BroadcastPro ME September 2018 by CPI Trade Media

Issue 99 | sePTeMBeR 2018

Publication licensed by Dubai Production City

twitter trending Video drives revenues in MENA, says Benjamin Ampen

filming in saudi arabia a magnum opus with nebras films

BREAKING THE MOULD Al Mamlaka TV charts a new path in Jordan with tech innovations and an independent voice

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A few months ago, I had the pleasure of travelling to the IBC offices in London, where the jury for the IBC Innovation Awards gathered to deliberate over the shortlist. This process is always extremely tough, but I shall not dwell on that. One of the most rewarding aspects of the judging process is the opportunity to witness innovations in broadcast from various parts of the world within content production, distribution and management. It keeps your finger on the pulse of the industry, subtly pointing out what’s trending, which broadcasters are working on what aspects of broadcast within their country and what they are looking to improve. For example, one of the biggest drivers in television today is sport, which is continuously pushing broadcasters and OTT providers alike to innovate. It’s also always interesting to see that not all entries have a commercial driver. In some cases, the end user has collaborated with

manufacturers and service providers to create a technology purely to improve the quality of life for an entire community. This human touch gives as much joy to the judging process as does discovering the outstanding work from different countries. I feel privileged to be part of the IBC jury and find the Innovation Awards very rewarding not just for the winners, but for us, the judges, as well. Innovation, however, is not restricted to the awards. Some of it is happening in our own backyard and we are delighted to bring you exclusive stories from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Bahrain, among others, in this issue of BroadcastPro. Even as we put this month’s magazine to bed, we are looking forward to five days of innovation on the show floor at IBC. See you in Amsterdam.

Vijaya Cherian, Editorial Director

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ISSUE 99 | SEPTEMBER 2018

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Printwell Printing Press LLC, Dubai TWITTER TRENDING Video drives revenues in MENA, says Benjamin Ampen

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FILMING IN SAUDI ARABIA A MAGNUM OPUS WITH NEBRAS FILMS

Al Mamlaka TV charts a new path in Jordan with tech innovations and an independent voice

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Inside this issue 07 NEWS New tech installations at DMI and TRT, Bahrain's new music label, TECOM's GoFreelance initiative gains momentum, Gilli FM hits milestone and more

September 2018 turkEy'S trt chaNNEl rEvampS NEWS from arouNd mENa

al mamlaka tv goES oN air

iNtErviEWS

18 Diversified on TSL Dubai's takeover

62 MediaKind on rebranding 22 a NEW voicE iN jordaN Al Mamlaka TV launches with state-of-the-art facility

7 tWittEr mENa'S vidEo goalS NEWS from arouNd mENa

32 tWittEr iN mENa

thE kiNgdom'S film ambitioNS

Benjamin Ampen explains how Twitter's video strategy is attracting more tweeps

36 filmiNg iN Saudi arabia Team at Nebras Films on shooting a magnum opus

42 caSEStudy- iraq Al-Sharqiya achieves seamless social media integration

32 iraq'S al-Sharqiya upgradES NEWS from arouNd mENa

tEch updatES 52 Les Zellan on picking the right lens to tell a story 64 Alexander Stoyanov on how subtitling can drive profits

68 futurE of iNtErcomS Perspectives from Riedel, RTS and Clear-Com product rEviEWS 70 Mocha VR 76 Sennheiser AMBEO headset

makiNg of iraNiaN film lEakagE

56 EvolutioN of iNtErcom SyStEmS

iNNovatioNS at ibc2018

80 ibc2018 taStEr CEO Michael Crimp on what not to miss at IBC2018 and a preview of new launches

96 ai: thE uNSuNg hEro Harness AI, writes Peter Chave of Akamai

80 September 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 5

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PROnews

DMI backs up radio service with new 5KW transmitter installation at HQ Dubai Media contracted local systems integrator Broadcast Systems Arabia (BSA) to supply and install a 5KW transmitter at its headquarters near Maktoum Bridge. The project included the supply and installation of an Elenos transmitter, an RF switch and dummy load from Data Meccanica and a six-dipole antenna system from Turkish manufacturer RS Cast. Speaking about the project, Mohammad Al Fardan, Director of

The six-dipole antenna system from RS Cast.

Engineering & Operations of DMI, said: “The installation was part of our efforts to enhance our service availability and to ensure that the service is ongoing should there be a loss of signal or in an unlikely event where the existing transmitter is compromised. In that case, we have this as a back-up.” BSA’s CEO Irfan Gondal, who has worked on several radio installations in the region, added that his team stood up to the

Saudi firm acquires stakes in Deezer and Snapchat Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) has acquired stakes in a number of companies recently. Kingdom Holding announced the completion of a $266.5m deal to buy newly issued shares in Deezer, a global digital music streaming service, through KHC and Rotana Group. The announcement was made by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Chairman of KHC and Rotana Group. Rotana and Deezer, which is available in 180 countries, also signed an exclusive long-term agreement to distribute Rotana’s popular audio and video content in the MENA. The agreement covers Saudi Arabia, the UAE,

Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Turkey. Speaking about the investment, Prince Alwaleed stated: “The investment of KHC and Rotana Group in Deezer represents one of the many premium investments that we have always sought for our shareholders, and the signing of this distribution agreement will move Rotana to the international arena.” The statement did not provide any further financial details or the number of shares acquired. Alwaleed, a nephew of Saudi King Salman, has investments in a number of international companies including Citigroup and Twitter. In a separate agreement, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal has also taken a 2.3% stake

in Snapchat, reportedly paying $11 a share. With the acquired shares valued at $250m, Prince Alwaleed described Snapchat in a statement as “one of the most innovative social media platforms in the world”. The investment came even as the number of Snapchat users fell 2% in the most recent quarter to 188m, from 191m at the end of March. Alwaleed holds stakes in other tech and social media companies, including Twitter, JD.com and Lyft. He also chairs the Kingdom Holding Company. The company is considering collaborating with MiSK Foundation, a Saudi youth empowerment organisation chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

challenge of completing the entire supply and installation of the system on-site within 72 hours. “This was an exceptional feat for us with six technicians, an engineer and a supervisor from our team working on a 55m tower, removing old kit and delivering the project within the tight timeframe. We are pleased that we are able to undertake such projects and provide alternative solutions to the market.”

Al Aan TV gets new Tech Head

Nawaf Al Sullami.

Nawaf Al Sullami has been appointed Head of Technical Operations at Al Aan TV, Dubai. His remit includes managing the daily broadcast operations and the engineering department for Al Aan’s TV stations, two radios and OB facilities. Reporting to the station’s senior management, Al Sullami oversees the processes at the production, programming, news and creative departments, and is working towards streamlining the station’s workflow for greater efficiency.

September 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 7

PROnews

TRT begins workplace transformation as part of Arabic channel revamp Turkey’s public broadcaster Turkish Radio & Television is looking to revamp its Arabic broadcasting service, with ambitious plans to launch multiple bureaus across the region and revisit the existing infrastructure at its headquarters in Istanbul, BroadcastPro ME can reveal. The revamp will include a complete overhaul of the broadcaster’s technical infrastructure and content programming on TRT Arabic, which has been operational since 2010. TRT Arabic, which used to run 10 hours of daily live broadcast, will soon include a completely new grid with more news services, current affairs shows and business and sports programming. As part of this overhaul, TRT is also looking to centralise and streamline its technical operations. Although a date for the relaunch has not been confirmed, the broadcaster is tentatively looking to take the new service to air by the end of September. The project delivery is being managed internally by TRT’s technical operations team, headed by Ali El-Husseini and Mohammed Akhlaq. Speaking to BroadcastPro ME about the overhaul, Ali El-Husseini, Vice Director of Technical Operations, commented: “We are taking advantage of the newly launched TRT world English service to also centralise our operations, so that TRT’s MCR, ingest, archive

TRT’s technical operations team, headed by Ali El-Husseini (r) and Mohammed Akhlaq (l).

and media management functions will be centralised in terms of both technology and operations to serve both channels in a seamless and efficient manner.” The facility overhaul will include building a new newsroom, two studios, control rooms as well as all associated broadcast services. Multiple vendors and local systems integrators Arttek and Teratek have been contracted to assist TRT’s technical operations team. The two new studios are being designed by RAST, a Turkish studio design company. While one news studio will be used to host news services, another dedicated studio is being designed for the flagship morning show and current affairs. Core solutions that will be used within this project include the GV Stratus, which will serve as the newsroom production

8 | www.broadcastprome.com | September 2018

system; Avid iNews, which will be the NRCS; and graphics and AR solutions from Vizrt. Key elements of the studio will be a 100sqm videowall, super flat LED screens along with on-screen furniture, and TX graphics. “This is one of the largest VM (virtual machine) installations in the region with all of the core services, including media transcoding and production, running within a virtual ecosystem. What we will have once the project is completed is new and fresh modern branding supported by a centralised news production and broadcast operations model,” noted El-Husseini. One of the big challenges TRT is facing, like most other broadcasters undertaking such transformation projects, is to ensure that existing broadcasting services are not disrupted. “The challenges are a bit complicated as this isn’t

a green field installation,” said Hikmet Kocaman, VP of the TV Department at TRT Network. “The channel is already on air while the build is taking place in parallel. As a result, we have had to go through a complex migration plan for more than 100 editorial staff, transitioning the studio locations seamlessly while also connecting the two channels into a new centralised infrastructure.” To enable this, the team first completed building the network infrastructure for both channels prior to initiating the migration, to ensure that there would be no on-air impact. This work is still ongoing. Once the project is completed, TRT hopes to have a more ambitious Arabic service in place that can compete with other Arabic news channels in the region. Speaking about the project and the relaunch, Mohammed Akhlaq, Director of Technical Operations, TRT World, said: “This is a transformational project. It is as much about changing the way we broadcast news to cater to recent viewership demands as it is about transforming the workplace so that our journalists are empowered to stay competitive and deliver quality news around the world. Revamping the look and feel of the channel will also allow our editorial and operational teams to be more agile and meet the needs of changing challenges.”

PROnews

Otome launches music label in Bahrain The launch of a new record label in Bahrain is all set to ramp up its music industry. Otome Records, founded by entrepreneur Mohamed Khalid Almuharraqi and Khuram Javed, was officially launched at Coral Bay last month to hundreds of music enthusiasts in the Kingdom. Speaking about the label, Almuharraqi (popularly known across the Kingdom as VJMP3) stated that the record label’s aim is two-fold. “We’ve been working very hard towards founding a record label in the Kingdom, which would provide professional guidance and much needed exposure to local and regional artists,” he said.

From left: Khuram Javed and Mohamed Khalid Almuharraqi at the launch.

The team also intends to put Bahrain on the music industry map alongside the likes of Amsterdam, Berlin, Ibiza and other recording hubs. “We want Bahrain to come to mind when international DJs and upcoming artists think of

signing with a label. This way, Otome Records will open up a whole new industry for Bahrain,” he explained. Otome Records has teamed up with some of the largest music distribution channels and online platforms, such as iTunes,

Spotify, Amazon Music, Beatport, Apple Music and Shazam, among 300 more digital platforms. “As a recording artist, I understand the many difficulties an artist can go through. With Otome Records, they won’t have to worry about distribution, promotion and other challenges they might face,” Almuharraqi explained. “It’s a popular culture in the Kingdom for DJs and other recording artists to work regular jobs while DJing on the side. With Otome Records, they can divert all of their attention to making music, so their talent takes centre-stage,” Almuharraqi added.

September 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 9

PROnews

TECOM’s GoFreelance project attracts more than 70 registrations since launch Dubai’s TECOM Group has attracted registrations from more than 70 freelancers since it launched a special USD 2038 initiative called GoFreelance this July. Aimed at professionals in the media and education sectors who want to earn money on the side, the package only covers a licence, with residential visa and other elements being additional costs. Clarifying the reason for the initiative, Majed Al Suwaidi, Managing Director of Dubai Media City, told BroadcastPro ME: “In the media industry, we have several professionals such as writers, designers and actors who have been working for many years without any sort of permit, and we are pleased to support talented individuals in this region to get the right paperwork to continue working in a structured manner. We are offering the GoFreelance initiative to more than 50 skills in the media and entertainment sector. With our current number of registrants, we have mainly attracted the sectors of photography, brand consultancy, digital marketing, graphic design, among others.” Although this is a recent launch, Suwaidi says some people are already looking to transit from their existing work status to this package, while others in the media and education sectors who offer partial services are looking to legalise their status. “We do have a lot of people who are in the process of changing to this package but have not completed the transition yet. We have a very positive response for the GoFreelance programme and look forward to welcoming more people into our community.” TECOM Group has gone a step further by offering a one-stopshop service for those who need assistance all the way through. “One of the facilities offered with the

Majed Al Suwaidi, Managing Director, Dubai Media City.

Mohamed Chaker Bechnak, an event planner, has joined GoFreelance and lauds the lack of red tape.

GoFreelance project is the availability of assistance by our representatives at the Business Centre. We have a dedicated representative for each freelancer and provide support across all touchpoints until the process is complete – from the application process to the permit and visa receipt. We are also looking forward to organising several other initiatives for our

10 | www.broadcastprome.com | September 2018

freelance community, including a unit space facility, such as giving access to office desks and meeting rooms. Moreover, we will also be organising networking and community-related events. The package is tailor-made with the costs varying for every individual. For example, the visa cost will be different from normal to urgent processing, or if the visa is processed from the UAE or abroad.” At present, the package allows freelancers to choose up to three skills in one package, he clarified. Anyone who looks to include more skills as part of their activity should ideally choose another package from TECOM. “This is for a freelance package. Dubai Media City provides the right business platform for entrepreneurs and start-ups to launch and scale up their businesses and projects. If a freelancer is interested in more activities, we encourage and offer the necessary facilities for them to start their own company.” One freelancer who has joined the GoFreelance initiative as of August 12 is Mohamed Chaker Bechnak, an event planner. Bechnak, who previously had a trade licence issued by a free zone in another emirate, has switched to this package. “Since I have been living and working in Dubai since December 2002, I decided to join GoFreelance when I read about the GoFreelance opportunity at Dubai Media City,” he commented. “I think GoFreelance is an excellent idea with superb implementation. By being part of GoFreelance, I am confident that I will win more business from both the private and public sectors; and with red tape being reduced to a minimum through e-government, along with other government initiatives encouraging FDIs and upcoming major events such as Expo 2020, the future looks very promising indeed.”

PROnews

Netflix begins filming in Jordan for first Arabic original series, Jinn Jinn, the first Arabic original Netflix series, began principal photography in Amman, Jordan last month. It follows a group of Arab teenagers as their friendships and budding romances are tested when they unknowingly invite the supernatural forces of Jinn into their world. As good battles evil, can the friends come together in time and find the answers needed in order to save everything? Produced by Kabreet Productions, this supernatural teenage drama will be directed and executive produced by Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya (Very Big Shot) and executive produced by Elan and Rajeev Dassani (SEAM), with Elan serving as head writer. Dassani contributed to the writing alongside

The young cast of Jinn.

Amin Matalqa (Captain Abu Raed) from Jordan, who is directing the last three episodes. The sixepisode series is expected to launch on Netflix in 2019. Commenting on the initiative, Erik Barmack, Vice President of International Original Series, said: “At

Netflix, we’re always looking for local stories with an interesting and relatable perspective to bring to screens all over the world. With Jinn, we aim to create a fantastical show about young people in the Middle East in Arabic that's real, authentic and action-packed.”

Oman to get first laser projection cinema Al Muzn Oman Commercial has signed an agreement with Lunar Cinema to open Oman’s first laser projected cinema at Al Muzn Mall. The agreement was signed by Majd Machfej, GM of Al Muzn Oman Commercial, and Khalid Al Nabhani, CEO of Lunar Cinemas. With a launch in November with the first laser projector screen in Oman, the cinema will open the door to three VIP suites with 42 seats and dining facilities, as well as a public

hall seating 80 spectators. Commenting on the new cinema offering, Al Nabhani added: “We are incredibly pleased to have concluded our partnership with Al Muzn Mall, which comprises our third venue nationwide. “Soon, cinema goers can choose the film they want to see and watch it whenever they want to in the privacy of their own VIP suite. Lunar Cinemas has innovated in the Middle East market with a new vision for film in the sultanate.”

Talking about the creative process, Executive Producer and head writer Elan Dassani commented: “The freedom Netflix gives producers really allows us to delve deep into the nature of storytelling and bring Arabic stories to life.” Building on his sentiment, Executive Producer and contributing writer Rajeev Dassani added: “Creating Netflix’s first Arabic original, and one of the first teenfocused shows ever from the Arab world, has been an unforgettable experience. We've had so many local teens tell us they've never seen themselves accurately represented on screen, and it is both our pleasure and our responsibility to bring that to them and, in doing so, showcase all that the region has to offer.”

Jordan’s Royal Film Commission and Culture Ministry sign MoU The Royal Film Commission – Jordan (RFC) and the Ministry of Culture signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) earlier this week to renew the Film Caravan project for one more year. The project provides film activities outside the capital Amman by showcasing movies free of charge in all governorates. This gives the audience the opportunity to watch and appreciate local productions and allows film buffs to interact with different cultures through local, Arab and international movies, the release stated. RFC organised 11 film screenings last year in all the Kingdom’s governorates under the Film Caravan project.

September 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 11

PROnews

Avid appoints Dubai's NMK Electronics as pro audio distributor Avid has appointed NMK as its Pro Audio Division distributor in the Middle East. NMK is tasked with building on Avid’s audio presence by providing support in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman UAE and Yemen. The distributor will add Avid’s audio tools and workflow solutions to its existing portfolio. NMK already manages the Live Sound family of solutions, the release stated. Underscoring the importance of the partnership, Rocky Solarta, Retail Business Manager of NMK Electronics said: “We will be able to offer the best solution

NMK-organised Avid Pro Tools workshop in progress.

possible utilising the wide range of products offered by Avid. If there is one DAW that every studio needs, it’s certainly Pro Tools.” NMK aims to grow the market share of Avid Pro

Inaugural DISCOP Sharm El Sheikh reports strong bookings Organisers of the inaugural Sharm El Sheikh edition of the DISCOP content market and co-production forum have reported strong bookings ten days after launching their new event. Taking place from 26 to 28 February 2019, the new market will replace DISCOP Dubai and take place at the Martim Jolie Ville Royal Peninsula Hotel & Resort in Sharm El Sheikh. Commenting on the potential of the region, Patrick Zuchowicki Jucaud, GM of DISCOP Markets, said: “With a population of 100m, Egypt is the most populous country in the Arabic-speaking world

and a regional nerve centre of culture and creativity. MENA buyers, who are increasingly looking for homegrown content, will also have a unique opportunity to tap into Egypt’s large reservoir of film, television and digital content.” Organisers of DISCOP Sharm El Sheikh hope to welcome 1,000+ delegates from 70 countries representing 750+ companies, including 300+ content acquisition executives and 250+ content producers from Northern Africa and the Middle East, and 100+ global and regional distributors.

12 | www.broadcastprome.com | September 2018

Audio in the region through a digital B2B partner portal tool developed by its inhouse team of experts. It will also educate the market by organising workshops and hands-on sessions for clients

New branding for Kuwait’s Cinescape cinemas Kuwait National Cinema Company (KNCC) has rebranded its cinema arm as Cinescape across all of its locations. The rebrand coincides with the opening of a new multiplex at Al Kout Mal in Kuwait. KNCC is redeveloping its main Cinescape cinemas, equipping them with the latest audiovisual technologies. A Dolby Cinema theatre will also be launched and will feature the laser-based Dolby Vision technology as well as Dolby Atmos surround sound. This theatre is expected to open in Q4 2018 at 360 Mall, Kuwait.

and the public. NMK’s team of experts also plans to work with educational institutions across the region to nurture future AV professionals. Commenting on the demand for Avid products, Dino Drimakis, Business Development Manager at NMK said: “We’ve already seen global demand for Avid audio solutions, so we’re sure that local musicians and mixers will see the Pro Tools family of solutions as essential to help them meet the demands of their work whether we are looking at musicians or film mixers.”

iflix to bring original productions to Asia with Wattpad Iflix has signed a content partnership to bring Wattpad stories to iflix users across Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Over the next year, iflix and Wattpad will co-produce dozens of original movies based on Wattpad stories from Indonesia. The deal gives iflix access to the more than six million original Indonesian story uploads on Wattpad. Wattpad has more than 65m users globally, with more than 17m in Southeast Asia.

PROnews

Gilli FM marks first anniversary with 106 hours and 50 minutes of live broadcast Gilli FM (106.5 FM), one of the UAE’s two Tamil-language radio stations, celebrated the completion of one year following a change in management last year. Gilli FM celebrated the occasion with a Guinness World Record, which saw the channel record 106 hours and 50 minutes of live show non-stop. Riding on the success of Gilli FM, the new management also launched Jio FM, a Hindi-language radio station, earlier this year. Both frequencies have been taken on a ten-year lease from Umm Al Quwain Broadcasting Network.

Ashokan Subramaniam, CEO, Gilli FM.

“Radio Gilli’s Longest Marathon DJ Music Show of 106 hours and 50 minutes was a great hit since its relaunch last year under its new management, which is Chennai-based Grand Homes,” commented CEO Ashokan Subramaniam, who heads both radio stations. He has helmed radio projects in the UAE previously and launched the country’s first Tamil-language radio station back in 2005. As the backbone of the channel, he attributes its huge success to a mix of good songs and marketing initiatives aimed at the UAE’s

South Indian community. For one, Gilli FM carries the rights to the first day, first show of every Tamil movie released in the UAE. As the official radio partner for the movies, it screens them every Friday at Galleria Cinema in Dubai. The station recently attracted more than 12,000 people to an event it hosted at Marmum Dairy Farm during Pongal, the Tamil New Year. “We are miles ahead of our competition in terms of both listeners and initiatives. The figures are evident on social media and they are transparent for all to see."

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PROnews

Jordan’s Roya TV produces cooking shows for Fatafeat As part of its first collaboration with Jordanian network Roya TV, Fatafeat is launching two cooking shows. The first, Latt Wa Ajen – which translates to ‘flipping and kneading dough’ in Arabic slang – is a “cooking show that is not just about pots, pans and ingredients, but also conversation. The title of the show can also be used to describe back and forth chit-chat,” stated a spokesperson from Roya TV. Produced by Roya TV’s team and filmed at its studios in Amman, Latt Wa Ajen reportedly offers viewers the chance to listen to experts from various fields as they discuss topics with

Celebrity Chef Dima Hijjawi will helm one show.

the channel’s celebrity Chef Dima Hijjawi. As the title suggests, the other theme of the show is all about kneading the perfect dough. In Tabkha Alamiyyah,

Radio listening in the UAE in Ramadan accounts for 42% of Q2 listenership Data measurement and analytics company Nielsen has revealed that radio listening increased for some nationalities throughout the four weeks of Ramadan, accounting for 42% of all radio listening in Q2. According to Nielsen’s Q2 UAE Radio Audience Measurement (UAE RAM), which was conducted from April 1 to June 30, 2018, it was interesting to see that mostly nonfasting nationalities turn to radio for their entertainment in their

additional spare time. Measuring the listenership of 51 radio stations across the country among the whole UAE population, the study found that listening to religious stations during Ramadan started to peak later in the day (2pm to 10pm) compared with the non-Ramadan period. In other quarters and during the non-Ramadan weeks in Q2, the amount of listening occurring in the early morning from 6am onward was much higher.

14 | www.broadcastprome.com | September 2018

veteran Chef Daad Azar Abujaber will present international recipes while educating viewers about the countries they originate from. In every episode, Chef Daad will demonstrate the simplest way to cook four dishes from one country. Commenting on the collaboration, Nahla Elmallawany, Head of Content at Discovery MEA, said: “We’re delighted to announce our new partnership with Roya TV, bringing Fatafeat fans two unique cooking shows with even more new tips, tricks and mouth-watering recipes to make their time in the kitchen a breeze.”

Two Novo cinemas to be set up in Muscat Omani group Tamani Global Development & Investment is planning to set up two Novo Cinema megaplexes at its upcoming developments Mall of Muscat and Sohar China Downtown Malls. Commenting on the initiative, Sheikh Mahmood Al Jarwani, Chairman of the Tamani Group said: “We will create a platform to cater to these dynamic industries and positively contribute towards enriching the visitor experience at both of our shopping centres.” Novo Cinemas is located across the GCC, including in the UAE and Bahrain.

Haifaa Al Mansour to return to KSA to direct new film Saudi Arabian filmmaker Haifaa Al Mansour has announced plans to return to her country next month for a new film project. In an interview with AFP, the 43-year-old director said her next project, The Perfect Candidate, is about a young Saudi female doctor who decides to run for office in a municipal election. The film will be the first production supported by the Saudi Film Council, the recently-created body operating under the aegis of the General Culture Authority of Saudi Arabia.

Nat Geo Kids Abu Dhabi screens Weird but True National Geographic Abu Dhabi has premiered an Arabic adaptation of the Weird but True franchise, covering educational, science and general knowledge in a factual entertainment format. Weird but True is hosted by Hamdan Wasef Shahada Khalil Zoghbor, a 14-year-old Emirati, and Iman Tarek Doghoz, a 13-year-old Arab residing in the UAE.

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PROnews

Peer-to-peer piracy major contributor to global content piracy: Irdeto research Consumers who prefer piracy over legal video sites are ensuring that peer-to-peer (P2P) piracy continues to be the major method of accessing illegal copies of movies and TV shows, according to new research from Irdeto and a web analytics partner. The study indicated that P2P sites accounted for 70% of global activity for both web video and P2P platforms. This behaviour led to an average of 800 million global monthly downloads from P2P sites in 2017. The overall popularity of pirate web video sites is

growing alongside P2P, driven by visits from “casual pirates” who go to both legitimate sites and illegal piracy sites. Five out of ten monthly visits to pirate sites by casual pirates in 2017 were to web video sites. However, in 2017, eight out of ten monthly visits to pirate sites by “committed pirates” (those who do not visit legitimate streaming sites) were to P2P sites. In addition, P2P activity in the most prominent highpiracy countries, which include Russia, India, Brazil, the Netherlands and the US, is either constant or increasing. The research reveals that

beIN makes fresh deals with BBC and Premier League BBC Studios has signed an MoU with beIN Media Group to explore opportunities for the co-development, co-production and distribution of content in the Middle East and Turkey. As part of the agreement, BBC Studios and beIN intend to seek opportunities for the development and/or production of content, while exploring the acquisition of additional BBC Studios digital content to complement the current BBC programming on beIN’s platforms.

beIN also announced that its sports arm has secured the exclusive broadcast rights to all Premier League football matches in the MENA for the three seasons 2019/20 – 2021/22. Although beIN Sports is the incumbent exclusive broadcaster of the Premier League in MENA, the new deal extends its exclusive rights to Premier League football in MENA for the next four seasons. beIN will also live stream its matches through beIN Connect for its OTT subscribers.

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Peter Cossack, Vice President, Cybersecurity Services, Irdeto.

web video sites source a significant proportion (28%) of their high-quality video content from P2P sites. Commenting on the findings, Peter Cossack, Vice President, Cybersecurity Services, Irdeto, said: “While the increase in bandwidth and social media has facilitated growth in content redistribution piracy, particularly around live sporting events, it is clear that other forms of piracy are not going away anytime soon. This must be considered by content owners and rights holders in their security strategies.”

Cairo film fest to honour actor Hassan Hosny

Management buyout completed at Argosy

Egyptian actor Hassan Hosny will be awarded the Faten Hamama Award at the 40th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), which will run from November 20-29, as reported by Egyptian press. Hosny will be given the festival’s highest prize – named after late actress Faten Hamama – for the memorable roles he has played in Egyptian drama over the years. Hosny began his career in the late ‘60s. One of his break-out roles was as a villain in director Atef El-Tayeb's Sawa'a ElOtobees. Other well-known movies include Abood 3ala El-7odood, Africano, El Lemby and El Nazer.

Argosy has completed a management buyout from its previous parent company. It is now under the direct control of existing directors Chris Smeeton and Josh Simons. Commenting on the initiative, Smeeton said the buyout “gives us the commercial agility to respond dynamically to the market”. Elaborating on the advantages, co-owner and Technical Director Josh Simons added: “Now we control our own investment plans, we can quickly respond to the market and offer cutting-edge technologies.” The newly-managed Argosy will be demonstrating at IBC 2018 on stand 10.C51.

PROnews

OSN to host Disney XD in Arabic MENA-based pay-TV network OSN will be hosting Disney XD in Arabic. The announcement follows the release of animated television series DuckTales and Big Hero 6 on Disney XD in April of this year. In addition, series such as Marvel’s SpiderMan, Star vs The Forces of Evil and the new Big City Greens will be available to watch in Arabic, with the option to continue watching in English.

Kudelski Group's half-year results mixed for DTV sector Media content protection and value-added service technology solutions provider, The Kudelski Group has announced that in the first half of 2018, total revenues and other operating income decreased to $446.1m from $497.2m in the first half of 2017. The group’s core digital TV business was resilient in advanced economies, while it declined in emerging markets. Due to its exposure to emerging markets, Conax has seen its revenues materially decrease compared to

the first half of last year. The company completed the integration of its Conax and Nagra organisations. The half-year results also outlined progress made by the company in the fields of anti-piracy and OTT deployments. Following its strategy to focus on core activities reaching critical mass and profitability, the group announced the sale of SmarDTV’s Conditional Access Module (CAM) and Set-Top Box businesses to an affiliate of Neotion SA. This transaction will

be accounted for in the second half of 2018. In the second half of 2018, the group expects revenues in the core digital TV domain to grow compared to the first half, driven by additional sales volumes from existing customers, in particular in the Asia-Pacific and Africa regions. Second half 2018 revenues are also expected to exceed the first half’s for the group’s cybersecurity activities, benefitting from positive customer acquisition momentum.

Delivering the world’s top international events and providing world-class services. Eurovision Media Services – reliable turn-key solutions. Contact our Middle East team to arrange a meeting or discuss how we can assist with your events. Jorge SIMAO simao@eurovision.net +971 52 737 6615

Anas ATHAMNEH athamneh@eurovision.net +971 52 266 6817

September 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 17

PROACQUISITION

The eMeA GATeWAY TO A global FooTPRINT US technology provider Diversified will be establishing an office in Dubai, following the acquisition of TSL's regional office in June 2018. President and Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Collins speaks to BroadcastPro ME about the acquisition and plans going forward

Systems integrator TSL FZ-LLC is a company we have covered often in these pages, from the recent upgrade at the MBC studios and the Al Aan TV upgrade, to earlier projects with Dubai TV and Sky News Arabia, among others. TSL FZ-LLC was set up in 2008, and while initially the contracts were done out of the UK office, we saw the Middle East team build its industry credentials with some headline-grabbing projects executed under demanding timelines. In June this year, less than three weeks after announcing its plans to acquire British AV solutions provider Digitavia, US technology provider Diversified announced that it will have a Middle East office through the acquisition of TSL FZ-LLC in Dubai Studio City. Commenting on the acquisition, Diversified founder and CEO Fred D’Alessandro said: “Our clients are experiencing rapid growth and demanding innovative solutions as IP, AI and IoT technologies apply to every aspect of their businesses. Our aim is to have a worldclass Middle East team working with the most diverse, advanced and experienced engineering team across the globe to better serve our clients’ growing demands.” In the joint announcement, TSL FZ-LLC CTO Suhail Ahmed said company officials are “very excited at the prospect of joining Diversified”. “We share the same engineering-centric approach to every solution. With Diversified’s scale and wide range of services and support, we can build upon our long-standing client relationships. Leveraging the experience and best practices gained from proven solutions across multiple industries will add value to every customer engagement.” The acquisition will expand Diversified's global reach from its APAC hub in South Korea to an EMEA hub

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in the UK with offices in London, Ireland and Dubai. All ten divisional specialities and solution sets will be offered, with emphasis on media and entertainment, digital signage and managed services, advanced visual environments and display, as well as technology solutions around IT networks, network security and data centres. President and Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Collins, spoke to BroadcastPro ME about the acquisition and Diversified’s plans for the region. Is this the best time for Diversified to be thinking of MENA? What potential do you see in this region? We are excited about the timing of this announcement as well as the Digitavia announcement made in June. Europe and the Middle East are vital regions to a true global strategy. We are excited to bring our advanced solutions capabilities to EMEA, which would include MENA. At some point, companies in each region will be compelled to embrace transformational technologies to improve their standing in the market. We will be there for them. How did the acquisition of TSL FZ-LLC come about? We have enjoyed a beneficial partnering relationship with TSL over the past six years. We had worked with their staff in the UK and Dubai on successful projects in Europe and the Middle East, and enjoyed a mutual respect that grew over time. The news of TSL UK in receivership in May this year created an opportunity to bring the Dubai team on board. So the timing, although unfortunate for TSL, worked out well for us. Were there any financial and legal challenges? Because of the familiarity between us, there were no real complex issues or hurdles. The most complex part of the

PROACQUISITION

Diversified will have an increased presence at IBC2018 and CABSAT, says President and Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Collins.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;International business practices and industry relationships are largely regional. It would have taken us years to build the kind of reputation and standing in the market that TSL Dubai has earned through their successâ&#x20AC;? Kevin Collins, President and Chief Operating Officer, Diversified

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PROACQUISITION

Start with thorough design and use-case planning, collaboratively manage the execution with strong change management and provide 24/7 internal IT support … it’s what we do.

transition to date has been the procedural efforts required by Dubai law to transition a company to new ownership. The challenge was not on any of the laws specifically. It was more in terms of the complexity of a US firm buying a Dubai entity owned by a UK coompany. That’s a complex transaction across three sets of laws and processes. You opted to acquire a company based here, as against going it alone. Why did you adopt this approach? If you look at our growth strategy to date, you will see that it is based on identifying the best companies with the right corporate culture in their field wherever we decide to focus. Diversified has now acquired six companies in the past two-anda-half years. Each of them fit well into our wide services offering and each had a customer-first culture that we all embrace. In that regard, we are all sewn from the same cloth. International business practices and industry relationships are largely regional. It would have taken us years to build the kind of reputation and standing in the market that TSL Dubai has earned through their success. This was an easy addition to make, and the Dubai team will bring value to us on day one. We anticipate that the various resources provided by Diversified will open up a growing number of opportunities for the Dubai team to double their revenues in 2018. You have acquired companies in the UK and elsewhere. Typically, creating new value takes time. What are the general challenges you expect to face in integrating your operations with TSL's operations in the region? I don’t really expect many challenges. Suhail has a tight team and a good vision of how they work. We are not interested in fixing underperforming companies. We look to add the best of the best and

Will there be personnel changes in the Dubai office following the takeover? The Dubai office will remain under the management of Suhail Ahmed. Suhail and his team have earned a reputation for excellence that we will build upon.

Suhail Ahmed, CTO, TSL FZ-LLC.

“We’re very excited at the prospect of joining Diversified … We share the same engineering-centric approach to every solution” Suhail Ahmed, CTO, TSL FZ-LLC thereby make us stronger. Given the amount of acquisitions to date, we have gotten quite good at integrating new teams into the larger company structure, and each of them brought value right from the start. One of the benefits to achieving the type of scale that we have here at Diversified is that we can justify large investments in state-of-the-art business systems that help us manage our business and client projects, because we are leveraging the core benefits over a global workforce of about 2,000 employees. Although we have the general learning curve of transitioning each group from legacy systems to a new shared system, there are sizeable economies of scale to realise once all of the groups start working together. This is really not that different from building a finely tuned global media asset management workflow.

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You are planning an increased presence at both IBC2018 and CABSAT. What will you be focussing on going forward? Our focus is to bring the depth of experience we have gained through the application of emerging technologies in support of our US customers to EMEA. One size does not fit all and today more than ever before, there are a wide range of options. In 2016, we established a Business Consulting Group to address the early planning and analysis required by C-level executives to determine the best technical solution for each customer based on the needs and goals of their business. This is one example of the types of services that Diversified has developed at the behest of our customers. Will you be exploring all the verticals in the region that you work with in the US, or will there be a focus on just media and entertainment? Historically, the Dubai team has focused on M&E; however, our other divisions are currently working here and in Europe, for customers like Netflix, Al Marya Shopping Mall, Facebook and YouTube. Each of our regional offices will eventually have support for all of the Diversified divisions for various global project roll-outs. PRO

PROJORDAN

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PROJORDAN

Breaking the mould in jordan From a VM deployment to a futuristic studio design, Jordan’s new Al-Mamlaka TV has all the makings of a modern broadcast facility. Vijaya Cherian speaks to the team that transformed a greenfield site to a landmark television station

The unique studio space that is connected to the newsroom is open 270 degrees on one side.

Al Mamlaka TV, a 24/7 HD news channel and Jordan’s first state-funded public service broadcaster, hit the airwaves this July. Al Mamlaka TV will run as an independent voice, much like the BBC in the UK. The channel is presently delivering news and broadcast shows on both linear and OTT platforms. German systems integrator Qvest Media won two separate tenders, one to design, build and integrate the infrastructure necessary for the efficient running of the station, and another to install a video wall and lighting. A third tender was secured by Kuwaiti systems integrator INC System Integrations to build a 4x4 OB-DSNG vehicle for the station. Hussein Saraireh, who has been Chief Technology Officer at a number of TV stations in the Arab world and is a well-known figure on the regional broadcast circuit, project managed this installation on behalf of Al Mamlaka TV. Al Mamlaka TV’s six-storey facility in King Hussein Business Park, Amman occupies around 8,000sqm. “Initially, this building had only four floors, but we added two more to accommodate the news area and new studios,” explains Saraireh, adding that the facility was modified extensively by the engineering team to suit the requirements of a broadcast station. Ahmad Hadi Al Kayal, who headed Qvest Media’s side of the project, says Al Mamlaka TV “wanted to have the means

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PROJORDAN

From left: Ahmad Hadi Al Kayal, Head of Sales, Qvest Media with Hussein Saraireh, Project Manager, Al Mamlaka TV.

to create their own live content for a locally generated programme with live shows and news, and also wanted the ability to insert live feeds from other Al Mamlaka TV regional bureaus across the country”. “Like all traditional broadcast systems, this facility also needed a solution that was fully redundant, including AV and broadcast IT equipment. They wanted the latter to be based on virtualised systems and to be managed centrally, and of course the entire infrastructure needed to be easily expandable to meet future requirements. The other mandate was that the produced media content needed to be made available as a live stream and the production workflow had to be designed to support 24/7 operation on all channels.” Although only one channel has been launched, the facility has been designed and wired to launch more channels as well as ensure content distribution across multiple studios. A brand-new 400sqm studio kitted out with seven cameras

The brand new 400sqm studio is kitted out with seven cameras.

“We have taken into consideration future expansions in terms of both format and scale during the initial design of this project” Ahmad Hadi Al Kayal, Qvest Media

Snapshot • Client: Al Mamlaka TV • Location: Jordan • Objective: To design and build a state-of-the-art 24/7 TV station in Amman, Jordan, to ensure that the production and distribution of news is streamlined for multiple platforms with redundancy, scalability, and future formats factored into the design • Systems Integrator: Qvest Media • Key suppliers: Grass Valley, ARRI, Lawo, Vinten, Autoscript, Riedel, Avid, Vizrt, Harmonic, Pebble Beach Systems, Telestream, DELL EMC, Oracle, Haivision, SAM, Trackmen and LundHalsey

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occupies the third floor, with the newsroom connected to it. The main studio includes five sets, while a second studio with four cameras has three pre-designed sets and a third smaller studio with three cameras has a set with an impressive view of the Amman skyline. In addition, Al Mamlaka TV has five bureaus across Jordan with two more studios. “For now, we are transmitting in HD-50 format and have a simultaneous streaming service. We are geared for 4K, while IPTV is already part of our infrastructure to ensure coverage across Europe, America and the rest of the globe,” explains Saraireh. Qvest Media’s Al Kayal explains that the project has been designed to be future proof. “We have taken into consideration future expansions in terms of both format and scale during the initial design of this project. We have catered for linear expansions, the addition of more studios or journalists – or should they want to go for UHD tomorrow or 4K, all of this

PROJORDAN

Key kit • Grass Valley cameras equipped with Canon lenses • ARRI lighting installation • Vinten robotic system • Autoscript teleprompter • Avid Media Central • Avid Media Composer Cloud for remote access from the other Al Mamlaka TV stations with NewsCutter option included • Vizrt Graphics with AR support • 1 camera with AR support on a camera crane with real-time tracking solution from German manufacturer Trackmen • Harmonic Spectrum TX video server • Pebble Beach Marina ingest • Transcoders from Telestream • Central Isilon storage from DELL EMC • Deep archive library from Oracle • IPTV based on Haivision solution • Lawo VSM broadcast control system • Fibre-based hybrid routers as well as video mixers and glue equipment from SAM • Riedel Artist intercom system • LundHalsey furniture

The engineering team at work to assemble the structure that supports the large Barco video walls at the new studio.

INTRODUCING THE NIGHTHAWK

SUPPORT FOR REAL TIME HDR 10 BIT OUTPUT IN FULL HD MOUNTING RAILS AROUND CAMERA

7.A21

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PROJORDAN

“For now, we are transmitting in HD50 format and have a simultaneous streaming service. We are geared for 4K, while IPTV is already part of our infrastructure to ensure coverage across Europe, America and the rest of the globe”

Avid iNEWS and MediaCentral serve as the core newsroom solutions at Al Mamlaka TV.

Hussein Saraireh, Project Manager, Al Mamlaka TV has been addressed in this project.” He adds that there are several firsts as part of this installation. Al Mamlaka TV says it is one of the first in the region to have implemented the virtual machine (VM) concept in the channel, and also claims to have one of the first motorised video walls in the region. Two curved large video walls – one movable and one fixed – from Barco, with 1.2 pixel pitch, serve as the centrepieces of the large news studio. “This is the only channel that has a movable video wall at present in the region. The video wall is 5x2.5m and is placed on a motorised rail. It can be moved easily and silently through the news studio, even when the station is on-air. The whole point of moving it is to give a different look and feel to the background. In addition, the news studio also has a video wall fitted into the ground,” he explains. A third unique feature of Al Mamlaka TV is its extensive use of augmented reality (AR), with which it can overlay its produced media content with AR elements. “We have a lot of graphic elements implemented for all of our news and other programmes,” explains Saraireh. “Presently, there is no other regional channel that is using AR as extensively as we do. AR has enhanced the look of our channel, and we have had a lot of positive feedback

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Qvest Media provided extensive training pre- and post-installation to the broadcaster's team on all the equipment deployed at the station.

Al Mamlaka TV claims to have the only movable video wall at present in the region.

PROJORDAN

from our viewers about this.” A big chunk of this installation has been about ensuring an efficient production workflow. “Qvest Media has integrated a centralised media asset management system across all areas of production, as well as a playout centre for distributing the programme via satellite, internal ITPV and web live stream,” explains Al Kayal. In the case of news production, Al Mamlaka TV has used a complete digital production chain, from the ingest of various live sources and newsfeeds via news content production, to playout and distribution. The main workflows comprise the planning of news shows and productions, the ingest of live sources and recorded contributions, the news production and approval process, and an automatic transfer of approved material to transmission and deep archiving. Al Mamlaka TV’s house format for digital video is XDCAM HD-50. The news production system has been built up mainly with Avid Interplay production equipment, complemented by BTS Express as the scheduling and traffic management system, with Harmonic Spectrum video servers for playout and ingest, accompanied by the Pebble Beach Marina automation system. Deep archiving takes place in an Oracle LTO-7 tape library, with DIVArchive management software. Automatic file QC is applied using Baton QC from Interra Systems, with all format transcoding and agency file conversion handled by the Telestream Vantage transcoding platform. All this broadcast IT infrastructure equipment is tightly interconnected, with Avid Interplay MAM as the overall workflow orchestration engine. The programme planning and transmission workflow starts with planning a new programme item or show in the BTS Express system. An ingest request is forwarded to

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September 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 27

PROJORDAN

Marina automation for ingest, and a placeholder object with the same ID is created in Avid Interplay. Independently from where the video source is gathered now – either a live source recorded on the Spectrum video servers using the automation system, file-based (camera recordings, external memory cards) or new production in Avid Interplay – the MAM system keeps track of the recording status, visual inspection and approval for playout. Items ready for playout, as well as new productions stored in the MAM, are automatically archived on tape. Based on the transmission schedule, the automation system flags any missing programme items to the MAM. The MAM will then automatically transfer ready-for-TX approved clips to the playout video servers for on-air transmission. As part of news production, the journalists in the newsrooms use Avid iNEWS to keep track of agency news and work on their stories. They use Avid MediaCentral to search and browse news items and stories. Agency feeds from different

“We have catered for linear expansions, the addition of more studios or journalists – or should they want to go for UHD tomorrow or 4K, all of this has been addressed in this project” Ahmad Hadi Al Kayal, Qvest Media providers are fed into the system automatically and combined with the agency’s news story text. All news shows are combined in daily rundowns in iNEWS. They are broadcast by the studio automation system and enriched with inserts and on-air graphics by a Vizrt engine. After the schedule has been broadcast, select news items are automatically archived in the MAM and Oracle tape library for later use. Al Kayal explains that Qvest Media provided training for more than three months, concluding at the end of August. “We ran three months support on-site. This was started 30 days prior to going on air; we have been

on-site as they launched, and after. We provided training on every major system, mainly for the operators and the engineers on the video walls, the robotics system, the routers, the trackmen tracking system, the ARRI lightning system and everything else one can think of. We also trained the design team and creative staff on the Avid and VizRT solutions.” He adds that Qvest Media also worked closely with the civil as well as MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) contractors, the designers and the furniture specialists. “We collaborated with the local and foreign designers to create Al Mamlaka TV’s studios, and the technical furniture was designed in cooperation with our partner LundHalsey.” Qvest Media has reasons to be proud of this project. Despite a tight schedule, the project was delivered on time with the unique technical features that the systems integrator claims put Al Mamlaka TV on a par with international installations while also being geared to take it to the next level.

Al Mamlaka TV has five bureaux across Jordan with two additional studios.

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PROJORDAN

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Hussein Saraireh says Al Mamlaka TV has been designed to support future expansion plans and new technologies.

“Presently, there is no other regional channel that is using AR as extensively as we do. AR has enhanced the look of our channel, and we have had a lot of positive feedback from our viewers about this”

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Hussein Saraireh, Project Manager, Al Mamlaka TV “This was a greenfield project without any legacy infrastructure or media equipment. The project was rolled out in several consecutive phases: bidding, highlevel design, detailed design, installation, commissioning, testing and handover. Work on the project started in August 2017 and commissioning was done in January 2018. April 2018 saw the successful completion of the project and official handover. Al Mamlaka TV and Qvest Media agreed on additional on-site service and technical on-air support over the next couple of months. This was indeed a successful project,” explains Al Kayal. “All equipment has proven in prior installations that it runs stably. Not only does each unit work well by itself, but more importantly, they work well in conjunction with the other parts within the entire system to meet Al Mamlaka TV’s requirements. We built the entire installation from the ground up, so we installed the systems all over the entire facility. “I think we have left a lasting positive impression when we explained our holistic approach and proved that we had a full understanding of the requirements and of the system that Al Mamlaka TV had in mind. Presenting a stateof-the-art solution that was in line with Al Mamlaka TV’s commercial goals certainly helped,” Al Kayal concludes.

Supporting you today. And tomorrow. Booth 7.B21

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THE FUTURE OF VIDEO BROADCASTING

IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA ¬× Á͗ĢĆ͗ Ĕ͗ 56˞˜˝ˤ ĆĔ Á=͗˝̵5˟ˤ

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PROINTERVIEW

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to work with local content publishers. It is all about bringing great content and measurement, and explaining to advertisers that video on Twitter worksâ&#x20AC;? Benjamin Ampen, Managing Director, Twitter MENA

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PROINTERVIEW

The ‘global town square’ live in MENA Video on Twitter has emerged as a key revenue earner for the microblogging site in the region. Managing Director Benjamin Ampen of Twitter MENA explains how his team is monetising video content in collaboration with content publishers and advertisers

At the 2017 annual shareholders meeting, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey debuted the live video tab in the company’s mobile app. According to Twitter’s Q1 2018 earnings report, video ads accounted for more than half of the $575m of advertising revenue it earned during the first quarter of this year. Significantly, this year’s World Cup turned out to be more lucrative than the 2014 edition for the microblogging platform because, according to one analyst, “Twitter’s service is better, there is more content, video ads are worth more and the company is selling more ads outside of the US.” To talk about the live video initiatives during the World Cup across MENA, one of the platform’s fastest growing regions in the world, we visit the Twitter MENA office in Dubai. It’s bright and airy, with long tables in pine wood punctuated with informal seating areas that would look more apt in a new-age restaurant serving healthy organic food, if not for the young people working seriously on their laptops. We are keenly aware that this office hosts the chosen platform of the ‘leader of the free world’, among others. For the broadcast industry, like with most other industries, Twitter is unequivocally the favoured go-to platform for news. With a global map on the monitors indicating Twitter bursts from Santiago to Singapore and beyond, the young employees at the regional office probably never lose sight of the impact of the platform they are tasked to monitor… or the fact that they have been tasked to grow Twitter’s business across MENA. “Saudi Arabia is the locomotive of our region from both the user and revenue perspectives,” opens Benjamin Ampen, who was promoted from Head of Revenue to Managing Director earlier this year. The Twitter MENA office was constituted in 2015. “In the six months building up to the World Cup, Saudi

Arabia came second in the world in terms of World Cuprelated tweets,” he reveals. “That made us think about the potential for real-time collaboration and we worked with UKbased Goal.com, a great content publisher around football, and the idea of YallaGoal came about.” The term ‘glocal’ is bandied about freely, but Twitter’s platform in the region epitomises the local-global consideration given that the platform’s key language in the region is Arabic, with more than 61% of tweets in the UAE, 90% of tweets in KSA and 81% of tweets in Egypt written in that language. “YallaGoal was the first bi-weekly Arabic live show that we have done around a sporting event in the region,” says Ampen. “We had two hosts – one Egyptian and one Saudi national – both with a strong presence on Twitter, engaging audiences after matches, analysing players and so on. On average, we had 400,000 viewers per episode over the entire series that garnered in excess of 10 million video views.” User engagement apart, the team ensured live video monetisation by having automobile manufacturer Nissan and real estate developer Emaar as commercial partners of the initiative. Ampen explains: “Nissan’s Infiniti team worked with us at Twitter and with Goal.com to put in place a competition where viewers could register for a chance to get an Infiniti Q50. Viewers had to guess the outcome of the games, leading to great online conversations. Along with the giveaway we had custom segments such as ‘best play of the day’ that were sponsored. It was great to see such a successful collaboration between Goal. com, Twitter and Infiniti. The metrics of the campaign were 3.7m in-stream ad views with a 90% average completion rate.” Similarly, with Emaar, a video-based campaign on Twitter had the famous Italian footballer Alessandro Del Piero

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urging viewers to tweet footballrelated videos. With the prize of an apartment, the campaign saw more than 63,000 people from 45 countries participate. Campaign metrics indicate a whopping 40m-plus impressions, 790,000 engagements and eight million video views. The belief that video is one of the primary drivers of revenue for Twitter going forward was reinforced by #Shetweets, a recent all-woman event organised by Twitter’s MENA team. Research conducted by Hall & Partners for Twitter’s female users in the UAE, Egypt and KSA showed that nine out of 10 women users consume video content on Twitter and one in six both tweet and consume content while watching TV. In the same 2017 shareholder meeting, Dorsey also went through product changes, one of which, Twitter Lite, is intrinsic to the microblogging site’s MENA country strategy. Twitter Lite is a data light version of the app that operates better in places with lower bandwidth. Ampen explains that Twitter Lite is “useful in countries outside the GCC that have bandwidth issues. Twitter has a huge following in these countries, and we want to make sure they have access to all our features without using too much data”. On the focus on video, Ampen elaborates: “The use of video is on the rise everywhere in the region – not just MENA but globally. We are seeing our video revenues rise. So, for us when it comes to our video strategy, we need to make sure that our commercial partners are aware of all the solutions and the great results we see, along with case studies such as our initiatives with Infinity or Emaar. We want to work with local content publishers. It is all about bringing great content and measurement, and explaining to advertisers that video on Twitter works.” As a case in point, Ampen refers to the live streaming at the Burj Al Khalifa in collaboration with Emaar

From left: Abdulaziz Al Abdan and Hany Hathout hosted YallaGoal, Twitter's live show during the World Cup and it reportedly garnered 400,000 viewers per episode.

“Saudi Arabia is the locomotive of our region from both the user and revenue perspectives” Benjamin Ampen, Managing Director, Twitter MENA on New Year’s Eve, which reportedly had 1.5m unique viewers from around the globe. With Twitter experiencing its highest surges of traffic coinciding with iconic events in real life or on television, Ampen’s team will be working towards making these events easier to follow. Individual pages – accessible via the Twitter app – will allow those interested to follow the events in real time, complete with video streaming and commentary from experts. Having had a successful run with the World Cup and #HawanahZein during Ramadan, Ampen is looking at creating initiatives around the fashion weeks in Europe and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in January 2019. One Twitter executive describes it as a “24/7 sports bar where you walk up and sit down and the players, coaches and commentators sit next to you, and you just have a conversation”. With a full-fledged team, it is clear that Twitter’s MENA office is taking its growing audience in the region seriously. Indicating the modern working space behind him, Ampen says: “We have built a diverse team reflecting the region.

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Apart from marketing, research and communication teams, we have a team that works with agencies. We also have a content partnership team that liaises with publishers, broadcasters, radio and magazines working to bring their content on Twitter.” Earlier this year, Twitter signed more than 30 content agreements with the likes of Disney and ESPN. Within the region, Ampen’s team has similar agreements with Rotana, CNBC, ON Sports, Al Aan and Dubai TV, among others. Referred to as In-Stream Video Sponsorship partners, broadcasters work with brands that play broadcasters' video clips to targeted audiences as promoted tweets, in return for an advertisement prior to the video clip. “The content publishers, including the broadcasters, are the primary drivers of content,” stresses Ampen. “Twitter partnership programmes such as In-Stream Video Sponsorships are created between the publisher and the brand. We complement the efforts of our media partners and help them expand their reach and create monetisation opportunities.” Underscoring the reach of live broadcasts on Twitter, Ampen reveals that there were more than 1,300 in Q1 2018, and nearly 80% of them had a global audience. “This is significant for a broadcaster,” he says, refuting the notion that platforms such as Twitter are taking precious advertising dollars away from an already beleaguered broadcast industry. Offering an insight into the peculiarities of modern-day entertainment consumption, Ampen explains: “One of the significant statistics from the #Shetweets event was that an estimated 86% of women tweet while watching TV. This interesting dynamic in terms of consumption is important for both broadcasters and advertisers. There are potential bridges to build here

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and extend the reach and impact of advertising. Broadcasters, in turn, can extend the life of their content. “We work hand in hand with television. Research shows that advertisers who have placed their advertisements with TV as well as on Twitter see a better return on their advertising dollar. The point is definitely not about moving advertising budget from TV to Twitter, since people are using Twitter and TV at the same time.” It was described as a landmark in broadcasting when in 2015 Brian Rolapp, Executive VP of Media for the NFL, awarded games to Twitter even though it wasn’t the highest bidder. He was quoted as saying: “We have data that says seven of 10 of our fans have a second screen open [while watching games]. Twitter isn’t the exclusive outlet for the content, but the

One of the findings from the #Shetweets event was that an estimated 86% of women tweet while watching TV - a significant statistic for both broadcasters and advertisers.

exclusive experience it’s offering has found some quick traction.” Closer to home, the news was a little rough for the Twitter team last month. The courts in Turkey banned Twitter-owned videostreaming platform Periscope from the country’s football league, on the grounds of curbing illegal distribution of content. While Ampen’s resolve to curb content piracy is categorical, it will be interesting to see if stakeholders in the sports sector in the region make an NFL-like move with their franchises. While the Twitter team would not confirm if a similar deal is in the making in the region, video, both live and otherwise, will only grow as part of Twitter’s portfolio of products, as the platform exercises its natural advantages in creating the shortest distance between viewers and what interests them the most.

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Celluloid AmBiTioNS in the Kingdom

When the 35-year-old ban on cinema halls was lifted in Saudi Arabia, Nebras Films had already co-produced a multi-million-dollar film. The team at the Riyadh-based production house offers BroadcastPro ME a ringside view of the monumental making of Born A King and the potential beyond When an Oscar-winning producer with more than 100 films and TV series under his belt approached Nebras Films to coproduce his magnum opus Born a King in mid-2017, it was a trial by fire for the Riyadh-based construction company that had just set up its full-fledged production facilities. For acclaimed producer Andrés Vicente Gómez, it was the culmination of four years of negotiations with the Saudi government to obtain permits for the first Western film to be partially shot in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Born A King depicts the early life of Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal, who was sent to England at the age of 14 on a diplomatic mission. Starring Maleficent’s Ed Skrein, the 21-day shoot in Saudi Arabia had more than 400 crew from England, Spain and Saudi Arabia, among other countries. “Logistically, the hardest part of Born A King was probably the two days of shooting

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in Shaqra, followed by another two days in Ushaiger, both about 150km from Riyadh,” recalls Niko Ruokosuo, GM of Nebras Films. “We moved around 200 members of the crew overnight along with equipment, most of the cast and about ten camels and ten horses to the locations. We set up the camps and operations and filmed from daybreak to sunset for three consecutive days without a break. We had 60 vehicles in the convoy travelling from city to city. It was an impressive sight. “In general, our film operations are built to be mobile with a fleet of cars, vans, trucks and trailers. We could basically take the production to the middle of the desert for three weeks and be fully contained with water, bedrooms (including VVIP), offices, dining, kitchen, makeup, wardrobe and everything else that is needed.” Besides the equipment and vehicles, animals posed a challenge, with some battle scenes demanding more than 100 camels and horses.

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For the two-day outdoor shoot for Born A King, 200 members of the cast and crew were moved to location with equipment, including ten camels and ten horses.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The size of the media and entertainment industry in Saudi Arabia is estimated to be $2.4bn and only less than $13.3m of this accrues to Saudi Arabian companies. That is partly why we established the production companyâ&#x20AC;? Abdullah Alnafeesah, Chairman, Nebras Films

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While getting the animals proved more difficult than anticipated, Ruokosuo has fond memories of the falcons on set: “I don’t think any historical Saudi film would be complete without a few falcon scenes. We worked with some beautiful falcons, including shooting them flying in our green screen studio. This footage was then overlaid with some of the drone footage we shot with our FreeFly ALTA drone and the ARRI ALEXA Mini for a very cool scene in the beginning of the movie.” Ruokosuo declares Nebras’ spectacular debut in the demanding arena of multi-million-dollar film production a success. Fortunately, his claim has backing. In a press interview, Agustí Villaronga, the Spanish director of Born A King, recalls his early worries about shooting in Saudi Arabia: “I said no to the producer twice because I was apprehensive about Saudi Arabia, but now I love going there.” While an emotional wrap-up party was a touching indication that the crew was well looked after, the high-profile production was a fitting prelude to the announcement in December 2017 of the lifting of the 35-year-old ban on cinema halls in Saudi Arabia. When the news broke, there was a quiet shifting of strategic plans at Nebras. With 42,000sqft of production space newly equipped with ARRI cameras, Master Prime lenses, anamorphic lenses, lighting and grips, vehicles, aerial drones, 3D scanners and surveying, and camera stabilisers and cranes, the opening of the country for international film productions could not have come at a better time for Ruokosuo and his team. He recalls: “We had till that point lined up commercial and governmentrelated films and documentaries. Once it was confirmed that cinemas will open and that there will be government subsidies for film productions, we quickly modified our strategy towards making international feature films and highend documentaries. While we have always prepared for that eventuality,

Handling an international production has lent the company necessary confidence, says Niko Ruokosuo of Nebras Films.

“Once it was confirmed that cinemas will open and that there will be government subsidies for film productions, we quickly modified our strategy towards making international feature films and high-end documentaries” Niko Ruokosuo, Gm, Nebras Films given the kind of investments we have made in equipment, we just did not know when the announcement would be made. It came a little sooner than we expected, which was very nice.” Besides international projects, the stated aim of Nebras Films is, in Ruokosuo’s words, to “tell stories about the Arab region and Saudi Arabia. We feel there are great stories to be told from a region with culture and heritage that is much richer and more varied than is generally known”. The appetite to watch stories on celluloid is evidently there. On April 18, 2017, tickets for the first public screening of any movie since the lifting of the ban, in this case Black Panther at the AMC cinema in Riyadh, sold out in under 15 minutes. The following day, the tickets sold out in under 45 seconds. Since the announcement of the lifting of the ban, cinema heavyweights from AMC Entertainment to VOX have unveiled plans to open an

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estimated 3,000 screens in under 10 years. Ahmed Ismail, CEO of VOX’s parent company Majid Al Futtaim Ventures, is reported to have said that he will be disappointed if the country does not have at least 100 screens by the end of 2019. While the broadcast industry is only now beating a path to the Kingdom to explore opportunities arising from $64bn to be spent developing the entertainment sector, Abdullah Alnafeesah, Chairman, Nebras Films, first dreamed of film operations more than 12 years ago. He revived the project and in 2016, serial entrepreneur Ruokosuo was recruited to create a full-fledged production house. The “fully operational” studio translates to a 42,000sqft production facility that reportedly offers the gamut of services from development and storyboarding to post-production. Ruokosuo says: “Our main green screen studio is about 600sqm and here we have all the lighting equipment and lenses you can imagine, including anamorphic lenses that are quite difficult to get – we were early enough in the market to get it.” He makes special mention of the art studio. “Thanks to our background in construction and interior design, we have the people that can build from scratch any prop you might need, from 3D printing to ones processed from Styrofoam or cast in metal. We can produce a whole lot of swords, shields and masks, among other props. Our carpentry workshop is good for props from wood and we also have a complete costumes department.” Ruokosuo also includes the allimportant liaising with authorities to get shooting permits in the range of services offered. Giving an overview of the post-production facility being set up in Riyadh, he elaborates: “We are installing a full post-production and 3D rendering facility for editing, VFX, colour grading and sound, using Avid, Baselight, Nuke, Maya and Pro Tools as the basis, in our 700sqm brand-new post facility in downtown

PROsaudiaRabia

The Nebras Films team as part of the inaugural Saudi Pavilion at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. From left: Saad Abutaily, Project Manager; Abdulrahman Alnafisah, Deputy GM; and Niko Ruokosuo, GM, Nebras Films.

Riyadh. Our sound studios are Dolby 7-certified, which I think is unique in Saudi Arabia. The installation is ongoing currently and will be operational first week of September.” While Nebras Films and Saudi Arabia are now open for film business, it will be a while before the economy gets a slice of the nearly $30bn spent by Saudi nationals on entertainment and hospitality elsewhere in the Middle East. The number of theatres in Saudi Arabia could rise from one today to between 100 and 150 within five years, according to AMC Entertainment CEO and President Adam Aron, but box office returns are slated to be modest, hovering between $500m and $1bn in the early years. In addition, stiff entrenched competition confronts production houses such as Nebras Films and the proposed 60,000sqm media

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city in Riyadh. The MENA already boasts well-established regional film hubs in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Morocco, among others. And much like the initial apprehensions of the international crew of Born A King, there are a host of misconceptions, from censorship to gender segregation, about Saudi Arabia. Ruokosuo remains optimistic. And he has his reasons. He is buoyed by the encouraging reception for the inaugural Saudi Arabia pavilion at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Nebras Films was part of the Saudi initiative. The announcement by the Saudi Film Council of a 35% baseline cash rebate programme, which could go up to a 50% rebate on employing Saudi labour, is a critical advantage, he believes. As for censorship, it is encouraging that only 40 seconds was edited out of Black Panther.

“We could basically take the production to the middle of the desert for three weeks

and be fully contained with water, bedrooms (including VVIP), makeup, wardrobe offices, dining, kitchen, and everything else that is needed”

Niko Ruokosuo, Gm, Nebras Films Experts believe that the authorities will possibly be conservative at first and liberalise gradually. Censors have reportedly signed off on Warner Bros.’ Rampage and Disney’s Avengers: Infinity War, among other films. Regarding gender segregation, the world has heard stories of the award-winning Saudi filmmaker

Haifaa al-Mansour directing Wadjda out of view by walkietalkie from the back of a van. Not anymore, it seems. Ruokosuo says: “An estimated 25% of the foreign crew on Born A King was female, and they had a wonderful time here.” Dismissing other perceived challenges, he says: “I don’t see Abu Dhabi, Dubai or Morocco as competition, I see them as partners in building the industry in the region. Collaboration is the way forward – the more we learn from each other, the better our quality of work and consequently more work for all of us.” Talent is surprisingly abundant, he reveals. “Thanks to years and years of the government supporting foreign study for Saudi nationals, we have no dearth of talent in the areas of scriptwriting, directing and cinematography. To a degree, there might be shortages in certain With an abundance of foreigneducated Saudi nationals in the areas of cinematography, script-writing and direction, there is no dearth of talent.

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PROsaudiaRabia

There are great stories to tell from the region, says Abdullah Alnafeesah, Chairman of Nebras Films.

“We have great stories to tell” After a chance visit by Born A King producer Andrés Gómez to a Najdstyle palace designed by Nebras Films’ sister company Diyar Najd Special Projects, he visited Nebras Films’ new studios, which had just become operational. Reportedly impressed by the equipment, crew and capabilities, he decided that Nebras Films would produce the Saudi Arabian portion of the landmark film. We talk to Abdullah Alnafeesah, Chairman of Al Nafees Holding Company and Nebras Films, about growing the film business in Saudi Arabia. Why did you revive your film production business in 2014, before the ban on cinemas was lifted? We were planning to target the regional and Arabic markets, since there are a lot of cinema halls across the Gulf region and the Arab world. Also, we were planning to target the global market by making high-quality movies with local stories. The size of the media and entertainment

industry in Saudi Arabia is estimated to be $2.4bn and only less than $13.3m of this accrues to Saudi Arabian companies. That is partly why we established the production company – to increase the amount of revenue for local companies. Fortunately, now we have cinemas in Saudi Arabia, which makes it more feasible. Production houses such as yours are hoping to attract international business. What are the biggest challenges? The challenges are actually quite few and limited, and our experience with the movie Born a King proves it. We had to manage a large number of crew from different countries. A part of the crew was Saudi and we saw great interaction between them and the international crew. In addition, all of the equipment used in the film was from Nebras Films, a Saudi Arabian company. The crew appreciated our services and the support provided by the government. And now, since the

Saudi government has announced that they are going to provide subsidies of 35% of the film budget, and an additional 15% if cast and crew are from Saudi Arabia, the challenges are much less than before. Also, we have many locations that haven’t been seen in international cinema, apart from great local stories. How successful do you think you and other storytellers in Saudi Arabia will be, given how conservative the population is? The fact that we are conservative is actually a plus. We will get support from the people since the content produced by us will be a good local fit with our culture and traditions, unlike content produced by others that might go against our values. What is your dream? My dream is the exact vision of Nebras Films, which is “to enrich human thought”. The richness of the Arab culture provides a great platform to do this.

specific skills like key grip or drone operator – people that we can bring in for specific projects. Besides, we have a new media city coming up and training academies being put in place right here in the country to enhance the talent pool.” Ultimately, the success of the Saudi tryst with opening the media sector and the hope of giving their burgeoning young population 22,000 local jobs by 2030 will depend as much on corporate and government initiatives as it will on old-fashioned word-of-mouth good will. Critical towards generating that good will is Haifaa al-Mansour, who is returning to Saudi Arabia to shoot her next film. The Perfect Candidate will be the first production supported by the Saudi Film Council, the recentlycreated body operating under the aegis of the General Culture Authority of Saudi Arabia. And at Nebras Films, visual wordof-mouth marketing is underway, with the production of a series of high-end documentaries showcasing little-known historical and natural sites around Saudi Arabia. “We are showcasing the Nabatean culture in Mada’in Saleh, the diverse flora and fauna, locations from the deep sea to volcanos… Saudi Arabia is much more varied than the average person would imagine.” The Nebras Films’ team is also building a network of ambassadors that includes filmmaker Matty Beckerman, who divides his time between Hollywood and Riyadh as Nebras’ Head of Production. Underscoring the importance of having advocates, Ruokosuo says: “Beyond great equipment and skilled employees, we are visiting a lot of studios around the world. We have consulting agreements with experienced filmmakers. We want to build on the goodwill created by the Born A King crew, who came as individual filmmakers and left as family.”- Supriya Srinivas

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Snapshot

The new edit workstations were pre-configured along with the servers and storage at the Altered Images premises before being shipped to the Al-Sharqiya studio.

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• Client: Al-Sharqiya Group • Location: London • Objective: To renew legacy infrastructure at the London-based studio of the Iraqi broadcaster, with a more efficient capture, edit, store and archive solution for a live news environment • Systems Integrator: Altered Images • Key suppliers: Avid, Telestream Vantage, Woody Technologies, Dell

PROiRaq

BroAdcAStInG In the erA of social media With an audience reach estimated at 80% of television viewers across Iraq, Al-Sharqiya Group has created seamless collaboration with social media platforms following a recent upgrade at its London studio facility, which also included critical enhancements in storage and workflow efficiencies

Like most news channels, Al-Sharqiya, Iraq’s first privately owned satellite channel, has long ceased to be a conventional news broadcaster and has integrated social media platforms as part of its news programmes. “We have incorporated social media as part of our news telecast for some time,” clarifies Ahmed Bin-Afif, long-term CTO at Al-Sharqiya Group. “However, the recent upgrade will allow for seamless multiscreen social media integration, creating more efficient and effective production workflows.” While the ability to push a single live broadcast to multiple social media destinations was one of the reasons for the upgrade, the studio, last upgraded in 2010, needed enhancements on several fronts, Ahmed reveals. “We had several stages of facility and system upgrades since 2010. In 2015, the channel broadcasting system upgraded from SD to HD; in 2016, the studio floor layout changed and was enhanced with new décor; and this year, the newsroom system was upgraded to the latest Avid-based newsroom technology. We have been users of Avid solutions since 2010. Besides social media integration, the upgrade has allowed us to shift from SD to full HD, and that has meant a quantum jump in terms of the quality of our production.” Launched in 2004, Al-Sharqiya (meaning ‘The Eastern One’) has an audience reach estimated at 80% of television viewers across Iraq, according to recent figures from IPSOS. The channel broadcasts a mix of popular current affairs programmes, satire and reality TV. With studios in Baghdad,

Dubai and Amman, the channel’s UK operation is in west London and includes a three-camera studio, a master control room and an Avid 3D real-time and virtual studio system. We caught up with Bin-Afif, who closely oversaw the upgrade that took place before and after the tumultuous Iraqi general elections in May 2018. As one of Iraq’s premier news channels, the period could not have been more critical, calling for zero downtime. The team at UK systems integrator Altered Images worked with Bin-Afif to deploy the solutions. Russell Butcher, Media and Broadcast Solutions Director at Altered Images, summarises the upgrade: “Al-Sharqiya has deployed the Avid MediaCentral platform, integrated with Telestream Vantage and Woody Technologies that lend automation to certain critical processes. The deployment also includes Dell-based VMware hardware infrastructure.” The project, which began in April 2018, was suspended briefly to allow the newsroom to cover Iraq’s parliamentary elections in May. It was an unusual challenge, concedes Butcher, as he reveals how they worked out a plan to allow the newsroom to function with minimal disruption. “Al-Sharqiya’s engineering staff had to plan continuous operations around the installation. We supplied and installed the base equipment to allow ingest, edit and playout to replace the ageing infrastructure prior to the elections, without social media integration, and used existing workflows until the new solutions could be deployed.” Acknowledging that planning around a live operational

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studio, election or no election, is always difficult, Butcher says the brief given to the Altered Images team was to “renew ageing infrastructure with a more efficient capture, edit, store and archive solution for a live news environment”. He adds: “The existing infrastructure had become difficult to sustain, given the demands on a live news environment.” With the main production

“The upgraded solution allows us to…engage with our audiences seamlessly on the web, mobile and social media channels” Ahmed Bin-Afif, cto, Al-Sharqiya Group

installation completed in time for the Iraqi election week, Butcher explained the various stages of deployment. “The new edit workstations were pre-configured along with the servers and storage at our headquarters, before shipment to the Hammersmith area in London where Al-Sharqiya is located. The primary and secondary Dell 3046 switches were integrated into the existing network topology.” With the project about to be fully commissioned this month, Bin-Afif says: “The upgraded solution allows us to create and deliver breaking news in a quicker and more streamlined way. Most importantly, we can engage with our audiences seamlessly on the web, mobile and social media channels. Avid iNEWS integrated with Avid MediaCentral has streamlined workflows allowing multiple persons

The primary and second ary Dell 3046 switches were int egrated into the existing network top ology.

Key kit • Nine new and upgraded iNEWS journalist workstations • Upgraded Avid MediaCentral licensing, software and servers • Additional 140TB of storage: 60TB near-line, 80TB archive • A new network core consisting of two stacked Dell N3048 switches • HD-capable four-channel Avid Airspeed |5500 Mpeg-2 capture and playout server, integrated with iNEWS Command for rundown control • Upgraded software and workstation hardware in three existing edit suites to Media Composer 2018.7 running on HP Z4 G4 workstations • New software-defined shared storage solution – 40TB Avid NEXIS | PRO and 20TB NEXIS E2 Enterprise storage • Virtualisation of the Interplay and iNEWS servers, reducing the number of physical servers required • Avid MediaDistribute integrations with social media channels such as YouTube and Twitter, enabling journalists to post edited

The upgrade took place before and after the Iraqi general elections in May 2018.

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media to social media without leaving MediaCentral UX

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to connect simultaneously with the same media sources in real time, via the Avid NEXIS shared media storage platform.” The upgrade to software-defined shared storage solution Avid NEXIS | PRO had significant implications on the workflow, Bin-Afif says. “With the NEXIS | Pro bringing together media composers, DNxIO and ingest and playout systems, it allows our production team to work collaboratively in a speedy manner given our tight news-related deadlines.” Underscoring Altered Images’ 10-year relationship with AlSharqiya Television, supplying and supporting technology across the EMEA region, Butcher says: “We are an approved Avid Elite Reseller. We have trained ACSR engineers who are qualified to support these news environments. Since we have supported Al-Sharqiya’s older infrastructure for many years now, we are a trusted supplier.” While the main delivery was done six weeks from the placing of the order in April 2018, the project continued for six weeks

The existing iNEWS journalist system was moved into the new solution making it easier for the team to migrate to the new system.

after the election in May. The main delivery was handled by the Altered Images team of engineers, with manufacturer support with iNEWS and MediaCentral. The upgrade addressed the all-important ingest technologies to ease workflows. Eschewing multiple tools required to ingest media, the Iraqi broadcaster has opted for platform-agnostic Woody Ingest to automate ingest feeds of selected news stories

Software and workstation hardware in three existing edit suites were upgraded to Media Composer 2018.7 running on HP Z4 G4 workstations.

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from Reuters and other FTP sources. Recognising that on the studio floor, non-engineering staff generally manage workflows, a new Telestream Vantage ingest encoding server was deployed to replace ageing Telestream Agility. Commenting on the choice of technology, Bin-Afif says: “We now have better control of our VOD processing. The manual effort is reduced, and the team is a lot more efficient with the reduction in multiscreen media transcoding times. The new technologies give us exciting opportunities going forward.” The reason to opt for a discbased archive server to replace the LTO archiving system, in Bin-Afif’s words, was because “it was cost-effective and to ensure quick turnaround of media”. Overall, Butcher says the client was getting a more efficient workflow, coupled with technical engineering efficiencies that offered lower total cost of ownership over a five-year term. “We have a support contract with them for five years to help ensure news delivery at a certain cost,” he adds. The systems have been installed at the Iraqi broadcaster’s studio in London within the central apparatus room (CAR), the gallery,

PROiRaq

“Besides social media integration, the upgrade has allowed us to shift from SD to full HD, and that has meant a quantum jump in terms of the quality of our production” Ahmed Bin-Afif, cto, Al-Sharqiya Group edit room and newsroom. The most critical upgrade, apart from the key kit that included solutions from Avid, Telestream, VMware, Dell and HP, was the move from Avid Interplay to MediaCentral. Butcher explains: “All functionality is integrated into the MediaCentral platform operator’s

The team is a lot more efficient with the reduction in multiscreen media transcoding times, says Ahmed Bin-Afif of Al-Sharqiya Group.

graphical user interface (GUI), allowing easy searching for material and creation of news stories. Another solution had been considered, but it was felt the technology was too early in its lifecycle to implement in short time scales.” With the new system, Bin-Afif says his team can break stories across web and social platforms from a single interface as they unfold. He explains: “The team can access media from any location, create better on-air graphics, increase productivity through more efficient workflows and, most importantly, it allows us to interact with our audience, which is critical for any news station today.” Throwing light on some of the unique aspects of the upgrade, Butcher says: “The existing iNEWS journalist system was

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moved into the new solution, so largely the same design remains in terms of operational use, making it easier for the team to migrate to the new system.” Butcher also highlights the VMware set-up, designed and deployed to minimise server footprint and back-up. Multiple services can be deployed on a smaller number of servers using VMware, which helps not only with deployment but also software back-up, and reduces cost. On training, Butcher says: “New software technology integration always requires specific configuration by the manufacturer, and access to sensitive network knowledge can be time-consuming in a live studio environment. Both online and one-to-one training is being provided by Avid and the Altered Images teams, covering

Planning around a live operational studio is always a challenge, says Russell Butcher of Altered Images.

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Avid MediaCentral training in progress on site. Both online and one-toone training is being provided by Avid and the Altered Images teams, covering operational and engineering aspects of the solution.

48 | www.broadcastprome.com | September 2018

operational and engineering aspects of the solution.” Without revealing the cost of the upgrade, Bin-Afif underscores the importance of keeping up with technology despite a difficult economic environment for broadcasters. “We had a few challenges along the way with the upgrade, but the system is 95% complete and will be commissioned pending a final training session. Our channel is considered an icon among Iraqi broadcasters. Unlike most other channels, we try not to interrupt our programmes with too many advertisements. Our Ramadan serials are especially popular for this reason. While the market overall is challenging for the broadcast industry, we have to keep up with technology and ensure the best broadcast quality and content for our audiences.”

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Capturing the story

From full-frame to anamorphic and vintage looks, cinematographers have the widest choice in format, equipment and lens to tell a story, writes Les Zellan of Cooke Optics

In the early part of this year, there was a flurry of digital camera and lens launches for ‘full-frame’ or ‘large format’. Two years ago, the big buzz was ‘anamorphic’. As with most aspects of the media and entertainment technology industry, there is constant change and evolution in acquisition technology; partly because technology moves forward, but also because filmmakers love to have choices to tell their stories. Lenses play a huge role in the look of the story in these days of digital cameras. In the film world, cinematographers used to have dozens of film stocks to choose from and hundreds of processing options to achieve a unique look for their films. In the digital era, these options

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have been reduced considerably, to just four chips. Additionally, compared to the grain and warmth of film, digital images are very sterile and flat; the lens choice therefore brings personality and character to the image, which goes a long way towards telling the story – so filmmakers need to choose their weapons carefully. Another thing to note is that higher resolutions do not make pictures pleasing to the human eye. When HD talk moved to 4K and on to 8K, I was asked many times whether our lenses worked with higher resolutions. My answer was always along the lines of: “Yes, of course – but that’s not the point.” You don’t always want incredibly sharp, highly detailed images, if that doesn’t fit your story.

PROLENSES

“Compared to the grain and warmth of film, digital images are sterile and flat; the lens choice brings personality and character to the image” Les Zellan, Chairman and owner, Cooke Optics

Cinematographer Tony Miller suggested an anamorphic look when shooting Fleabag, a dark British comedy drama series. He says: “It is often the complexity of the relationships within the frame that makes this so exciting.” Image: Hal Shinnie

The visual priorities of a wildlife cinematographer capturing every jewel-like feather on an exotic bird are poles apart from those of a cinematographer shooting a period drama, and different again when shooting a sci-fi thriller. You choose the format – and the equipment – based on the story. The full-frame look The choices available to cinematographers today are as

broad as they have ever been. The big new trend, as I’ve mentioned, is full-frame or large format. There are currently very few cameras that can shoot it – the Sony Venice, the ARRI ALEXA LF, the RED Weapon – so I don’t see full-frame taking over the world, but it certainly has its place and is on the rise. Cinematographers like it because it gives a richer quality to images. Remi Adefarasin, who recently completed shooting on a new feature film, Lyrebird, puts it like this: “Too many movies resort to close-ups when they don’t have a decent background, or to get lots of quick cover. That misses out on the experience of seeing a film. You lose body language, sense of place, relationships. Full-frame gives you rich images but with a rounder look … the image rolls off smoothly into the background. “We shot [Lyrebird] open gate 1.85 and the results blew us away. We could shoot wider shots that had a closer feel, and the viewer could choose what part of the frame they were interested in, giving a more immersive experience.” The anamorphic look Anamorphic pictures have been around since the 1950s, when film studios and theatre owners began panicking about the popularity of TV and felt they needed a competitive edge to draw audiences. They needed a wide-screen format that would be impossible to replicate on a 4x3 TV; but how to get a wide screen format – 2.39:1 aspect

ratio – into a 4x3 piece of film? The solution was to maintain the vertical height and squeeze the horizontal by a factor of two. Lenses were then developed with cylindrical elements that would squeeze the horizontal plane, effectively making a ratio of 8x3 on a 4x3 negative. Depending on how the anamorphic lens is constructed, the introduction of the squeeze in acquisition may introduce assorted artifacts. The anamorphic squeeze is traditionally accomplished in front of the iris, and the most prominent artifact will be the oval bokeh. Front anamorphic lenses are basically a kludge, since they represent two lenses merged into one lens. On the vertical axis is a normal lens – for example, a 75mm anamorphic lens is a normal 75mm

Full-frame gives you rich images but with a rounder look, says Cinematographer Remi Adefarasin.

September 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 53

PROLENSES

on the vertical axis, while on the horizontal axis it’s a 37.5mm lens. This combination introduces two depths of field along the respective axes, and also creates the artifacts. Shooting in traditional anamorphic using new, state-of-the-art glass and mechanics is another solution to add character and texture into an otherwise sterile format. As well as feature film production, there is a big demand for anamorphic/i and anamorphic/i SF lenses on high-end television drama, as they give a bold and more cinematic look that audiences like. Cinematographer Tony Miller suggested an anamorphic look when shooting Fleabag, a dark British comedy drama series. “Shooting 2.39:1 scope allowed us to cover scenes in one shot, to use the width of the frame for multiple relationships and tensions to exist in that same frame. It is often the complexity of the relationships within the frame that makes this so exciting.” Adam Kimmel used the anamorphic/i SFs on Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House. “I wanted a look that reflected the ’70s period and stayed away from the more pristine and clean side of the digital world,” he says. “There’s a theme of paranoia and isolation that I felt the compression and shallow depth of field of anamorphic lenses would serve well. It’s hard to put into words the difference the coated lenses bring … it’s something that has to be seen. “I was looking to find the balance between a ’70s period film look and something more accessible, but I didn’t want to go as far as vintage lenses – which can be inconsistent within a set – so these newly-coated lenses gave me the consistency of a matched set of glass but without being too sharp or overly ‘contrasty’, and also gave me more texture and flare that worked great with the

A comparison between the 40mm anamorphic/i SF lens (picture below) and the regular 40mm anamorphic/i 40mm lens. The former is popular with high-end television drama for the more cinematic look.

“Shooting in traditional anamorphic using new, state-of-the-art glass and mechanics is another solution to add character and texture into an otherwise sterile format” Les Zellan, Chairman and owner, Cooke Optics type of softer light I was using.” The vintage look The period look never seems to go out of style, and some cinematographers are constantly on the look-out for vintage lenses from the early days of cinema to capture a very specific look. Adriano Goldman, ASC ABC, chose to use the Sony F55 and vintage Cooke Speed Panchros for the first series of Netflix drama The Crown. Netflix original series are all shot in 4K in order to deliver premium and futureproofed UHD content, so using vintage lenses helped Adriano to maintain the period look. He says: “It’s ironic that after

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achieving such high resolution from the camera sensors, we had to go back to vintage lenses made for film cameras to get the beautiful warm feel I was looking for.” This list really just scratches the surface of the choices that cinematographers have today. You could say this makes things more complicated – now, in addition to addressing the look and the story, you have to think about whether you’re shooting 35mm, 65mm, anamorphic… you have all these options. However, abundant options mean you can make a better choice to tell the story. And story is what it is all about. PRO

Les Zellan is Chairman and Owner of Cooke Optics.

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PROPRODUCTION

“What IF the oil runs out?” Suzan Iravanian’s feature film Leakage weaves the issues of gender into the troubling centrality of oil in the region’s politics. Supriya Srinivas speaks to Suzan and producer Kaveh Farnam about the Iranian film and its path to finding both a domestic audience and an international platform

In the best tradition of Iranian movies through the years, Leakage, Suzan Iravanian’s debut feature film, uses the multilayered Farsi language and grammar to address the issue at the heart of the region’s politics – oil. And the question her movie poses is – what if the oil runs out? “I am a woman with oil coming out of her body and whose husband has disappeared,” repeats protagonist Foziye, describing the reason she must emigrate to Germany. The Iran-Czech Republic co-production has been described by one film critic as “a highconcept arthouse genre film playing on a number of contemporary social issues such as immigration, the world’s oil obsession and female exploitation. It follows a middle-aged woman whose body produces crude oil, and her quest to emigrate to Germany”. Inspired by a gamut of Iranian filmmakers as well as Argentina’s Lucrecia Martel, the New York Film Academy graduate garnered praise from the jury in the ‘Works in

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Progress’ category at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic earlier this year. The debut feature film from a relatively unknown filmmaker has reportedly captured the attention of the so-called A-grade film festivals, considered a critical first step for films to find both audiences and a return on investment, and it is currently undergoing additional colour grading before a proposed release later this year. Suzan Iravanian has a BA in Art and Architecture and an MA in Cult Film from Brunel University, and an MA in Filmmaking from the New York Film Academy. The easiest part of making Leakage for this native of Shiraz was writing the script. She recalls: “I initially wrote this story for a short story course in Oxford University. I expanded the story into a script. it was fairly easy – just me, my script and my ideas.” Translating the metaphor of oil to celluloid, however, was far from easy. The process began in late 2015 and only now has the film been completed. Of the difficulties faced, she says: “The first difficulty is I

PROPRODUCTION

live in Shiraz. Tehran is the hub for filmmaking in Iran and you can find all the resources there. But I insisted on staying in Shiraz. I believe the city has potential and it was up to me to bring the people together. I also started with a very low budget.” A chance meeting with writer, director and producer Majid Barzegar at a workshop in Shiraz and through him, Kaveh Farnam, a Dubai-based Iranian producer who owns a Czech film production company, Europe Media Nest, changed everything for Suzan. The stop-start nature of the shoot ended with the infusion of more money, and Suzan managed to complete the shoot with a crew of around 20 equipped with a Sony FS7 and a Blackmagic production camera, among other equipment. Iravanian describes Leakage as ”the exploration of manipulated realities within an uncertain

“Marketing is really my territory. As a producer, you have to understand who the decision-maker is. You like the story, but this is not your story” Kaveh Farnam, Producer, Leakage geography and a vulnerable community”. Outsiders often attribute the abundance of creative expression from Iran to censorship and other recent impositions such as the embargo. While they have had a telling impact on the kind of stories filmmakers such as Suzan and others can tell, the oblique method of telling a story has grown out of a culture defined by poetry that has always employed indirect language and double meanings to broach taboo subjects. For Suzan, the film has been a long labour of love and her most

uplifting moments were during production, especially when the protagonist played out her lines. She recalls: “When the lead actress Armik Gharibian spoke as Foziye, I found myself lost in her world and her struggles.” Since 2009, Suzan has been involved in the production of shorts, and while money was missing as she embarked on the rather courageous journey to make a feature film in small-town Iran, she did not let her directorial instincts be ruled by the lack of money when she contacted Lebanese DoP Ramzi Hibri to travel to Shiraz to make the film, or when she cast a relative outsider to movie acting, Armik Gharibian, in the lead role. Suzan explains: “Armik has some theatre background but never in movies. She is a friend and when I was working on the script, I was imagining her in all my scenes –

With support from producers Majid Barzegar and Kaveh Farnam, Suzan managed to complete the shoot with a crew of around 20 equipped with a Sony FS7 and a Blackmagic production camera, among other equipment.

September 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 57

PROPRODUCTION

“I did a lot of acting rehearsals over two to three months with my cast, since my script was unusual and they had to get into the narrative”

Suzan Iravanian initially wrote the story of Leakage as part of a short story course in Oxford University.

Suzan Iravanian, Writer-Director she has such unique qualities. She agreed readily and travelled from Tehran to Shiraz for the movie. I did a lot of acting rehearsals over two to three months with my cast, since my script was unusual and they had to get into the narrative. So when the actual shoot took place, they were thoroughly familiar with their roles.” With a growing reputation for supporting Iranian cinema and art for the past decade, Kaveh Farnam, has been financing independent filmmakers for the past five years, motivated by a missionary zeal to give the stories a celluloid platform. To the industry in the region, he is better known as the CEO of Advanced Media, one of the Middle East’s largest suppliers of broadcast, professional video and photography equipment and accessories. Farnam’s previous stint, a coproduction with Iranian Director Mohammad Rasoulof, won the main award in the Cannes Film Festival’s ‘Un Certain Regard’ category. Money and the professional help from the producers brought about a sea change in the making of Leakage. Suzan recalls: “Until I found Majid and then Kaveh, I was doing everything from planning logistics to renting equipment to looking for cast and crew. Finding good producers before you start is key, because he or she will help you from the very first moment. Everything was easier with Majid doing a bit of the postproduction, Kaveh helping with logistics, marketing and so on.”

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Leakage has garnerned attention from grade-A film festivals and is also awaiting approval for release in Iran.

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Iranian film director, producer and founder of Tehran-based film production company, Rainy Pictures, Majid Barzegar, co-produced Leakage.

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PROPRODUCTION

“The script of Leakage, addressing the realities of our life, appealed to me immediately,” says Kaveh Farnam, the affable producer of the movie. Speaking to BroadcastPro ME in his office in Dubai, he acknowledges that beyond the initial treatment and storyboarding, he had a longdistance relationship with the production process in Shiraz. Throwing light on his role as producer for Leakage and his general filmmaking philosophy, Farnam says: “As a producer, I try not to get involved in daily activities. I believe the DoP knows better and should be given the freedom to operate. As for the production set, the director is the boss and you have to respect him or her. I prefer to be involved in the development stage, help with treatment and when it comes to shooting, I help with logistics. I also like to see the rushes before editing, and when the film is completed, I get involved with music or visual effects if required. “Marketing is really my territory. As a producer, you have to understand who the decisionmaker is. You like the story, but this is not your story.” Leakage will probably have a better run than most first-time feature films by virtually unknown writer-directors, largely because of Farnam’s experience gained over five years in the film festival circuit. He adds: “The unique ‘Works in Progress’ category allowed us to screen the film without losing the chance for a premiere in a big festival. Moreover, you get to interact with agents and distributors at an early stage. Once your film has had a premiere in a grade-A or maximum grade-B festival, you receive a lot of invitations from film festivals with screening fees. If you travel to 20 to 30 festivals with screening fees ranging from $500 to $1,000, you are ensured a substantial return.”

Familiar to the broadcast industry as CEO of Dubai-based Advanced Media, Kaveh Farnam has been supporting independent filmmakers for the past five years.

“I am keen to narrate a true slice of life from Iran. I am fortunate enough to have the resources to support the process” Kaveh Farnam, Producer, Leakage While Farnam is devising a unique approach to having Suzan and her debut feature noticed by important festivals such as Sundance and the Toronto Film Festival, he also hopes the film will find traction in Iran. The process in Iran begins with submission of the script for approval, and the film is currently undergoing the permit phase for release, according to Suzan. However, the approval of the authorities will not be enough, as the producers will have to negotiate with cinema owners for theatrical release and with local municipalities for the right to advertise the film. While a premiere at an important festival is the dream for most independent filmmakers, for Iranian filmmakers, an international premiere needs approval from the country's film authorities. As one filmmaker ruefully states: “We make films for the wardrobe – we finish it and put it in the wardrobe.” The long-running embargo has also had an impact, with

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film markets in the region not having as many screenings for Iranian films. Similarly, the likes of Netflix and Amazon have been more forthcoming to host coproductions, such as between Iran and Aghanistan, than standalone films from Iran. While it all seems a hopeless cause for the average filmmaker who has not achieved the revered status of two-time Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi (A Separation, The Salesman), producers such as Farnam are vital for an independent film industry. We ask Farnam how he keeps going when it seems finding a platform to screen internationally or in Iran is a lot more challenging than the rigours of making a movie. Readily admitting that his relatively recent stint as film producer is a lot more exciting than being on the sales floor or the exhibition floor at a broadcast event, he says: “I love the process of creating a film from just an idea. Though I wasn’t present at the shoot, Suzan and I would talk each night about the day’s shoot. I enjoy the process – sitting for eight to 10 hours in a dark room, experiencing the frames transform. As an aside, interacting with DoPs and filmmakers has helped me serve the industry better as a dealer in broadcast equipment. But more importantly, as an Iranian I believe these stories need to be told.” On what keeps him going, he says: “Many of my friends who I respect a lot have given up after a while. There is a possibility that I will give up. Cinema has a rich history in Iran and even now, nearly 200 films are being made in a year. Some urge me to do commercial films, but there are enough who do that. I am keen to narrate a true slice of life from Iran. I am fortunate enough to have the resources to support the process.”

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PROPRODUCTION

“MediaKind is a Mission, not A rEbrAnD” Georges Dabbaghi, VP, Head of Sales – MEA at MediaKind, formerly Ericsson Media Solutions, explains how a 150-year heritage and a new corporate identity will offer the regional industry end-to-end solutions needed to embrace media of all kinds

MediaKind, the new identity for Ericsson’s Media Solutions business, was unveiled globally last month, through a series of events and a live global webcast. In Dubai, the event was attended by the company’s channel partners as CEO Angel Ruiz elaborated on the vision of the new company. The new company will bring together media technology providers Aspex, Azuki Systems, Envivio, Fabrix, HyCGroup, Microsoft Mediaroom and Tandberg Television. On January 31, 2018, BroadcastPro ME reported that Ericsson had sold its majority stake in Media Solutions to US private equity firm One Equity Partners. While Ericsson has retained 49% of the shares in Media Solutions, One Equity Partners, which reportedly has “deep expertise in media and telecom”, joins as new majority owner. We asked Georges Dabbaghi, Vice President, Head of Sales – Middle East & Africa at MediaKind, about the rebranding, the challenges faced along the way and the company's vision.

Georges Dabbaghi, Vice President, Head of Sales – Middle East & Africa, MediaKind.

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Critics have commented on the length of time the rebranding has taken. Did it adversely impact your operations here? Do you forsee a phase in which you have to regain momentum among existing and new customers? MediaKind has set off on a mission, rather than a mere rebrand! This mission is set to drive next-generation live and on-demand mobile and multi-screen media experiences, and be the industry’s leading independent media technology company. We have spent a good amount of time with our customers and partners in this region discussing this mission and the steps needed to fulfil it, and were given unanimous support, as such focus and mission is needed in the media industry today. Besides the name change to MediaKind, what in your view

PROPRODUCTION

The MediaKind team with channel partners at the launch event in Dubai.

is new about the company? The main novelty is that MediaKind is designed to embody the concept that media should inspire and unite humankind. MediaKind draws on Ericsson’s 150-year heritage of bringing communities together through fixed and mobile communications, and unites a number of media technology pioneers under one common identity. It addresses a new age where media is the fabric of society, captivating audiences, changing perceptions and bringing us together. As I understand it, there will be a process of transition as Ericsson divests its 51% majority stake to private equity fund One Equity Partners, a move to be completed in Q3. Will there be any impact on your operations during this period? Not at all. The team that will run MediaKind has been carefully put in place, from top management all the way down, to maintain seamless operation and business continuity to our customers. There is definitely more focus and proximity to customer needs and while our operations, product support and offerings continue as normal, MediaKind’s team will be more focused and attentive to our markets and customers with the new enabling structure.

“We have spent a good amount of time with our customers and partners in this region discussing this mission and the steps needed to fulfil it, and were given unanimous support” Georges Dabbaghi, VP, Head of Sales – MEA, MediaKind Will One Equity Partners have representatives overseeing the Dubai operations? How will their presence help you? MediaKind’s executive management was announced on July 10. We’re led by CEO Angel Ruiz, and in the region, we are part of the EMEA structure led by SVP Alex Borland. And both the board and executive management decisions will shape our regional presence in Dubai and the Middle East. It was mentioned at the launch that Ericsson had spent $3 billion on the portfolio of assets going into MediaKind. What are these assets? MediaKind combines the strength, power and heritage of media technology pioneers Aspex, Azuki Systems, Envivio, Fabrix, HyCGroup, Microsoft Mediaroom and Tandberg Television. It currently serves more than 900

cable, satellite, telecom service providers and broadcasters around the world, enabling them to compete and differentiate with immersive media experiences. MediaKind’s end-to-end video delivery solutions include Emmy award-winning video compression solutions for contribution and direct-to-consumer video service distribution, advertising and content personalisation solutions, high-efficiency cloud DVR, and TV and video delivery platforms. MediaKind delivers these products and solutions at scale to nine of the top 10 global telecommunications companies, nine of the top 10 cable companies, nine of the top 10 satellite operators and eight of the top 10 broadcast/media companies. When you look back at your own history and the state of the industry in the MENA, what are the big lessons learnt and what is your inspiration going forward? We constantly learn from our experiences in MENA, as we have been a prime contributor to the media video infrastructure solutions here and remain committed [to the region], while many others have abandoned it or are about to. MENA is a challenging market with unique attributes where infrastructure necessary to carry mass scale media to end users is still developing, and it faces challenges such as content availability, piracy and reach. Building on our regional presence, we have sought to natively complement the value chain with media infrastructure solutions and services, simplify the integrations, enrich the UX experience and allow a plethora of encoding and transcoding features and protocols. Our customer base in the region is growing and the main inspiration I can extract is that commitment, customer focus and excellence in offer and delivery pays.

September 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 63

PROTECH

boosting global profits for broadcasters Alexander Stoyanov investigates the technological breakthroughs in subtitling and argues that the technology in a global media landscape has the same seismic impact as early writing and printing

As subtitles provide so much value to the industry, not limited to only the hearing-impaired or as translation devices for foreign films, why are so many broadcasters and OTT providers missing a trick by not taking up this obvious revenue-boosting opportunity in front of them? They could be using subtitles to their advantage to reach a much wider audience and make their services more accessible to an even larger customer base. In a world increasingly inter-connected on every level from work to entertainment, subtitles â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or timed-text services â&#x20AC;&#x201C; have become an indispensable and invaluable commodity. Following recent government legislation

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requiring broadcasters to deliver subtitling services to linear TV, OTT and online channels, the pressure is on to migrate to time-efficient, cost-effective timed-text technologies. The digital age of live streaming, YouTube and other OTT platforms is placing increasing demand for immediate timed-text services to be delivered with high levels of speed and accuracy, combined with cultural and lingual competence to ensure clear communication is conveyed. Recent research confirms that many people now view video footage without sound, whether on phones, laptops, iPads or other screens. The audience viewing it this way is increasing at a rapid rate, outnumbering traditional television

PROTECH

viewers. This trend is creating an even greater demand for subtitling, especially for younger generations where subtitles can powerfully serve to bridge gaps in communities. Subtitling has been a major factor in accelerating and generating the sharing of ideas across the globe at a pace never quite seen before. It can be compared to the irreversible impact early writing and the printing revolution had on shaping events. During the 1970s, subtitling technology went through diversification and improvements in both preparation and emission. Technology is now beginning to have a positive impact in transforming traditional television subtitling for the better. With many subtitling platforms around, it’s crucial that solutions meet specific needs within budget. Subtitling is evolving at a rapid rate and has quickly adapted to HD and other formats. There are also ongoing requirements for improved subtitle presentation, as well as the introduction of file-based production workflows, including the inescapable convergence with web and online data. Subtitles are effectively timedtext metadata transcripts with metatools. They complement many environments by transmitting information, descriptions, translations and even emotion. A major benefit of subtitling is that the original material is still accessible to viewers and provides a more authentic experience than dubbing or lip-synching does. Language transfer methods using subtitles have become much easier to read too, with many channels now using subtitling for all foreign material. Rolling text performs a useful function in news broadcasts by making it easier to follow with sound often muted in public places. Reliable and accurate timed-text used online can also help power searches, target advertising and

“Recent research confirms that many people now view video footage without sound, whether on phones, laptops, iPads or other screens. This trend is creating an even greater demand for subtitling” Alexander stoyanov, Managing Partner, PbtEU increase search traffic, page views, search rank and engagement, and therefore increase awareness and attract new business. The advantages are practically limitless. Subtitles not only play an instrumental role in broadcasting but can be a crucial life-changing factor in many other sectors too. They can be used to improve speech recognition and literacy, aid communication, provide language learning support, help with hearing impairment, create live remote captioning and much more. It’s also vital for people with impairments to be able to fully engage with television for social, cultural and family inclusion. About 40% of UK viewers watch TV on demand, over the internet

for example, but less than 30% of people with hearing difficulties do. More than two thirds of on-demand TV providers do not provide any access services – subtitles or audio description. Broadcasters clearly need to keep up. Social media penetration is an influential driver for the industry and the most uncharted territory regarding timed-text services. It’s a brave new world of possibility and will greatly define whole new segments in production and methods of consumption. Live events are another niche where timed-text services show great potential. In the future, this will become a standalone industry due to the specific challenges entailed. Quality is key, and broadcasters need to dramatically improve the accessibility of catch-up and ondemand services. The consensus is that quality of subtitles generally needs to improve overall, and that pre-recorded programmes should have pre-recorded subtitles. The live technology causes delays and inaccuracies. Once viewers get a little more educated about what quality timed-text servicing really is, it will make a difference.

Respecting linguistic particularities is essential for quality subtitling.

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PROTECH

Broadcasters should consider subtitling software as part of a wider investment.

Progress has been made in reaching live audiences through loop technology and subtitling in theatres, concerts, churches, conferences, festivals, exhibitions and universities. Theatres and home cinema are great consumers of subtitling, with 3D, VR and AR becoming more popular. London’s National Theatre is experimenting with ‘floating subtitles’ by testing mixed-reality glasses. With operas mainly presented in Romance languages, subtitling has made them more accessible. Respecting linguistic particularities is essential, and being local is important for quality localisation. The battlefield where localisation and AI meet is also a topic on the agenda. Research shows 50% of viewers in Europe still prefer subtitles in foreign programmes and films. In my experience, the main challenge concerning the adoption of subtitling advancements is not technological or cultural, but in the mindset of today’s broadcasters. Most broadcasters still live with the idea that subtitles are an element of content that magically appears. Many need to get informed about the intricate painstaking process behind the scenes, dedicated work on lengthy and demanding processes that include editing, quality control

“Most broadcasters still live with the idea that subtitles are an element of content that magically appears” Alexander stoyanov, Managing Partner, PbtEU procedures and endless delivery of accurate timed-text services. On the post-production side, most editing software has only very basic subtitling functions, not to mention how fundamentally inefficient it is for an editor to take on the subtitling role. The ideal is to have a standalone subtitling system that specialises in proficiently completing the process and is a great time saver. Like everything in broadcasting, unforgiving tight deadlines, multiple versioning and lastminute corrections also govern timed-text. This requires intuitive, automated and fast handling of complex assignments. Once broadcasters start to understand the benefits that subtitling can bring to their audience, and perceive it as an asset that adds value to their service, then a new chapter will open for timed-text services in the industry. A unified product environment that can generate as many correctional tools as possible in

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one single platform will have an impact. This enables subtitle artists, from enthusiasts to professionals, to accomplish tasks quickly and efficiently. Many of the technological breakthroughs in subtitling are down to innovative modules that now support universal subtitle format transcoding and real-time live content. Subtitling software can also be multi-purpose and used to secure systems. They can perform all text-related tasks such as translating, spotting, transcoding and QC, both live and automated, while also being able to manage complex processes simultaneously. These layers work together with cloud and desktop applications. Expedient technologies get defined by the people that use them. Proactive developers incorporate customer-driven development and understand how fundamental it is for software to be fit for integration in collaborative systems within broadcast workflows. It should support all media – local files, streaming, custom-protected content for multipurpose text services, graphics for television, cinema, web, customisable UIs and more. Broadcasters have a uniquely responsible position. Embracing subtitling technology can expand their influence for good, to improve our world. PRO

Alexander stoyanov is sales Director and Managing Partner at PbtEU.

PROinteRcOms

Talkback in the iP era Intercom systems have adapted as modern broadcast workflows and productions become even more demanding. The aim is to reduce set-up time and costs, improve connectivity and allow greater user mobility. Experts weigh in on the evolution of the technology

robert Bosch Middle east FZe “For a number of reasons, the modern broadcast sector is experiencing an unprecedented surge in viewer expectations. The most obvious example of this is the now widespread adoption of 4K. [It] sets a bar that everyone has to meet, including us. Our response is to move just as quickly, developing new Sanjay Kumar, Sales Manager Intercom MEA. solutions based on what we believe is the future of broadcasting – audio over IP. “Also, we recognise that our customers are under pressure to achieve more with less. In outside broadcast scenarios, for example, efficiency is everything. Our answer to that challenge is to make our users’ lives easier with new products which fit an incredible number of digital audio-over-IP channels into a single rack unit. What once would have occupied a significant amount of rack space in an OB truck is now just 1RU. That’s the kind of innovation that directly benefits the end user. “The biggest change is clearly the move from a more

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traditional analogue set-up to the more contemporary digital production workflows we see today. We believe that the current transition towards IP is the most significant change in broadcasting for decades. “[As to why broadcasters would hesitate to upgrade their intercom systems], well, there are always budgets to consider. It could also be argued that the adoption of IP requires new training for staff – an incredibly worthwhile investment, but still something to take seriously.

“New products fit an incredible number of digital audio-over-IP channels into a single rack unit” Sanjay kumar, Sales Manager Intercom MEa, Robert bosch Middle East FZE “The coming challenges surround the volume of data needed to be sent over long distances and the ease with which this is achieved. Many broadcasters are under so much more pressure to produce a high-quality product with less time and a reduced budget. The onus is on [intercom manufacturers] to make that work, and [also] ensure a smooth transition from legacy products to the next generation of intercoms.”

PROinteRcOms

Clear-Com

riedel Communications

“When I started in this business 30 years ago, everything was hardwired. The customer had to decide what each panel and key would do in advance, and to change it, you would have to take it back to the factory to rewire it. So software control in the 1980s was the biggest change. The Simon Browne, VP customer had the flexibility Product Management. to decide later what each key would do. Among the more recent changes in production workflows has been a shift from a fixed position to a more mobile position, with people doing more jobs. Lastly, from purpose-built devices, we run applications on people’s smartphones so they can be at home, travelling or in another country and still monitor production. “One of the recent surprises for me personally is the fast disappearance of four-wire audio systems. Three years ago, I would have thought the two-wire analogue party line would have disappeared first. People are following the money and devices are getting cheaper and becoming more IP-centric.

“The intercom system is the nerve centre of a production unit, because if you cannot communicate, you cannot do anything. With the implementation of standards such as AES67 and SMPTE 2110, we are giving customers the interoperability they require and the ability to meet modernDr. Karsten Konrad, Product day challenges such Manager - Intercom. as remote production and much more. ““We deal with two types of user groups – the creative person who sits and operates the intercom panel, and the technician who sets up the system and monitors it. We are continuously adding and improving features and the connectivity of our intercom system, which is very important for the technician, who also wants a flexible and easy-to-mantain solution. In addition, we are putting a lot of effort to improve the user interface for both groups of users, to simplify the workflows as much as possible, making it similar to smartphone interfaces. “What intercom systems are achieving now by combining the robustness of the analogue connection, to the speech quality of a digital system and the latency of a closed system ... seems like a bit of magic and it is a significant milestone. We are now seeing the first fully IP-based installations. Four years ago, people were not sure what path to direct their considerable investments that need to last the next 10 to 15 years. “Going forward, with more bandwidth available, it will be easier to connect stadiums back to production facilities, and you may not need an OB van – just a truck with some

“From purpose-built devices, we run applications on people’s smartphones so they can be [in a remote location] and still monitor production” Simon browne, VP Product Management, clear-com “What has not changed is that people still expect mic and speaker connectivity and physical keys. While users have explored touch interfaces, broadcasters largely prefer the established system. I think also what differentiates broadcast intercom is that users prefer a bespoke belt pack on their hip rather than using a telephone. “There is a huge drive towards standards such as AES67 and SMPTE 2110, and we are part of that move to ensure continuity and interconnectivity. With the intercom system we have more control logic, more tally systems, more discovery and more scalability, and we are looking at the emerging IP standards so we can build a distributed intercom system and communicate across multiple manufacturers’ platforms. “We are moving from centralised intercom to decentralised intercom systems. Configurations may be placed on the cloud so customers can download them wherever they are. “We have customers who are into traditional TV programming and others into groundbreaking production systems. Our challenge is to handle both these sets of customers.”

“With the implementation of standards such as AES67 and SMPTE 2110, we are giving customers the ability to meet modern-day challenges such as remote production and much more” Dr. karsten konrad, Product Manager Intercom, Riedel communications cameras sending feeds to the control room. Of course, for wireless communication within live production scenarios, we would still have dedicated frequencies such as DECT, since broadcasters need reliable systems for communication in a stadium, for instance, with 50,000 people using smartphone devices. You cannot manage the live broadcast of the opening of an Olympics ceremony on a WiFi system.” PRO

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PROREVIEW

Mocha VR copes perfectly with motion blur, lens distortion and even with tracking objects that go off screen.

NaVigatiNg 360° with Mocha VR Mocha VR is the latest iteration of the Mocha family of products. Does it tick all the right boxes? Post-production expert Alistair Rankine finds out

It’s been a few years now since my last review of Mocha Pro, and a lot has happened to the software in that time. Mocha was originally developed and owned by Imagineer Systems, which sold it as three products: Mocha, Monet and Mokey. Eventually, all three products were combined as one and Mocha Pro was born. In 2014, Boris FX, one of the industry’s leading developers and distributors of visual effects plugins, acquired Mocha and helped to develop and shape it to become the industry standard go-to planar tracker. For those who have never used Mocha, it is a planar tracker and object removal tool, vital when carrying out rotoscoping and object removal within a scene. Mocha can handle the most complicated of tracking scenarios with its planar tracker and advanced rotoscoping tools. From my experience, there isn’t anything Mocha can’t handle.

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It copes perfectly with motion blur, lens distortion and even with tracking objects that go off screen. Unlike most point trackers, Mocha tracks images using pixel patterns. Now Boris FX has taken the power of Mocha one step further. Earlier this year, it released Mocha VR, a smart move now that virtual reality is becoming more widespread. So what is Mocha VR? Mocha VR is basically Mocha on steroids. It contains the toolset of Mocha Pro, but now also contains an advanced toolset aimed at users working in a mono or stereo 360° VR environment. Rotoscoping If, like me, you are not a fan of rotoscoping, then Mocha is the tool for you. In my opinion, Mocha has the most accurate and user-friendly roto tools available by way of its bezier and X spline tools. I can easily combine any roto

PROREVIEW

work with the planar tracker for quick and efficient output. Mocha also handles motion blur extremely well, something that usually trips me up when tracking and rotoscoping in other software. With Mocha VR, I can now carry out the most advanced roto work in a 360° VR environment. When I found out Mocha had entered the world of VR, one thing I was curious about was the ability to rotoscope within a stereo working environment. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Mocha VR allows the user to work on a single master view. I can basically carry out all of my tracking object removal and roto work on a single eye view, and the corrections will automatically be applied to the other eye. This is not only a huge time saver when working on difficult and complex shots, but also means I don’t have to do all the work twice, on both left and right, ruling out any chance of slight differences or human error.

As with all new tools and features, there has been a learning curve, especially as I'm also new to working in VR. However, I have always found the Mocha toolset easy to use. It has been vastly streamlined over the years so that each button on the interface does exactly what you need it to, without any extra or hidden stages. Any roto work can be combined with the planar tracker for quick and efficient output, writes Alistair Rankine.

“Mocha VR allows the user to work on a single master view. I can basically carry out all of my tracking object removal and roto work on a single eye view and the corrections will automatically be applied to the other eye” alistair Rankine, Post Production Manager, Colourist and VFX artist

Object removal Like Mocha Pro, Mocha VR is excellent at handling any necessary object removal, such as painting out cameras, rigs, wires or even just objects within a scene that the director wants to wave goodbye to. From my experience over the years, this always depends on the complexity of the object in question, where it sits within the frame, what kind of background the object is covering and many more factors specific to each shot I’m working on. If I’m working on a less complex shot, I find that Mocha can easily

Mocha VR is excellent at handling any necessary object removal, such as painting out cameras, rigs and wires, [among other objects].

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PROREVIEW

Working with VR footage, Mocha automatically turns the footage into an equirectangular image.

paint out and remove an object, with very little input from me. As the shots and object removal become more and more complex, I have to put more and more work to it. Although Mocha won’t magically remove objects in more complex environments, it certainly puts end users in the correct ball park, allowing them to complete the shot faster without having to spend as much time finessing the end result. Now that VR is becoming mainstream, VFX artists will have no option but to use Mocha VR or similar products to remove rigs and objects, as most time cameras, rigs and lights become visible in a 360° shoot. Mocha does this by initially tracking the image and then using the removal module, which takes clean frames from other points in time to rebuild the object pixel by pixel. This works by way of advanced illumination settings to match colour changes in hue, saturation and value. Working with VR footage, Mocha automatically turns the footage into an equirectangular image. This is basically a flat view of a VR 3D projection, allowing the

Software requirements: Mac: Mac OS X 10.7 or higher on Intel Windows: Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows XP Professional SP2 or higher, Windows Vista Business or Ultimate, on x64 Linux: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, CentOS 5 or a compatible Linux distribution on x86_64

Recommended hardware: Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent Memory: 4GB + disk, high-speed disk array Graphics card: NVDIA Quadro FX 1500 or equivalent Monitor: 1920×1080 or higher Network: Must have an enabled network adapter (Wi-FI or Ethernet)

Minimal requirements: Processor: At least 1GHz Pentium IV Disk: At least 1GB Memory: At least 1GB Graphics card: Must support OpenGL Monitor: Minimum resolution is 1200×800 pixels Network: Must have an enabled network adapter (Wi-FI or Ethernet)

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user to see the entire 360° view easily within the software. It is also integral for the end user to be able to move around the scene easily and for the Mocha software to analyse the image easily in order to carry out complex removal and tracking tasks. As stated earlier, the complexity of the shot and what needs to be removed plays a huge factor in how automatic the process is. From a user perspective, I have always found that Mocha can handle the bulk of the work and I need to refine it afterwards. Stabilisation The introduction of working with 360° footage has also introduced many other issues, such as shaky footage. Shaky footage is something we have always had to deal with, but in the 360° environment, it is even more exaggerated, especially when viewed via a VR headset. To overcome this, the footage needs to be stabilised to allow the viewer to feel totally immersed. This is done simply by tracking the horizon and then reorienting the footage. Depending on the complexity of

PROREVIEW

the shot, one or more trackers can be added during the process. I have always found stabilisation within Mocha second to none, and the same can be said of the VR version. The process itself is easy to understand and perform. As with everything VFX, the process will never be automatic and will always need tweaking. Luckily, the toolset within Mocha has always been intuitive and allows manual adjustments to be made easily without over-complication. Other new features There are many other features available in Mocha VR, such as Lens Workflow for 360° Compositing. This allows you to add titles, logos and non-360°-enabled objects to your scene and see how they look within an equirectangular frame. 360° masking tools are also

available within Mocha VR, allowing the user to create masks around people or objects within a scene. These masks can then be exported as mattes to be used in other software, to allow for selective colour grading or be used as inclusion or exclusion mattes within VFX compositing. The Mocha toolset has been vastly streamlined ... so that each button on the interface does exactly what you need it to, writes Alistair Rankine.

“Now that VR is becoming embedded in the mainstream, VFX artists will have no option but to use Mocha VR or similar products to remove rigs and objects” alistair Rankine, Post Production Manager, Colourist and VFX artist

Conclusion Mocha Pro has always been my goto planar tracker and rotoscoping tool. Having used it on a number of projects over many years, it has never let me down. I have always been impressed by its ease of use and how logical the workflow is. Perhaps I like it because it is what I’m used to working with. Although I’m a Flame, Nuke and Fusion user, I find the most complicated tracking tasks are easier and better executed within Mocha.

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Mocha Pro and Mocha VR are available either as standalone products or as a plug-in for After Effects, OFX and Avid. I always use the standalone versions, as I prefer the ability to output the scene or information to whatever format I want and to not be contained within the individual software. That’s purely a workflow preference I have, as I work on various systems. If you work in Avid, OFX or After Effects, you can use the plug-in directly inside your software without ever needing to change platform. Mocha VR supports stereo workflows for various 3D 360° cameras such as Z Cam, Vuze and Samsung Round. I imagine support for other cameras will be added as they come on the market. PRO alistair Rankine is a Post Production Manager, Colourist and VFX artist working in both the UaE and the UK.

Verdict The Good: Extremely clever, intuitive and fast, there are very few products on the market that can match Mocha VR. The only other competitor is Cara VR by Foundry, an amazing product which does everything required; however, it costs around $4,600 just for the plugin, and on top of that you must spend a similar amount to obtain the software to run it on. Mocha Pro standalone comes in at $1,695, contains all the toolsets you need and allows you to share information with many other software

solutions, such as Nuke and After Effects. The Bad: Not everything is smooth sailing, as nothing is done automatically. There will always be parameters that need adjusting. But this is to be expected when working on complex tracking, rotoscoping and object removal, especially when it is all done within a 360° environment. I found I did have a small learning curve to overcome with the new VR toolset, but my main learning curve was not with the software but

more my understanding of working in a VR environment. Wishlist: When Boris FX acquired Mocha, I was worried that it might discontinue it or let it fall by the wayside, as often happens in these scenarios. Fortunately, Boris has taken Imagineer’s ethos of building affordable high-end, user-friendly software to the next level and has embraced its work ethic. I hope Boris continues to bring us even more advanced versions of Mocha VR in the future.

The complexity of the shot and what needs to be removed plays a huge factor in how automated the process is.

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AUI

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PROREVIEW

The AMBEO actively replaces the builtin microphones on your iOS device with its binaural headset, expanding the iOS deviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s audio capabilities to create cleaner and higher quality recordings.

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PROREVIEW

TrAckIng sound in motion

In the exacting world of capturing audio, Dubai-based filmmaker Arith Sudhakaran puts the Sennheiser AMBEO headset through its paces The Sennheiser AMBEO headset is no regular set of earphones. Geared towards content creators and vloggers, these earphones are capable of immersive binaural 3D sound. Fitted with omnidirectional microphones on either ear, they capture the world around you, creating an immersive 3D soundscape accurate to the environment the user inhabits. It’s as good as being there. Capturing a few videos in and around busier parts of Dubai made for pretty fantastic soundscapes. Hearing 3D audio is pretty incredible; reliving a moment out in the Satwa market around prayer time made for a spellbinding experience – whirring traffic, bustling crowds and the sound of prayers off in the distance, all accurate to what it was really like. Coupled with video, the experience is both compelling and immersive. The AMBEO headset is a fantastic new tool to aid any vlogger or content creator looking to create more immersive content, and the results are pretty spectacular. The utility of the device is specific. The headset currently works only with iOS devices and runs off the device’s battery. The headset is meant to capture ambient sound and isn’t as effective for an interview or any dialogue-heavy content, but for the enthused travel vlogger and generalist, this is a discreet way to extend the audio capabilities of an iOS device. Though it may seem limited by its current ecosystem, which does not enable it to be used on any other video recording device, its performance paired with Apple devices is flawless. And if you’re creating content using your mobile device, then the AMBEO is a tool that should not be ignored – everyone else will just have to wait. There has never been an easier way to record binaural

sound with this level of quality for any level of user. The AMBEO headset is capable of capturing sound in motion, an aural equivalent to the 360° camera. This has never been an easy task, and the headset simplifies it and brings it to the iOS ecosystem. It is capable of creating a natural soundstage with stereo separation only otherwise experienced in real life. Binaural audio relates to the way our ears hear and we experience the world around us. The AMBEO headset mimics the soundstage of our environment by capturing the sounds entering each ear individually and bringing them together, creating a 3D sound experience that’s close to real life. Experiencing the captured 3D audio requires nothing more than a pair of regular headphones, and the results are exceptional. A sporty loop around the ear design keeps the earpiece snug in your ears, and a metallic grille on the outside of the earpiece houses the microphones that capture the sound entering each ear individually. The earpieces come with an interchangeable set of silicone plugs in S/M/L variations, ensuring a fairly snug fit. A slightly bulky in-line remote control provides access to standard volume and play/pause controls, and a rocker to choose between various levels of noise cancellation and transparent hearing. A switch on the remote provides a two-step volume/ gain control over the recordings between low and normal levels, for using the headset at a louder venue, like a music festival or live event. The transparent hearing feature is a way for the wearer to be able to hear the surrounding sounds with their music, the opposite of noise cancelling if you will. This feature is called situational awareness and is meant

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to act as a safety feature to help the user to not get too immersed in the listening experience and miss any real-life environmental threats, and also as a way to monitor recordings. Using the headset couldn’t be simpler. What would otherwise require bulky hardware and complex set-up now just requires the user to simply plug in the headphones. The AMBEO headset pairs with any up-to-date iOS device using a lightning connector. The 3D recordings start seamlessly as you press record on your iOS video app, and a red light on the in-line remote confirms the capture. The results are rather stunning. The recording clarity is pretty good, and the capture is clean, with no noticeable hiss or noise. The proximity of the microphones to the sources of sound makes the sound clearer or fainter. The AMBEO headset is powered by Apogee’s Soft Limit, which stitches both the left and right channels captured by either earpiece to create the 360° sound field. The AMBEO actively replaces the built-in microphones on your iOS device with its binaural headset, expanding the iOS device’s audio capabilities to create cleaner and higher quality recordings. The AMBEO works best for ambient recordings and didn’t prove to be great at recording speech. The microphones are attached to your ears and every movement of your head alters the way the sound is recorded, so it helps to remember to turn your head with the camera while recording. The headset is reasonably comfortable and works pretty well as a good pair of earphones, with an in-line microphone that lets you answer phone calls and also has the ability to conjure up Siri if the need arises. The sound quality is on a par with most midrange Sennheiser headsets; the AMBEO is pining to be your go-to headset to use with your iPhone.

“The AMBEO headset mimics the soundstage of our environment by capturing the sounds entering each ear individually and bringing them together” Arith Sudhakaran, Director and cinematographer

Verdict The Good: Ease of use and probably the most simplified binaural recording device on the market. Sound quality and the final recording are pretty breathtaking. The Bad: Currently available for iOS only with an Android version sometime in the future. Inability to work with more advanced camera systems. Chunky inline remote control. Wishlist: Hoping to see more products that incorporate binaural audio, perhaps with a few more options when it comes to physical appearance.

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To truly appreciate the sound captured by the device, consuming the resulting video with a pair of earphones is necessary – listening to videos recorded with the AMBEO headset on speakers does not yield as dramatic an experience. Bringing the videos captured into any editing software will show you a single stereo channel of audio containing the 3D stereo capture, which integrates flawlessly with any editing workflow. Good quality audio is an incredibly important part of good quality video content. The resulting recordings from the AMBEO are exemplary and for the large part one of a kind, and if you’re a video enthusiast or content creator who relies on your phone to capture video, the Sennheiser AMBEO headset will surely find a place in your arsenal. Despite the current limitations of its dependency on the iOS ecosystem, it is a tool that makes content all the more immersive and exciting. As with any audio kit, hearing is believing, and I urge you to experience for yourself what the Sennheiser AMBEO headset can accomplish. PRO Arith Sudhakaran is a Dubai-based Director and cinematographer.

2018

CONFERENCE | 13-17 SEPTEMBER EXHIBITION | 14-18 SEPTEMBER RAI AMSTERDAM

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PROIBC2018

IBC2018: CREAtIng WInnIng COllABORAtIOnS When an estimated 57,000 visitors descend on the RAI in Amsterdam September 13-18, 2018, around 1,700 exhibitors across fifteen halls, and more than 400 industry thought leaders, will unveil a host of possibilities for the broadcast industry going forward. Michael Crimp, CEO of IBC, gives us a preview

What’s new at IBC this year? Before I answer that, it’s important to say what’s the same. We still have 15 exhibition halls full of all the players in this rapidly changing industry. That includes some new and exciting businesses, like the Alibaba Group, based in China and the sixth largest internet company in the world. Also the same since the first IBC 51 years ago is the recognition that our visitors are seeking knowledge. They rely on IBC to provide the forum for information exchange on the show floor, in the conference and in the value-added experiences and networking opportunities we create. In turn, we are seeing exhibitors evolve in the way they present themselves. When IBC started, exhibitors were selling big devices: it was obvious what they did, and the captions alongside the big boxes talked in terms of technical specifications. Today, large numbers of the products at IBC are software packages of some sort, whether running on dedicated hardware, standard computers or in the cloud. Exhibitors have to innovate to showcase their products and their unique selling points. Smart exhibitors are finding new ways of telling their stories. We see many more putting theatres on their stands so they can present the philosophies behind their solutions, perhaps introducing users who have successfully adopted the technologies. It is all part of telling the story. In the conference, too, we are finding new ways to tell the story. The IBC Conference was founded on technical papers, and they remain absolutely central to the programme. This year, though, they are being woven more closely into broader sessions, so that the underlying technology is handled alongside the operational and business implications,

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putting all sides of the story in the same place. And by IBC2018, we should have some very exciting news about our plans for IBC2019! What are the hottest trends in the industry at the moment? The shift to IP connectivity and software-defined topologies; the convergence of broadcast, IT and telecoms; and the search for new formats, whether that is ultra HD or virtual reality, are some hot topics. What is exciting is the way that the business that uses these technologies is changing. How will broadcasters, telcos and streaming companies co-exist? Will OTT providers be the new broadcasters, or will producers sell direct to consumers? These are the sorts of questions that are debated at IBC. Advertising still seems a reliable and lucrative way to fund content production and delivery. Will programmatic advertising planning and dynamic ad insertion transform the cost/revenue model? Or will new monetisation methods – maybe blockchain-managed micropayments from consumer to producer – transform the creative industry? These issues may not be solved at IBC2018, but they will be much talked about. The breakthrough ideas in technology often come from start-ups who will take a small space at IBC and achieve a dramatic result. One of the key reasons to come to IBC is to poke around in the corners of the exhibition and find these new ideas. On that same subject, I would urge everyone to visit the IBC Future Zone, our regular space given over to the hit products of five years in the future. This year, we are collaborating with IABM on the Future Reality Theatre, which will present new ideas and spark the debate for change.

PROIBC2018

“Our visitors are seeking knowledge. They rely on IBC to provide the forum for information exchange on the show floor, in the conference and in the value-added experiences and networking opportunities we create” Michael Crimp, CEO, IBC

Michael Crimp, CEO of IBC urges delegates to visit IBC Future Zone, the space for "hit products of five years in the future".

What will the opening of the new North-South metro line in Amsterdam mean for visitors? The opening of the new metro line will allow visitors to get from central Amsterdam to the heart of the RAI in just a few minutes. It will be a great relief for those who dread the crowds on the number 4 tram, and it will slash journey times. When you get off the new train, you will also see that we have transformed the conference programme. What technological trends are you most excited about? It may be an odd thing to say, in a technological industry, but it is not the technologies themselves that are exciting. Certainly, there are big things happening. I think we will see big advances in areas like artificial intelligence, 5G and blockchain. But the real excitement comes when these raw technologies are put into action. IBC puts these

ideas in front of people who can imagine the possibilities and create the applications that transform our creativity and our business models. One of the IBC events I enjoy most is the Awards Ceremony on Sunday evening, and within that, the IBC Innovation Awards. These mark the most successful completed projects of the year. Time after time, the winners say that their projects started with conversations at IBC when they saw the potential of new technologies and could see how to solve their own very specific challenges. That is worth getting excited about. What are the highlights of the IBC Innovation Awards? The IBC Innovation Awards are a perfect encapsulation of everything we think is good about IBC. They reward not pure technology, but the way that end users and technology partners work together

to achieve a practical and satisfying solution to a real-world challenge. This year’s shortlist sees 10 projects up for the three awards – and those 10 finalists come from at least 10 countries (there are a couple of multinational projects in there). They come from five continents: Africa, America, Asia, Australasia and Europe. I know that they include sport and news, multilingual production and multinational delivery, new ways of engaging audiences and new business models to maximise revenues. As a sports fan, I am personally delighted that half of them are from the world of sport – rallying to skiing. But the international judging panel keeps its deliberations close to its chest. On Sunday evening at IBC, I am just like everyone else in the audience: I don’t know who has won until the announcement is made. PRO

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PROIBC2018

Global launch of MultiDyne’s new DogBone model IBC2018 will see the global debut of MultiDyne’s latest hand-portable DogBone model, reportedly the first fully selfcontained product in the series. the new DogBone for the first time integrates a power supply, which untethers users from the constraints of working with wallwarts and crowded powerstrips to manage connections, the release stated. Customers working in mobile production

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and fixed studios can now directly connect to an outlet with a conventional line cord. the event will see the European debut of the BullDog II, MultiDyne’s next-generation field fibre unit for longdistance signal distribution between trucks, studios and hard-to-reach locations in broadcast, live production and commercial AV applications. Stand 11.D40

ChyronHego’s Camio 4.5 debut at IBC At IBC2018, ChyronHego will preview Camio 4.5, the next release of the company’s graphic asset management solution, with key features reportedly designed to make producerdriven news workflows even more versatile, flexible and cost-effective. Camio 4.5 enhancements include a new render engine, the ability to publish content straight from the newsroom to social media, and the latest version of luci5, the HtMl5 plug-in for fulfillment interface. Also being showcased

at IBC2018 is Metacast 2.6, ChyronHego’s weather graphics solution that is integrated with the Camio Universe. new features include advanced animations for all layers, including weather model layers, and simplified application set-up. Stand 7.C21

During ‘HDR Focus: Blue Planet 2 and The Grand Tour’, the first of two Big Screen sessions on high dynamic range (HDR), learn how HDR technology is used to bring the screen to life.

Fujinon announces world's widest angle lens

FUJIFILM Corporation will launch a pre-production model of the FUJINON UA46x9.5BERD at IBC. The lens is scheduled for release in January 2019. the UA46x9.5 covers a focal length from 9.5mm to a high magnification of 437mm,

making it the world's widest angle lens. It is a portable zoom lens for broadcasting that enables realistic video to be shot in a wide variety of scenes. Its optical design technology helps suppress colour aberrations to the minimum. Rich tones are reproduced with HDR. Its anti-vibration mechanism supports creating 4K sports broadcasts, nature documentaries, news, and other 4K video. Stand 12.B20

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Maxiva optimisation from GatesAir As European radio broadcasters adopt the DAB/ DAB+ digital audio standard and IPbased networking throughout their transmission infrastructures, GatesAir has optimised its Maxiva VAXTE transmitter for use in small-scale DAB/DAB+ radio installations requiring relatively low power levels of 10W-1kW. gatesAir will showcase this space-saving, air-cooled transmitter along with its

Intraplex intelligent IP networking solutions for secure audio and data transport. As complementary products, the VAXtE and Intraplex IP link family – including audio codecs, IP transport gateways and monitoring and control software – work together to ensure the most efficient, resilient and robust DAB radio workflow across any single frequency network (SFn) operation, the release stated. Stand 8.D60

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Qvest Media introduces Qvest.Cloud At this year’s IBC in Amsterdam, Qvest Media will be showcasing its latest product development, Qvest.Cloud, in a pre-launch presentation. Qvest.Cloud is reportedly an advanced management platform that enables third-party cloud applications to be networked into one integrated end-to-end workflow, and used and monitored via a central user interface. Integral components of the platform that has been designed as cloud native applications are cross-application functions such as workflow orchestration, cloud automation, user management with single sign-on, access management, monitoring, measuring and billing and comprehensive It security. With Qvest.Cloud, it is easier

Peter Nöthen, CEO, Qvest Media Group. than ever, the company claims, to integrate and operate media services and applications using modern web technologies. Qvest. Cloud reportedly breaks down the barriers between installations in local data centres, private clouds and public clouds – such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure or google Cloud. Based on an open interface design, third-party It and media

applications can be aggregated with Qvest.Cloud, merged together and used without having to deal with the hurdles of as many user and administration interfaces, the release stated. this benefits not only traditional media companies, but all companies wishing to efficiently manage, edit, distribute and monetise media assets along their digital media supply chain. With Qvest.Cloud, business processes and media workflows can be accelerated and made agile in order to be able to react flexibly to changing market conditions and production requirements at any time. Commenting on the new solution, Peter nöthen, CEO of Qvest Media group, said: “After a multi-stage evaluation process, we made the decision in autumn

2017 to realise Qvest.Cloud. the acquisition of the software specialist HMS media solutions was subsequently completed and we entered into development. Qvest.Cloud will be fully marketready at the nAB show next year. the pre-launch at IBC is an important milestone on this development path. Here we will get to know first-hand what business and technological aspects can play an additional role for Qvest.Cloud." Qvest Media will be presenting Qvest.Cloud to the public at this year’s IBC in Amsterdam for the first time. Visitors will have the opportunity to gain their first views of the product range, as well as the functionality and use cases of Qvest.Cloud. Stand 3.B40

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Interra Systems introduces Winnow

At IBC2018, Interra Systems will introduce Winnow, an MLdriven add-on for its globally deployed Baton QC solution. Enabled by AI, Winnow reportedly provides broadcasters with a highperformance compliance solution powered by Ml and computer vision technologies. Seamlessly integrated with Baton, this enhancement can be deployed in both cloud and

Phabrix drives innovations in IP, UHD and HDR Test and measurement solutions provider Phabrix will present several European debuts at IBC2018, demonstrating how it is helping customers in the transition to IP, UHD and HDR. Phabrix will show the latest hybrid IP/SDI test and measurement tools for SMPtE St 2022-6 workflows and, for the first time in Europe, for St 2110 workflows – on both the top-of-the-range Qx Series and the handheld Sx tAg. Qx IP now

on-premises environments, the release stated. Relying on userdefined rule sets, Winnow automatically checks compliance and identification of content against regulations in different countries, regions and organisations. Baton also includes the industry's first support for the Vast protocol, as well as hybrid QC workflows, enhanced support for HDR content, audio language-detection capabilities and more.

offers SMPtE 2110 support with PtP, with -10, -20, -30 and -40 showing on the stand. the company will also highlight remote monitoring for both the Sx tAg and Qx Series, enabling engineers to respond and troubleshoot issues wherever they are. On the Qx, up to 16 scalable instrument windows can be viewed simultaneously. Stand 10.B12

Stand 7.C09

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Impossible.com, an innovation group and incubator founded by Lily Cole and Kwame Ferreira, will offer a keynote session on how individuals and companies can innovate in a more balanced way with the planet.

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Pebble Beach Systems to demo Singular.Live on Orca Pebble Beach Systems will demonstrate the integration of Singular. Live cloud-based graphics with its virtualised playout solution, Orca. For cloudbased virtual channels, graphics can present unique challenges. Pebble’s Orca reportedly supports multiple graphics packages from third parties, giving broadcasters a range of choices to fit their workflow requirements. Singular.live is an HtMl5 graphics authoring platform which allows designers to create, control and play out broadcast quality graphics from a standard web browser.

It is entirely cloud-based and requires no software or dedicated hardware. Singular.live was founded by experienced broadcast graphics professionals and reportedly includes a library

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of more than 70 graphics packages and widgets. the integration allows multiple HtMl5 render instances to be used in the same pipeline or channel configuration to suit multiple

applications. For example, the branding can be different on a broadcaster’s Ott platform and linear channels but can use the same triggers and data from Pebble’s Marina automation system. Marina can also trigger client-side graphic branding/advertising for online streaming to display personalised graphics which can be interactive, helping to further drive viewer engagement, the release stated. Stand 8.B68

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RTW introduces new TM9 19-inch rack-mount

RTW, a vendor of visual audio meters and monitoring devices for professional broadcast, production, post-production and quality control, is bringing its TM9 TouchMonitor to IBC2018 as a 19-inch 4U rack-mount solution (MA4U). the reconfigured unit brings audio monitoring features of the standalone RtW tM9 in a

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new design that is more accessible to users in broadcast studio settings. the tM9 panel-mount version is 235 x 135 x 45mm (appx 9.25 x 5.35 x 1.8 inches) without the power supply and is suited for mounting into front panels. the unit comes standard with a USB extension to the front panel and the mounting kit is compatible with DIn 41494/IEC 60297 19-inch 4U racks (483 x 177 x 91mm). Stand 8.D89

Magewell to unveil Ultra Stream HDMI encoder

Chinese capture products manufacturer Magewell will be unveiling its Ultra Stream HDMI standalone streaming encoder in Europe. Users can stream to services including Youtube, Facebook live and twitch or to a custom-specified server, and can record video as files to a directly connected USB drive or associated smartphone. the device encodes video up to 1080p60 from an HDMI input and also supports 4K sources, automatically downconverting them to HD.

In addition to these IBC premieres, Magewell’s exhibit will include Flex I/O – Flex I/O PCIe input-output cards that combine Magewell’s video capture advantages with playout capabilities. Other products include the Eco Capture (M.2), Pro Capture and USB Capture Plus. Magewell will also provide a sneak preview of solutions that bring hardware and software benefits to IP-based production infrastructures. Stand 8.A84

At the Content Everywhere Hub: Google, Alibaba and CSGi to demo new products as part of an extensive and varied programme of 34 product/service demonstrations and 10 panel discussions.

Qligent to debut As-Run feature for monitoring and analysis Qligent, a specialist in cloud-based, enterprise-level content monitoring and analysis, has developed a new As-Run feature exclusive to its Qligent Vision platform. As integrated within Vision, As-Run uses an imported as-run log to analyse whether vital secondary programme events, like SCtE-35 ad insertion triggers and ratings watermarks, aired as planned, and also improves the compliance verification process for loudness, EPg tables and closed-captioning. Set to debut at IBC2018,

this new capability provides monitoring by exception to pinpoint precisely where, when and why secondary events failed to execute properly along any of a broadcaster’s downstream distribution channels.

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Commenting on the new solution, ted Korte, COO, Qligent, said: “Until now, there hasn’t been an easy way to determine if SCtE35 ad insertion triggers occurred at the right moment in relation to the network’s

planned commercial break. By calling attention to secondary event anomalies in relation to where in the programming, this new feature can save broadcasters money by reducing their exposure to fines and lost advertising revenues.” According to Korte, in addition to bottom-line savings, this new application helps broadcasters take smarter, swifter corrective action, meet their mandated responsibilities and ensure higher operational quality of service. Stand 8.E47

PROIBC2018

Marquis Broadcast secures transfer with Fotonflite

Ross Video unleashes Furio S2 lift at IBC

Marquis Broadcast has launched Fotonflite, a secure on-the-fly point-to-point transfer system for Avid Media Composer projects and media workspaces. It allows files to be moved between source Avid ISIS/nEXIS systems and a range of target storage types, including Avid, generic and proprietary storage. Fotonflite is reportedly unique in its ability to directly connect and securely synchronise live Avid ISIS/nEXIS systems,

With the introduction of the Furio S2 lift, Ross Video introduces a more affordable option for adding keyframed moving shots while still providing the precision and practicality of a robust robotic camera system that can serve as a primary camera. the Furio lineup now reportedly includes a more affordable option that will enable many more studios to access the practical and creative benefits of the product, the release stated. Featuring a proven design that has been reliably deployed in CamBot 600PtZ systems for over a decade, the two-stage S2 lift offers linearity and stability, with the same smooth vertical

especially with Avid work-inprogress, and is suited for connecting production centres over the internet, for example Pinewood and Hollywood. Fotonflite is an option for Marquis Workspace Sync, Workspace Backup and Project Parking professional production workflow tools, which are all Avid-certified. the operation of Fotonflite is transparent to these applications. Stand 7.D39

movement necessary for creating characteristic Furio moves. these features make it suited for applications where the extra extension range, height or speed offered by the flagship Furio SE lift are not required, at an accessible price point that is 25% lower than the SE version.

Stand 11.C10

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New at NOA – archive asset management

CyanView showcases camera control system

The NOA mediARC solution is a new archive asset management (AAM) approach following OAIS recommendations, which call for the separation of user and production management domains and the separation of content on its original media format from its digital representation within the archival storage. At present, more than 7,000 seats around the world

CyanView returns to IBC to showcase its Cy-Stem universal camera control system, as well as launch extensions to its solution. the IP-based Cy-Stem range comprises an RCP control panel and a series of small hardware modules that address three key areas in broadcast production: control, image quality and content transport of outside/ live broadcasting such as sports events, reality tV and game shows. CyanView is also announcing a unique camera control

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reportedly rely on nOA mediARC to manage up to two million searchable metadata items and media objects per installation, including in the UAE. Also new at IBC is the nOA jobDB 4.1 workflow system, which features physical carrier handling with new tools such as BarcodeStation and UniversalDialoguer. Stand 8.D91

solution for mobile wireless video transmission. At IBC, the control of an Eng-style camera in combination with a cellular wireless transmission system from mobile viewpoint will be demonstrated. Stand 10.D31

The Big Screen at IBC will showcase cinema technology deployed in Blade Runner 2049, Disney’s The Jungle Book and Ready Player One.

Aviwest's new uplink system redefines live video Aviwest’s video contribution platform enables broadcasters to capture and deliver live 4K, HD and SD video over multiple unmanaged IP networks, including bonded 4G/3G cellular, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and satellite links. Featuring an ultralightweight design, the new AIR Series is suited for on-

the-go video professionals, providing them with portable, versatile and affordable solutions, the release stated. Featuring up to six network links (four cellular modems, one internal Wi-Fi and one Ethernet), a three-hour internal battery and Aviwest's SafeStreams technology, the AIR Series allows broadcasters to stream live videos and store and forward recorded content – reportedly even during unpredictable and unmanaged network conditions. Stand 2.B31

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Globecast to debut digital media hub

Globecast is launching its new digital media hub suite of services for sports and live events. By aggregating multiple virtualised technologies into a single ecosystem, it allows a live feed to be treated in multiple ways to create content suitable for cross-platform use, in real time or for use at a later date. It has been developed in

conjunction with a number of rights holders, with these services already having been used by them. globecast will also be showing gCXn, its newly enhanced, fast set-up content distribution solution over public internet technology. Customers can use globecast-supplied netInsight technology, or they can now use OEM alternatives. In addition, operators can now also access gCXn via cloud, using a virtual internet transport application. Stand 1 A.29

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Edgeware to demo glitch-free Ad Enabler

Edgeware will be presenting its Ad Enabler solution which allows personalisation of ads during live OTT, live-to-VoD and time-shift TV services. It supports HlS for delivery to Apple devices, and MPEg-DASH for Android devices – making Edgeware one of the first to support live server-side, Ott ad insertion to the operating system. Ad Enabler uses frame-

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accurate segmentation to pinpoint exact moments within tV programming. Edgeware’s ad stitching solution detects these markers, and through an integration with Yospace and a VASt-compatible ad decision server, it fetches the personalised ad and stitches it into the content stream. the tV programming and the ad is then streamed from Edgeware’s tV server to viewers. Deploying this server-side solution reportedly creates completely glitch-free ad insertion. Stand 14.F20

VSN advances MAM AI with VSNCrea VSNCrea is the company’s new software for TV, radio and secondscreen traffic and scheduling. It enables the management of a company’s content production catalogue, either owned or acquired from third parties, as well as its advertising, production workflows, programming and broadcast planning, all from a unique user interface. It also provides useful extra information such as analytical data about the actual profitability of the content.

As it is HtMl5-based, the software is accessible anytime, anywhere from any web browser and device by multiple users simultaneously. the company also stated that there is a possibility of running this software in the cloud. Stand 7.B19

Doug Liman, director of Bourne Identity and The Edge of Tomorrow is a keynote speaker at IBC2018, and will elaborate on his vision where the audience is at the heart of the action.

Nugen Audio to make a Loudness impact

Pixel Power virtualises graphics production

Nugen Audio’s newly released post-production bundles and updates to its Loudness Toolkit bundle of products will be on display for the first time at IBC2018. The Loudness Toolkit, which includes the VisLM loudness meter, ISL limiter and LM-Correct quick fix tool, will natively support track counts of up to 7.1.2, suitable for monitoring and limiting Dolby Atmos bed tracks in real time. Further updates to the

At IBC2018 the company will demonstrate StreamMaster Produce, a new softwaredefined production graphics engine. Designed from the ground up purely in software, StreamMaster Produce reportedly changes the game and delivers power and flexibility by offering multichannel, multi-user operation. StreamMaster Produce brings a fresh approach to graphics creation, production and delivery and sits alongside the existing StreamMaster Brand and StreamMaster Delivery systems, which bring proven software to the core requirements for channel branding, master control and integrated playout.

loudness toolkit will include an additional alert and flexible gating options for VislM, to fully support upcoming guidance and internal recommendations from major content producers. lM-Correct will be updated to handle 7.1 and 7.1.2 deinterleaved files offline and natively handle 7.1 and 7.1.2 tracks in the Avid and Adobe timelines, when applicable. Stand 8.D56

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Pixel Power has implemented a product strategy founded on two core platforms: StreamMaster Media Processing and gallium Workflow Orchestration. All functionality is implemented in software that runs on standard COtS hardware and can be deployed on-premises, in a data centre or in the public cloud. StreamMaster Produce brings graphics quality and functionality for which Pixel Power is known for into a workflow-aware creative platform. Broadcasters can choose multi-user configurations, allowing the same software to exist in multiple instances. Stand 7.A05

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Sonnet Technologies to showcase Thunderbolt

At IBC2018, Sonnet will showcase its new eGFX Breakaway Box 650, a Thunderbolt 3-to-GPU card expansion system suited specifically for large, powerhungry graphics (GPU) cards, including the AMD R deon RX Vega 64, Radeon Pro WX 9100, 9100 SSG and overclocked NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10 series-based cards.

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the 650 model enables the use of all gPU cards that support connecting to a computer over thunderbolt – such as AMD Radeon R9, RX, RX Vega and Pro WX models and nVIDIA geForce gtX 9 and 10 series, titan X and Xp, and Quadro models – with thunderbolt 3-equipped computers, providing gPU support for computationally intensive applications and games. Sonnet will also display two new external graphics solutions, the egFX Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 560 and egFX Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 570. Stand 7.D25

ENCO and Octopus to offer newsroom solutions Radio and television automation provider ENCO and newsroom computer system (NRCS) specialist Octopus Newsroom have partnered to streamline news production and playout workflows for broadcasters worldwide. Leveraging the two companies’ support for the Media Object Server (MOS) protocol, integration between their solutions reportedly eliminates disruptive workflow barriers to let journalists focus on creating stories. EnCO’s MOS-enabled ActiveX plug-in enables journalists and news producers to access EnCO asset libraries directly within the

Octopus client interface. Users can search the EnCO library, preview clips, trim media as needed. Building on the Octopus software’s ability, the integration allows journalists to incorporate library assets including graphics, audio and video into scripts. Stand 8.A59 (ENCO) Stand 7.A39 (Octopus)

The Content Everywhere Hub in Hall 14 will help visitors explore the 'content everywhere' opportunity through an extensive and varied programme of presentations, demonstrations and panel sessions.

Blackmagic Design announces DaVinci Resolve 15 Blackmagic Design has announced that the full release of DaVinci Resolve 15, its professional editing, visual effects, motion graphics, color correction and audio post production software, is now available as a free download from the Blackmagic Design website. DaVinci Resolve 15 is a massive update that fully integrates visual effects and motion graphics, making it the world’s first solution to combine professional offline and online editing, color correction, audio post production, multi user collaboration and now visual effects together in one software

tool. DaVinci Resolve 15 adds an entirely new Fusion page with over 250 tools for compositing, paint, particles, animated titles and more. In addition, DaVinci Resolve 15 includes a major update to Fairlight audio, along with over 300 new

features and improvements that professional editors and colorists have asked for. DaVinci Resolve 15 combines extremely highend applications as different pages in one single piece of software. The edit page has

all of the tools professional editors need for both offline and online editing, the color page features the world’s most advanced color correction tools, the Fairlight audio page is designed specifically for audio post production, and the new Fusion page gives visual effects and motion graphics artists everything they need to create feature film quality effects and animations. All it takes is a single click to instantly move between editing, color, effects and audio. DaVinci Resolve 15 Studio is the only system that lets editors, colorists, VFX artists, and audio engineers work in the same project at the same time.

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New robotic ceiling tracks from Vinten

Marshall Electronics unveils UHD camera

At IBC2018, Vinten will highlight its ceiling track system together with its pedestals and height drives. A collaboration between Vinten Automation and dolly manufacturer Tecnopoint, the Vinten ceiling track system is designed for creative productions in which floor space is at a premium. the dolly, motorised column, and robotic head of the ceiling tracks system work in tandem with the Vinten control protocol and can be fully managed from

Marshall Electronics is adding to its miniature and compact camera offerings with its new UHD compact camera, the Marshall CV380-CS, which will premiere at IBC. The CV380CS uses an 8.5MP, 1/2.5-inch sensor to capture detailed video images and outputs in 6G/3G/HD-SDI and HDMI 1.4. Commenting on the new product, todd Musgrave, Director of Cameras at Marshall, said: “Releasing an affordable, compact UHD camera further expands our camera reach for more broadcast and pro-AV applications. With 6g-SDI and HDMI outputs and flexible CS

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the Vinten robotic control system (VRC) to create a studio robotic solution that integrates with all Vinten robotic camera supports. the track system supports shot sequencing, reportedly allowing users to select multiple shots and execute a move through multiple key frames, while an absolute encoder outputs tracking data to the VRC. Stand 12.E65

mount lens options, this new camera provides even more versatility to our users.” the CV380-CS is designed for any POV camera application where a miniature camera can fit into unique locations for compelling angles and viewpoints, the release stated. the CV380-CS has a varifocal or fixed CS/C lens mount with DC Auto-Iris capability. Stand 12.D20

Convention keynote session: Kim Jackson, Co-founder and President of Entertainment at SingularDTV, reveals how to utilise blockchain technology to empower content creators.

European debut from Imagine Products and StorageDNA Imagine Products and StorageDNA will unveil the European debut of their joint long-term storage solution, myLTOdna, at IBC2018. the two companies have collaborated on an integrated solution that enables random access to files on an ltO tape, essentially turning it into a hard drive with Hypertape – an ltFS adaptation never before available, the companies claim. the results are time savings and easier access to assets in production and post-production workflows. the new solution is an integration between Imagine Products’ myltO tapeauthoring application and

StorageDnA's Hypertape direct-access tape solution. the result is an intuitive user interface with which to administrate Hypertape operating modes manually or automatically from creative applications such as Imagine

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Products' Primetranscoder – a process reportedly preferable to command-line operations. those who use myltOdna with Primetranscoder can still archive to ltO tape with standard ltFS (myltO) and use all the functions

of Primetranscoder: transcoding files to useable formats, stitching together clips, burning in timecode, performing colour correction and adding watermarks. myltOdna is the Macbased, front-end interface for Hypertape. It allows users to switch modes of operation and direct Hypertape to train, write, and read to and from an ltO tape. With myltOdna, users can now access files directly on tape without having to restore them for sequential operations such as transcoding, ingest, or QC. Stand 7.A30 (Imagine Products) Stand 7.A32 (StorageDNA)

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Zenterio to unveil new TV platform

At IBC2018, television, analytics, and advertising solutions provider Zenterio will demonstrate the company’s vision for the future of TV experience with its Zenterio TV platform for 4K and legacy CPE, as well as Zenterio Cloud. Zenterio will introduce Zenterio tV, a tV

entertainment experience platform comprising client software, UI and cloud components. the product offers pre-integrated Ott content and apps, including Youtube, netflix and others, combined with support for DVB and IPtV. Zenterio will also showcase advertising tools developed by subsidiary company AdScribe. AdScribe works to monetise platforms through advertising and content promotion. Stand 5.C53

Touch of colour from FilmLight FilmLight is to stage one of its colour tour masterclasses at IBC2018 on Sunday, 16 September. this intensive day of live presentations and practical discussions is designed to guide colourists, DoPs and the wider production and post industry through the opportunities and challenges that HDR and new delivery formats bring, via demonstrations of the colour management and finishing toolset in the latest version of Filmlight’s colour grading system, Baselight v5. At IBC, instructors will include colourist Maxine gervais of technicolor on Alpha, Black Panther and Meg; St louis’s Sylvain Canaux, a specialist

Maxine Gervais, Colourist, Technicolor. in beauty grading; and Mike nuget, a new York-based freelance colourist on Baselight for Avid, among others. Filmlight’s IBC2018 Colour Day masterclass will take place in room g109. Filmlight will be demonstrating its range of colour management technology at its designated stand. Stand 7.B26

DON'T MISS!

‘What Caught My Eye’ returns, with experts highlighting what you shouldn’t miss on the show floor, in a 45-minute breakfast session, to inspire visitors, exhibitors and conference-goers.

CMY

On-Hertz debut with virtual radio Making its IBC debut is On-Hertz, which will be showcasing LUMO, a virtual radio studio solution designed to bring new possibilities to radio stations, such that the location of outside broadcasts becomes limited only by imagination, the release stated. As well as demonstrating lUMO to representatives of live radio stations of all sizes

and other visitors, On-Hertz is looking to identify potential agents for its solution in order to bring lUMO to the worldwide market. lUMO has reportedly proven itself with Belgium’s VRt Radio 2, where it enabled an outside broadcast from a hot air balloon. Stand 10.F42

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Apantac unveils HDMI 2.0 multiviewer for 4K/UHD

At IBC2018, Apantac will showcase and demonstrate its new Tahoma UE Series of Multiviewers. The UE is an HDMI 2.0 Multiviewer for 4K/UHD visual monitoring environments. this new series accepts four (model: UE-4) or eight (model: UE-8) HDMI 2.0 inputs and HDMI 2.0, 12g SDI and down-converted 1080p SDI outputs. the UE series supports multiple VESA and CEA input resolutions up to 3840x2160p 60Hz (UHD) and 4096x2160p 60Hz (4K), and various output

resolutions up to UHD/4K. the architecture is based on a 4x1 cascadable multiviewer, which allows facilities to increase the number of inputs to be monitored on a single display. As with all tahoma Multiviewers, the UE Series offers audio support, dynamic UMD and tallies, advanced on-screen display of borders, tally, clock, logos, serial interface as well as Ethernet connection for configuration. Stand 8.E37

Maysia Stephanie maysia@pamerindo.com

PROGUEST

“[With AI], recommendations are more intelligent, search functions are more specific and user retention is at an all-time high”

AI: The unsung hero of metadata generation One of the most valuable commodities today is viewer attention. From broadcasters to advertisers, everyone with a message is competing for it. In a world already saturated with content, how do you stand apart from the rest? Broadcasters are now beginning to realise how much value their data has. Metadata can be harnessed not only to lead viewers to content, but also to enable content owners to reach their target audiences. By offering a platform for content owners to connect to the right audience at the right time, metadata can improve both visibility and customer satisfaction. If metadata is managed properly, the content presented and described will be more consistent and the AI-driven recommended content to viewers will more accurately reflect their individual interests. But where does this data come from? All too often in the past, valuable metadata was cast off early in the production process when making content. The records of who’s appearing in a shot, the location, the date it was filmed and so on was lost as soon as a film was edited. However, this is the data that would help to make recommendations to someone who might be interested, for example, in documentaries filmed in Dubai, films starring Tom Cruise or films from the 1980s. To make good recommendations, this sort of metadata needs to be recreated.

However, recreating metadata can be an onerous process; people have to scour through content and manually record the actors, locations, themes and music that they experience so that this can be entered into the system. AI is proving to be an excellent way of automating the discovery of this information, through tools such as facial recognition and music identification software. AI-driven metadata generation can also be used when automating other functions, such as censorship and copyright protection, in addition to content curation. A good recommendation, however, is only part of the story – content providers need to be able to deliver. This can be harder than you first think. For example, with only basic tools for recommendation at their disposal, a broadcaster might see that a viewer is coming to the end of episode two of a drama series and automatically recommend episode three. It can be fairly confident that this will be the viewer’s next choice (it’s unlikely, after all, that he or she will skip to episode four) and can start caching that episode in advance, ensuring a smooth transition. Now imagine that the broadcaster has an advanced AI-driven recommendation service and that, at any point in the show, the viewer can pause and call up information about a scene, clicking through to recommendations based on the actors,

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the music, the location, the timing and so on. The number of options for the viewer has increased enormously, so how can a broadcaster make the transition experience just as good for them? This can, in part, be resolved with AI too. However, it’s critical in this scenario that there’s a content distribution network in place that can provide low latency and reduce buffering, so that start times can be minimised. Accessing a large, distributed platform where content can be pushed to the edge of the internet can help a broadcaster ensure that the new AI-driven services being launched to viewers deliver an all-round positive experience. The adaptability of AI-based metadata is one of its more redeeming capabilities. If harnessed properly, companies can use it to create new, unique metadata tailored to user needs. But when so much has already been accomplished, what will be the next big thing when it comes to AI and metadata generation? I predict that we’ll soon be able to see automatic language translation in foreign films – imagine an application where you can just turn on a feature that listens to the audio track, translates that into a word stream and then feeds it to an automatic translator that ultimately writes captions on your screen in your native language. The future of viewer engagement looks promising indeed! Peter Chave is Principal Architect at Akamai.