Patent ID: 7702654

Claim:
A computer for managing media assets in media production, comprising: a database storing a plurality of records, each record storing information for a media asset, said stored information including work performance information for the media asset, wherein the work performance information includes information which is used to evaluate performance including at least one of amount of time or money actually used, estimated, and bid for the media asset, and also includes information indicating a stage in a pipeline for a corresponding media asset, wherein the pipeline includes an environment modeling pipeline comprising dependencies and relationships among assets of the media production, wherein the environment modeling pipeline includes, in order: (1) modeling, wherein modeling generates component products at the latest when a group of component products is published; (2) texture painting, wherein texture painting comprises a tracking product for each component and a mechanism that determines whether texture painting has been done for a product; and (3) look development, wherein look development defines aspects to create the appearance of a 3-D element; a database interface coupled to said database and to a network, said database interface providing access to said plurality of records, collecting and managing information for the corresponding media assets, and performing ongoing status check of the media assets and statistical analyses of various production aspects of the media asset including the work performance information for the media asset, wherein said database interface performs tasks including: tracking and managing workflow; adjusting and scheduling of the media assets; and generating reports covering the ongoing status check and the statistical analyses; one or more data storage components for storing the media assets; one or more input devices performing input functions for managing the media assets and the tasks performed by said database interface; and one or more output devices performing output functions for managing the media assets and the tasks performed by said database interface.