How do film organizations manage variations of content for different genres, film formats, and production crew roles using DITA?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

In film organizations, managing variations of content for different genres, film formats, and production crew roles is a complex task that can be efficiently handled with DITA XML. DITA allows for structured content management, making it possible to create and organize content modules that can be reused and tailored to specific needs. Here, we explore how DITA supports this process.

Versatile Topic Types

DITA provides versatile topic types that can be customized to accommodate variations in content. For example, when creating content for different film genres, you can use a generic “Scene Description” topic type and apply conditional processing attributes, such as “genre,” to specify the genre-specific details. Similarly, for variations in film formats, you can use a “Script” topic type and apply conditions for different formats like feature film scripts, television scripts, or documentaries. This allows content creators to maintain a single source of content while tailoring it to specific genres or formats.

Conditional Processing

Conditional processing is a powerful feature in DITA that allows you to manage variations efficiently. You can use conditional attributes like “genre,” “format,” or “role” to mark content modules or elements. For instance, if you have a scene description that is specific to a horror film, you can mark it with a “genre” attribute set to “horror.” When generating content, you can use conditional processing to include or exclude content based on these attributes. This ensures that crew members working on different genres or formats receive content tailored to their needs, enhancing efficiency and clarity.

Example:

Here’s an example of how conditional processing can be used to manage variations of content for different film genres in DITA:


<topic id="scene_description">
  <title>Scene Description</title>
  <body>
    <p>This is a scene description for an intense horror sequence.</p>
    <conditional-attribute class="genre" value="horror">
      <info>Horror-specific details go here.</info>
    </conditional-attribute>
  </body>

In this example, a “genre” conditional attribute is applied to a scene description topic. When generating content for a horror film, the additional horror-specific details will be included, ensuring that the content is tailored to the genre.