ISSUE 124 | NOVEMBER 2020
Licensed by Dubai Development Authority
SHAPING
A NEW REALITY
Visuwalls augments The Voice Middle East with new visuals
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GROUP Managing Director Raz Islam raz.islam@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 4 375 5471 Managing Partner Vijaya Cherian vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 4 375 5472 EDITORIAL
Welcome
Editor Vijaya Cherian vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 55 105 3787 Assistant Editor Shifa Naseer shifa.naseer@cpitrademedia.com +971 (4) 375 5478 Sub Editor Aelred Doyle ADVERTISING Group Sales Director Sandip Virk sandip.virk@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 50 929 1845 +44 (0) 773 444 2526
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The publisher of this magazine has made
This has traditionally been a busy month in the UAE with a raft of conferences, primarily dictated by desert weather, as the harsh heat now gives way to a milder climate. Some of this has been marred this year by the pandemic with less people stepping outdoors to enjoy the joy of the season. But as we always find a way, virtual conferences currently serve as a replacement for physical ones primarily with the intention of updating ourselves about the industry and the dramatic change it has witnessed these last few months. I don’t think anyone will contest the fact that OTT has seen the most massive change with the pandemic. The need to update ourselves, therefore, on how the numbers for OTT have changed significantly and how they will impact our business and technical strategies moving forward, led BroadcastPro ME to plan the MENA OTT and Anti-Piracy Virtual Week from November 3-5. We urge you to join us for this conference as both end users and solution providers will showcase the way forward based on their experiences this last season. Conscious that online can be tiring unless you’re binge watching a TV
ISSUE 124 | NOVEMBER 2020
Licensed by Dubai Development Authority
every effort to ensure the content is accurate on the date of publication. The opinions and views
On this month's cover…
series, we have limited the conference to a little more than two hours each day. BroadcastPro ME is known for bringing new voices to the platform always and we will keep that promise with each of our presentations and panel discussions. I am pleased to announce that MUSO will present a special report on AntiPiracy on November 5. I am equally delighted to share that StarzPlay, who has emerged as one of the biggest winners during the Covid-19 pandemic, will share their numbers and strategies. In parallel, we have seen OSN upping its game continuously under the leadership of their new CEO Patrick Tillieux. It will be interesting to hear from both players, who will be part of our conference. Do register at antipiracyconference. com to receive an exclusive link to attend the sessions, which are all free-to-attend. CABSAT is also putting together some interesting discussions for its first virtual conference from November 9-10, 2020, bringing the African perspective alongside regional sessions. We will be delighted to see you at both conferences.
Vijaya Cherian, Editorial Director
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SHAPING
A NEW REALITY
Visuwalls augments The Voice Middle East with new visuals
Nicolas Malbon and Daria Bertinelli from Visuwalls.
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November 2020 | www.broadcastprome.com | 1
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PROCONTENTS
Inside this issue 05 NEWS MBC signs deal with Facebook MENA; Jordan Media City selects Imagine; OSN launches new Originals; Equinix and Omantel launch new data centre; Sony acquires Nevion; ConnecTechAsia wraps up virtual event; new appointments; and more
November 2020 OSN LAUNCHES ORIGINALS
VISUWALLS RAISES THE BAR WITH AR
20 CABSAT.VIRTUAL A look at what to expect at the virtual edition of CABSAT
22
22 VISUALLY AUGMENTING THE VOICE MIDDLE EAST Lebanese firm Visuwalls on their first AR success with The Voice Middle East
10 EXPLORING ANIMATION IN THE UAE
VOX POP - THE AR ROADMAP
32 CREATING SOUND
AUDIO FOR BROADCAST Social distancing has led to an increasing demand for high-quality audio capture and stable wireless transmission, says Ryan Burr
34 ANIMATION IN THE UAE Senior executives from UAE studios discuss the rise of local productions and the growth of the industry in the country
34
42 VOX POP - THE POWER OF
42 NEW LAUNCHES THIS MONTH
PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE WITH LTE
AR TO ENHANCE BROADCAST Experts share their experiences with AR and how they foresee the technology changing the face of broadcast
48 NEW LAUNCHES The hottest new products in the broadcast industry
50 OPINION Mobile LTE is key to reliable live video contribution, says James Trevelyan of Speedcast
48
50 November 2020 | www.broadcastprome.com | 3
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PRONEWS
MBC Group in new deal with Facebook MENA to develop video content for Watch MBC Group has signed an exclusive entertainment partnership with Facebook MENA to develop video content for Facebook Watch. The oneyear agreement will see MBC Group’s digital arm share over 20,000 pieces of content across its various Facebook pages including MBC1, MBC2, MBC4, MBC MASR, MBC DRAMA, MBC The Voice, MBC The Voice Kids and Shahid. Content will involve previews, special behind-the-scenes snippets and more from MBC Group’s premium shows and exclusive titles, such as The Voice, The Voice Kids, Beauty Match, Sabah Al Kheir Ya Arab, Family Feud and other Arabic TV series. The collaboration will also include MBC’s Ramadan line-up for 2021 such as The Voice Senior, Scoop with Raya, Al Mirath, and Trending, among others. Present on Facebook since its year of activation, MBC Group currently runs 144 active pages that represent both linear and non-linear offerings,
Mofeed Al Nowaisir is Chief Digital Officer at MBC Group.
reaching more than 280m fans to date. In May alone, MBC Group achieved a total of 6.3bn views on all social media platforms, from which a total of 4.56bn social video views were on social media platforms tracked by Tubular, including
Netflix to unveil Paranormal, announces $500k fund Netflix is set to launch the first episode of the Egyptian Original series Paranormal on November 5. The six-episode series will stream in 190 countries and dubbed in nine languages including English, Spanish, French, Turkish, and German.
Set in the 1960s, the series follows a scientist who begins to question what he thinks he knows as paranormal events begin to unravel around him. Paranormal is directed by Amr Salama, who is also the executive producer alongside Mohamed Hefzy. Netflix has also established a $500,000 emergency fund in collaboration with the Arab Fund for Arts & Culture (AFAC) to help Lebanon’s film and TV community. The fund will provide financial support in the form of individual grants ($2,000 per grant) to Lebanon’s film and TV community, primarily belowthe-line crew, craftspeople and freelancers impacted by the global pandemic.
over 2.8bn views on Facebook. Mofeed Al Nowaisir, Chief Digital Officer at MBC Group said: “We have witnessed a shift in how audiences consume content over recent years; it is no longer TV in defined settings, but a whole host of content options consumed via various devices anytime and anywhere. There’s phenomenal value in partnering with Facebook because our joint campaigns can bring even more to our viewers, as well as expand on our reach and frequency. We look forward to this new milestone between both parties.” Moon Baz, Strategic Partner Manager, Facebook MENA, remarked: “As an established member of the media industry in the Middle East, MBC is in a unique position to develop shows that resonate with viewers in our region and reach new audiences. We’re excited to see the breadth of content that this partnership will bring to the region.”
Multichoice Studios extends network with mena.tv Multichoice Studios has signed a deal with TV content marketplace mena.tv to extend its global network and reach potential buyers in the Middle East. By listing its content on mena.tv, Multichoice Studios hopes to give buyers a glimpse of its library and new content. The titles listed on mena. tv include multiple shows such as the International Emmy awardnominated telenovela, The River. Other major titles include Brethren, Gomora, Unbroken and the multiSAFTA-winning telenovela, Isibaya.
November 2020 | www.broadcastprome.com | 5
PRONEWS
Jordan Media City upgrades with Imagine Communications
Eng. Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Degaither, CEO of Zain KSA.
OSN partners with more MENA telcos
Jordan Media City's new production and transmission centre in Amman.
Imagine Communications has upgraded Jordan Media City's (JMC) playout facilities in Amman. Imagine installed its first servers at JMC in 2004 and began the migration to HD channels in 2016. The latest expansion provides capabilities for 18 premium, full-functionality SD and HD channels. Content delivery from ingest to on-air branding and playout is achieved using software-centric tools running on cost-efficient COTS hardware. The flexible and scalable solution enables JMC to switch the 18 premium channels freely between SD and HD. The capacity was scaled through the deployment of five additional Nexio+ AMP
playout servers, providing 30 bidirectional ports. In addition, JMC’s Nexio online shared storage, Platinum VX router and Selenio 6800+ modular processing were expanded to meet the additional demands. The expansion project doubled the facility’s existing 32TB of shared storage including intrinsic mirroring, with the additional disk space being integrated into the single server environment without interruption to operations. The system was installed by JMC’s engineering team and commissioned jointly with Imagine Communications during Q2 of 2020. Radi Alkhas, CEO of JMC, said: “Imagine
Communications has been a key technology partner for as long as JMC has been in business. When we needed to get our new HD services on air quickly, Imagine was able to commission the facility to our timescales – even during the pandemic.” Anas Hantash, head of Middle East, South Asia and North Africa for Imagine Communications added: “Imagine is dedicated to the media industry and has a long-term, proven commitment to the Middle East. That allows us to build strong partnerships, like our relationship with JMC, which has provided them with high-performance playout infrastructure for close to two decades.”
Kids’ channel ZooMoo launches on DStv in Africa ZooMoo, a kids’ channel which provides educational content about animals around the world, is now available on DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact and Family. The channel will be available on DStv 314 until March 31, 2021. Some of ZooMoo’s shows include Leo the Wildlife Ranger, Lost!, Clawdia’s Amazing African Adventure, Piglet’s Adventure Machine, and Ninja Pop.
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OSN has announced new partnerships with Ooredoo in Qatar and Zain in Kuwait that will further extend its reach in MENA. With the partnership, Ooredoo is offering its premium customers the OSN Streaming App free-of-charge. Customers on lowertiered plans will have the option to upgrade. The Zain KSA partnership will see the telco’s 5G network and fiber subscribers enjoy free access to the app for 12 months, while other subscribers will have two months of free access. Eng. Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Degaither, CEO of Zain KSA said: “This exclusive partnership agreement will further support our strategic goals of enhancing the quality of life for Zain KSA’s customers, and will contribute towards the realisation of the Saudi Vision 2030’s targets aiming to develop varied entertainment opportunities that cater to all tastes and preferences.”
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PRONEWS
Minly launches platform to connect celebrities with fans in Middle East Minly has launched an online marketplace presenting a platform for fans to request personalised videos from their favourite celebrities in the Middle East. The platform, which aims to bridge the gap between fans and celebrities, already features over a hundred superstars from a diverse set of fields including sports,
music, cinema, and television. The platform allows fans to browse from a catalogue of celebrities and request a personalised video shoutout. On their end, the celebrities receive requests from fans and record a shoutout to watch, download, and even share. The platform also features a systematic content monitoring system to ensure a positive experience
Syrian actress Kinda Alloush returns to TV with new series
Syrian actress Kinda Alloush has returned to TV drama after a threeyear hiatus with her new series, titled Dai Elkamar. The series is produced by Aroma and Synergy production companies. The ten-episode series
revolves around the chef Alia (Kinda Alloush) who is facing hardships in her relationship with her husband Nader because she can’t get pregnant. Dai Elkamar is written by Yousra ElFakharany and Abeer Soliman. It is directed by Ahmed Hassan and stars Mohamed Alaa, Mohamed Shahin, Zeinb Ghareeb, Mahmoud ElAmrousy, Ahmed Abd Allah Mahmoud, Marwa Eid, Reham Mohy and Yassmine Now agy. Dai Elkamar is one of the six stories in the Ella Ana series.
8 | www.broadcastprome.com | November 2020
for both users and celebrities. Minly was founded by Tarek Hosny and Mohamed El-Shinnawy in partnership with Tarek El Ganainy’s TVision, the media production arm behind widely distributed shows across the Middle East such as SNL Arabia. Minly is available in Egypt but plans to expand into the Gulf region, starting with Saudi Arabia.
Disney APAC President Uday Shankar announces exit
StarTimes to air UEFA Europa League in subSaharan Africa
Uday Shankar will step down from his role as President, Disney APAC and Chairman, Star & Disney India, effective December 31, 2020. Shankar will remain with Disney through the end of 2020 to help appoint his successor and ensure a smooth transition. Shankar has served at the company since February 2019. Previously, he was president of 21st Century Fox for Asia and the chairman & CEO of Star India.
Africa’s pay-TV operator StarTimes has acquired exclusive broadcasting rights for UEFA Europa League in sub-Saharan Africa until 2021. StarTimes will broadcast the UEFA Europa League in all of sub-Saharan Africa except South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. StarTimes has been awarded exclusive rights for English, Portuguese and local languages in English- and Portuguese-speaking areas.
Disney reorganises media business to focus on streaming Disney has announced a reorganisation of its media and entertainment businesses to further accelerate its Direct-to-Consumer strategy. Under the new structure, Disney will focus on developing original content for the company’s streaming services, while distribution and commercialisation activities will be centralised into a single Media and Entertainment Distribution organisation.
ATEM Mini Pro ISO model shown.
Introducing ATEM Mini
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Live Stream Training and Conferences
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Edit and Fix Live Streams
ATEM Mini includes everything you need. All the buttons are positioned on the front panel so it’s very easy to learn. ATEM Software Control is also included for accessing more advanced features! The 4 HDMI inputs allow connecting cameras and computers, plus the USB output works like a webcam for Zoom or Skype. The multiview even allows all cameras to be viewed on a single monitor!
With the new ATEM Mini Pro ISO model, you can now edit your live show to fix any mistakes or make improvements. You get all video inputs and program recorded as 5 separate video files! Plus a DaVinci Resolve edit timeline is saved, so you can open the live show and make changes with a single click! It only takes a few minutes to edit and upload a perfect version of your show!
The ATEM Mini Pro model has a built in hardware streaming engine for live streaming via its ethernet connection. This means you can live stream to YouTube, Facebook and Twitch in much better quality and with perfectly smooth motion. You can even connect a hard disk or flash storage to the USB connection and record your stream for upload later!
Use Professional Video Effects ATEM Mini is really a professional broadcast switcher used by television stations. This means it has professional effects such as a DVE for picture in picture effects, commonly used for commentating over a computer slide show. There are titles for presenter names, wipe effects for transitioning between sources and a green screen keyer for replacing backgrounds with graphics!
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OSN expands content slate with new Original TV series OSN has partnered with global distributor Fremantle to launch its first scripted Original series No Man’s Land on OSN Series First and OSN Streaming app. The eight-part action thriller series will launch on November 2. Following the story of the Syrian war through the eyes of a young French man, in search of his estranged sister, No Man’s Land sees its protagonist unravel the mystery, piece by piece by joining forces with ISIS’ biggest rival — a unit of Kurdish allfemale fighters — and his
A still from No Man's Land.
travels with them through ISIS-occupied territory. The new series joins a host of other new original productions
launching on OSN this year, including Yalla Neta’asha and A’adet Rigala. Yalla Neta’sha, the Arabic version of British reality TV show Come Dine With Me, was launched on October 18. The 45-episode Arabic language series airs every evening from Sunday to Thursday on OSN and the OSN Streaming app. OSN also launched a spin-off to its Original talk show Aa’det Rigala, titled Harb Aalmeyya. The new show turns the tables on the original show with the same guest celebrities deciding to wage war against men.
Yalla Neta’sha chooses Ionoco for remote production UK- and US-headquartered broadcast technology specialist Ionoco’s Path platform was chosen for the remote production of Yalla Neta’sha acquired by OSN. The show is produced by ITV Studios Middle East and was filmed in various locations across the UAE during the summer with
the control room and camera crew located in different countries. The Path system allowed the production to go ahead within coronavirus restrictions and protocols as the technology allows the show to be filmed without the crew having to be in the same location
Yalla Neta’sha airs every evening from Sunday to Thursday on OSN and the OSN Streaming app.
10 | www.broadcastprome.com | November 2020
as the production office. During the filming of the series, camera operators were on location in Dubai and other UAE states whilst the control room and crew were located ITV Studios Middle East’s main headquarters in Beirut. Each member of the camera crew carried a backpack containing batteries, Ionoco’s AtHome kit and a number of 4G wireless routers. The camera feeds were processed by the kit and then transmitted back to the control room in Beirut via the Path platform accessed through the wireless routers, allowing live instructions from the director.
Tarek Amin to take charge as Director of YouTube MENA
YouTube has appointed Tarek Amin as the new Director for the Middle East & North Africa. Amin joins from Sky News Arabia where he spent the last year-and-a-half as Chief Digital Products Officer. In his last role, Amin led the digital strategy across owned and operated assets including OTT, podcast, web, and app as well as third-party social networks and social media platforms. Prior to that, Amin was CEO of Digital at Adline Media Network. Amin will effectively become part of the YouTube management team as of December 7.
Cartoon Network Arabic turns ten Cartoon Network Arabic celebrated its tenth birthday last month with a stream of local content and classic shows including Dexter, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and Courage the Cowardly Dog, along with a competition for kids. In its tenth year, Cartoon Network Arabic aims to focus on serving tailored content across its platforms, including its MENA TikTok page which was launched on October 10.
PRONEWS
First detailed report on Saudi Arabia's film industry released A report on film skills in Saudi Arabia was released by the British Council last month, outlining the skills and capabilities needed to strengthen and grow the sector in the future. The Saudi Film Skills report surveyed 422 people in the sector. Of those surveyed, 40% were filmmakers, while the rest were students (30%) and crew (17%). When asked what the biggest advantage of the Saudi Film Sector was, 35% said the cast and on-screen talent were the biggest draw, followed by the availability of film locations
(19%), and market potential and audience demand (17%). Around 93% of all Saudi production houses film locally, with over a third (39%) of the film sector residing in Riyadh, followed by 29% in the western cities of Jeddah and Makkah. The survey found that the typical Saudi film producer or company has produced 12 productions since inception, and the vast majority of these were short productions. Short films accounted for over half of all productions (54%), followed by web productions (30%), and only 4% were feature films. Meanwhile,
there is a significant pipeline of production with 12% in development. In terms of demographics, the report found that the film sector is characterised by a workforce of young people under 30. The average age of all respondents was 26, with almost three quarters (72%) of respondents being younger than 30 years. Out of these, a third (34%) were female. The Saudi Film Skills Research was carried out in 2019 and 2020 by Nordicity, a consulting company that specialises in policy and strategy research.
Abu Dhabi’s Al Qana to open VR and esports hub ‘Pixel’ in 2021 Abu Dhabi’s waterfront destination Al Qana will open an esports hub and virtual reality gaming complex in 2021. Called Pixel, the hub is set to be a location-based entertainment facility for families, gamers and technology enthusiasts. Robocom VR will be the sole provider of the content and technology for the gaming hub. Pixel will also include the firstever certified esports academy in the region.
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Equinix opens first IBX data centre in Oman in partnership with local telco Equinix and Omantel have opened a new International Business Exchange (IBX) data centre in Barka, near Muscat, the capital of Oman. Known as MC1, the facility is a carrier-neutral hub where content providers and cloud providers can co-locate critical IT infrastructure. The Equinix IBX in Oman hopes to serve as a regional interconnection hub providing ultra-low latency connection points between global business markets. The IBX benefits from direct
connectivity to strategic cable landing stations and subsea cable systems that terminate inside the facility and is expected to provide increased performance and security, along with significant cost savings. The MC1 is operated by Equinix and includes 23,600+ square feet of colocation space and 725 cabinets. The site has the capacity to grow to 2,150+ cabinets with future IBX builds. It is Equinix’s first data centre in Oman and its fourth in the MENA region.
Emmy 2020 chooses Blackmagic Design to live stream nominees
Blackmagic Design has revealed that 26 of this year’s Emmy Award nominees located in California were live streamed into the telecast of the awards show using kits built around Pocket Cinema Camera 6K and ATEM Mini Pro switchers. The kits were built by LA-based C Mount as part of the first virtual telecast Emmy ceremonies, which brought together nominees
in 20 cities and 10 countries. Nominees were sent a kit that included a Pocket Cinema Camera 6K, an ATEM Mini Pro, a 27” monitor and a master power cord. Control of the stream was done by C Mount remotely, leaving the nominees to focus on their part in the show instead of managing technology. Feeds from the kits were sent to Done and Dusted’s main control room at the Staples Center and to C Mount’s facility. Beyond the camera control capabilities, the ATEM Mini Pros also allowed C Mount to control and monitor audio inputs during the show.
Talal Al Mamari, CEO, Omantel, said: “The IBX represents a significant step forward for Oman and the Middle Eastern ICT markets. Together with Equinix, we hope to enable a new era of telecommunications both regionally and globally.” Eugene Bergen Henegouwen, President, EMEA, Equinix, noted: “Our investment in the Middle East, including the new data centre in Oman, reflects our commitment to our customers as they continue their digital transformation journeys.”
BeIN launches new show Larry the Wonder Pup on JeemTV BeIN Media Group launched a new show last month called Larry the Wonder Pup on its kids’ channel JeemTV. The show follows Larry, the dog, and his eight-year-old owner Sasha who embark on
adventures from Larry’s point of view. The show is a mixture of live-action and animation. The show is broadcast from Sunday through Thursday at 09:00 pm Dubai time exclusively on beIN’s JeemTV.
Snapchat launches new ‘Sounds’ feature in the Middle East Snapchat has launched Sounds, a new feature that allows Snapchatters on iOS in the Middle East and globally to add music to their Snaps (pre or post-capture) from a curated catalogue of music from emerging and established artists.
November 2020 | www.broadcastprome.com | 13
PRONEWS
DICM announces exclusive E-Ramadan content market
A file photo of the DICM event, held in December 2019.
The Dubai International Content Market (DICM) has announced the launch of an exclusive event, called E-Ramadan Content Market, at the beginning of 2021. The online event will offer a platform for buyers and producers of all media content for the Holy month of Ramadan.
The new event will be launched on January 12 and will last for two days. The event will feature exclusive screenings, pre-event content browsing, virtual networking with selected clients and prescheduled e-meetings. The event is expected to have more than 150 participants from 17 countries.
The objective is to provide broadcasters and other content platforms with an engaging online experience that will optimise their business interactions for Ramadan programmes. Anas Al Madani, Vice Chairman and Group CEO of INDEX Holding said: “Dubai is the regional media hub, that plays a phenomenal role in the growth of the media entertainment and content market in the MENA region, bringing it on par with the highest international standards. The E-Ramadan Content Market will facilitate business for buyers, producers, and service providers. It will also give the opportunity for young talent and content producers to play a role in this important media season.”
OSN and Abu Dhabi Police crack down on piracy OSN and Abu Dhabi Police joined forces last month to raid three shops located in the main satellite market in Electra Street, Abu Dhabi. The raid resulted in the confiscation of 202 pirate devices, the arrest of three individuals and three shops sealed. OSN used market intelligence, which it shared with Abu Dhabi Police Economic Crimes Department, following which it submitted an official complaint and
offered the police on-site support during the raid. OSN also detected and removed more than 380,000 links for pirated content online, conducted 43 raids across the region and confiscated thousands of boxes along with illegal cards in 2020. Hanif Khan, Director of Anti-Piracy & Content Security at OSN said: "Piracy is causing enormous losses for the entertainment industry,
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the authorities and the end-users. As the leading entertainment network in the MENA region, it is our duty to work with the authorities and invest in equipment, training and solutions to combat this crime. “The OSN Streaming App … has helped reduce some of the piracy usages ... However, we still have a long way to go to reduce piracy in the region,” Hanif added.
Cairo Film Festival to take place in December The 42nd edition of the festival will now be held from December 2 to 10 in line with the health procedures and measures approved by the Egyptian government and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Sterilisation of cinemas and all venues will be conducted immediately after each screening. Temperature checks and comprehensive health follow-up will be done daily for all festival workers and guests. Furthermore, the opening and closing ceremonies will be hosted outdoors. While the third edition of Cairo Industry Day will be held from December 4 to 7, the Cairo Film Connection will be held from December 5 to 7. The film festival will also award Egyptian actress Mona Zaki with the Faten Hamama Award for Excellence during the opening ceremony of the 42nd Edition in recognition of her career and outstanding body of work. Further, Palestinian feature film Gaza Mon Amour, directed by twin brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser, will make its Arab world premiere in the International Competition of the festival.
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PRONEWS
Ibiza Global Radio 95.3 FM now in UAE Ibiza Global Radio 95.3 FM, regarded globally as a leader in the electronic music scene, has been brought to the UAE at a time when nightlife and events have been temporarily paused. With partygoers looking to virtual resources to fuel their musical escape, Ibiza Global promises to fill that gap. “It is time the UAE was home to a radio station to reflect and direct the huge demand for electronic music that exists here,” commented Theo Makris, Managing Partner at Ibiza Global Radio UAE. “The current musical offering on our airwaves includes largely ‘safe’, chart-topping tracks, leaving
Theo Makris, Managing Partner at Ibiza Global Radio UAE.
Jane Wiseman exits as VP of Netflix Original series Wiseman, who also served as head of comedy, exited the company after nearly seven years. The reason for Wiseman’s departure was not revealed. However, recently appointed Global TV Vice President Bela Bajaria thanked Wiseman for her contribution, “from building a talented creative team to bringing our members such successful series as Grace and Frankie, Ozark, Dead to Me and our adult animation slate”.
Warner Bros. TV Chairman Peter Roth to step down in 2021 Roth, who joined the company in March 1999 as President, Warner Bros. Television, has been responsible for signing a number of exclusive overall deals with key producers such as Chuck Lorre, Greg Berlanti, Ava DuVernay, John Wells,
among others. Around 32 scripted primetime series developed under his leadership successfully reached the 100-episode milestone including The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Gossip Girl, The Mentalist and Pretty Little Liars.
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a large void for the vanguard club tracks of tomorrow so many are looking for in this region.” The station is a platform for local and rising talent, and unites the community of like-minded producers, DJs and listeners. Ibiza Global Radio UAE broadcasts without interval on channel 95.3 FM and will feature exclusive sets and interviews from international electronic heavyweights including Maceo Plex, John Digweed, Claptone, Sasha and Defected. The schedule also includes a long list of local DJs, with weekly shows and mixes coming from the likes of Frederick Stone, Jixo & Danz, Hoolz and Naswari.
Fujifilm Middle East hires new MENA Marketing Manager Richard Lackey, who was formerly with UAE-based distributor UBMS, recently joined Fujifilm as Regional Marketing Manager, MENA. Lackey will be responsible for the marketing and activities around the Fujifilm X and GFX system mirrorless cameras, and lenses in the MENA region and CIS countries. Lackey reports to Chris Darnley, GM at Fujifilm Middle East FZE, and will be based in Dubai.
Qvest Media appoints Philipp Glänzel as GM for Dubai office Glänzel will manage technology-relevant matters and thereby further expand Qvest Media’s strong market position in the MENA region. He has been appointed to the management team of Qvest Media alongside General Manager and CSO Ahmad Al Kayal. Glänzel is responsible for Qvest Media’s projects and development in the MENA region at the management level.
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PRONEWS
ConnecTechAsia 2020 successfully concludes first live virtual event
ConnecTechAsia concluded last month after three days of insightful conferences and exhibitions on the latest solutions and trends in the digital economy. The event saw participation from more than 6,800 attendees and featured some 200 sessions, 280+ speakers and 323 exhibitors. One of the highlights of the event, the inaugural CommunicAsia Awards, recognised innovation and achievement across global service providers. The virtual awards ceremony was held on September 30 and featured winners in several categories. Huawei won Best RAN Technology for its MIMO enabling superior 5G experience. The Most Innovative 5G Trial in APAC was bagged by the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital of Thailand for their implementation of 5G to build a reliable and smart 5G Hospital. The Telecom Service
Innovation in Response to Covid-19 was awarded to Robi Axiata for their Crisis Igniting Innovation Project. The Most Significant Contribution to Edge Computing saw SK Telecom taking it with their multi-cloud supported 5G edge platform and services. There were 36 start-ups featured in the first edition of Elevating Founders Asia, the flagship start-up event of ConnecTechAsia. After two days of pitch-offs, the winners were Dot Incorporation, which was crowned overall winner for reinventing accessibility with their Dot Watch, an accumulation of their work in assistive technology. Ostique, a female missionled team, developing ostomy devices combining advanced functionality with customisable aesthetics to improve patients’ quality of life was crowned for HealthTech. Merkle Science was recognised for FinTech owing to their blockchain transaction
monitoring and intelligence solutions to prevent the illicit use of cryptocurrencies. EdTech was won by Akadasia, a Singapore-based EdTech business that aims to democratise education by empowering educators with the skills and the technology to teach. Uniphage topped the Tech for Good category as a biotechnology company aiming to solve the problem of bacterial and fungal diseases worldwide. DamoGO, a mobile app that connects restaurant, bakery and other store owners selling surplus food to consumers at discounted prices, was crowned for RetailTech. Spread across four virtual exhibition halls and 12 international group pavilions, 323 companies showcased their innovations through videos, online chat and live presentations. Having exhibited at previous physical editions of ConnecTechAsia, Alexey
Kalachev, CEO of Moscow Export Center said: “Despite the Covid-19 challenges, the organisers did a good job at using the digital technologies to deliver a great event. We look forward to meeting everyone face-to-face in the editions ahead!” Mohammed Fahim, General Manager, RAN, Core & Integration, Robi Axiata Limited, a first-time attendee, noted: “ConnecTechAsia is an enabler of crossindustry collaboration. The event was very engaging and personalised. Thanks to the organisers, I will be looking forward to attending next year.” Ivan Ferrari, Event Director, Tech, Media & Entertainment Events, Informa Markets, who heads ConnecTechAsia added: “This year, we even expanded our event, with newly launched shows, conferences, awards and competitions. Our core mission was to deliver a content-rich platform that enables our exhibitors, sponsors and all participants to foster long-lasting business partnerships and opportunities. Moving forward, we will continue to refine the virtual element of ConnecTechAsia and integrate it with the physical show to create rewarding experiences for all attendees.” Content from the virtual ConnecTechAsia2020 will be available on-demand till June 1, 2021. Details about next year’s event will be announced in due course.
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PROCABSAT
CABSAT.Virtual to showcase content journey and satellite transformation CABSAT.Virtual, the Middle East and North Africa’s first virtual event for the broadcast, satellite and content communities, will take place from November 9-10, 2020. The two-day virtual exhibition and conference will be held under the theme ‘curating and delivering limitless must experience content’. The event promises a unique virtual opportunity to reconnect with the full broadcast and satellite industry ecosystem; meet qualified, influential buyers; network with decision makers and pitch businesses from anywhere in the world. CABSAT.Virtual will have a seamless digital experience with a range of hightech features as well as an AI-powered matchmaking engine that will match businesses with potential buyers for video calls and chat on the virtual platform, while exhibitors will be able to present their products virtually. With Cisco predicting that video will account for 82% of all internet traffic by 2022, and with the Covid-19 pandemic increasing demand on digital services across the world, global broadcast and satellite ecosystems need to devise new strategies to ensure audiences remain engaged.
Majed Al Suwaidi is MD of Dubai Media City, Studio City and Production City.
CABSAT.Virtual’s Content Congress and GVF SatExpo Summit conferences are set to shed light on this challenge, delivering industryshaping dialogue, uniting creative visionaries, technological disruptors and industry influencers through forwardthinking debate and discussion. Headlining the conference agenda, three-time Emmy award-winning digital series creator and short form and interactive creator, showrunner, and storyteller Bernie Su will explore new ways to engage audiences through story experiences. Among its exhibitors, CABSAT. Virtual is excited to host Israeli satellite communications operator Spacecom, which has strategically located satellites over Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Spacecom offers broadcasters, content owners and governments extensive coverage and turnkey solutions for media and content distribution needs. “Spacecom is excited to take part in CABSAT.Virtual. For years, we have known that CABSAT is a major platform for the broadcast, media and entertainment industry, and now, thanks to the UAE–Israel peace
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agreement, we can introduce CABSAT’s audience to Spacecom, and the AMOS fleet. AMOS-17, our new digital HTS satellite, enables high-quality services and coverage, designed for Africa’s growing needs,” said Ofer Asif, SVP Business Development, Marketing and Strategy, AMOS, Spacecom. With Africa’s cultural yield having tremendous potential economic and social impact, CABSAT.Virtual will hear from Aduku Armstrong Idachaba, Acting Director General, National Broadcasting Commission of Nigeria, on ways to forge regional alliances while developing localised content strategies. CABSAT.Virtual will discuss how OTT services can retain newly recruited subscribers and will host an expert panel featuring Zahra Zayat, SVP-Digital, OTT & Telco, OSN; Nadine Samra, Chief Business Officer, Weyyak, Zee Entertainment; Geet Lulla, Managing Director, India, Middle East and SouthEast Asia, Gracenote; and Luis Duran, Chief Commercial Officer, Shahid. “I am thrilled to share important updates about what OSN has achieved in the past six months during and post-lockdown and how we were
PROCABSAT
able to ride the growth coming from industry trends such as 5G and AI," commented Zahra Zayat of OSN. "I have always considered CABSAT to be a very important platform to meet international and regional industry experts and suppliers. From the introduction of 5G, to esports getting wider popularity and 8K devices in the market, it has become crucial to keep up with all the innovations happening around us. All streaming services have seen a massive spike in acquisitions and engagement; however, post-lockdown, it has become challenging for some OTT service providers to keep those subscribers engaged. I will be discussing what innovative strategies OSN used to maintain aggressive growth on the OSN Streaming service and continue to engage with our customers.” Majed Al Suwaidi, MD, Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City, and Dubai Production City, will discuss how Dubai is driving media excellence in the region and is striving to make Arab
Moon Baz is Strategic Partner Manager of Facebook MENA.
media a source of hope and optimism for the future, strategising the leading role of the UAE and Dubai as a hub for Arab and international media. Rami Zeidan, Head of Video & Creative, TikTok, will discuss the rise of short form video content, and how to engage Arab audiences and inspire
creativity in a participatory way. Moon Baz, Strategic Partner Manager at Facebook MENA and Jason Monteiro, Director Brand and Communications at Shahid will explore the role of social media content during the pandemic as well as the potential for partnerships between social media platforms and content producers. “For Facebook, this is a unique opportunity to reconnect with the full ecosystem including our community partners, understand the industry trends and chalk out new innovative ideas for the growth of this industry. While Covid-19 has altered how entertainment is consumed, for everyone that is involved in creating and publishing content, this has been a challenging time. Through CABSAT, we want to connect with publishers and highlight how we are enabling them to experiment with new formats and build sustainable revenue streams on our dedicated Facebook Watch video platform,” commented Baz.
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PROCOVER
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PROCOVER
EMBARKING ON A NEW AR JOURNEY
The Voice Middle East has continuously raised the bar in MENA broadcasting with fresh elements added to the show each year. This season saw Beirutbased Visuwalls set the stage for a new edition of the programme with Augmented Reality. Visuwalls walks Vijaya Cherian through some of the key technologies that led to successfully creating AR for the show
Nicolas Malbon, Head of the Department for Media Servers and Augmented Reality and Daria Bertinelli, Head of the Graphic and Motion Design Department at Visuwalls.
The Voice Middle East, MBC’s much loved and popular Arabic version of the famed Dutch format, has over the years, become an intense and emotionally charged show as participants battle it out on stage to be crowned the next voice sensation of the year. Each season, the production teams and the broadcaster aim to keep the show refreshed to continue to draw the millions of viewers it has attracted since it debuted in the region in September 2012. In one edition, that was aired earlier this year, the teams successfully introduced Augmented Reality (AR) for the first time into the show, with sunflowers, words and letters extending the physical environment and adding a brand new dimension to the show. The iconic hand that represents the voice was also recreated this time in AR. Beirut-based technology solutions provider Visuwalls, which has worked with show producer ITV Studios Middle East on the last three seasons of The Voice Middle East, by providing the set design and construction, automation control, custom software, motion graphics, LED screens and media servers as
well as any additional lighting equipment and scenic lighting required, was responsible for executing the AR vision of the team. This was also incidentally Visuwalls’ first AR project. Nicholas Malbon, Head of Department for Media Servers and Augmented Reality at Visuwalls, who was primarily responsible for the AR execution, says a good technical strategy and robust solutions are critical to getting it right. “First, you must have an idea of what you want to achieve,” says Malbon. “We looked at the AR element for the show, offered suggestions and what was achievable. Your technical strategy must be sound. From there, you need to first get your cameras and lens sorted out. We had a Mo-Sys star tracker mounted on the techno crane and a static camera with a Mo-Sys E-sensor Head. We chose Mo-Sys because it is independent of everything else. Once you map the studio, you can map that to any device. Mo-Sys has a very reliable and robust solution and once it is set up, it is pretty simple. The calibration is probably the most time consuming and once that is done, you can sail through. They also offer very good support and
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PROCOVER
Nicolas Malbon says a good technical strategy and robust solutions are key to ensuring success with AR.
are extremely helpful,” Malbon says. Besides the Mo-Sys tracking solutions, the core equipment for this project included a host of Ross Video solutions including Ross Voyager, UX and Video Routing as well as Visuwalls’ own custom servers with AJA Corvid 88 HD-SDI cards. The tracking data captured by Mo-Sys was fed into a Ross UX system at the front of the house with Ross Voyager servers -- that were remotely operating from the rack room of the studio -- taking the camera footage and compositing the AR. All AR compositions were internal to the server, so the gallery simply had a feed with AR and a feed without. Ross UX was used to control the servers and manage tracking data. “Synchronising all the data and video streams can be quite challenging. Good solid genlock is a must in such a project,” explains Malbon. One key element that the team had to ensure worked well
“Within a virtual solution, the lens is perfect. Within the software, the lens is perfect. But in the real world, lenses are good but not necessarily perfect. You need to have a good lens calibration file and good lens data, or it just looks wrong” Nicolas Malbon, Head of Department for Media Servers and Augmented Reality at Visuwalls
The Voice Middle East has enjoyed great success in the region under MBC Group.
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was the lens, which Malbon reiterates, “is critical within any AR setup”, and points out why. “Within a virtual solution, the lens is perfect. Within the software, the lens is perfect. But in the real world, lenses are good but not necessarily perfect. You need to have a good lens calibration file and good lens data, or it just looks wrong. You have to get a distortion table, which matches the real lenses to the virtual lenses. This is where a company like Ross Video comes in. They have several real lenses mapped already with the virtual lens. The reason why this is important is because every lens is unique. When they map a lens, they model the lens. In the ideal world, you would send the lens to Ross Video and they would custom map it for you. That would be an expensive proposition if you were using a lens just for one show but now, we have invested in our own lenses.” Visuwalls has invested in new Canon lenses and Grass Valley cameras to provide a
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PROCOVER
Sunflowers were used to extend the visual environment of the edition that was broadcast earlier this year.
pre-calibrated service. “Now that we have our own lenses, we will get them properly mapped to ensure complete precision,” explains Malbon. The next step to executing an AR strategy lies in the software. “Again, we chose Ross Video here because it is based on Unreal Engine. You could argue that most available software solutions today are based on Unreal Engine but we went with Ross because of the way they have configured the system, how they interface it into the unreal engine platform, how they track
the system and how they manipulate things within their projects. Their control software is really good. It all boils down to interface and support.” Malbon admits that having never bought AR software before, the company was looking for a
“Synchronising all the data and video streams can be quite challenging. Good solid genlock is a must in such a project” Nicolas Malbon, Head of Department for Media Servers and Augmented Reality at Visuwalls
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straightforward solution, and claims that Ross Video fit the bill. “The Ross solution was pretty straightforward, but you don’t lose any of the power. Once the interface is set up, pretty much anyone can operate it and that was the plan. We wanted to ensure that the operations would be easy for anyone without involving a big learning curve,” he points out. Once that is sorted, it is a matter of getting the 3D artists to make beautiful models, says Malbon. Integrating the AR into the graphics and the set was the most fun part of this project, says Daria Bertinelli, Head of the Graphic and Motion Design Department at Visuwalls. “As creatives, we at Visuwalls have dreamed many times that our graphic creations could somehow come to life, and this is what is slowly happening with the help of AR. We constantly work closely with the Art Director, who gives us an idea of the vision he wants to achieve. We then translate that vision into something visually and emotionally appealing. Doing that with the integration of AR was quite challenging as it was our first time, and technically we had to
PROCOVER
Daria Bertinelli says the aim with the augmented visuals was to create something that was attractive as well as emotionally appealing.
meet some requirements that don’t always agree with our imagination. But that was part of the challenge.” Bertinelli says the team “timidly” started with some virtual graphics that “appeared to be flying around the studio only at certain moments” but then gradually gained the confidence to “work with something more obvious on stage towards the last episodes”. “Anyone who has watched the broadcast from home will have seen that the singers were surrounded by something special, not obtainable with lights, projectors, screens, and with the classic equipment of a studio. Of course, we didn't want to create an exaggerated environment. We needed to maintain consistency with reality and adapt the setting to the context,” she remarks. The team used some 3D software solutions such as Blender, for the main modelling, texturing, and animations. Blender helped prepare the 3D scenes for integration into the live environment. “In this step, sometimes
“Anyone who has watched the broadcast from home will have seen that the singers were surrounded by something special, not obtainable with lights, projectors, screens, and with the classic equipment of a studio” Daria Bertinelli, Head of the Graphic and Motion Design Department at Visuwalls
everything works immediately, while at other times, there are continuous adjustments to make until the expected result is achieved. Then it’s time to integrate this within the larger picture to ensure a seamless visual experience. This starts during the setting up inside the 3D software, then, as Nick mentioned, we use Unreal to manage the imported 3D models, creating the right materials, lights, shadows, animation and all the programming necessary to match the actual environment as close as possible.” Bertinelli goes on to add that AR has already been used extensively in the video games and film industry. “It was missing only on television and we are happy we have been part of this global transformation.” But AR has its limitations “because it is all about overlay and influx,” cautions Malbon. “You have to be very clever about how you position things and how you move the camera past objects. Once we had a brief from the creative team, we were doing it in
Rocks, neon streets and letters were other AR elements that were added to the show.
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PROCOVER
3D models created by the graphics team were extracted and placed within the AR frame to create these effects.
conjunction with motion graphics. We would take 3D models from the graphics and extract them and place them within the AR frame. We would then enhance the graphics with some AR elements to make the picture better. We were really keen to keep it simple so as to ensure that we did not overwhelm the director,” adds Malbon. The result was sunflowers extending and adding further flourish to an already glamorous environment. In some instances, words floated across the screen. Of course, with a new project and wanting to ensure that everything went smoothly, the team ended up creating a lot of AR that they did not eventually use but it was a great learning exercise. “In the past, we have always dealt with a physical construction. As AR was new to the show, we were trying many things out - some never made it to the final broadcast due to time constraints or simply because of artistic choices. In hindsight, we know now what questions to ask, what to propose or not to propose the next time,” explains Malbon. He goes on to add that while some things worked quite well, “there were others that required
specific camera movements to work and those were tough”. “We had a couple of things that were too close to the performers and that
“As creatives, we at Visuwalls have dreamed many times that our graphic creations could somehow come to life, and this is what is slowly happening with the help of AR” Daria Bertinelli, Head of the Graphic and Motion Design Department at Visuwalls
became challenging. We discovered that if the camera was even slightly in the wrong place, it could break the illusion. There were a couple of areas, where we had to clip the frames. As AR progresses, there are tips and tricks we are likely to figure out. Lens calibration and tracking solutions are very important and having your virtual and real life perfectly aligned will make or break the frame. You can cheat on some things but not the above,” adds Malbon. Overall, the project was so successfully executed that the
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PROCOVER
Pietro Haj says Visuwalls has primarily worked in the live events sector but has seen a significant spillover into broadcast with several new projects.
company invested in a lot of new equipment to ensure that Visuwalls could make it part of the portfolio of services it offers, CEO Pietro Haj says. Visuwalls typically provides turnkey solutions for any event primarily on the live side, and these include props, the set, LED screens, lighting equipment, graphics, customer software, automation for the chairs and so on. “This is what we have typically provided for The Voice Middle East and this is the third season that we are working with them. MBC took care of the lighting, cameras and so on. We are mostly into AV and lighting, and can be considered a good production resource, but in recent times, we have found ourselves working on more and more broadcast projects as well,” explains Haj. “We have worked on Arabs Got Talent, The X Factor and several live events such as the Opening Ceremony of the World Air Games in Dubai and Julia in Concert in
“The move into AR came from a realisation that it was the up-and-coming technology, and we already had a graphics team who often worked in 3D anyway” Pietro Haj, CEO at Visuwalls
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Lebanon and Jordan. We expanded into supplying lighting and projection equipment. The move into AR came from a realisation that it was the up-and-coming technology, and we already had a graphics team who often worked in 3D anyway,” explains Haj. With warehouses in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia as well as a wellsupported technical department and construction unit, the Lebanese solutions provider has a 360-degree solution for live events. Haj comments that in the future, the company will also probably invest in new media servers that will integrate into its AR world. AR projects are here to stay as it has allowed for enhanced storytelling, and a greater interaction between participants and graphics objects. With companies such as Facebook, Intel, Alphabet, Inc., Comcast Ventures, and Samsung Group investing heavily in the AR market, we are likely to see more such deployments moving forward.
PROTECH
SHAPING AUDIO FOR BROADCAST
With social distancing measures in place, there is an increasing demand within broadcast for high-quality audio capture and wireless transmission that is both stable and efficient in its use of spectrum, says Ryan Burr With the rapid shift of viewership from traditional television to digital services, it is more important than ever for broadcasters to remain relevant. Far from sounding the death knell for traditional broadcast, these changes in media consumption simply mean that industry stalwarts need to incline their strategies strongly towards serving their audiences no matter where they are. Traditional broadcasters, for instance, need to take a page out of the playbook of streaming service providers and aim to become more agile and quality-oriented in their content production. Pervasive high-speed internet has made UHD video the de facto industry standard and to deliver a fully engaging experience, it is imperative to pair this with immersive audio. This means focussing not only on utilising high-quality audio capture solutions, but taking into account their aesthetics – in fact, as 4K and UHD become the norm, discreteness of microphones will make or break an audience’s immersion, especially in productions such as sitcoms, and reality shows. In parallel, with social distancing measures in place, media personalities have come under particular scrutiny and events such as the Emmys 2020 highlight just how conscious broadcasters need to be. This translates to investing in technologies that ensure actors, news anchors, interviewers and others can follow necessary guidelines without being incumbered by technologies that impede their ability to perform. To address these challenges – from the perspective of audio –
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there are two key characteristics that broadcasters’ microphone systems must feature; the highest possible quality audio capture and wireless transmission that is both stable and efficient in its use of spectrum. The need for wireless becomes critical here. These systems grant actors, and live-TV personalities the ability to be untethered and free to focus on their performance. The aforementioned challenge of enabling social distancing to be followed without encumbrance is effectively solved through the use of wireless microphones. However, along with the demand for robust, workhorse-like wireless systems, is the need for these to be as ergonomic as possible. Small and lightweight bodypack transmitters enable more fluidity of movement and can be hidden more easily on a person, while minute but powerful microphones allow audio to be reliably captured without drawing attention to themselves, even at high-resolution video formats. Wireless systems also afford studios the ability to rapidly remodel sets without having to rip and replace audio installations. In an era when it is easy to determine what content is working and what isn’t, this ability to react and adapt programming can mean the difference between effectively competing with dynamic OTT players, or going the way of the VHS tape. Of course, in implementing wireless systems, broadcasters must take note of the ever-looming threat of the shrinking Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) spectrum. There has been a huge reduction in the UHF spectrum available to production companies and broadcasters for the wireless equipment they
PROTECH
use, in an age when more and more production equipment such as cameras, DMX, comms and IEMs are becoming wireless. Failing to recognise this could result in investments becoming entirely unusable. This is one of the areas wherein the value of digital systems shines through. New production methods and means of encoding enable these systems to utilise available spectrum in the most efficient way possible – all without compromising audio quality or the stability of wireless links. Digital wireless systems ease the workload on technical resources who are already likely to be overstretched. There are audio solutions today that eliminate all the complexity associated with analogue distribution systems. In a networked audio setup, the physical connections become irrelevant since by using software controls, audio inputs can be dynamically routed from
any input device to any output system - so long as they are both connected on the network. Broadcasters can therefore disconnect, reconnect, route, and reroute connections via software, meaning all modifications can be done without even touching a single cable. This also makes possible the software-based control of all wireless audio systems, across all studios and facilities, from a single, centralised location – saving hours of effort and enabling audio engineers to focus on high-value tasks. With the pandemic, there has also been an accelerated adoption of remote production and post. This approach enables broadcasters to channel audio and video streams into centralised production facilities, granting better control through the content creation process. Central to this shift is the migration towards IP-based media systems and the adoption of the SMPTE ST2110 standard, perhaps even accelerating its implementation
throughout the industry. In a world where rich media is at your fingertips, broadcasters must do everything to provide engaging programming that is as much about the experience as it is about the content.
Ryan Burr is Head of Technical Sales & Application Engineering, Professional Audio at Sennheiser Middle East.
PRODUCTIONS IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
www.rossvideo.com/esports
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PROANIMATION
AN APPETITE FOR
ANIMATION
The UAE is fast emerging as a new market for animation. Senior executives at Spacetoon Family and Kids TV, Bidaya Media and Majid TV as well as Emirati animation expert Mohammad Ahmed Fikree talk to Shifa Naseer about their experience in working with animations, the growth of in-house and imported productions, and the rise of this industry in the UAE
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PROANIMATION A still from Girl & It, which is a short animation created by Emirati content creator Mohammed Ahmed Fikree.
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PROANIMATION
The UAE is home to one of the most popular regional animations that became a household name in the country when it was first introduced. Emirati animator Mohammed Saeed Harib’s cartoon series Freej, which enthralled audiences when it was first introduced, continues to serve as an inspiration to many of the region’s content creators. Likewise, Sha'abiyat al Kartoon and Iftah Ya Simsim, an Arabic rendition of the famed Sesame Street, have also been popular among Arab audiences and Spacetoon, which operates out of Dubai Media City, has been one of the most successful regional channels, regaling young Arab audiences between the ages of four and eight across the pan-Arab market. Although animation has been around for a while, it is only now graining traction thanks to festivals, collaborations with international animation houses and the rise of home-grown studios. In the UAE, Dubai and Abu Dhabi perhaps have played a huge role by being home to the most number of animation studios. Fayez Weiss Al-Sabbagh, founder and CEO of Spacetoon Family and Kids TV, a Dubai-based channel that was launched in 2000, says animation has witnessed explosive global growth over the past 20 years. “There’s a huge demand for animation. People are becoming increasingly interested in content that both entertains and educates their children,” he says. Spacetoon has been a major free-to-air platform for Arabiclanguage animation the region. “The market was wide open when we started. Between 2000 to 2005, there was a huge demand for satellite TV,” Al-Sabbagh says. “Before launching Spacetoon, we conducted numerous studies on the children’s edutainment industry in MENA and discovered a huge investment opportunity. We were fortunate that Choueiri Group and Bahrain TV supported us for the beta launch
“There’s a huge demand for animation. People are becoming increasingly interested in content that both entertains and educates their children” Fayez Weiss Al-Sabbagh, founder and CEO, Spacetoon Kids TV of Spacetoon on Arabsat as a sevenhour block on Bahrain TV in 2000.” Within a few months of launch, Spacetoon attracted more than 118m viewers from the 22 Arab countries. “This strong demand led us to increase the number of broadcasting hours. That eventually led to the launch of Spacetoon as the first family and kids’ TV channel in MENA. We saw an opportunity to expand our business in the fastgrowing Dubai market, and launched from Dubai Media City with a 24/7 channel on NileSat,” adds Al Sabbagh. Bidaya Media, a regional production company which operates under the banner of twofour54 Abu Dhabi and is known for its flagship show Iftah Ya Simsim, recently rebuilt its art department and strengthened its production management and commercial team. “As part of relaunching Bidaya Media with a new creative strategy, we expanded our internal capabilities as a team with a wide range of skillsets and experiences,” says Adam Khwaja, Creative Director and Head of Production at Bidaya Media. “As such, while we leveraged our
36 | www.broadcastprome.com | November 2020
experiences in children’s content production, we also expanded the team with several additions from across the Arab world. We look forward to seeing these relationships develop as we set up new production pipelines.” The company made headlines earlier this year when Mansour, its original Arabic TV cartoon series’ official YouTube Channel surpassed 1m subscribers with over 500m cumulative views. The series was originally created by Rashed Alharmoodi and seed funded by state-backed Mubadala Investment Company. It was produced in partnership with twofour54 and Cartoon Network Studios Arabia. Mansour has enjoyed strong viewership in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, the UAE and Kuwait. The comedy TV series, which targets children between the ages of six to nine, focusses on family, cultural diversity, creative thinking and the positive use of technology. Nabil El Jisr, CEO of Bidaya Media, says it has benefitted from its partnership with Cartoon Network MENA on Mansour. “The show premiered on their channel over multiple seasons along with several distribution deals with Abu Dhabi Media and Sharjah TV. More recently, we partnered with several content distributors such as Majid TV for seasons three to five along with Shahid VIP for seasons one and two.” Khwaja says the response of the audience locally and internationally has exceeded the company’s expectations since the production of the second season of Mansour. “When Mansour went on air, our hope was to win the GCC audience and some of the wider regional ones at best. The numbers achieved have been very positive. This success pushed us to work harder on improving our content and storylines with each season as well as to try to maximise our reach on YouTube,” says Khwaja.
PROANIMATION
Spacetoon's partnership with Japan's TOEI Animation has resulted in a profitable collaboration for new content, says Al Sabbagh.
Inspired by Emirati and Arabic heritage, the show is driven by local stories that Arab children can identify with. The production process including character design, voiceover and scriptwriting was done in Abu Dhabi under Bidaya Media’s supervision. “Bidaya Media has been working closely with government sponsors on delivering quality entertainment with an aim to fill the content gap for Arab children in the industry,” he adds. The company is working towards creating more original Arabic content from Abu Dhabi for Arab children worldwide. “We have noticed an increase in the production of local and regional animated content over the past years and this is definitely helpful as we collectively benefit from more Arabic content being produced and supported in the region,” says El Jisr. To that end, Bidaya Media is exploring the next stage of development and production for Mansour and plans on engaging with the audience through licensing, merchandising avenues, and live events. El Jisr reveals: “We are also working on developing our short form animated and puppetry original Arabic content slate in the coming period in partnership with our sponsors and we hope to have
something ready to be shared soon.” Content, however, is not the only factor. Today, social media platforms like YouTube play an important role in reaching the target audience, says Al Sabbagh. “Spacetoon’s audience consists of millennials who grew up watching Spacetoon, and generations Alpha and Z who are now discovering the channel. Experience tells us that there are differences in reaching the two key segments, but both are receptive to the same messages delivered in different ways through our channel.” As a result, Spacetoon focussed on strengthening its presence in digital media. “We recently reached over 4m subscribers on Spacetoon’s YouTube channel and 2bn YouTube views overall,” says Al Sabbagh. Earlier this year, Spacetoon entered the OTT market with the launch of
Spacetoon Go, the first anime and cartoon streaming service in Arabic, to extend its reach. “We'll be investing more in streaming, digital infrastructure and more tech talent in the near future. We are well-positioned for new opportunities in this rapidly evolving market,” Al Sabbagh reveals. In the meantime, Abu Dhabi kids’ channel Majid TV aims to create productions locally while keeping the international audience in mind. Mariam Al Serkal, Head of Majid TV, says: “We have three things in our DNA: our storyline has to be unique; it should appeal to an international audience and it has to be entertaining.” Majid TV was established in 2015 under Abu Dhabi Media and seeks to engage children with home-grown productions and cartoon characters such as 'Majid' and 'Kasslan'. “We have almost 15-20 original characters that have managed to sustain their weight over the years. Based on extensive research conducted directly with kids, we revamped Majid TV in February last year,” Al Serkal explains. One of the Original shows titled Jamool (Camel) was launched during Ramadan this year. The series is Majid’s first silent animated show. Separated from his mother at birth, Jamool, the camel, goes on adventures to discover who he is. In every episode, he meets a new animal and tries to imitate it, hoping to see whether he can finally discover his true species. Unlike other Majid IPs that feature Emirati characters such
November 2020 | www.broadcastprome.com | 37
PROANIMATION
Nabil El Jisr is CEO of Bidaya Media.
Adam Khwaja is Creative Director and Head of Production at Bidaya Media.
as 'Amoona' or 'Fateen', Jamool is a show with no cultural specs. “Jamool's theme is universal. Anyone can enjoy the show because it is funny and relatable. We don’t need to put Arabic elements in everything we make. That’s not how you make kids want to watch it,” says Al Serkal. The platform's Youtube channel has 65m total views and 463m impressions. To expand its reach to global audiences, Majid also showcased its content featured on Majid Universe platform during MIPCOM 2020. The event, which was held from October 12 to 16 at Cannes in France, saw content including live and dubbed shows featuring the characters ‘Basal Wo Filfil’, and ‘Zakiya’. Zakiya is the region’s first original superhero animation production, aimed at children aged 6-14 years. Majid Universe was launched earlier this year as a multi-platform offering
“The main challenge is to maintain a high quality of production, which can compete with international market standards” Nabil El Jisr, CEO of Bidaya Media digital, TV and print entertainment. In the past three years, Majid TV has showcased a consistent increase in reach and share of the audience including a 64% increase in UAE and 194% in KSA. Despite the growth, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has compelled companies to rethink their strategies. However, numbers from Kenneth Research report published in July 2020 are encouraging. The report estimates the global animation market was worth approximately $335.7bn in 2019 and will grow at a healthy growth rate of more than 4.79% over
38 | www.broadcastprome.com | November 2020
the forecast period 2020-2026. In the region, however, the sector hasn’t received much attention, says Emirati animation content creator and founder of Am Ay Af Studio Mohammad Ahmed Fikree. “There are a lot of Emirati artists, who are doing a fantastic job in making short animations, but they lack avenues to get their content aired on TV or anywhere else.” Fikree is an award-winning filmmaker, known for Girl & It (2013) and The Heart of Them which is in post-production. He is known for creating most of his animated films as a one-man show, including composing original scores for his projects. The UAE animation industry is afraid of changes, notes Fikree. “Regional players tend to stick to their own formula when it comes to broadcast. So, you pretty much see the same story. They just swap
PROANIMATION
characters, but the formula is the same. If you look at Saudi Arabia, or even outside the Middle East, the success of a show depends on the story. If it is just about Arabic culture, I don’t think anyone is interested.” Fikree’s new films that are under production, The heart Of Them and A King No More, do not centre around Arabic culture. The heart Of Them follows two sisters who are on a quest to find the last sanctuary as they try to stop the destruction caused by their ancestors. The film was originally planned as a sequel to Girl & It but when the narrative changed, Fikree decided to make it a separate film altogether. Girl & It follows a hunter who stumbles upon a mysterious girl while chasing a horned beast to prove himself worthy. “The Heart of Them was supposed to have the same animation style as Girl & It but since the latter is nearly a decade old, I decided to make a different film and do a frame-byframe instead of a cut-out animation. Because of the technology available
“If you look at Saudi Arabia, or even outside the Middle East, the success of a show depends on the story. If it is just about Arabic culture, I don’t think anyone is interested” Mohammad Ahmed Fikree, content creator and founder, Am Ay Af Studio today, it is easier to do that. I use Adobe flash, mainly for character animation and Adobe After Effects for background.” A King no More is being developed as a remake of Fikree’s silent short drama Children (2011), which won the special Jury prize at the eighth edition of the Dubai International Film Festival. “I don’t know if the remake will be a short film because I’m still writing it. But I will definitely send the remake out to film festivals.” Fikree rues that filmmaking today is more about business than entertainment. “People are afraid to experiment for fear that it might be a financial disaster.”
He feels, however, that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are moving ahead in leaps and bounds. “They’re doing a much better job of it than us when it comes to entertainment. As a film industry, we are very limited when it comes to storytelling.” Spacetoon is also enthused by the rising interest in animation projects in Saudi Arabia. “This creates more job opportunities for local talent and helps to boost the animation industry overall. In our Riyadh office, we’re constantly on the lookout for new talent and innovative projects as well as partners to enrich our content and support our strategy,” says Al Sabbagh. Before the Covid-19 outbreak, Spacetoon had announced several live shows and animations that were due for release in 2021, but those projects have been delayed. “We are currently working on many titles, and we plan to enhance our live production offerings after Covid-19 is under control. Interestingly, the crisis has sped up the adoption of remote
Emirati animation content creator Mohammed Ahmed Fikree with stills from his film Girl& It.
November 2020 | www.broadcastprome.com | 39
PROANIMATION
Majid TV's IP includes original characters such as 'Majid' and 'Kasslan' that have withstood the test of time, says Mariam Al Serkal.
collaboration and driven innovation in tech platforms which bodes well for our production capabilities.” Spacetoon is focussed in localising storylines for programmes to succeed globally. Al Sabbagh explains: “This year, we’ve introduced a diverse slate of new shows such as Dragon Ball Super, My Little Pony, Masha and the Bear, Power Rangers, Transformers, Super Wings, ZAFARI, and more.” During the pandemic, Bidaya Media surpassed over 1m subscribers and over 500m views on its official YouTube channel, with the viewership ranging between 6m to 12m within any 90-day period over the past year. The animation industry, as a sector, combines IP creation, production, and services but it is collaboration which has helped speed up progress in the industry. For instance, Spacetoon has partnerships with Japan’s TOEI Animation and MBC’s OTT platform, Shahid. “We are pleased that we introduced TOEI shows to MENA and that the GCC audience really loves them,” comments Al Sabbagh. The company also recently joined forces with The Moshaya Family, the top family-friendly content creators in MENA, with a major expansion through an original animated show and a full licensing and merchandising programme. Animated content, however, can be time-intensive with production
timelines varying from 20 months to more depending on product design and development, as well as reducing cost and risk along the supply chain. Fikree says the timeline depends on the kind of content one is creating and the amount of work one is doing. It took him three years, for instance, to just compose the whole music track for The Heart of Them because he “kept looking at the animatics and how the scenes play out and kept comparing one piece of music to another to see how they would work emotionally with each scene”. Despite the developments in the animation production sector, experienced talent is scarce. Working on high-quality productions requires trained people with sufficient production experience. “Shortage of experienced talent is the highest on the list,” rues Khwaja. Al Sabbagh agrees, stating that this is why Spacetoon works with international partners “to supplement local resources”.
“We have managed to train more than 30 people in content creation. We also have a Majid Friends Club, where anyone who is interested to be trained as a presenter or wants to know about filmmaking or animation, is welcome” Mariam Al Serkal, Head of Majid TV
40 | www.broadcastprome.com | November 2020
To that end, Majid TV is trying to reduce the gap between production companies and the local talent pool by organising a number of regional initiatives. “We have managed to train more than 30 people in content creation. We also have a Majid Friends Club, where anyone who is interested to be trained as a presenter or wants to know about filmmaking or animation, is welcome,” Al Serkal reveals. Despite a demand for animation, funding remains scarce in MENA compared to Europe and Canada, notes Al Sabbagh. In addition, TV channels are more focussed on investing in live-action and drama. Fikree says a big setback is also the reluctance of filmmakers to accept constructive criticism. He says the only way to move forward is “to let the younger generation take over”. There’s one thing all these companies agree on. They aspire to develop shows that can travel. “The main challenge is to maintain a high quality of production which can compete with international market standards,” remarks El Jisr. Al Sabbagh agrees and remains positive that the “changes in the MENA media landscape and the growth in digital consumption and digital platforms will continue to offer new opportunities to players. “We see unlimited potential for new animation and edutainment projects,” he concludes.
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VISUALISING THE
AR ROADMAP Augmented Reality (AR) has brought new life to traditional screens by enabling broadcasters to extend their storytelling, thereby changing how consumers interact with content. BroadcastProME asks industry professionals to share their vision of how they foresee AR changing the face of broadcasting in various scenarios and how their own respective solutions can enhance the viewing experience 42 | www.broadcastprome.com | November 2020
PROAR
Andy Hook Technical Solutions Director, SmartStage Traditional AR can add value wherever content needs to be brought to life in a more dynamic, detailed or immersive way. AR allows us to build digital scenery and props which we might not be able to build physically – either financially or practically. These AR elements can change dynamically – being driven by external data or interactivity, which makes them ideal for visualising sports, weather, financial or other data in a more engaging way alongside the presenters, talent or guests. What’s more exciting for us is when AR is utilised as part of a full xR/virtual production and can generate a virtual set extension as well as foreground props. This allows us to create infinite digital environments and place the presenters and guests inside those environments – allowing them to see and interact with their surroundings and take storytelling or subject explanation to another level. We consult, design and supply turnkey AR, xR and studio set technology solutions for a range of markets including broadcast, education, and corporate. We work with broadcasters to understand their studio, show or OB requirements and build technical solutions for either a physical set, AR overlay, hybrid or fully xR environment. We specialise in
media servers, virtual production, xR and tracking systems and help clients to get the most out of these technologies. Our SmartStage solution is a complete turnkey xR solution that uses LED video walls to replace the traditional green screen element of a virtual set and extends the canvas with a unique virtual set extension – immersing the presenter in the content and allowing real interaction and engagement with their surroundings. There are myriad AR and graphics systems out there – some, which bolt on to existing broadcast workflows and some, which provide a unified toolset, but all are limited by the creativity and capability of the content production team. The big challenge is that different systems may require different skill sets or knowledge of different real-time rendering engines/ workflows and quite often, it is hard for broadcasters to train and retain staff with good enough levels of these skills to get the most out of their AR system. Building multi-camera systems and dealing with the challenges around latency can also be troublesome for broadcasters. Using AR will also mean an introduction to camera tracking systems for broadcasters which can bring its own challenges – particularly around lens calibration and maintenance. As requirements for 4K and even 8K broadcasts evolve, AR systems need to keep up which means more graphics render power, increased costs and more complex signal management – all of
“Perhaps the biggest change we’ll see is in graphics render power and how that power is scaled/deployed. We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Unreal 5 and the next generation of even more powerful GPUs, which will see the next jump in content realism and resolution”
which make systems constantly evolve and therefore mean broadcasters need to adapt, continue to learn/ invest and will find it hard to get the ROI on any purchased system. What helps broadcasters through these challenges are systems that automate much of the calibration process, are render-engine agnostic and can be scalable to suit future standards or resolutions but acknowledge it can be a minefield for broadcasters to make decisions. I am a great believer in the fact that AR will revolutionise the way we consume and interact with content and that, at some point, consumer wearables will be so discreet and high quality that we’ll rely on AR/ virtual displays around us as much as we do our laptops, desktop monitors or home televisions. AR will become ubiquitous with content consumption and broadcasters will need to do more with AR to keep consumers engaged – both on their programme output and as an OTT/second screen experience. xR and virtual production will become cheaper as the technology matures and becomes more mainstream, meaning we’ll see more content producers embracing that workflow and driving it forward. Camera, presenter and prop tracking will get easier with more automated calibration and cheaper devices. Perhaps the biggest change we’ll see is in graphics render power and how that power is scaled/deployed. We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Unreal 5 and the next generation of even more powerful GPUs, which will see the next jump in content realism and resolution. We’re starting to see systems that allow this render power to scale across machines and I think over the next few years, we’ll see this develop exponentially. It will allow us to create more believable and interactive AR experiences for the consumer powered by distributed/cloud rendering or locally through the consumers' own devices.
November 2020 | www.broadcastprome.com | 43
PROAR
Mike Grieve Commercial Director, Mo-Sys AR graphics are already used extensively in news, sports and weather storytelling. Children's TV and mainstream drama, content that can be sold multiple times over to
other broadcasters is probably where AR graphics provide the greatest return, both in terms of producing content that otherwise wouldn't be possible, or if possible, it would be cost-prohibitive to make. Mo-Sys manufactures StarTracker, a precision camera and lens tracking system, which is used to blend AR graphics with the real world. The system is also used for virtual studios, mixed reality, and extended reality. Mo-Sys also manufactures an Unreal Engine plugin called VP Pro, which enables all types of virtual production, and a range of encoded remote camera heads for wider, more varied AR shots. AR graphics primarily require all the cameras used to be tracked, and all lenses on the cameras to have been profiled. Once this is done, one can choose which virtual studio software to use to synchronise and composite the AR graphics with
The SmartStage solution replaces the traditional green screen with LED video walls and extends the canvas with a virtual set extension that immerses the presenter in the content and allows for real interaction with their surroundings.
44 | www.broadcastprome.com | November 2020
the real world. Either a traditional virtual studio software package with automation and playout triggering, or where this isn't required, an Unreal Engine plugin will work. The biggest decision to make is whether the graphics operations team should be experts in Unreal, or experts in a traditional broadcast virtual studio software. This will determine the type
“We will also begin to see more photorealistic avatars, human or otherwise, driven by actors in motion capture suits with facial expression headsets, interacting with real actors�
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of software that can be used to deliver the AR graphics. Choosing the camera, lens tracking system, and the camera grip comes after. In terms of where AR is headed, greater photo-realism using technologies such as ray tracing is the obvious one. We will also begin to see more photo-realistic avatars, human or otherwise, driven by actors in motion capture suits with facial expression headsets, interacting with real actors. The aim of broadcasters deploying AR is to create highly immersive content that's visually appealing, which is 'sticky' in terms of viewer numbers and viewer duration, whilst also providing differentiation from the competition. The longer-term goal is for broadcasters to use AR to create increasingly sophisticated photo-realistic content that wouldn't otherwise be possible.
Gideon Ferber Director of Virtual Solutions at Ross Video In our experience, AR can create value in every market segment, and we’re seeing growth in its use across a number of production applications. AR is an extremely useful tool when it comes to telling stories that relate to data – the ability to visualise data graphically is always helpful and AR
“I think we’ll see an increasing use of volumetric capture and 3D scanning, enabling us to put more realistic 3D characters on screen and have them move more dynamically. That is something we’ve already seen in some sports and esports broadcasts, and I think there’s plenty more to come in future” can really help deliver the message and tell a better story, regardless of whether it relates to news, sports, elections or any other application. AR does tend to be used most widely in sports and news, but we’ve also seen a large growth in entertainment and esports – a production environment that thrives on statistics and data. Interestingly, we’ve also seen a rise in demand from corporate customers during the pandemic – companies still need to communicate with internal and external audiences and the prevalence of online presentations and ‘webinar fatigue’ means they’re looking for more creative and compelling ways to do so. AR is a tried-and-tested technology, so there are very few technical issues to worry about. We have seen some issues with AR in stadiums when extreme zoom lenses are being used – the accuracy of calibration in these cases is absolutely crucial to the success of the production – but generally speaking, integrating AR into a studio or live venue is a relatively straightforward exercise. Simply start by adding a tracking device to an existing camera, then add a graphics engine that can handle the tracking data, and you are pretty much ready to go.
46 | www.broadcastprome.com | November 2020
With UX and Voyager from Ross, for example, customers can start with a single camera and scale up to a multicamera, MOS-based, fully automated production. Our aim with AR is to be as ‘least disruptive’ as possible with the customer’s workflow and make sure that we offer solutions that fit with their way of working rather than trying to turn everything on its head! In terms of a vision for AR, I think we’ll see an increasing use of volumetric capture and 3D scanning, enabling us to put more realistic 3D characters on screen and have them move more dynamically. That is something we’ve already seen in some sports and esports broadcasts, and I think there’s plenty more to come in future. The idea of talent and guests interacting with scans of sports stars and game characters is quite an intriguing one! Another trend that is only going to grow is the industry’s use of Epic Games’ Unreal engine. Our Voyager graphics rendering solution is based on Unreal, and it is the dominant platform when it comes to VS (virtual studios) and AR. Epic has some big plans for the platform in the future, and has dramatically improved the kind of results we have been able to produce for our customers, so it will be exciting to see how the functionality of the game continues to develop. AR is an excellent tool to assist with storytelling. While I can’t predict where the users of the tool will take it, it continues to open up new levels of realism and graphic designers continue to challenge the boundaries of what it can do. The key word here, in my view, is ‘engagement’ – content creators want to produce more compelling content and keep audiences engaged. Live production is a competitive market and AR offers genuine differentiation – it’s a proven technology that is easy to implement and helps deliver better storytelling.
PROAR
AR has the potential to be used in various broadcast scenarios, be it elections, news or sport.
Lev Antonovich Motion Path We see AR as the future of broadcast graphics and we feel that it will be used more and more in all types of broadcasts prominently, be it elections graphics, news graphics and of course sports. We have already seen amazing applications for weather, such as by the weather network and we feel there is much more to come. We also see high-profile music concerts using AR more and more to create immersive viewing experiences for viewers who will be watching from home and we
are seeing ourselves moving towards this sphere of AR more and more. We brought some new elements to sports in light of Covid-19 with AR. As all sports fans know, watching sports is more than just watching a game being played. It is also about the atmosphere created by fans in the stadium which conveys an electricity and excitement for the viewer. Sadly, this feeling has been lost in most sports because of the current pandemic but we are actively working on helping leagues and broadcasters get that sensation back to their viewers by offering them solutions which enable broadcasters to feature AR fans in the stands, complete with team colours, flags and motion that conveys emotion as well as authentic,
“A lot of broadcasters do not feel confident in venturing into AR because of the lack of knowledge and uncertainty regarding what it takes and what the process looks like in terms of time and cost�
viewer-driven sound and atmosphere. Our solution can easily be integrated into the workflow of any sports broadcaster, regardless of their platform and we are starting to see more and more interest for this innovative approach from clients. In our experience, a major barrier for a lot of broadcasters not familiar with AR is the fear of the unknown. A lot of broadcasters do not feel confident in venturing into AR because of the lack of knowledge and uncertainty regarding what it takes and what the process looks like in terms of time and cost. Fortunately, there are many competent creative and technology companies out there that can guide them through this. Motion Path is actively working to increase knowledge in this field and give broadcasters the peace of mind to take that step towards AR. As the technology for AR develops, and with the pandemic and lockdowns, we see broadcasters moving towards AR with the goal of providing viewers at home a more immersive experience that can satisfy their need for emotional and awe-inspiring visual experiences they would usually get from live sports, concerts and events. AR done right can go a long way in helping to connect to the viewer on a deeper and more emotional level than traditional broadcasts.
November 2020 | www.broadcastprome.com | 47
PROPRODUCTS
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ARRI has unveiled four new Signature Zooms designed to match the Signature Primes. The lenses promise a fast stop of T2.8 focal length range, image consistency, HDR compatibility, and 8K resolving power. The Signature Zooms cover a focal length range of 16mm to 510mm. In addition to faster onset workflows, specific features include reduced delays, quicker setup due to the lightweight magnesium design, and an inbuilt ARRI LDS-2 lens data system
to simplify complex tasks on set and in post-production. Equipped with an LPL lens mount for cross-format shooting, the Signature Zooms can be used with any large-format or Super 35 camera. The 8K resolution and deep shadow detail enable Signature Zooms to cater to high-end productions. The 45-135 mm T2.8 and 65300 mm T2.8 Signature Zooms will be released during Q1 2021, along with a 1.7x extender for the 65-300 mm that makes it a 110-510 mm T4.9. The 16-32 mm T2.8 and 24-75 mm T2.8 will be released later in the same year. www.arri.com
AWS "connects" with Cloud Digital Interface
Atomos adds RAW recording over HDMI to Ninja V
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has unveiled the AWS Cloud Digital Interface (AWS CDI), a new network technology that allows independent software vendors and AWS partners to build live video applications that can connect products and services within the AWS Cloud. AWS CDI allows users to deploy live video solutions, such as TV channel playout, motion graphic insertion, video frame rate and colour space conversion, forensic watermarking, and video encoding/ decoding. It is built on technologies that run on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud instances
Atomos will offer ProRes RAW support over HDMI for the Olympus OM-D E-M1X and Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III mirrorless cameras. As a result, the Olympus cameras and the Atomos Ninja V will record Apple ProRes RAW directly from the camera’s sensor. Olympus OM-D camera users will get the benefits of a ProRes RAW workflow which includes creative control to adjust the colour and look of the video in post-production while extending brightness and shadow detail. The Ninja V promises to monitor the RAW signal on its daylight-viewable 5� 1000nit brightness HDR screen. Users can view the image in HDR
that include Elastic Fabric Adapter. It offers transport of uncompressed video, up to UHD 4K resolution at 60fps, between applications, with timing characteristics as low as eight milliseconds. Using the interface, customers can deploy uncompressed live video applications in the cloud without compromising on video latency and quality. www.aws.amazon.com
48 | www.broadcastprome.com | November 2020
quality with a choice of HLG and PQ (HDR10) formats. The Ninja V records the ProRes RAW data onto a removable AtomX SSDmini or other SSD drives. When shooting is complete, the drive can be removed and connected to a computer via USB for immediate offload and editing. www.atomos.com
PROPRODUCTS
Sony lines up new cameras
Sennheiser extends sound with MKE 200 mic
Sony has launched Cinema Line, a series of new camera products for content creators in digital cinema production. The series is aimed at content creators in digital cinema production. Cinema Line promises to deliver not only the cinematographic look for digital cinema production but also enhanced operability and reliability. Existing products in the Sony range forming part of the Cinema Line include Venice and FX9. Sony will be shipping the FX6 camera by the end of 2020. Each of the Cinema Line cameras will evolve with user feedback. The FX9 Version 3 upgrade, available in 2021, will
Sennheiser has extended its portfolio of audio-forvideo microphones with the launch of its new MKE 200 in the Middle East. The minimicrophone is designed for easy on-camera use with DSLRs and mirrorless cameras as well as mobile devices. The MKE 200 features a directional design which captures the sound of the subject while rejecting unwanted background noise. The microphone is fitted with an internal shockmount which acoustically decouples the capsule from the housing. To protect from wind noise, Sennheiser
see the addition of the S700PTP1 allowing remote control of Sony’s camera, a Center Scan mode for Super 16mm lens and B4 Lens support with its adaptor as well as other features. In November 2020, the Venice camera will see additional features in its V6.0 version to improve operability in broadcast and live environments. www.sony.com
Magewell releases 4K NDI encoder, IP decoders Magewell has introduced a trio of new models in its Pro Convert family of low-latency video-over-IP encoders and decoders. The Pro Convert 12G SDI Plus encoder converts 4K/60fps, 12G-SDI input signals into fullbandwidth NDI streams. The Pro Convert for NDI to SDI and Pro Convert H.26x to SDI decoders transform NDI, H.264 or H.265 streams into high-quality SDI outputs for connection to monitors, projectors and legacy equipment. Magewell’s Pro Convert encoders and decoders bridge traditional video signals with IP-based production, distribution and streaming workflows. Pro Convert decoders promise
to decode live IP media formats including remote production, multi-site video distribution, digital signage, IMAG and surveillance monitoring. The encoder supports up to 16 channels of embedded audio, while automatic input format detection and DHCP-based network configuration eliminate the need for manual setup. All three new Pro Convert models were scheduled to ship by the end of September. www.magewell.com
designed the MKE 200 with an integrated layer of protective mesh inside the housing which includes a furry windshield for filming outdoors. The MKE 200 comes with two locking connection cables for DSLRs or mirrorless cameras plus a draw-string pouch for storage. The MKE 200 retails at $100, excluding local taxes and duties. www.sennheiser.com
Pebble joins the IP wave with Oceans launch Pebble Beach Systems has
towards IP-based technologies,
unveiled a next-generation
including the cloud. Oceans’
service-oriented technology
‘virtual’ container-based
platform called Oceans.
platform management looks
Built for all clouds, the
to ensure users are running
Oceans platform aims to
the most efficient solution for
enable broadcasters to
the scale of their operation,
deploy, manage, host and
delivering the optimum
upgrade their workflows
provisioning, management and
and services from a single
usage of available resources
unified interface.
for their requirements
Oceans provides visibility and control of the playout
at any given time. Daniel Robinson, Head
infrastructure. It allows
of R&D at Pebble Beach
broadcasters to write
Systems. “Oceans will provide
and integrate their own
the broadcast community with
functionality using Oceans’
flexible, easily upgradeable
open and secure APIs.
solutions, which are tailored
Oceans has been designed to help broadcasters and media companies transition
to every workflow.” www.pebble.tv
November 2020 | www.broadcastprome.com | 49
PROGUEST
“Media companies need to adopt nextgeneration technologies that offer more flexible operations and a faster return on investment”
Mobile LTE is the key to simple and reliable live video contribution Today, the broadcast industry is in the midst of a technological and workflow shift. The volume of live feeds is growing and managing those feeds is a complex endeavour. Rather than contributing live feeds in the traditional formats from satellite or microwave distribution trucks, broadcasters are becoming increasingly reliant on LTE mobile networks. At the same time, they are evolving from using an internal fleet of trucks to third-party remote news crews, where each video contributor uses a different reception and transmission technology. Investing in all these fragmented technologies is expensive, complex and inefficient. Recognising the need to deliver content to as many screens as possible, media companies are looking for solutions that enable continuous network connectivity. With highly scalable coverage needed to deliver broadcast-quality content, agile and efficient video solutions are crucial for businesses to grow and control costs. The solution: hybrid networks and unified LTE mobility With multi-platform video content delivery a given for media companies today, extensive access to many broadcast methods has become a necessity. Reliability and security are critical components for delivering video, particularly for premium content such as live sports, high-profile events and breaking news. Hybrid networks offer
a backbone that enables the transport of media and data content from any origination source to destination, regardless of the format or platform. Bonding together the bandwidth of multiple cellular services, including 4G and 5G mobile networks, provides broadcasters with a low-latency and cost-effective uplink solution. Through a single, unified interface, broadcasters can receive feeds from third-party contributors without continuous investment in different technologies or paying for proprietary licenses for transmission and reception equipment. By adopting a 5G-compatible service, companies can take advantage of expanded capacity, while leveraging a hybrid infrastructure of satellite, fiber, cellular and IP connectivity. Acting as a global ‘network of networks,’ it utilises transmission technologies for the distribution or contribution of live, on-demand linear or digital video for high-bandwidth, broadcast-quality content – including live streamed sporting events – at a lower price. Utilising the cloud management of live video feeds, broadcasters can achieve unparalleled levels of scalability for realtime video processing and professionalgrade video quality with low-latency at the lowest possible bitrates. Changing the game of broadcast contribution By deploying this technology, broadcaster’s field crews are able to use the same technology for reception and transmission of video feeds. Having a
50 | www.broadcastprome.com | November 2020
unified interface and uplink service reduces the complexity of managing hundreds of live news feeds, which enables a wider coverage of news – making it the primary link for minor live events and a backup link for premium events due to its reliability, cost-effectiveness and easy setup. With consumer demand for live news and events coverage accelerating, the volume of contribution feeds managed by broadcasters has also grown. With this in mind, broadcasters need to consider solutions for an economical, and unified way to outfit third-party news crews with uplink equipment. Furthermore, they must manage those feeds to leverage the flexibility of the cloud and the massive capacity of 4G and 5G mobile networks. Preparing for the future WIth the shift to delivering bandwidthheavy 4K services, companies need to adopt technologies for flexible operations and a faster return on investment. Recent advancements have driven customers to expect high-quality video content on any device anywhere. To address this, companies will be required to upgrade their networks and utilise a range of possible network connectivity platforms. Broadcasters should look to adopt solutions catering to a multi-platform infrastructure. In doing so, they can save time and overall cost and improve operational efficiencies, enabling them to focus their resources on content creation, audience development and monetisation. James Trevelyan is SVP of Global Sales for Enterprise at Speedcast.
DIGITAL 6000
No intermodulation. More channels. More performance.
Digital 6000 opens up new leeway and sets new standards. The system has intermodulation-free operation with an equidistant frequency grid, allowing reliable incorporation of transmission paths even in overcrowded or very narrow frequency ranges. The legendary long-range mode guarantees unrivalled quality. The new Link Density mode doubles the number of possible channels. Discover more www.sennheiser.com/digital-6000
The range’s own transmitters are designed for any application on stages or in the field of broadcasting. There is a choice of the bodypack SK 6000, the mini-bodypack SK 6212 and the handheld transmitter SKM 6000. Over and above this, the series is compatible with the Digital 9000 series and the camera receiver EK 6042.