ARRI Webgate Directlink: Comment on clips without logging in

Filming is done and the movie is ready to be cut. But how do you do that if the director is in Los Angeles and the editor is in Berlin? Pretty easy. Use ARRI Webgate Directlinks.

Comment without login

And this is how it's done: Upload the clips you want someone to comment on into a playlist. After that click on Directlink and choose your basic settings. Pick a name, generate a link, and send it to the people that you want to see the sequence. And now the exciting part: The person that is supposed to see and evaluate the version doesn't need to be registered with ARRI Webgate. This means also people outside the project and customers can state their opinion - frame by frame.

Safety first: limit the validity of your link

Giving outsiders access to unpublished material can stop a heartbeat for some, for others it leads to pure anxiety. But securing your data was and is one of the main focus points while developing the Directlinks. Starting with the basic settings you can select how long the link is valid: From six hours to over a year to any date you like.
On top of that, you can decide if the Screener links are available for download or just for streaming. You can even decide if someone is allowed to comment or if it is only a poll for a certain sequence. This is useful for valuations of different versions of a VFX shot and to decide which version will end up in the movie.

Password protection for your Directlink

This is not where the protection ends. Your clips can be password protected as well. Distribute the password separately and directly to the person that you would like to watch the clip. Ideally you choose another channel than the one you used for sending the Directlink, this can be text messages or via phone.

Even more security with user restriction and watermarks

There are even more possibilities to protect your intellectual property. For example, if you would like to send a Directlink to journalists so that they can write about your film before it premiers. With ARRI Webgate you simply place a watermark with the journalist’s name or a certain code on the content so that an illegal transfer can be traced back to the source.
On top of that, you can restrict the usage, or amount of times the link can be accessed. Choose how often your content can be watched or restrict the content to certain users. Once the limit has been reached, the Directlink is deactivated and can no longer be accessed. By the way, you can choose to get notified via email every time someone watches your scenes.

Support comments with drawings

Besides security features and eased communication, one of the main goals of the Directlinks is making working together as simple as possible is. Hence, ARRI Webgate does not only allow you to comment frame by frame but you can also draw onto the pictures and sequences to stress your point. This is very helpful if, for instance, something needs to be taken out of a sequence or a frame and you have to let the post production know. You could either do that by writing a very specific and long text, or you just take the easy way out and comment: “Please erase the highlighted element.” on the specific scene and give your feedback via the Directlink. This is quickly done and you can go on to the next task. You have given precise instructions and saved a lot of time. This is how Directlinks can make your film project more efficient and your workflow easier.

Import comments into your editing software

All comments can be exported as Avid Markers and can also be reimported into the Avid. Change requests can be reassembled easily in the editorial. Besides an Avid Marker file also an Adobe XMP file can be exported as well.

If you're interested in Directlinks take a look at our other blog article, you will find it here. We explained how the enhanced Directlinks overview makes your work easier.
And if this is not enough you can find even more information on Directlinks in our Guide.

Your ARRI Webgate Team

Published at: June 30, 2019 02:00 PM

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