of the British Film Council. The entertainment industry is currently experiencing