How do film organizations ensure that DITA content remains compliant with evolving industry standards and best practices?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

To ensure that DITA content in film organizations remains compliant with evolving industry standards and best practices, a combination of continuous review processes, specialized expertise, and automated checks is employed.

Continuous Review

One fundamental strategy is to establish a continuous review process. DITA allows for metadata and versioning of topics, making it possible to track the latest updates and changes. Film organizations can implement review cycles with experts in the field to validate the accuracy and compliance of the content. By maintaining an audit trail of revisions and reviews, it becomes easy to identify when a topic was last reviewed and by whom. This continuous review ensures that content aligns with the latest industry standards and best practices.

Expert Oversight

Film organizations often rely on subject matter experts who are well-versed in industry standards and best practices to oversee and guide the content creation process. These experts provide valuable insights and ensure that DITA content conforms to the evolving requirements of the film industry. They play a crucial role in reviewing and updating specializations, metadata structures, and constraints to keep the content compliant and up-to-date.

Automated Compliance Checks

Automation also plays a significant role in ensuring compliance. Film organizations can set up automated checks and alerts for content that may deviate from industry standards. For instance, automated scripts can flag issues related to formatting inconsistencies, outdated terminology, or deprecated elements within DITA content. By leveraging automation, film organizations can promptly address compliance issues, ensuring that their documentation aligns with the evolving landscape of the film industry.

Example:

Here’s an example of how DITA allows for compliance checks within a film organization:


<topic id="film_script" spec="filmproduction">
  <title>Film Script</title>
  <metadata>
    <genre>Action</genre>
    <location>Los Angeles</location>
    <last-reviewed>2023-11-15</last-reviewed>
  </metadata>
  <body>
    <scene>
      <location>INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY</location>
      <action>The cafe is bustling with customers sipping coffee and chatting.</action>
      <character>JANE</character>
      <dialogue>"Can I get a cappuccino, please?"</dialogue>
    </scene>
    <!-- More scene elements -->
  </body>
  <alerts>
    <check type="formatting" />
    <check type="terminology" />
    <check type="deprecated-elements" />
  </alerts>

In this example, a DITA topic representing a film script includes compliance checks related to formatting, terminology, and deprecated elements. Automated checks help ensure that the content remains compliant with evolving industry standards.