Customer stories


Rainbow Network Communications

Rainbow Network Communications Makes Movie Magic with Help from FileMaker

 There's nothing like a curling up in front of the television for a great movie. But did you ever stop to think about where those movies come from?

Well, if you're watching such cable channels as American Movie Classics or Bravo, those movies are coming to you not from glamorous, magical Hollywood -- but from a bustling complex of buildings in Floral Park, New York -- where movie magic comes to life with a little help from FileMaker Pro, the award-winning database software application from FileMaker Inc.!

That bustling complex houses Rainbow Network Communications -- a firm with an essential but little-known role in bringing you your evening's entertainment. While the programming itself is produced elsewhere, Rainbow Network is the place where it's actually put together -- the individual programs, commercials, and features all arrive on professional-grade Beta video cassettes, and are then fed to the satellite system that in turn delivers the programming to your local cable company.

Documenting the flow of that program material is Frank Orlando's job. If it's time for a movie to air -- that tape had better be in the right spot. If a cartoon or short subject is needed to fill time between features -- a subject of exactly the right length needs to be found and scheduled. And there's no room for slip ups.

Used to be, this documentation was done the analog way -- with card files and loose leaf catalogs. It was slow, cumbersome, and prone to error -- and as the operation grew, the system became unworkable. But FileMaker Pro has changed all that. 'We wouldn't be able to manage the networks without the databases to track everything,' says Frank. Program material can be indexed and cross-indexed by any category necessary -- by genre, by title, by cast, by director, by release date, by production company, by running time. Or, by any other classification Frank can think of to improve the efficiency of the system. 'As we've identified problems with our information flow, we've been able to deal with them,' explains Frank. 'The best feature is that you can search any field or any combination of fields to find exactly the information you need -- anytime -- and you don't have to go through a lot of hoops to get it!' Frank can't begin to
count up the dollars -- or the hours -- FileMaker has saved, but he's sure of one thing: 'It's been an incredible help!'

Whether it's a great old movie on AMC, a modern classic on Bravo, or an exciting ballgame on Fox Sports, Rainbow Network Communications can count on FileMaker Pro to help keep the show on the air.



Contact information

Contact Info for Customer:

Frank Orlando
Database Coordinator
Rainbow Network Communications
(516) 393-3082
frorlando@rainbow-media.com


Filemaker Contact:

Kevin Mallon
Public Relations Manager
FileMaker Inc.
408-987-7227
kevin_mallon@filemaker.com
http://www.filemaker.com


Overview
  • Rainbow Networks is hard at work behind the scenes at cable channels such as American Movie Classics and Bravo, gathering programming materials -- from features to commercials -- and putting them in order for delivery via satellite to your local cable company. And FileMaker Pro is hard at work behind the scenes at Rainbow Network, organizing that programming material.
Industry
  • Creative Markets
  • Entertainment
  • Medium-Large Business