Metadata is—in the simplest sense—data about data. In practical terms, metadata is a set of standardized information about a file, such as author name, resolution, color space, copyright, and keywords applied to the file. For example, most cameras attach some basic information to video files, such as date, duration, and file type. Other metadata can be entered as shot-list information in OnLocation or at the capture stage in Adobe Premiere Pro. You can add additional metadata with properties such as location, author name, and copyright. Because you can share, view, and use this metadata across Adobe Creative Suite applications, you can use this information to streamline your workflow and organize your files.
The Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) is the metadata standard used by Adobe applications. Metadata that is stored in other formats—such as Exif, IPTC (IIM), GPS, and TIFF—is synchronized and described with XMP so that it can be more easily viewed and managed. For example, adjustments made to images with Adobe Camera Raw are stored as XMP metadata. The XMP standard is based on XML.
A metadata schema is a collection of properties specific to a given workflow. The Dynamic Media schema, for example, includes properties such as Scene and Shot Location that are tailored for digital video projects. Exif schemas, by contrast, include properties tailored to digital photography, such as Exposure Time and Aperture Value. More general properties, such as Date and Title, appear in the Dublin Core schema. To see a tool tip with information about a specific schema or property, place the pointer over it in the Metadata panel. You can create your own schemas using commands in the Metadata panel, and you can import schemas and share them with others as XML files.
Metadata is divided into two general categories: static metadata and temporal metadata. Static metadata is metadata that applies to an entire asset. For example, the copyright and author information for a video clip apply to the entire clip. Temporal metadata is metadata that is associated with a specific time within a dynamic media asset. Beat markers from Soundbooth and the metadata generated by the Speech Search feature in Soundbooth and Premiere Pro are examples of temporal metadata.
Adobe Story also converts information from a screenplay (script) into XMP metadata that can automate the creation of shooting scripts, shot lists, and more.