In late October, CGI.Backgrounds Communications Director Thomas Smith attended the Digital Media Licensing Association's (DMLA) annual conference in San Francisco. CGI.Backgrounds has been a proud member of the DMLA for years.
The association represents the best of the licensing industry and addresses questions of copyright, artificial intelligence, image authenticity, photojournalism, and much more.
DMLA's annual conference brings together leaders from large companies like Google, Amazon, Adobe, Getty Images, Shutterstock, and many more, as well as specialized licensing agencies like us, to learn about industry trends and new directions.
Here are three key things that we learned from Thomas's time at the conference.
Trusted Photos Matter
In today’s world, misinformation and disinformation is easier to create than ever. As a result, trusted photos matter more than ever.
We learned from companies like Google and Adobe that artificial intelligence is accelerating the speed with which people can create fake images in the news space. This is a major problem for credibility and trust in that industry. But even for industries like ours, image authenticity is a big concern.
If you're using an HDRi Map or Backplate to illustrate a photoshoot, you want to know that it really does depict the real-world place you’re aiming to show.
This is important for visual authenticity, but also for localizing your render. If you're placing a vehicle into a scene of a European street, for example, you want to know that the background of your virtual shoot really was taken in Europe, and not a European-looking place in another country.
Consumers are very sensitive to issues of authenticity, so getting these details right matter–not only to clients and brands but to their end customers as well.
At the conference, we learned about the importance of metadata and accurate keywording. This is something we've always been passionate about at CGI.Backgrounds, and all of our HDRi Maps and Backplates come with detailed keywording and metadata.
The Power of AI
Since the launch of ChatGPT last year, AI has taken off in many industries, including the digital media licensing space. AI systems like Midjourney and DALL-E can generate realistic photos in a few seconds.
As our testing has shown , they're not yet ready to create full quality 3D renders, but the point in time where these systems can create usable 3D backgrounds is fast approaching.
At the conference, we learned about the importance of training generative AI models using accurate and industry-specific data.
Yes, a generic model like Midjourney can create some nice looking images, but to build something that works in a professional context, it's important to train or fine-tune models using images from a specific sector.
In the future, HDRi Maps and Backplates could be used to train a generative AI model, which could then create new backgrounds. We're excited about the possibilities that these new technologies introduce, both for the creative process and potentially for creating new images.
The Importance of Industry Collaborations
When we started CGI.Backgrounds 20 years ago, the digital media industry was mostly about producing photos. Today, that's changed dramatically.
Advanced technologies, skilled photographers or designers, and software partners all work together to create solutions for brands and customers.
Collaborations across multiple industries are now essential. We're thrilled to have had the opportunity to partner with companies like Autodesk, Epic Games, Nvidia and Unity, and we look forward to building more of these cross-industry partnerships going forward.
The Digital Media Licensing Association's annual conference was a great opportunity to learn about major trends in the industry that affect CGI.Backgrounds, but also the issues that will also be impactful for our customers.
We're glad to have attended and to be able to share some of these insights with you. If you'd like to keep up with more industry news and insights, make sure to join our newsletter.
