Broadcastpro Middle East by BroadcastPro ME

issue 24 | July 2012

Technology inTelligence for TV, film and radio

INTERVIEW

TECH updaTE

broadcast studios

transcoding farm

Gatward on building Building an efficient | www.broadcastprome.com | July 2010 1David

VIEWpOINT

The cloud and the crowd Digital workflows

EVENTS

PSS, Qatar DSLR workshop, Dubai

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

ANNIVERSARY HIGHLIGHTS! We bring you the highlights from our 2nd anniversary party.

Full set of pictures on Facebook. tag yourself on www.facebook.com/broadcastprome

Welcome

last month, we witnessed at least five different events hosted by manufacturers and distributors in our market. some promised to be educational while others were product-specific demos. While this is a good sign and must be encouraged, there is a dire need for good, generic training events and educational seminars that have no agenda but to educate end users to make good sound technical decisions at their respective work places. Workshops should genuinely be used to “share knowledge and information” without being used as a

sponsor’s products — at the roundtables platform to advertise one’s products and and annual Summit we have held as part solutions or services. of our WorkshopPro Series. This line of In doing so, we will gradually manage to thought will continue for the Summit attract a captive audience to come to the and Awards, which we plan to host on events we host because they will see value | July 2012 34 | www.broadcastprome.com November 12 in Dubai. Our plan is to bring in them. End users will begin to recognise together a mix of veterans — both old and that such events are not masquerades new to the market — so they can share to showcase a company’s products and from their experience and expertise with services but genuinely seek to give those who join us. something to the broadcast community. If there are topics you would like us to Right now, the complaint in the market explore at the ASBU BroadcastPro Summit is that manufacturers host events and and Awards, may I encourage you to email end users don’t turn up. My answer to me so we can work together towards the manufacturers is to revisit their creating an agenda that will benefit end presentations and see if they genuinely users. Further details are available on have something to offer end users other www.broadcastprome.com than information about their products unless the demo is targeted at users of that product. In some cases, a vendor begins with a generic presentation that eventually whittles down to a subtle message about their wares. Out of utmost respect for our end users and the people who attend our events, BroadcastPro ME has been careful to VIjaya Cherian, Group Editor, follow this mandate – of not advertising Broadcast Division

issue 24 | July 2012

Technology inTelligence for TV, film and radio

JORDANIAN CINEMA on ThE risE filmmaking duo gET rEady for ThEaTrical rElEasE

EVENTS INTERVIEW PSS, Qatar David Gatward on building | July 2010 1 | www.broadcastprome.com DSLR workshop, Dubai

broadcast studios

TECH updaTE

Building an efficient transcoding farm

VIEWpOINT

The cloud and the crowd Digital workflows

Publisher Dominic De Sousa

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

Cover: Fadi George Haddad (l) and Nadia Eliewat. Photo courtesy: Amer Sweidan. Reworked by Kamil Roxas.

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Leave no story untold What you capture on set will define how your story unfolds. The cutting edge EOS C300 is born to please cinematographers. Lightweight, compact and stunningly simple to operate, it is scalable for any project and affordable even for small independent productions. cpn.canon-europe.com

in this issue JULY 2012

14 Professional Seminar Series, Qatar

30 BroadcastPro ME

celebrates 2nd anniversary with industry

36 Diane Kuo on grading The Intruder

39 The cloud and the crowd 44 Building an efficient transcoding farm

16 COVER STORY

46 Digital workflow - The means to an end

50 New technologies 56 The rise of the freelancer

INTERVIEW

David Gatward on building a professional broadcast studio

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pronews new hall format for cabsat 2013 CABSAT 2013 will see the show move into a new hall format, having outgrown Sheikh Saeed Halls in 2012. The new location will be Halls 1-8 and this will offer the show the opportunity to grow between 20-30% year-on-year, according to the organiser. Speaking about the move, David Roberts, industry group manager, CABSAT said: “The migration of all of the big exhibitors from the old format to the new one is now largely done and we are already well over 50% fully booked. The dates will be March 12-14, 2012 and this will see us move away from being the same week as Mobile World Congress in Barcelona which caused a few logistical headaches for some exhibitors this year. “With the increasing convergence between the broadcast and telecoms industries, this move has been very well received by our exhibitors.”

WASP3D APPointS buSineSS mAnAger for miDDle eASt Fadi El Halabi has joined WASP3D as business manager of Beesys Middle East. El Halabi will be based in the company’s new office at Dubai Media City. In his role, El Halabi will focus on business development, account management and promotion of WASP3D products in the region. He will work closely with the broadcasters to provide them graphics, and content display and presentation solutions. El Halabi has more than seven years of experience and extensive knowledge of the Middle East broadcast market where he has worked on developing sales and marketing strategies. Speaking about why he joined WASP3D, El Halabi said: “I was impressed with the product, its features, support mechanism and the professionalism with which they conduct business at WASP3D. I am excited about this great opportunity and am positive that we can offer compelling solutions to broadcasters here.” WASP3D has been growing its presence in key markets and has appointed El Halabi with the aim of setting up its base for providing high-level solutions to TV broadcasters in the region.

Paul Wallis (l), head of business development at SMC with Jamal Bnari (r), Visual Unity’s head of sales and marketing for the Middle East & Asia.

Visual unity and salam media cast partner in multiscreen sector Systems integrators Visual Unity and Salam Media Cast have partnered to offer integrated multiscreen IP solutions and mobile content delivery to broadcasters in the Middle East. Under the terms of the partnership, Visual Unity will work alongside Salam Media Cast (SMC) to provide its multiscreen expertise in managing content across the networks and solutions that SMC installs. This arrangement covering the Middle East and North Africa will reportedly allow SMC to enter new markets and develop its business in the burgeoning multiscreen environment. In return, Visual Unity, which recently established an office in the Middle East, will have the opportunity to leverage SMC’s regional presence and facilities. Under the direction of newly appointed CEO Paul Hennessy, the company is making a shift that reportedly reflects the dynamics of the industry with the aim of bringing innovation and the latest technology to the region. Recently established PoPs in UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia now enable Visual Unity to offer, the company claims, the benefits of its own Content Delivery Network (CDN) to Middle East customers, providing cost effective, secure and robust content distribution across the region. Commenting on the new arrangement between the two companies, Paul Wallis, head of business development at SMC, said: “Visual Unity’s expertise in multiscreen systems integration, combined with its vuMedia platform that allows broadcasters to manage and monetise multiscreen content, provides SMC with a complementary addition to our existing business

model. SMC is targeting growth across a number of new business areas and this collaboration opens up exciting possibilities for us.” Tomas Petru, managing director of Visual Unity, added that “Visual Unity will provide SMC with multiscreen IP solutions, software development and mobile delivery knowledge in a way that complements SMC’s existing offerings”. “From our perspective, this arrangement brings enormous benefits as it will enable us to extend our reach via one of the largest and wellfunded integrators in the Middle East region.” Both Wallis and Petru believe the synergy between the two companies will benefit broadcast customers as they move into the multiscreen broadcast market. “More than 100 clients across the Middle East are already using broadcast systems installed by SMC,” Wallis said. “We are able to design and build full turnkey system solutions using our team of international and local talent. With Visual Unity by our side, we can now extend modern thinking and expertise in managing content for multiscreen environments to our customer base. The way audiences view content is changing dramatically – and fast.” Jamal Bnari, Visual Unity’s head of sales and marketing for the Middle East and Asia, added that the partnership would help both companies “engage in opportunities that require both traditional linear and multiscreen systems integration input”. “We are already collaborating on large tenders for IPTV, application development and digital signage tenders,” he confirmed.

July 2012 | www.broadcastprome.com |

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ZahEER KhaN jOiNS aTG BROadcaST’S MiddlE EaST OPERaTiONS Mir Zaheer Ali Khan has joined ATG Broadcast as head of its Middle East operations. A skilled 2D/3D virtual set designer and on-air graphics artist, Ali Khan joins ATG broadcast from IVSM Systems, where he worked for two years as a product specialist and technical support officer. Prior to that, Ali Khan worked as head of Graphics for the on-air and virtual studio department at Al Dafrah TV. Ali Khan is known for having worked with most of the broadcasters in the UAE including Dubai TV, Al Majed TV, Ajman TV, Oman TV, Bahrain TV and Abu Dhabi News Channel/Abu Dhabi Sports Channel.

Fatima Al Dhaheri’s final short film titled Something Called Fear won the inaugural Arab Film Studio (AFS) film competition hosted by Image Nation Abu Dhabi and twofour54 tadreeb at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Al Dhaheri, who was selected from five finalists, won a US $13,500 development deal with Image Nation Abu Dhabi. The other four finalists from the various competition categories including Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Costume, Music and Sound Design also received awards. The awards are the culmination of a three-month AFS instructional lab programme designed to mirror the real process by which feature films are developed and produced. The finalists began the training programme after being selected from dozens of Arab Film Studio 2012 entries, and concluded their AFS training by shooting and editing a final film project (a ten-minute short), which then formed their final competition submission. Speaking about the awards, Mohammed Al Mubarak, chairman of Image Nation, said: “Throughout AFS 2012, all five of our finalists showed real talent across the various aspects of filmmaking and I am certain they

From left: Arab Film Studio winner Fatima Al Dhaheri and Michael Garin, CEO of Image Nation.

have a bright future ahead of them.” Following the success of AFS 2012, Image Nation also announced that the AFS programme will continue and expand in 2013. Michael Garin, CEO of Image Nation promised that more details for the 2013 programme will be announced shortly. Following the conclusion of the Arab Film Studio 2012 competition, Image Nation and twofour54 will also help the contestants facilitate entries to appropriate film festivals for each film.

ArAbsAt clArifies irAniAn issue Last month, Bahrain TV shifted its bouquet from Arabsat to Noorsat to protest the transmission of Iranian channels on Arabsat’s Badr satellite. Arabsat issued a clarification last month on “some of the technical, operational and legal issues that might be unknown to the public”. It stated that its commercial contract for leasing satellite capacity to the Iranian Space Agency on Badr-5 was signed in 2007. “This contract has been introduced, before signature, to the General Assembly of Arabsat attended by Arab Communications ministers or their representatives with the participation of the delegation of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and it was unanimously approved without recording a minimum objection of any party. Therefore, Arabsat

went ahead in manufacturing Badr-5 satellite for non-specialists in the field of satellites. The period of design, manufacture and launch of any satellite is up to three years as the launch of BADR-5 was at the end of year 2010,” a statement issued by Arabsat said. It clarified that the satellite capacities leased by Iran Space Agency were “limited in geographic coverage to the Iranian territories” and “did not reach the Arab world in general” although it admitted that “spill over” was sometimes common if people had larger antennas. Arabsat pointed out that it halted the transmission of the contentious channel in question — Al-Alam — two years ago. Arabsat also added that it had reached an agreement with the Iranian authorities to discontinue the broadcast of Al-Alam channel on the Iranian bouquet.

6 | www.broadcastprome.com | July 2012

Will Waters gives a demo of the NewTek Tricaster 8000 in Dubai.

MeDiAcAst HOsts neWteK DeMO MediaCast hosted a seminar to introduce broadcasters and production professionals to Newtek’s Tricaster 8000 solution last month. More than 70 people attended the half-day event, according to Peyman Dadpanah, business director, MediaCast. TriCaster 8000, with its included

hardware control surface, is a complete live production and media publishing solution that is designed for the rapidly changing landscape of video production. The solution is scheduled to release late summer. US-based Will Waters, sales engineer at NewTek conducted the training seminar for the attendees.

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new tV series to air durinG ramadan A new TV series titled Lobat Al Mara Rajol by Ayyad Media Art Productions and Media Group Production is scheduled to air across the Gulf on a number of satellite channels during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Based on a novel by Saudi writer Sarah Al Olaiwi, the show highlights social issues such as the dual life that men in Saudi and Arab societies lead within and beyond the home. The filming of the series is nearing completion. Produced by Media Group Production, Lobat Al Mara Rajol marks a milestone in the Saudi entertainment industry. Written by Ahmad Al Maghrebi, the series is directed by Jordanian director Iyad Al Khzzour, who has to his credit popular shows such as Bayareq Al Araba, Awraq Al Hob Karima, Doa’at Ala Abwab Jahanam, and Sultana. Speaking about the production, director Iyad Al Khzzour said: “The series will mark a departure from my previous works. We will shoot several parts of the series in the format of reality TV, which is unprecedented in Arabic drama. We have chosen this route to offer the viewer a realistic portrayal of

The Lobat Al Mara Rajol team announces the launch of the programme at a press conference.

Saudi society. A unique approach will not be limited to the direction aspect alone, but will cover all components in a bid to present a meaningful and distinctive show.” Lobat Al Mara Rajol revolves around the protagonist Reem, who is attached to her only brother Nayef. The entire family’s favourite, Reem too seeks his company and approval. Her obsession extends to her dislike of his wives, which makes Nayef uneasy. Reem tries to thwart Nayef’s personal and professional success fearing that

she might be overshadowed. The plot develops with the family facing difficult situations and taking painful decisions. Mazen Ayyad, chairman of Ayyad Group, added: “We have put together our resources and efforts to produce the series. Filmed in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, and Switzerland, the locations were selected on the basis of the original novel. Our show will not be exclusive to any channel and aired during and after the Holy month of Ramadan to attract a larger audience.”

July 2012 | www.broadcastprome.com |

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twofour54 supports poparabia music consultancy Abu Dhabi-based twofour54 ibtikar has announced support for PopArabia, a music publishing and rights consultancy. PopArabia has secured agreements to become the exclusive representative in the Arab World for Universal Music Publishing Group, the Universal Production Music Library, and Imagem Music Group, the world’s largest independent music publisher. This gives PopArabia exclusive management rights to millions of titles, driving the development of a sustainable commercial music industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. PopArabia is the brainchild of entrepreneur Hussain Spek Yoosuf, who represents the world’s leading music catalogues to ensure music rights are licensed appropriately in all forms of media, including; film, mobile, online, broadcast and advertising. The aim is to monetise international and regional rights, creating a profitable arena for new and existing talent, and ensuring that international music publishing

businesses, such as Imagem and Universal, see the potential of the MENA market. Speaking about the deal, Wayne Borg, twofour54 deputy CEO & COO, said; “Music already plays a key part in the growing media and entertainment industry across the region, but by ensuring that its use is properly and transparently monetised, PopArabia can help prospective Arabic musicians to understand that music can be a business not just a passion. PopArabia is a unique opportunity for twofour54, complementing our existing initiatives and driving the creation of a vibrant, sustainable and commercial regional media and entertainment industry across a wide range of disciplines.” Yoosuf added that his “work with music rights in the UAE has been focused on developing a sustainable and thriving music industry regionally”. “I really could not have found a better partner than twofour54. As the region’s creative, entertainment and media industry grows and develops, PopArabia

belDen AcQuireS mirAnDA U.S. cable manufacturer Belden has bought Miranda for an approximate value of US $350 million. Miranda’s shares soared last month following the acquisition announcement. This is Belden’s fourth acquisition in the last two years. It previously acquired Telecast Fiber Systems, LRC, and ICM. Commenting on the transaction, Strath Goodship, Miranda’s president and CEO stated: “This is an attractive opportunity for Miranda’s shareholders to realise a significant premium for their shares in an all-cash deal. Belden has a strong portfolio of successful businesses, proven experience with many of our broadcast customers, and a solid reputation in Canada and Montreal. “Our businesses and technologies are highly complementary and bringing them together will generate a more complete set of end-to-end solutions for our customers. Together, we can continue to build on our success as a premium provider to the broadcast industry.”

Miranda and Belden will develop an integration plan that best leverages the combined capabilities of the two companies. Belden has stated that it has no plans to make any changes to Miranda’s existing operations, including the R&D and manufacturing operations located at its Montreal base. No significant changes to employment levels are expected either. With no significant product overlap, the primary focus will be to ensure continuity of supply and support to customers of both companies, Belden stated. John Stroup, president and CEO of Belden said the acquisition was another step in the ongoing transformation taking place at the company. “We believe that the combined company would be a leader in one of Belden’s target market segments and would deliver considerable value for Belden customers and shareholders.”

10 | www.broadcastprome.com | July 2012

Hussain Spek Yoosuf is the brainchild of PopArabia.

is helping to pave the way for more international music stakeholders to benefit from and grow this market.” PopArabia’s combined catalogue includes major pop hits and songs of all genres and eras. It also includes the widest body of production music available in the region, providing film and TV producers with ‘one-stop-shop’ access to background music for their productions.

Kit DigitAl oPen to AcQuiSition or merger KIT Digital is exploring business options including a potential sale, consolidation or merger after it failed to reach an agreement regarding the appointment of four additional candidates to its Board of Directors as recommended by some of its investors including JEC Capital, which was also responsible for creating a similar issue at Miranda Technologies earlier this year. KIT has engaged Deutsche Bank to explore options with entities that have expressed interest in working with the company. These announcements have been the consequence of several issues at the company recently including substantially lower financial results which prompted investors to sell their assets, thereby causing share prices to plummet. KIT Digital’s revenue for Q1 2012 was US $59m, down 16% from the previous quarter. Earlier this year, former KIT Digital CEO Kaleil Isaza Tuzman also resigned from his position as the company’s non-executive chairman, citing differences with the company’s board of directors regarding KIT’s strategic sales process.

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AdvANcEd MEdiA cONductS dSLR WORkShOP Owing to the increased popularity of DSLR cameras, Dubai-based distributor Advanced Media Trading hosted a DSLR workshop at AM Studio in late May. The workshop, which was attended by more than 70 people from across the GCC, was led by German DoP and filmmaker Stefan Czech. Speaking about the workshop, Kaveh Farnam, CEO of Advanced Media said: “This workshop was so popular we had attendees including cameramen, filmmakers and producers from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and even, Afghanistan. Seeing how popular this has been, we hope to host more such workshops for different products and offer basic and advanced training workshops.” Attendees called for more workshops to be hosted in Dubai so people could understand different aspects of the storytelling workflow. Hasan Aslan, an attendee, urged distributors to conduct more workshops on using digital video cameras effectively, lighting for a digital cinema setup and editing on Adobe CS6. Omar Alnassari, media and production coordinator at Al Dafrah Group called for

more “hands-on workshops that give people experience with the cameras and enable them to make informed buying decisions”.

5% revenue growth in cable industry

The cable industry estimates a revenue increase of 5% over the next 12 months, driven by broadband, mobile and next generation TV services, according to the Fifth Survey of European Cable Communication. According to the survey, cable operators are optimistic about their growth prospect with EBITDA margin rising by two percent to 48% on average until 2014. The survey shows a decline in basic TV penetration – a trend that has been clearly

emerging in recent years – though pay-TV penetration is forecast to continue growing. Next generation TV services are cited as the means to protect the TV customer base of cable operators. Major elements of future TV services include multiscreen, TV-everywhere and next-generation STBs. In addition, cable operators highlight the importance of turning OTT from a threat into an opportunity in the report. Speaking about the trends shown in the survey, Christian Teichmann, managing director of Solon Management Consulting in London said: “TV customers increasingly prefer tailor-made video offerings rather than 20-30 analogue channels. TV customers look for HD TV, digital recorders as well as movies and TV series on demand. This is the reason why 86% of participating cable CEOs put next-generation-TV on top of their strategic agenda.”

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July 2012 | www.broadcastprome.com |

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Al JAzeerA strikes deAl with CAnAlsAt Al Jazeera’s new French sports channels beIN Sport 1 and beIN Sport 2, which were launched last month, will be carried by DTH service CanalSat from July 1, 2012 after the two parties struck a deal. Previously, Canal+, owned by Vivendi and former exclusive rights holder of the Ligue 1 football games, had banned Al Jazeera’s new sports channels from its CanalSat channel bouquets on IPTV and DTH satellite. Al Jazeera’s Bein Sport1 is now available on most IPTV platforms, as well as on two Eutelsat satellite positions. This includes cable by Numericable, IPTV providers Alice, Bouygues Telecom, Darty Box, Free, Orange, SFR and satellite DTH from BIS TV, Orange Sat, SFR Sat and Parabole Réunion. Bein Sport acquired a number of Ligue 1 football games as well as the rights to the Champions League for broadcast in France. Until now, Canal+ had a virtual monopoly on all the football rights in France. It also accused Al Jazeera of allegedly poaching its journalists and is seeking legal action for the same. Interestingly, with these developments, France’s Telecom will close its Orange Sport channel at the end of the month and offer the two BeIn Sport channels in their place. In another change to the televised sport landscape, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) is closing its premium digital terrestrial channel, Cfoot, after less than a year.

PREmiER LEaguE RightS battLE cONtiNuES UK-based broadcaster BSkyB clinched an exclusive deal, breaking the TV rights record by winning primary coverage of the English Premier League for a staggering $4.7 billion, a 71% increase over last year’s rights value. New competitor BT came in at a shock surprise second place in a $1.2 billion deal, securing 38 live matches including the all-important opening game of the season. Although pay television broadcaster BSkyB has been able to retain its live broadcasting rights, the three-year contract now including BT has brought a dramatic shift to British sports broadcasting. BT seems to have invested its money where the competition is, upping its game to compete with Sky and Virgin Media in homes across Britain. Disneyowned sports giant, ESPN, has lost all the Premier League rights it previously owned, with Al Jazeera also being knocked out of the equation. There is much conjecture about who will secure the rights for the Premier League in the Middle East, with present owner Abu Dhabi Media

and competitor Al Jazeera in the running. Overseas deals generate an additional $2 billion, and more three-year deals will be negotiated within the coming months. Word is that we won’t know who holds the rights for the Middle East until September. As Premier League footballers can be expected to get richer with salary figures and transfer deals increasing substantially, it could be left with the fans to cover costs. Supporters fear subscription costs will rise considerably. However, the Premier League has expressed an interest in developing youth talent and a new infrastructure. This would, therefore, give football fans exactly what they want by enhancing top quality football and world class stadia.

iMiMobile develops ipAd App for sky news ArAbiA IMImobile, a global provider of digital media solutions to telecom operators, media companies and enterprises, developed the Sky News Arabia iPad app that has achieved a 4*+ rating in just over a month since the launch of the channel. The app delivers Arabic-language breaking news videos and articles by geographical region or category. The custom-built tablet interface displays a rotating photo wall carousel, allowing users to select live-streaming news videos in a 3D environment. News stories are automatically uploaded to the app via an open API to ensure users have seamless access on the move to breaking news as it happens. Working in conjunction with Sky News Arabia’s content management and editorial teams, the app was launched on May 3,

2012. The close integration with Sky’s content management system allows the news organisation to free up internal resource to focus on core business tasks and reduce cost. “IMImobile had an exciting vision for the app that revealed not only a deep understanding of the rapidly changing mxaedia landscape in the Middle East and North Africa but also our business objectives,” stated Thair Soukar, head of Digital Strategy at Sky News Arabia. “This, coupled with its outstanding

reputation in the media sector, meant that after a stringent selection process IMImobile emerged as the clear winner. The reviews on the app store and number of downloads to date are a testament to the app’s compelling user experience.” Speaking about the app, Steve Godman, commercial director, Brands and Media at IMImobile said: “Sky News Arabia set very high expectations for quality and needed the app to replicate its vision for the launch of the TV channel in terms of audience experience and design innovation. We delivered against these expectations both on time and under budget. Our approach to app development has given the team at Sky News Arabia confidence in our ability to deliver and has subsequently engaged us to provide its forthcoming Android tablet products.”

July 2012 | www.broadcastprome.com |

PROEVENT

PSS event connects end users Axon, Tektronix and Dolby hosted its Professional Seminar Series in Qatar and Dubai last month. The series was aimed at sharing knowledge about new trends in their related fields of expertise with end users. BroadcastPro spoke to representatives from the three companies to find out more about the seminars

End users at the Professional Seminar Series event in Qatar.

“We started the Professional Seminar Series last year in this market because we felt there was a need to share knowledge. Many broadcasters struggle with the transition to High Definition (HD) and Dolby Digital. We thought we should put together a series of seminars to share information with end users in the region. We first began this in Dubai and we felt it was quite successful so we decided to tour Doha also this year. We are working with partners who provide solutions in different parts of the supply chain. Axon specifically focused on aspect ratio. There has always been a lot of confusion regarding this subject especially

with the transition to HD. Traditionally, channels used to broadcast in 4:3, but in Europe ten years ago, we moved to 16:9 although the transmission was still in SD. This obviously means that one has to create a lot of content in 16:9 but also, a lot of old material needed to be converted. If done wrong, it could cause distortion, but there are ways around it such as zooming in or seeing two black bars on either side of the screen. These options and trends were discussed in detail at the seminar.” Marc Derks, regional sales director, Axon. Marc Barkey (above) and Marc Derks (below).

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“In June, the Professional Seminar Series (PSS) returned to the Middle East and conducted seminars in Qatar and the UAE. This year, besides Tektronix, Dolby and Axon, we had Ericsson join us as well for PSS. Proliferation of technical concepts and new technologies, shared experiences from other regions and case studies were brought back by popular demand. The four sessions in the morning focused on near-future and pioneering technologies (some already in use in the region) while the afternoon sessions highlighted practical applications. We hosted a full house on June 6 and 7 in Doha, and June 12 and 13 in Dubai, where lively discussions and interactions with broadcasters, telcos, system integrators and consultants marked the events.” Mark Barkey, regional sales manager Middle East, Axon Digital Design

“Surround sound or multichannel surround sound is part of the HD transmission package or ideally, they should be. Multichannel sound completes the cinematic experience on HD. In this part of the world, we see people consuming lots of international content that is already produced

PROEVENT in 5.1 but somehow is not delivered to them in 5.1. The other issue we face is that there is a lack of content produced in this region in multichannel. Last year, we worked with Abu Dhabi Media to produce their football games in 5.1. People felt they were watching the game in a stadium. We want to continue doing this with other broadcasters and content producers in the region, not just for sports, but for movies, TV series and drama as well. “We also hope to see more Dolby certified labs in this region soon. Lebanon and Dubai are likely to have studios soon. In the last 10 years, we have had only two Dolby-certified studios and they are both in Egypt and that was for 35mm movies. Now, even filmmakers who are producing movies in digital formats would like to work with Dolby Digital.” Tarif Sayed, regional director of Dolby MEA

the process, used now with much more higher res technologies such as 4K as a means of capturing your content right up front. The ability to capture your content in the highest possible format to start with and edit as you go through the chain offers amazing possibilities. “In test and measurement specifically, the challenges for us as manufacturers is to move forward with 3G, 3D and 4K. Content in all these formats need test equipment, and what that means to test equipment manufacturers is that we need to stay ahead of our customer base. “On the IP side, especially, we’re seeing an increase in software tools, part for QC and file based environments. It’s all about quality that’s being delivered.” Ian Valentine, business director, Video Test Product Line, Tektronix “Test and measurement is like a safety belt for when things go wrong. When you are producing premium HD content to a large audience with 5.1 sound sound, you want to make sure that the quality

“It’s exciting to see the move to HD in this part of the world. The transition to IP and file-based environments is driving the different kinds of infrastructure we’re starting to see in broadcasting. It’s interesting to see the front end of

of experience for the end user matches that premium content. The role of test and measurement ensures that before you go on air, everything is lined up and correct and within specification. It also means that if there is a problem, test and measurement will get you either back on air or prevent you from falling off air in the first place. “There are lots of new challenges for broadcasters. We are no longer looking at linear channels that are live and broadcasting one channel. We are looking to multi-use and multi-task assets across a variety of different destinations. “The challenge we’ve got as TV professionals is that we tend to work alongside engineers and although engineers are very creative, they are arguably not making the content. They are only enabling it to go on air. “The important thing for us is to allow the creative people to make great content. We must then ensure that engaging content reaches homes and devices in a quality that provides viewers with a great experience.” PRO Richard Brooking, video marketing manager EMEA, Tektronix

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PROCOVER

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PROCOVER

Jordanian Cinema

BroadcastPro Middle East meets up with two Jordanian filmmakers as they put the final touches to their first feature film When Mona Lisa Smiled

Young, up-and-coming Jordanian filmmakers Nadia Eliewat and Fadi George Haddad are gearing up for the commercial release of their first full-length feature Lamma Dehket Monaliza (When Mona Lisa Smiled) in summer 2012. The romantic comedy, which was shot entirely in Jordan, was completed with a budget of US $170,000, of which US $134,000 was provided by the Royal Film Commission (RFC) of Jordan. “The film was sponsored under the Educational and Feature Film Programme, which gives you a limited budget,” explains Eliewat, who took on the role of producer on this film. “We had to create a platform to bring in more sponsorship to make this project work. People in Jordan are really willing to help, so we were able to complete the film with the limited resources we had.”

The story, scripted by George Haddad, centres around a woman called Mona Lisa, who has never smiled owing to an unhappy childhood. Her life takes a turn for the better when she secures a job with the government and meets a young Egyptian man. His jolly nature and outlook on life contrasts with that of Mona Lisa and their relationship blossoms and allows her to see the world differently, viewing life from a new perspective. Shot over a period of 26 days across Jordan with a Canon 5D camera, the film attempts to explore Jordan’s social and cultural norms and is claimed to be the first that looks at the life of Egyptian workers in the country. The film also attempted to engage more Jordanians in the production. Scriptwriter Haddad says: “The film is about everyday Jordanian people, and a love story for all Arab audiences. I wanted to

Opposite page: The filmmakers Nadia Eliewat and Fadi George Haddad in Jordan, and above, the crew in action.

July 2012 | www.broadcastprome.com |

PROCOVER

“The film is about everyday Jordanian people, and a love story for all Arab audiences. I wanted to write something ... commercial, not arty or elitist, as I want my first independent project to reach a wider audience” Fadi George Haddad, scriptwriter and filmmaker, When MonaLisa smiled

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write something more commercial, not arty or elitist, as I want my first independent project to reach a wider audience.” Producer Eliewat adds that they worked primarily with a Jordanian crew. “We had a crew of about 35 people on set and we worked 12 hours most days. The crew was primarily Jordanian or trained in Jordan and RSICA was our main resource. The Royal Film Commission took care of certain production problems by providing its own executive producer and producers from its finance department as well as advisors and mentors. RSICA also provided production assistants, who were primarily first-year students. We did, however, have non-Jordanian crew members as well. Our assistant director was Iranian, and there were a few Lebanese on set as well,” she adds. The Royal Film Commission (RFC) provided advisors in producing, and they worked with the two filmmakers on both marketing as well as distribution. Fadi George Haddad originally wrote When

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PROCOVER

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Top: Fadi George Haddad directs the actor and below left, Dan Mitre, creative director at Mile Studios grades the film.

Mona Lisa Smiled as a short during his first year at RSICA. But after his course, he felt there was enough to flesh it out into a full feature. A professional editor worked with Haddad as he edited the film, and the team was also provided with a screenwriting advisor. “The script was just 30 pages,” explains Haddad. “During my senior year, I thought that the story had more potential as a feature, and it could be my first project when I graduated. I completed the script and teamed up with Nadia.” In February 2011, the script was accepted into the writing club of Berlinale International Film Festival. Haddad worked alongside a mentor in Germany, re-writing

and locking the script in April 2011, ready to go into pre-production. Eliewat was involved in the project with Haddad from Day 1 and they enjoyed what she calls the “perfect creative partnership.” “He would write and share drafts with me when we were in school together. I immediately saw potential in this for a full-length feature film as it could be done with a low budget and still have commercial appeal, while at the same time being artistic and satisfying for an audience.” The young filmmakers presently reside in Dubai, where they teach digital production and story-planning at the American University. Although the production was completed in Jordan, the team was

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PROCOVER

“It felt good to make a Jordanian film and work with the local community to produce this project. The local people were very helpful and happy to be used as extras” Nadia Eliewat (right), producer, When Mona Lisa Smiled

Fadi George Haddad (l) and Nadia Eliewat (r) oversee the post at Mile Studios, Dubai.

working in Dubai during the stage of post production and felt it ideal to work with a local post production house. Mile Studios, based in Dubai Media City, was chosen as the post-production entity as it specialises in colour correction. “We needed a colour artist to not just create beautiful images but also help us tell the story better. It was important to find someone who was a storyteller, and not just be restricted to the technical aspect and here, the Mile Studios team was able to help us,” says Eliewat.

Post production at Mile Studios took two weeks. In a sneak preview of the film, BroadcastPro ME witnessed various filming techniques employed by the filmmakers to go back and forth in time and we were tempted to sit back and watch more. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges of this production was that it was undertaken last Ramadan. This meant working around different breaks, opening and closing times and working with a team that was fasting. “Despite that and the fact that the town Jebel al Nazeef, where we were shooting, was crowded, filming there was enjoyable. It felt good to make a Jordanian film and work with the local community to produce this project. The local people were very helpful and happy to be used as extras,” explains Eliewat. Lamma Dehket Monaliza is due to release later this summer. PRO

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PROINTERVIEW

David Gatward, MD, 3Sixty.

The 360° studio planner BroadcastPro Middle East catches up with David Gatward, managing director of 3Sixty Consult, the project management company that undertook the studio project at Sky News Arabia, Abu Dhabi

What does 3Sixty Consult do? We are a specialist construction project management firm that works for clients in the broadcasting arena. Our main focus is managing projects for “mission critical businesses” that have to be resilient against power failure, AC breakdowns and anything that would otherwise cause the business to fail. At Sky News, this would mean “Black on Air” which is simply not an option. As a team with a vast construction knowledge coupled with an understanding of broadcast technology, we know how a studio, teleport or broadcast centre operates. With this knowledge of the environment that the technology occupies,

24 | www.broadcastprome.com | July 2012

I guess you could say we bridge the gap between the systems integrators and the contractors. When exactly do you come in — before a studio is built? Preferably, yes. What we have found over the years is that a client only requires a studio to be built say, every 20 years. Building a new studio for them is not a common event and as such, they may not be equipped with the management skills to do so efficiently. Their teams usually comprise finance managers, broadcast technicians, production staff and a small engineering team none of which have ever built a studio before and usually have

PROINTERVIEW “Following a swift critique, we were able to challenge ... designers and get inefficiencies corrected, mechanical and electrical infrastructure resilience added ... and an appropriate level of building, testing and commissioning to mirror the SAT testing of the broadcast systems” David Gatward, managing director, 3Sixty

their day jobs running the business. Sure, they will have upgraded some broadcast technology, moved a partition or two, but building a new studio from first principles? Setting budgets? Managing the designs and construction? Probably not! We normally come in to strengthen the team, provide guidance, manage the design in accordance with the broadcast requirements, manage the construction and hand over a fully functional, tested and commissioned studio facility back to the operational team. When did you get involved with Sky News Arabia? To be honest, it was a little late. The stage was set as the designs were well advanced and procurement strategies in place through the developer. However, following a swift critique, we were able to challenge and guide designers and get inefficiencies corrected, mechanical and electrical infrastructure resilience added where needed and an appropriate level of building, testing and commissioning to mirror the SAT testing of the broadcast systems. If you ask Sky, it would be the first to acknowledge it wished we had been on the team from day one. In the perfect world, our clients would call us at the very beginning of their journey and we would help them establish

At Sky News Arabia.

time lines, ensure alignment between budgets and business needs and manage the design from first principles. You would be amazed at how often this alignment does not happen and huge sums of money get spent on the wrong things or correcting defective design or construction. 3Sixty recently worked with a well-known local client from the outset and in helping to realign their budgets with their business plan, we managed to reduce their capital expenditures by over two-thirds. Early intervention when building a studio is much more cost effective and could save a lot of time and money in the long run. Once we have ensured alignment between budgets and business needs, we ensure a detailed project scope is established that all stakeholders agree to and sign up to. At this stage, we can move forward with confidence, procure and manage the design teams to achieve the brief within the budget and time lines. It’s probably worth noting that studios, data centres and teleports are very complex projects, and must be executed precisely to exacting standards. This takes time. Cutting programmes and setting unrealistic delivery dates is foolhardy and will probably increase the risk of failure both in the short and the long term. Sky News Arabia

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PROINTERVIEW

had challenging, but realistic time frames. All the workstream disciplines were headed up by strategic project managers who proactively managed each workstream and mitigated risk.

Sky News Arabia studio.

What are some of the major challenges you face in such projects? One major issue with clients is that they hire consultants who have never managed or designed a studio or broadcast facility before. They would never contemplate appointing an inexperienced systems integrator to design and install the broadcast technology, but for some reason, they often appoint architects and engineers to design a studio for the very first time. This is fraught with risk. What seems like a cheaper alternative at the beginning ends up costing much more in the long run. What can go wrong when building a studio? We think we have seen it all but we are always surprised. We see studio structures that cannot support lighting grids or even hold antennas steady, satellite platforms referenced to a different north than the norm, horrific operational adjacencies that mean staff have to travel long distances every day just because rooms were designed in the wrong locations. Likewise, we see SI cable runs that are too long and extremely costly due to bad locations of technical rooms. We see air conditioning systems that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cool critical areas or cause noise problems in acoustically-sensitive environments.

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Underestimations of power and cooling requirements are common place, late connections to mains power supplies cause great delays to SI installations and the go-live dates, and unclean earthing puts expensive broadcast technology at risk. I guess the most common issue we face with the services though is a lack of understanding about system resilience and commissioning. Can you elaborate? As I mentioned before, an international commercial broadcaster cannot afford to go black on air. Their business and reputation depends upon it. As such, we have to analyse the designs, establish the risk to the business and eliminate these risks. A good example of this is the mains power. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say the main power supply fails. The electrical installation has to be designed, installed and commissioned to anticipate a failure and protect the business accordingly. Broadcast technology is extremely sensitive equipment that cannot tolerate even the slightest of power outages. Therefore, generators must be installed to maintain mains power but for the time it takes the generators to start, an additional UPS system must be installed to protect the technical installation and keep you on air. These components will need to be maintained and from time to time, will be off line. As such, you need duplicity in the systems; an A and B feed to provide resilience in case you have a mains failure whilst carrying out,

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PROINTERVIEW is the commissioning, which gets squeezed from an eight-week process to a few days. The project is handed over and the contractor crosses their fingers and hopes the phones don’t ring. This puts businesses and reputations at great risk. A strict system-by-system commissioning culminating in a full systems integration test (SIT) must be undertaken to ensure that all goes well. You will not believe how many things work well in isolation but fall over when they are part of a larger system. say the A UPS, then the B must still be on line. However, once you resolve the risk of one system failure, you just move it on to the next system down the line. The list goes on and the risk scenarios we run are complex. Another key word here is commissioning. Many people spend large sums of money on complex installations and trust that they have been installed correctly. I have been in this game for 26 years and I have never seen a single project installed correctly without rigorous commissioning taking place. Too many people trust that everything will work and only find out when it’s all too late and the systems have fallen over and they’re off air! You can imagine the scenario. The project is late, the pressure is on and everything has to be finished by tomorrow. The first thing that is compromised

Would you say SNA was a successful build project? The whole SNA experience has been a real pleasure, being constructed and delivered both on time and, surprisingly, under budget. We were welcomed into the SNA family and the team effort from all individuals on that project was quite extraordinary. These type of projects have to be approached with a team ethos, with the project managers empowered and trusted to make key decisions. The completed facility, broadcast systems, studio set, launch and ultimately, the pictures we see every day are testament to the efforts and hardwork of Sky News Arabia, twofour54, TSL and the many individuals who worked tirelessly, argued occasionally and delivered exceptionally. PRO

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Frank Kerrin, Mark Billinge and Lisa Robinson from OSN.

Sanjay Raina, CEO, Ten Sports.

Hassan Ghoul of Grass Valley, Naresh Subherwal of Snell and Zia Anjum of Tek Signals.

Afzal Lakdawala and Syed Iftikhar Ali, DMI.

The Advanced Media team.

Ihab El Baba, BBS and Peyman Dadpanah, MediaCast.

BroadcastPro Middle East 2nd anniversary celebrations BroadcastPro Middle East successfully hosted its second anniversary party last month at Calabar, The Address Downtown Dubai with the sponsorship of some of our key supporters including Advanced Media, Avid, BBH, First Gulf Company, Lindt, MediaCast, JVC and Oasis Enterprises. More than 160 people from the production and broadcast industry including end users, suppliers, distributors and systems integrators attended the party, which is aimed at being a platform for the market to connect with each other.

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Speaking about the role of the magazine and where the brand is headed, Richard Judd, MD of CPI said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The first six months have seen many developments in the Middle East broadcast sector especially with the launch of Sky News Arabia. CABSAT was an indication of a growing industry and BroadcastPro has been integral to ensuring that the latest developments and breaking news from the Arab world reaches the market. Broadcast Pro continues to see huge opportunity in this market and will expand further in this sector across our digital and print initiatives as well as our events portfolio.â&#x20AC;?

Clyde DeSouza.

Basel Aref and Karim Abdel Massih of Oasis Enterprises.

Mike Charlton, Navigation Films.

Mustafa Tell, ART and Alan Constant, Imediaco.

Nick Barratt, MBC. Charles Maasry (Salam), Nigel Thompson (Sony PSMEA) and Katrin Mueller (Salam).

Ilia Atanasov of Pixel Hunters amd Tarif Sayed of Dolby.

Karl Hijazi, Sony PSMEA.

Wael Yasin and a colleague from Scisys,

Peter Kyriakose, UBMS.

Manoj Mansukhani, Broadcast Automation Systems and Jonathan Keith, Canford. Attendees get ready to watch football after the Anniversary party.

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PROANNIVERSARY

RAFFLE PRIZE SPONSORS The anniversary became even more fun filled thanks to a raffle draw, in which we saw several companies come forward with some amazing gifts for the attendees.

Melvin Saldanha (Ten Sports), Dave Mace (SNA), Mark Bayley (consultant), Deon Burgess, SNA and Paul Green, OSN.

“The first half of this year has seen many developments in the Middle East broadcast sector especially with the launch of Sky News Arabia and OSN Play. CABSAT, this year, was also an indication of a growing industry and BroadcastPro has been integral to ensuring that the latest developments and breaking news from the Arab world reaches the market” Richard Judd, managing director, CPI

A special thank you to: Advanced Media Trading Avid Canon Middle East INC LG Electronics Lindt MediaCast RIM/ Blackberry Visual Unity Advanced Media Trading sponsored six exquisite Kata bags that enable a person to keep their cameras and related accessories beautifully. INC provided us with a 1TB Iomega hard drive. RIM gave away two Blackberry 9860 phones. Visual Unity sponsored an iPad 3. Canon Middle East gave away two highend Canon Ixus digital cameras. MediaCast provided three gifts from the brands it represents including a Blackmagic Design Intensity Shuttle Thunderbolt; an iK multimedia Kit that connects to the ipod or to the iphone to play guitar music and includes an iclick mini and an irig mic; and a third Avid key station mini 32 with the Studio File AV 30 speaker. Thank you Avid for sponsoring two beautiful MAudio headsets. A special thank you to Lindt for sweetening our evening with its milk and Excellence chocolates. Lindt provided special packages for the raffle as well as give aways for each of our party attendees. A big thank you to LG Electronics for sponsoring the biggest prize of the day – a 42” LG LED TV. Brian Yang, head of Consumer and B2B from LG Electronics came forward to give away the TV.

From left: 1st row: Abdulhakim Mahmood of DMC won a Kata bag from Serine Gharibian of AMT; Dennis Lehtinen of Abu Dhabi Media received a Blackberry (courtesy RIM) from CPI’s publishing director Raz Islam; and Ibrahim Abu Assi of Sharjah Media Corporation took home a 42” LG LED TV from Brian Yang of LG Electronics. 2nd row: Maha Avashova of Oasis won an iPad from Jamal Bnari of Visual Unity; Gavin Cassidy took home a Canon Ixus camera from Canon; Lisa Robinson of OSN collected her Blackmagic Intensity package from Jaffer Mohammed, new marketing and PR specialist at MediaCast; and Swarup Mukherjee of Salam MediaCast received his Avid key station from Simon Short of MediaCast. 3rd row: Richard Brooking of

34 | www.broadcastprome.com | July 2012

Tektronix won a Canon camera and received it from SatellitePro editor Supriya Srinivas; one lucky winner walked away with a 1TB iomega hard drive from Adeeb Abed of INC; Alex John of Seaport Technologies and PESA distributor won a Blackberry (courtesy RIM) from Raz Islam and Leo Joseph of Kodak won a Kata bag from AMT. 4th row: Omran Abdallah of twofour54 walked away with a Lindt package; while Tomas Delden of Net Insight won an M-Audio headset from Veronica Lode of Avid; Abdulrahman Aladawi received a Kata bag from AMT, and featured last is Tom Lebaric, who walked away with a Kata bag from AMT. All of the winners are featured on facebook.com/broadcastprome Don’t forget to tag yourself on our facebook page.

PROVIEWPOINT

The LG team.

Jonathan Keith, Canford; Manoj Mansukhani from Broadcast Automation Systems and Fernando Carrasco, VSN.

Dean Jackson and Andy Hawker of Editshare with Bejoy George of MediaSys.

Abdul Ghani, Zia Anjum and David Cheng.

A guest with Sarkis Semaan, Sync Media and Hassan Chahine, Glocom.

Sailesh Saxena from Intigral with a guest.

Habib Kazan of First Gulf Company with David Roberts and Gaurav Sokhi of DWTC.

Pierre Guidera with filmmaker Nenad Arsenijevic.

A guest with Ulrik Samuelsen of BBH.

The CPI team BroadcastPro ME owes its success to its team. From right: Managing director Richard Judd; commercial director Raz Islam; SatellitePro ME editor Supriya Srinivas; group sales manager Sandip Virk; sales manager Rodi Hennawi, and group editor Vijaya Cherian.

The Broadcast team shines at BroadcastPro MEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second anniversary party.

CPIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Broadcast division is building up to a very busy second half of the year with IBC in September and our annual Summit and Awards scheduled to take place in November. The Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) has renewed its partnership with BroadcastPro for our annual Summit and Awards, which will be held on November 12 at Habtoor Grand Beach Resort and Spa, Dubai. To register, please visit www.broadcastprome.com. BroadcastPro also launched Pro50 at CABSAT, an annual coffee table book aimed at introducing 50 of the top players in the Middle East and

North Africa to the region. During CABSAT, we also hosted the first of our workshops for 2012 in conjunction with EMC Isilon and INC and witnessed a lively debate on digital storage and archiving. Last month, an international broadcast manufacturer asked us if they could post our coverage of the roundtable on their web site because it was very informative. This is the first time an international organisation has seen significant value in something done in the Middle East and is proof that BroadcastPro Middle East is creating value and setting trends in the MENA market. PRO

July 2012 | www.broadcastprome.com |

PROPROFILE

Bringing colour to picture

Diane Kuo (l) and above, screen shots from The Intruder.

Colourist Diane Kuo speaks to BroadcastPro ME about grading the film The Intruder and her own journey as a grading artist Diane Kuo, senior colourist at Dubaibased post production house Optix Digital Pictures, recently made headlines in the United Arab Emirates when she lent her grading skills to The Intruder, a 50s-inspired sci-fi horror film directed by Majid Al Ansari that premiered at Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) last year. Filmed in the deserts of the UAE, The Intruder is about a young couple that has an extraterrestrial encounter that places their lives in danger. The film has toured several festivals including the Abu Dhabi Indian Film Festival, Black Hills Film Festival and Boston Science Fiction Film Festival. It also recently received the Golden Palm Award at the Mexico

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International Film Festival. For Kuo, the film’s success reflects her own success as a grading artist. The 34-year-old is fast becoming known as one of the top grading artists in this region, where colourists are a rare find. Her portfolio boasts a number of big brand commercials and Bollywood feature films. Although Kuo, who hails from Taiwan, began her career as a projectionist in Taiwanese cinema, she found herself excelling eventually in post production. “I wasn’t satisfied working as a projectionist in cinema,” says Kuo, “so I tried to devote myself to film production. I found work as a telecine assistant. I also have a background in photography, so my decision to become a colour artist was sort of an expansion

PROPROFILE

of my artistic skills,” adds Kuo. Armed with a degree in film studies, Kuo eventually moved to India to grade Bollywood films. She says the colourful nature of Bollywood cinema was an instant testing ground for her skills. “Basically, my job is colour correction and creating the right look and atmosphere for the moving image. Bollywood films are very colourful and visually

“The 50s look was an integral part of the director’s vision for this film so I used custom curve to imitate the film look, and gave it an additional reddish base to simulate the style of the old movies” Diane Kuo, senior colourist, Optix Digital Pictures

appealing so grading them required skill and was challenging,” says Kuo. “I worked on several Bollywood features including Cash, Good Boy Bad Boy, God Tussi Great Ho, Super Star, c-Kompany and so on. As a colourist, these types of films put your skills to the test, but are both enjoyable and rewarding as jobs go,” adds Kuo. After her stint in India, Kuo moved on to other locations across the globe, including Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and presently, the UAE, adding more features and commercials to her portfolio. Diane used Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve to achieve the look in The Intruder. She says Curve Grading

and Multi Point Tracking are the two most useful features in Resolve. Both feature sets, and Resolve’s real time performance, helped her achieve the ‘vintage effect’ whilst completing the job in a timely fashion, ahead of its submission for the film festivals. “Curve Grading gives you precise control of the red, green, and blue channels independently and allows you to push certain tones and wash out the blacks and blues to achieve that film look,” she says. Even though the film is set in the present day, the aliens and their spaceship in the film bear more of a resemblance to the science fiction films of the 1950s than modern day monsters, so it was

essential for Diane to maintain a classic 50s horror film look in the finishing process. “The 50s look was an integral part of the director’s vision for this film so I used custom curve to imitate the film look, and gave it an additional reddish base to simulate the style of the old movies. I also had to compensate the contrast caused by extra lens flare during the shoot. “Multi Point Tracking was also an important time saver because I could easily select the object that I wanted to grade and Resolve remembers what I selected and tracks it throughout the scene. If you know how to use it to your advantage, it can make the difference between delivering a job on time or being late,” explains Kuo. All of the offline editing for The Intruder was completed with Apple’s Final Cut Pro X and the XML files were imported into DaVinci Resolve for the finishing process. Although Kuo has primarily been using Da Vinci since she started colouring, she also occasionally uses other grading software such as Lustre and Scratch. “Colour grading is an art form,” says Kuo. “Yes, there is some science to it but when I am grading, I look at the film as if I was painting a picture. There is a lot of emotion in art, so I think that grading a film should be thought of in the same respect.” Grading The Intruder accurately was also significant because as Kuo points out, “the film had no dialogue; so there was a heavy reliance on emotions and the look of the film, to make the story work”. PRO

July 2012 | www.broadcastprome.com |

PROMAM

The cloud and the crowd The broadcast and video production industry is yet to see the full benefits of cloudbased service provision largely due to bandwidth/cost constraints associated with storing, moving and processing large video files. Julian Wright of BLM suggests that a hybrid model in which the media asset management (MAM) function is provisioned in the cloud and video processing is kept on the ground may be the answer

Cloud computing – the provision of computing as a service rather than as a product – has become extremely popular in recent years and has brought with it new business models for vendors and cost models for users. Cloud computing has enabled a pay-per-use model to be employed for many computing functions. Common examples include content repositories, complete with asset management functionality, for storing, searching and retrieving office documents. A business may chose to pay a recurring fee for

access to the ‘system’ and an incremental fee for the storage space required for the content rather than purchasing these components outright. By making the content accessible through a web browser or through thin client applications communicating through open web service protocols, a business may reduce its reliance on in-house hardware and software and the staff to maintain them. Another much-touted benefit of the cloud is on-demand pay-per-use storage but, again, what works well for a business that has documents to

July 2012 | www.broadcastprome.com |

PROMAM

store doesn’t really work for a business where the content that needs to be stored is long-form video. Certainly, for long-term archive storage, the cloud model makes little sense when compared to an in-house storage solution with an LTO or disk-based deep archive in place. It is also a fact that moving video content from a production office or location to the cloud for processing (e.g. editing, rendering, transcoding or reformatting) and back again is cost prohibitive. The bandwidth requirement, particularly for HD content, is so expensive that there is little or no saving over a short period if compared with buying expensive signal processing software outright and deploying it at the production facility. MAM is demanding careful consideration as an operational or business strategy rather than as a product from a vendor. A MAM system should complement the needs of the business operation and bring otherwise disparate processing and management systems together. MAM is increasingly thought of as the overarching management interface that brings together a number of smaller systems. In response to this, a number of (relatively) new suppliers have emerged who appreciate that flexibility is paramount and that business requirements set the technical solution, not the other way around.

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“Most modern media asset management systems are

built on standard relational databases and use web service based technology for communication with client applications as well as interactions with production video processing components and the storage arrays they are managing”

Julian Wright, CEO, Blue Lucy Media

Most modern MAMs are built on standard relational databases and use web service based technology for communication with client applications as well as interactions with production video processing components and the storage arrays they are managing. By utilising open standards, long-standing interoperability issues are disappearing and the mantras of scalability, flexibility and distributed service-based architectures are being realised. In a deployed (at the broadcast or production facility) system, a MAM is likely to be physically separate and technically loosely coupled from the video processing and storage components it manages. A natural progression might be to move the MAM into the cloud while leaving the media content within the broadcaster’s facility. If that is coupled with the movement of low resolution browse media to the cloud a number of operational and commercial opportunities become achievable. By hosting the MAM and browse essence in the cloud, the true power of the cloud and the real value of the content can be exploited. Operationally, the reach becomes global with users able to perform day-to-day operations that previously had them bound to an office. Content review and approval is typical but that can be extended to subtitling, translation, editing and logging with ease. Web/browser-based content

PROMAM

“The collective wisdom of the crowd

which is self-regulating with open forum peer review or outright voting would ensure accuracy, is very low cost and wiki (fast)”

Julian Wright, CEO, Blue Lucy Media

logging for uncatalogued archive material isn’t a new idea - services have run in Europe for some years — but these have been limited to the context of a service provider offering cataloguing services to an archive content owner. This could be taken a step further by making a watermarked browse version of content publically available and utilising crowdsourcing to enrich the essence metadata. The collective wisdom of the crowd which is self-regulating with open forum peer review or outright voting would ensure accuracy, is very low cost and wiki (fast). Such an approach could transform the shape of MAM for broadcast content both technically and from a user experience perspective, but not necessarily in a bad way. Doesn’t it seem slightly perverse that an operator sitting in a news room is likely to find an item of archive footage quicker using a public Google search than via the in-house archive library? Wouldn’t it be useful if a full resolution sub-clip of that content could be restored and delivered, electronically, to my facility in time to edit a package for the evening bulletin? I’d pay good money for service like that.

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The longtail value of content will always be extended and the infrastructure ROI protracted, but by posting the catalogue on-line and providing a simple mechanism to search, select, retrieve and deliver will ensure that accessibility isn’t the barrier. Here, the low, incremental cost, low maintenance overhead and rapidly scalable capabilities of cloud service provision mean that a low capital cost ‘shop window’ for content could be readily established. In practice, most operational functions would take place in the cloud with users accessing the content catalogue over the public, or secure, Internet. The search, content browse, content selection as well as billing and CRM systems could also be hosted. If a restore of content is requested then orchestration would also be managed from the asset manager in the cloud but would be executed with the tools located at the broadcast facility. In this hybrid solution, where the asset management layer sits in the cloud and the large form master content sits securely in the facility, the cost model begins to look attractive enough to drive such initiatives. Low cost scalable cloud for browse content and management, facility internet bandwidth requirement set for content fulfilment/delivery and known and incremental storage costs for master assets all add up to a cost-effective whole. The last pieces of the puzzle are the software systems that still need to be deployed, owned and maintained on the ground, in this case the pay-peruse benefits yield from the cloud and the scalable basis of deep archive storage systems are nullified, certainly in the short term. Over the summer of 2012, BLM will make a series of announcements about our metered pay-per-use service provision. Broadcasters and content owners will be able to deploy our high quality video processing software at their facility and pay only for the time it is used. A cost model with per minute billing resolution will act as an enabler for some of the notions above and a content owners’ MAM and distribution channel may come down to “a cloud and a crowd”. PRO

Julian Wright is the new CEO of Blue Lucy Media having recently worked at Sky News Arabia as launch programme director

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PROTECH

Building an efficient transcoding farm Compatibility issues between a multitude of new codecs, containers, and transmission methods seem to be part of the multi-platform content delivery package. The solution lies in adaptive bit rate streaming, which gives operators the flexibility to choose multiple formats, frame rates, and bit rates to suit a variety of screens, argues Moore Macauley Consumers today have a seemingly neverending appetite for video content. Fueling this demand is the changing media landscape that provides consumers with a multitude of viewing options, from traditional over-the-air and cable television to streaming video on PCs and now, tablets and even smartphones. Although it is an exciting time for consumers as they enjoy the benefits and convenience of viewing video content anytime, anywhere, the diverse options of media consumption creates headaches for last-mile network operators who distribute the content, and especially for those located in bandwidth-limited regions. With an array of multiplatform viewing devices comes a multitude of new codecs, containers, and transmission methods, all of which present potential compatibility issues with video content. Content that is playable on legacy handhelds,

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for example, may be deemed unwatchable on later-generation devices, such as the iPad. Adaptive bit rate streaming addresses this issue by giving operators the flexibility to choose multiple formats, frame rates, and bit rates to suit a variety of screens. Selecting transcoders that maintain high video quality at multiple bit rates is also crucial to delivering quality services. If the content doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look good, users will shop around for better-looking content elsewhere. Quality of experience is truly the king. While selecting the best high-quality transcoding technology is essential for the success of a network operator trying to adapt to the new viewing landscape, how the technology is implemented is equally important. Two key approaches have emerged to address the challenge of managing transcoding farms that are capable of efficiently supporting the new formats

prOtecH “The future transcoder should be able to encode one H.264

video stream and one AAC audio stream, and then simply repackage this stream three times for the three different player types”

Moore Macauley, director of Product Line Management, Multiscreen, Harmonic Inc.

and containers — and those are one-to-many transcoding and repackaging. And, in fact, it is a combination of the two that offers network operators the ultimate technology solution to address today’s transcoding challenges.

OptiOn One One-tO-many transcOding With one-to-many transcoding, the source content is read only once. Any common scaling and frame rate conversion operations are performed, and then the material is directed to multiple encoders. This greatly reduces the number of machines required to complete a task with multiple output variants. Joining together common outputs significantly reduces the number of transcodes by minimising the number of tasks required of the transcoding farm, whether it is live or file-based. Without one-to-many transcoding, an HD source would be unnecessarily scaled to other formats multiple times. Reducing the number of combined scaling operations greatly alleviates the stress on the system. To take advantage of this methodology, the operator must design output profiles with some amount of commonality and configure the transcoders to work accordingly. There is room for improvement in allowing transcoders to automatically take advantage of this type of processing, but it should always remain a configurable option as it will increase the latency for some use cases.

OptiOn twO repackaging The second solution to the problem of scale in transcoding is the ability to rewrap and pass-through video and audio essences. As the number of video-enabled devices and container types increases, the common thread between them is the codecs: MPEG-2, H.264, AAC, and Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital+ currently represent the majority of video and audio codecs supported on any type of device. Suppose there are three sets of file wrapping or containers for web variants with six rates each. This is becoming a very common scenario because while Microsoft Silverlight, Apple QuickTime, and Adobe Flash all support H.264 and AAC, they use different container types and store metadata differently. The future transcoder should be able

to encode one H.264 video stream and one AAC audio stream, and then simply repackage this stream three times for the three different player types. This again significantly reduces the size of the transcoding horsepower by carrying out only three encodes and 18muxes (“wrapping” tasks), instead of 18 encodes and 18 wraps separately. The most dramatic savings offered by repackaging versus transcoding is in regards to the adaptive bit-rate streaming technologies. Adobe, Microsoft, and Apple have all developed different containerization and packaging technologies, which use multiple layers of identical video and audio essences. (As a side note, MPEG-DASH aka Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP is a developing ISO Standard for adaptive streaming over HTTP that has the potential to replace existing proprietary technologies like Microsoft Smooth Streaming, Adobe Dynamic Streaming, and Apple HTTP Live Streaming (HLS). Streaming devices, formats, containers, and transmission methods will continue to evolve. To stay on top of these changes and successfully manage the new formats and containers, network operators must not only install superior transcoding technology, but also learn how to efficiently implement that technology. One-to-many transcoding repurposes an operator’s existing assets by joining together common outputs, and therefore reducing the number of transcodes. A newer concept called repackaging reduces transcoding by encoding one H.264 stream and repackaging it for multiple players. Combining one-tomany transcoding and repackaging creates a reasonably-sized, manageable transcoding farm capable of handling new formats and containers. It’s a future-proof implementation in an industry that is constantly changing. prO

Moore Macauley is director of Product Line Management, Multiscreen, Harmonic Inc.

July 2012 | www.broadcastprome.com |

PROVIEWPOINT

Digital workflow: A means to an end

John Kochanczyk looks at the power of digital workflows and debates whether they truly help to save budgets for filmmakers Digital technology has transformed the way in which we live and work today. It has presented a spectrum of tools and possibilities that can be performed from a device as simple as a laptop or a cell phone. This range of power, until recently was largely reserved for high-end applications and practices. However, with several new technologies on the horizon come an ever-increasing number of choices; which, in turn, have allowed for enormous diversity to be brought into the digital media worlds, thereby allowing for an everincreasing band of error and confusion. Taking a small example from the current technology available today, an individual armed with a high-speed hard drive array, a laptop computer, and a few essential

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pieces of software has the full ability to ingest 5K and above video data, edit it, apply elaborate transitions and feature film quality visual effects, colour grade the footage, manipulate the audio, and output to industry recognised standards and deliverables all from the comfort of their home. In essence, filmmakers today are capable of delivering a box office quality feature film from a low-cost setup. This is an astounding ability available to us, and the power and performance in these current devices will only get cheaper and more powerful in the years to come. However, along with this, we also see the loss of conforming to standards and workflows that should control this technology. This has allowed for an individual with enormous skill as an

PROVIEWPOINT

editor, for example, to apply their own visual effects and mix to the audio. Although this could be the next awardwinning edit to be viewed by the public, if it lacks in the other essential areas of the product which falls outside his or her realm of specialisation, the overall quality of the product could deteriorate considerably. That is the BIG issue with the abundant power available to us today. Individuals are expected, in less time and for a cheaper price, to do a lot more work, in which a larger portion falls outside their skill sets, competency, and knowledge base. Before the rampant acceleration in digital technology that has occurred in the last few decades, skills of the media professional were largely directed towards a specialised field and application. They worked long hours and lost sleep just as much, if not more so than today. They worked in a specialised environment with specialised tools that had very established workflows and targets. They had to experiment and create the technology, to deliver that next mindblowing visual effect or unheard sound effect

constrained by a basis of limited choices and options developed through their own understandings of the field and technology. Today, these tools are circumventing established standards by offering that automatic button, and releasing the individual from the necessity of having a basic understanding of how the medium works and fits together as a part of multiple diverse departments and skills. For example, consider a feature film entering the post-production phase of development. The fundamental approach in terms of how to begin to ingest and attack the vast amounts of data and clips and to structure them into a working edit of the story, transfer that story through all the departments from editorial to colour grading, sound, visual effects, and distribution has not changed. The amount of work and precision required to maintain a hierarchical structure and to track the data through all its phases is enough to keep a team fully occupied and counting the creative input that brings the story to life through its phases. This is where the power available to

us begins to affect the processes at work. Choices can be made in the beginning phases of editorial, which can have dramatic effects on the ability for future individuals to creatively and actively work on a chosen project effectively down the road. As a basic proof of the matter, take a director who has shot his film on the RED camera and has set up a workstation at his home, from where he begins to edit his film. He edits the whole feature together and is very happy with the results and is now seeking the final finishing phases for the film to get it ready for distribution. For him, the present digital technology provides a fantastic opportunity. However, several unwitting choices could potentially strike in this final phase and affect the film meeting its estimated deadlines and budget requirements. Look at the number of things that could go wrong in this case. Imagine if the director edited his RED footage in a timeline that possibly had a different frame rate from the source footage as was the case in one of the instances we

July 2012 | www.broadcastprome.com |

PROVIEWPOINT

“Today’s tools are circumventing established standards by offering that automatic button, and releasing the individual from the necessity of having a basic understanding of how the medium works...” faced. In this case, it was automatically formatted to edit at a different resolution, aspect ratio, and colour bit depth. That is a big challenge by itself. Secondly, the director, in this eagerness to edit the film, used the audio guide track on the camera, neglecting to synchronise the separate high-quality production sound. Now, a lot of these issues can be quickly altered through the clever use of the software available today. But since these issues were not addressed early on, the post-production team spent an enormous amount of time and work to prepare the data and get it ready to begin their processes. In extreme cases like the audio, for example, the film might have to be entirely rebuilt from scratch on a clip-by-clip basis to re-link and prepare the production audio for editing, sound design, Foley, and mixing. Consequently, one would be wasting a lot of budget and time. These issues appear to be more apparent as the digital technology progresses and more automatic buttons are introduced into the software. The

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choices made by individuals who unwittingly indulge in such practices combined with the desire to make a film at a reduced budget and to specific deadlines cause more time and money to be spent ‘saving’ a project as opposed to bringing it to life and entertaining the audience. While we are presented with a number of choices today on what cameras, resolutions, frame rates, and software to use, it is ideal to consult a specialised professional at every stage from pre-production through to production and post to ensure one truly benefits from the digital workflow. The abilities available to us at ever decreasing prices allows for an enormous amount of new creative possibilities and influences to add new levels of enjoyment to every project in development or to come. But the importance of establishing a dedicated workflow for whatever scale of project to ensure it is handled to the best of its ability cannot be overemphasised. PRO

John Kochanczyk is the supervising sound editor at Mile Studios

PROPRODUCTS

Wohler announces state-of-the-art caption translator Wohler has introduced a realtime, single-card-based standards converter that enables on-thefly conversion of WST/OP-47 to CEA-608/CEA-708 captioning standards, an industry first. The new turnkey caption standards translator combines a seamless and efficient solution with a cost-effective, onetime-only investment. The newest addition to Wohler’s HDCC captioning card product line, the WST-708 card boasts two 3G/ HD/SD video channels and allows for direct bridging and transcoding of captions/encoded subtitles without the need for additional hardware or offline conversion processing. In addition, the WST-708 card provides transcoded data out of serial and/or Ethernet ports for logging, closedcaption file regeneration, direct connection to an ATSC encoder, and use with the SMPTE Grand Alliance protocol. The WST-708 card comes in an openGear form factor and is available as a single- or dualcard, redundant power supply, 1RU standalone unit. “Converting captions while converting video frame-rate proves to be a difficult challenge, forcing many broadcasters to entirely re-caption converted video — which brings delays and additional costs,” said Renaud Desportes, director of Wohler’s ancillary data product line. “The increasing amount of captioning regulations, coupled with the need to distribute content quickly across multiple platforms and destinations, necessitates this type of solution. We are proud to once again be leading the way in providing broadcasters around the world with innovative solutions to meet their specific captioning requirements.” Wohler’s HDCC card-based captioning products provide a full range of data insertion/extraction tools, including encoding, decoding, monitoring, bridging, and transcoding. The new Wohler WST-708 translator card is available now for worldwide applications by special order.

Fujinon stays focused The new PL mount cine-zoom lens ZK4.7x19 from Fujinon features an exclusive detachable servo drive unit, making it suitable for use as a standard PL lens or as an ENG-Style lens. The ZK4.7x19 also features flange focal distance adjustment, macro function, and is LDS (Lens Data System) and /i metadata compatible. With a 19-90mm focal range and weight of only 2.7kg including servo motors, this lens has the longest focal range available in a light weight zoom. This new lens is said to bridge the gap between film- and news-style shooters and affords a new level of flexibility to all. Someone more accustomed to shooting feature films or commercials may not want a servo attached to the lens, but an operator used to shooting video in a typical ENG-style will be very comfortable with the servo. This lens is set to accept industry-standard cine motors and matte boxes. Plus, the lens has all the lens data output that appeals to a cine-style shooter. LDS and /i metadata compatibility is very useful when one wants to record the position information of zoom, iris and focus

aJa Video supports thunderbolt AJA Video Systems has announced support for Thunderbolt on Windows with select products in its line of professional video I/O solutions. Intel is demonstrating the first Windows PCs with Thunderbolt ports to deliver

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This new lens is said to bridge the gap between film- and news-style shooters and affords a new level of flexibility to all for computer animation and other uses. The digital servo on the PL 19-90 has 16-bit encoding, so operators can be assured that all lens data output is extremely accurate. The PL 19-90 covers 31.5mm sensor size on a digital cinema style camera. While sensors on standard broadcast cameras are the same size, sensors on digital cine cameras vary greatly. This new zoom ensures the image captured will cover large sensors for optimal, full-frame resolution. Barrel markings are luminous for visibility in dark shooting situations. Distances are listed in feet or metres and can be changed in the field. The PL 19-90 can be controlled using cinema industry-standard wireless controllers, as well as existing Fujinon wired and wireless units.

ultra-fast bi-directional 10Gbs performance to video professionals. The speed of Thunderbolt-enabled data transfer offers myriad advantages for video workflows. Nick Rashby, president, AJA Video Systems said the popularity of Thunderbolt “is apparent in the rapid

rate of adoption of our Io XT video I/O device with dual-Thunderbolt ports”. “The increased speed provided to external devices by Thunderbolt has given our Mac customers great flexibility and we’re looking forward to providing the same level of support to our Windows customers as well.”

PROPRODUCTS

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www.realimagecanada.com July 2012 | www.broadcastprome.com |

PROPRODUCTS Kit digital announces Joint social tV solution With ciVolution KIT digital has integrated Civolution’s Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology, SyncNow, into its Cosmos video management software, which will now deliver second screen interactivity to consumers with non-connected, or “dumb,” TV sets. Civolution and KIT digital will jointly offer solutions to their media and broadcast clients. Consumers are increasingly watching and interacting with video services delivered over the Internet. The most successful video services leverage IP televisions, smartphones and tablets in novel ways to increase viewer engagement and interaction. However, the majority of TV sets and set-top boxes in use today are not IP-video capable. They do not support viewer interaction beyond changing the channel, limiting the value broadcasters and service providers can offer to viewers and making second screen interaction irrelevant and impossible. The combination of KIT digital and Civolution’s software solves this problem. KIT digital’s Cosmos video management software supports live and on-demand video delivery and second screen interactive experiences across a variety of devices. Civolution’s digital watermarking and fingerprinting technologies enable accurate and real-time synchronisation of a broadcast video stream with an interactive application on a companion device, even in the absence of an IP-connected TV, and whether the video content is being watched live or on-demand. “Second screen applications that actively synch with the content on the main screen deliver better targeted and more timely companion experiences, justifying higher channel advertising spend and consumer subscription fees,” said Laura Kaatz, MD of Global Commercial Operations at KIT digital. “Our joint solution opens up a new market for media and entertainment companies, supporting higher ad and subscription revenues without the need for their viewers to invest in new infrastructure. Both teams can sell the solution together as we do successfully with other partners.”

Libec takes SWIFT action Libec’s SWIFT JIB50 is a new jib featuring a strong telescopic arm extendable to 90cm/35.5” that offers the end user higher angles than tje existing Libec jib arms. With this new SWIFT JIB50, one can achieve dynamic high-angle shots by using in conjunction with a remote head, as well as delicate camerawork operated from the front. Available as part of a kit with carrying cases, this portable system is just as ideal for the home, the studio and in the field. The JIB50 has been designed to be versatile and adaptable to users’ needs: a remote control box, monitors and a remote head can all be fitted to the jib with minimal effort. The JIB50 is quick, compact and dynamic. It can be set up in minutes, hence its name – SWIFT Jib. A special feature of this model is its telescopic arm. Rather than fixing on extension units, a time consuming and often tedious process, Jib50’s arm simply extends by turning the lock levers. Despite this additional mechanism, the Libec jib is still able to support considerable loads.

preco introduces census digital 3g-capable nanoQubes A new addition to the Preco range of broadcast-quality equipment, the Census Digital NanoQubes series allows video and audio interface systems to be assembled from a range of compact modules. The NanoQube series is designed for use in broadcastquality video and audio production, post-production, playout and head-end facilities. It includes a versatile selection of component products from which reliable signal interfacing and distribution systems of practically any size can be configured quickly and very cost-efficiently. Each NanoQube module is housed in a quarter-rack-width

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The Handle50 can be clamped on the weight bar of the SWIFT JIB50. A remote control is attachable to the handle and this assures a smooth jib operation from the rear. The accompanying remote head is a high-grade remote head. It is equipped with a drive system that transmits motor power accuracy. Every movement can be traced at an ideal speed: pan, tilt, and also diagonal movement which is achieved by combining the power of pan and tilt motors. The REMO30 is splash proof; it can tolerate outdoor shootings under severe climate conditions. The REMO30 is a universal remote head. It can be used with other equipment such as tripods and jib arms.

metal case which contributes to efficient electronic screening. Up to four modules can be accommodated in one unit of rack space. All NanoQube modules come with internal power supplies, eliminating the need for external power adapters, and are fully compatible with the Census Digital Qubes halfrack-width product range. Eight modules are currently available in the NanoQube series:

the NQ-1 3G/HD/SD-SDI reclocking distribution amplifier, NQ-2 3G/HD/ SD-SDI 2x1 source selector, NQ-3 3G/HD/SD-SDI optical-to-electrical converter, NQ-4 3G/HD/SD-SDI electrical-to-optical converter, NQ-5 AES/EBU impedance matching transformers, NQ-6 AES/EBU digitalto-analog audio converter, NQ-7 analog audio-to-AES/EBU digital converter and NQ-8 3G/HD/SD-SDI 2 group audio demultiplexer.

Conference 6-11 September : Exhibition 7-11 September RAI Amsterdam RAI Amsterdam

Conference 6-11 September : Exhibition 7-11 September

IBC2012 IBC2012 Discover More Discover More

Conference

Leading the electronic media and entertainment agenda through innovation and debate, the IBC Conference is attended by the most inﬂuential thinkers from the leading companies in the world.

It is split into four carefully selected Hot topics being discussed this year streams – Advances in Technology, include: Content Creation and Innovation, The • Broadcast Delivery Business of Broadcasting, and Added • Cinema Value – ensuring that all the fields • Cloud contributing to the future of the industry • Connected TV IBC is at the cutting-edge of new technology are represented. Media in the • Social evolving electronic media industry. It couples IBC is atrapidly the cutting-edge of new technology in the • Sport a comprehensive exhibition covering all facets of The conference consistselectronic of: Transmedia It couples • industry. rapidly evolving media • 6 day, 4 today’s stream conference programme Workflowpeer reviewed industry with a highly •respected comprehensive exhibition covering • a 300+ world class high profi le speakers conference that helps shape the way all thefacets industryof • today’s over 60 conference sessions industry with highly respected peer reviewed will develop in theafuture.

conference that helps shape the way the industry Take advantage offuture. a variety of extra special features including: For more information please visit: www.ibc.org/conference will develop in the

Exhibition

• IBC Production Village • Future Zone showcasing the latest developments presenting the latest camera Take advantage of a technology variety of extra special features technology in aincluding: purpose built in broadcast environment • IBC Connected World • IBC Production Village • Future Zone • IBC Awards Ceremony including demonstration area presenting thethose latestwho camera showcasing the latest developments in Hall 14 acknowledges have made technology in a purpose built in broadcast technology a real contribution to the industry • IBC Big Screen hosted on Sunday 9 September environment providing World the perfect platform • IBC Connected for manufacturer demonstrations including demonstration area • IBC Awards Ceremony and the Saturday Night Movie

IBC welcomes over 50,000 attendees from over 160 countries & 1,300+ key international technology suppliers each year. In addition, attendees can take advantage of a variety of extra special features including: in Hall 14 Future Zone • IBC Big Screen showcasing the latest developments in broadcast technology providing the perfect platform for manufacturer demonstrations IBCand Connected World the Saturday Night Movie including demonstration area in Hall 14 IBC Big Screen providing the perfect platform for manufacturer demonstrations and the Saturday Night Movie

acknowledges those who have made aIBC real Production contribution Village to the industry presenting the latest camera hosted on Sunday 9 September technology in a purpose built environment

IBC Awards Ceremony acknowledges those who have made a real contribution to the industry hosted on Sunday 9 September

For more information please visit: www.ibc.org/exhibition www.ibc.org IBC Fifth Floor International Press Centre 76 Shoe Lane London EC4A 3JB UK T +44 (0) 20 7832 4100 F +44 (0) 20 7832 4130 E info@ibc.org

www.ibc.org IBC Fifth Fifth Floor FloorInternational InternationalPress PressCentre Centre76 76Shoe ShoeLane LaneLondon LondonEC4A EC4A3JB 3JB UK UK IBC T +44 + 44 (0) (0)20 20 7832 7832 4100 FF+44 T +44(0) (0)20 207832 78324130 4130E info@ibc.org E info@ibc.org

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PROPRODUCTS

Vinten gets a grip Vinten unveiled its new Vision blue5 pan and tilt head and tripod system to the Asian market at BroadcastAsia in Singapore last month. The lightweight Vision blue5 has a payload capacity range of 5.5kg to 12kg / 12.1lb to 26.5lb @ 100mm CofG and provides professional broadcast freelancers and videographers with broadcast quality and performance. “The performance of the Vision blue5 provides operators with all the benefits of Vinten’s Vision support systems at a premium value. It is an exciting addition to our range and was designed in response to the feedback we received from our customers all around the world. The result is a new system that is effortless to use with all the broadcast quality you would expect from a market leading brand,” said Peter Harman, product manager, Vinten. The Vision blue5 offers a cost effective solution while delivering all the quality and performance associated

with Vinten’s heads, Vinten claims. The infinitely adjustable Perfect Balance and LF drag technology provides the smooth control and consistent movement quality necessary for Vision blue5 to be a choice for supporting the latest generation of professional camcorders and most of the existing accessories. “The Vision blue5 represents the next generation of Vinten’s pan and tilt heads and tripod systems. We’ve built on the performances of the Pro-10 and Vision 5AS heads and combined it with the accessibility and ease of use of the Vision blue. It is a winning product that offers uncompromising performance.” The Vision blue5 and Vision blue are available alongside a selection of Vinten’s support systems at BCA2012, Booth 4E4-01, including the Vision AS range, Vision 100 and 250, the Vector range including the Vector 430S.

Qube Cinema offers high frame rates The Qube XP-I server and Qube Xi Integrated Media Block (IMB) from Qube Cinema feature high-frame-rate (HFR) and high bit-rate (HBR) capabilities. These were showcased last month at CineEurope in Barcelona. A single Qube XP-I server running a single DCP can now drive a combined 240 fps stereoscopic projection, sending 120 fps per eye to each of two Qube Xi IMBs in two projectors. With throughput to play back

at 1,000 Mbps, a single Qube XP-I server is capable of multi-IMB sync, delivering 4K content to two Qube Xi IMBs in two projectors, with both images in perfect frame synchronisation. “These HFR and HBR advances, along with the ability of a single Qube XP-I server to synchronise two projectors, means that 4K 3D projection on giant screens is a reality today,” said Nigel Dennis, director of marketing and sales for Qube in Europe.

54 | www.broadcastprome.com | July 2012

The Qube XP-I server and Xi IMBs were used to complete the first giant screen installation of a 4K 3D system just three months ago to widespread acclaim. Now any giant screen theater can show 4K 3D with this impressive image quality.”

PROGUEST

The trend towards smaller and less expensive ... gear is aiding the burgeoning ranks of freelance buyers and at the same time ... propping up the sales efforts of ... many manufacturers of camcorders, editing software, computers ... helping to compensate for weaker broadcast and institutional sales

Stalking the elusive freelancer The past two decades have seen a meteoric rise in the number of independent practitioners of the audiovideo crafts. From its earliest period, a small coterie of independents came into being separate from the ranks of broadcasters and others who worked at inside jobs in film and TV. Over the years, that freelance category was rarely seen as important, with the predominant working population of creative and engineering people found working in-house. The recession reversed that. The ranks of freelance professionals, no doubt, began to swell in the mid-2000s as post-production houses began to slum down but the crash of September 2008 saw the phenomenon really take off.

When production and post-production houses shuttered their doors and broadcasters laid off some of their most talented and experienced crew, especially from within their news operations, the freelance trend became even bigger. Few of the inside staff, made redundant and joining the freelance class, could retain the gear they were used to using. Instead, this meant that they would need to supply their own camcorders, editing systems, computers, and other equipment and that initiated a spending on small format camcorders, editing software and laptops, now trending towards tablets. This has led us to coin them the ‘laptop video generation.’ Additionally, these freelancers needed graphics software, lighting kits, microphones and small mixers, bags and cases, batteries and chargers, tripods and cables and much more. So, it has been curiously good for the manufacturers, at least those manufacturing the right – freelance-oriented -- products. So, how many freelancers are we talking about here? There’s the claim by Apple that Final Cut Pro, and its variants, are estimated to represent more than one million seats. And, it is pretty easy to see, given the shares held by the major Apple competitors like Avid, Adobe and Autodesk as well as second rank editing software and hardware makers, and we soon see that there could be as much as two million seats installed. How many of those are in the hands of freelancers? Perhaps the freelancers equal half, or about one million. For

56 | www.broadcastprome.com | July 2012

that matter, let’s count camcorders and a similar numerical equation applies. With a consistent drift from seats within facilities and stations to more independent players, the count keeps growing by leaps and bounds. The freelancers are primarily found amongst event video shooters, and independent TV and film producers. And, the ranks keep growing. The phenomenon is largest in the USA but also substantial in Europe and the Americas and growing in Asia and the Middle East too. Current climate helpful to both freelancers and manufacturers The trend towards smaller and less expensive – yet very high quality, generally all HD – gear is aiding the burgeoning ranks of freelance buyers and at the same time, their existence is propping up the sales efforts of the many manufacturers of camcorders, editing software, computers and audiovideo accessories and helping to compensate for weaker broadcast and institutional sales. This confluence has helped drive changes in small formats – such as, notably, the widely shared AVCHD format – and at the same time, put pressure to drive down prices fairly significantly, aiding freelancers even more, while at the same time creating a more fluid, if less rewarding – unit-by-unit – marketplace. But, as this was already an occurring change towards less costly gear a decade or more ago, it helps prop up the sales unit volumes, if not so much the dollars, overall. PRO

Douglas I. Sheer is CEO and chief analyst at D.I.S. Consulting Corporation.

Be ready for tomorrow To thrive in today’s ultra-competitive media marketplace, you need to contain costs, improve quality and quickly deploy new platforms. Whether today’s challenges impact your production, playout or delivery workflows, choose Miranda for solutions to address them – and be ready for whatever’s next. Drive complexity out of your business. Move to more sustainable workflows. Expand services while improving your viewers’ experience and profit from the opportunities your challenges present. Call us today – we’re ready. Let’s go there.

Tel.: +971 4 3754292 www.miranda.com / solutions

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