BroadcastPro ME November 2024 by CPI Trade Media

GEARING UP FOR SUCCESS

Faculty designs cutting-edge facility and curricula to train media students at Higher Colleges of Technology

GROUP

Managing Director Raz Islam raz.islam@cpitrademedia.com

+971 (0) 4 375 5471

Managing Partner Vijaya Cherian vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com

+971 (0) 55 105 3787

Director of Finance & Business Operations

Shiyas Kareem shiyas.kareem@cpitrademedia.com

+971 (0) 4 375 5474

EDITORIAL

Editor Vijaya Cherian vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com

+971 (0) 55 105 3787

Sub Editor Aelred Doyle

ADVERTISING

Group Sales Director Sandip Virk sandip.virk@cpitrademedia.com

+971 (0) 50 929 1845 / +44 (0) 7516 993 862

STUDIO

Art Director Simon Cobon simon.cobon@cpitrademedia.com

Designer Percival Manalaysay percival.manalaysay@cpitrademedia.com

Photographer Maksym Poriechkin maksym.poriechkin@cpitrademedia.com

CIRCULATION & PRODUCTION

Data & Production Manager

Phinson Mathew George phinson.george@cpitrademedia.com

DIGITAL SERVICES

Web Developer Abdul Baeis abdul.baeis@cpitrademedia.com

Web Developer Umair Khan umair.khan@cpitrademedia.com

FOUNDER

Dominic De Sousa (1959-2015)

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WELCOME

As we gear up for the 14th edition of the ASBU BroadcastPro Middle East Summit and Awards, I can’t help but reflect on the incredible journey we’ve embarked on together. It feels like just yesterday that we hosted our inaugural event, welcoming around 300 attendees for the conference and nearly 380 for the gala awards. Over the years, we’ve navigated the highs and lows of the industry, from hosting the awards free-of-charge for nearly seven years to maintaining our commitment to a free-to-attend conference, even through challenging market conditions.

Once again, we have outdone ourselves with an impressive line-up of speakers this year, ready to discuss all the current trending topics. From strategies for taking Arabic content to international markets to innovative approaches for streaming platforms to reduce churn, our sessions will cover it all. We’ll delve into the technological elements that keep media houses running smoothly, and we’ll find out how CEOs are navigating the challenges of this new and dynamic media age. With some of the best minds in the industry coming to share their invaluable expertise and insights, I encourage you to attend the event.

In parallel, the past month has been filled with rigorous discussions and deliberations regarding the award entries. Unlike with tech installations, content choices are inherently subjective. In recent years, the quality of content in the Arab world has skyrocketed, making it increasingly challenging to select our winners. Each entry on our shortlist is deserving of recognition, reflecting the incredible talent and creativity within our industry. With heavy hearts, we’ve had to narrow it down to a few winners – a task that has only become tougher with time.

But I look forward to celebrating the outstanding achievements in our industry with all of you on November 6 at the Habtoor Grand, Dubai Marina. Please remember that registration is mandatory to attend.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we are not just witnessing change – we are actively shaping the future of media.

VIJAYA CHERIAN, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

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UPDATE NEWS

Cash rebates for films shot in Abu Dhabi now raised to 35%; Dubai Studios signs long-term partnership with International Academy; EditShare increases tech footprint at Last Cut Media; Zen Film releases social media horror anthology series; NiS teams up with Sawa Media and MAGMedia; and more. 4

20 COVER

CLASSROOM OF THE FUTURE

BroadcastPro ME tours the cutting-edge studio at HCT’s Yas campus, integrated by Advanced Media Trading.

PRODUCTION

REPORT

THEMES SHAPING ARABIC CONTENT

Historically dominant themes in Arabic scripted content including secrets, betrayal and mystery have declined, giving way to more complex and resonant narratives, according to a new Rise Studios report developed in conjunction with Vynd.

KICKING OFF NEW DREAMS

Katara Studios recently launched its second Arabic co-production, Chasing Dreams, on Shahid. Executive Producer Hussein Fakhri discusses the creative process behind the series.

INTERVIEW — POST- PRODUCTION SHADES OF SUCCESS

Senior colourist Fady Melek on grading feature films and TV shows, and managing intricate workflows for demanding VFX projects.

ROUNDTABLE

NAVIGATING CLOUD AND AI

Scalability and efficiency define how cloud technology transforms media operations, while AI drives disruption by uncovering ideas, trends and patterns in this dynamic landscape. We bring you discussions from a roundtable we organised with the Alibaba Cloud team.

TECH UPDATE

BROADCASTING BEYOND BORDERS

Remote production ushers in a new era in global sports broadcasting, says John Malhot.

42 16

EVENTS

OTT

Netflix documentary

Saudi Pro League: Kick Off to hit screens

COMMS

Inmarsat to trial bonded network service on ‘K’ Line’s fleet

SATELLITE

Northrop Grumman wins $1.8bn Space Force contract

INTERVIEW: From archive to asset

TECHNOLOGY: Elevating the game

OPINION: What caught my eye at IBC2024

28th edition of Arab Film Festival opens

FILM

MAD Solutions’ films shine at foreign film festivals

Let’s create a vibrant online broadcast community!

@BroadcastProME www.facebook.com/BroadcastProME BroadcastProME

NEWS

Culture Minister announces plans to market Saudi films abroad

The first phase will target countries such as China, India and South Korea

Cash rebates for films shot in Abu Dhabi now raised to 35%

Abu Dhabi Film Commission (ADFC) has announced that it is raising its cash rebate from 30% to 35% plus for all qualified productions who apply from January 1, 2025. The announcement was made at Mipcom last month.

Mohamed Dobay, Acting Director General of Creative Media Authority, said: “We are proud to have been the first destination to offer a rebate scheme and are a regional pioneer with a proven track record.

The updated financial rebate support will ensure we continue attracting international producers and directors from all over the

world and become known as a leading destination for film and TV production both globally and regionally. This new rebate system is

based off global best practice and will ensure we bring more of Abu Dhabi to the world through individual content consumption.”

The enhanced financial rebate will benefit more than 800 local media companies, the 1,000-strong freelancer talent pool, young individuals looking for training and internship opportunities, and the new golden visa programme, all of which complement the new twofour54 studios.

DUBAI STUDIOS SIGNS LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP WITH IATAS

The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and Dubai Studios, a subsidiary of Dubai Media, signed a deal at Mipcom in Cannes. The agreement, signed by HE Mohamed Al Mulla, Group CEO of Dubai Media, and Bruce L. Paisner, President & CEO of the International Academy, aims to enhance TV excellence from the UAE and promote crosscultural collaborations

within the global entertainment industry.

Starting in 2025, Dubai Studios will sponsor the International Emmy World Television Festival

and the International Emmy Awards Gala in New York. It will also host a semi-final round of judging event for the International Emmy Awards competition each year in Dubai.

Dubai Studios will also host an invitation-only Academy Day in Dubai for International Academy Members, with the date to be announced soon. This four-day networking event aims to spotlight the region’s culture and media industry, fostering a deeper understanding of local business models and cultural institutions to facilitate crossborder collaboration.

From left: Bruce L. Paisner of the International Academy with HE Mohamed Al Mulla of Dubai Media.

Tom Cruise in the Liwa Desert.

EditShare increases tech footprint at Last Cut Media in Abu Dhabi

EditShare has expanded its installation at Abu Dhabi post house Last Cut Media. The extensions, which include AI indexing from Mobius and the EditShare MediaSilo collaboration platform, were implemented by its Middle East distributor Advanced Media Trading.

Last Cut replaced its ad hoc storage systems with an EditShare storage network in 2023. This included an EFS 300 shared online store, a nearline server and LTO tape archiving. With the growth in premium business, Last Cut returned to EditShare to

increase both its capacity and functionality. The extension doubles the system capacity with a second EFS 300 storage node. The new installation also

NOORPLAY APPOINTS NEW CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER

NoorPlay has announced the appointment of Raghida Abou-Fadel as its Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). With more than 20 years

of experience in business development, strategic partnerships and sales in the streaming, pay TV and telecommunications industries, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience. Prior to joining NoorPlay she had senior roles at StarzPlay and OSN, where she successfully led strategic partnerships and expanded market presence, contributing to significant revenue growth.

incorporates technology from Mobius, seamlessly integrated into the EditShare FLOW asset management system. This adds AI support to automatically create rich metadata, including facial and scene detection.

Last Cut also deployed the EditShare MediaSilo collaboration system. This replaced an existing standalone distribution system and provides seamless integration with the rest of the storage network. So, producers and collaborators working remotely from the facility can receive high-

quality viewing copies, automatically generated, ensuring everything can be checked and signed off in a timely fashion.

Saad Duaibes, GM of Last Cut Media, said: “Since we moved to EditShare storage we have been able to streamline our workflows. It has helped our business grow, prompting us to expand our storage network to accommodate new projects. We are very comfortable with the solution and see our use of it growing, including working with new tools like artificial intelligence.”

VIACOM18’S DESIPLAY TV NOW ON STARZ ON IN MENA

Viacom18 has launched its Hindi FAST channel, DesiPlay TV, on Starz On for the MENA market. This move by IndiaCast Media Distribution, the content asset monetisation arm of TV18 and Viacom18, marks DesiPlay TV’s availability on two key

streaming platforms in the MENA region. A curated collection of popular Hindi television shows and Bollywood films, it is now available on leading FAST platforms including Starz On, Shahid, TELUS, Pluto TV, Plex, Sling, Rakuten TV and Yupp TV.

Saad Duaibes, GM of Last Cut Media.

Raghida Abou-Fadel.

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Live Sync and Edit Media while Recording

Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 now supports creating a small H.264 proxy file in addition to the camera original media when recording. The small proxy file can upload to Blackmagic Cloud in seconds so your media is available back at the studio in real time. If you have multiple cameras, then the new multi source feature in DaVinci Resolve’s Cut page will show each camera angle in a multiview.

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Zen Film releases social media horror anthology series

Filmmaker and movie producer Zenofar Fathima has announced the launch of her new Instagram Reel exclusive series, The Reel Files. It will see a range of anthological short stories – shot as 60-second Instagram Reels – unfold in single locations, centred on a maximum of three characters and a dire situation that viewers are glad they have never found themselves in. In addition to exceptional camera work, The Reel Files is interlaced with social commentary rooted in significant subjects and

resonant moral dilemmas, showcasing Fathima’s activist filmmaking.

Fathima, CEO of indie film production house Zen Film Productions, is a seasoned filmmaker with over 20 shorts on various topics such as Covid-19 and cyber-extortion. The first few episodes feature her in the lead role, with future episodes set to feature budding GCC influencers, public figures, actors and socialites. For future episodes, she is looking for talented young people who would like to be a part of this unique filmmaking challenge in which participants have to create and share a cinematic experience in a 60-second Reel format. Selected films

will win prizes including cash and filmmaking equipment.

Speaking on the launch of The Reel Files, Fathima said: “The real art of filmmaking is made known when you have limited resources, limited locations and a limited runtime to make an impact with your work. In more ways than one, The Reel Files is more than just another social media spectacle. It is a masterclass in creating films with impact, whether it concerns acting, writing, direction, cinematography and more.”

FIRST ARTHOUSE CINEMA IN RIYADH SET TO OPEN

Saudi film producer Faisal Baltyuor is set to open the first arthouse cinema in the Kingdom. CineHouse will comprise three screening rooms that can accommodate a total of 80 people. It features 4K laser projectors and an Atmos 7.1 sound system.

The facility will screen a curated and regularly updated programme of local and international films, and film cycles showcasing indie cinema classics from across the Arab world. It will also host a series of seminars and panel discussions

with prominent directors and is on a mission to hire and nurture Saudi talent. The venue has committed to supporting local professionals across various roles in order to ensure that it remains a space in which local talent is both celebrated and developed.

CineHouse’s first screening will be the never-publicly-shown 1975 documentary Development of Riyadh City by Saudi director Abdullah AlMuheisen, a pioneer in the independent Saudi film scene.

STUDIO52 LAUNCHES DRONE FILMING SERVICES IN KSA

Studio52, a Middle East audio and video production company, has launched its drone filming services in Saudi Arabia. Equipped with 4K and 6K video capabilities, the media house offers customised drone filming services such as documenting construction progress or creating engaging promotional content. Its services range from pre-production planning and location scouting to post-production editing and colour grading.

Zenofar Fathima.

Pic credit: CineHouse.

NiS and Sawa Media team up

Voice dubbing company

New Interactive Studio (NiS) and Sawa Media, part of the Sawa Entertainment group of companies, have partnered to enhance the regional and global reach of Arabic-language content. The deal combines NiS’ expertise in voice dubbing with Sawa Media’s suite of services, including production and postproduction, channel playout,

subtitling, video processing and smart EPG services. Sawa Media’s partners can now expand their regional and global footprint by localising content and reaching Arabic speakers worldwide through Sawa’s established regional and global channels.

Nabeel AlDakkak, CEO of NiS, said: “Partnering with Sawa Media will significantly enhance our business and

add great value to NiS’s portfolio. Together we will collaborate with Sawa Media in strengthening its position as a one-stop shop for content rights owners seeking global and regional reach.”

NiS also recently partnered with MAGmedia International to deliver Arabic-dubbed content to Europe and other global markets.

AlDakkak noted: “We are proud of having MAGmedia as a strategic partner. Over the years our partnership has delivered outstanding results, and we are looking forward to expanding our cooperation into new markets.”

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MUVI STUDIOS TO PRODUCE 10 SAUDI FILMS IN NEW DEAL

Muvi Studios, the production arm of Muvi Cinema, will produce 10 Saudi films over the next 18 months following the signing of production deals with local companies. Among the new partnerships is a contract with Ayman Khoja Production Company to produce three films, a deal with Dabab Production Company to produce three films including comedy, horror and thriller genres, and one with Shabak Production Company and The Talkies.

integration and beyond. www.broadcast-solutions.de

DICM returns this month

The Dubai International Content Market (DICM) 2024 will take place November 12-13 at Madinat Jumeirah. Over 200 buyers are expected to attend the event, which encompasses various segments such as DICM Talks, which will spotlight Turkish programming, new local streaming platforms and original Arabic content. Other segments at DICM include the Producers Connect, which will open doors for co-production deals and partnerships. Industry giants like Fox Entertainment Global,

SBA AND STC TV SIGN CONTENT LICENSING PARTNERSHIP

Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA) and stc tv have entered into a partnership to strengthen cooperation in licensing broadcast content. It grants full rights and licences for simultaneous broadcasting of SBA Network channels, such as Sayma, via the STC TV digital app and home receivers, offering high-definition content for users. The Sayma platform boasts an extensive archive of over 1.2m visual and audio materials, documenting key moments in Saudi Arabia’s history over the past 60 years.

Blue Ant, Eccho Rights, Caracol, Golden Capra, MediaHub, Seriella and Kanal D will be present. The event will also feature four major pavilions from South Korea, Russia and Turkey, bringing with them a host of exhibitors showcasing a vast array of innovative content.

DICM 2024 will also feature a Content Business Hub segment that serves as an exclusive platform for one-on-one meetings with top executives. Attendees will also have access to exclusive screenings and content showcases of the latest dramas, animations and documentaries.

BEIN AND PARAMOUNT GLOBAL CONTENT DISTRIBUTION INK MENA DEAL

beIN Media Group has signed a multiyear volume deal with Paramount Global Content Distribution to bring exclusive premium entertainment content to the MENA region. The new licensing deal will grant beIN exclusive pay-TV rights in English, subtitled in Arabic, in the MENA region, as well as SVOD and catch-up SVOD for a vast selection of Paramount content.

NEOM AND KOFIC TIE FOR TRAINING INITIATIVE

The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) and Neom production hub will partner for new training initiatives that are expected to kick off in December 2024. Spearheaded by KOFIC’s Korean Academy of Film Arts, seasoned Korean filmmakers will train a cohort of emerging Saudi Arabian talent. The announcement was made during a panel discussion held on the opening day of the Busan Asian Contents and Film Market.

MBC AND TOKYOPOP ANNOUNCE ANIME LINE-UP

MBC Group and Tokyopop have invested in two new anime productions, Acro Trip and season 2 of Kami.App, which were released in Japan and the Middle East last month. The shows highlight their commitment to delivering anime content to the MENA region.

KEEP IT ROLLING

As sports events ramp up in Saudi Arabia, one more OB van enters the scene to capture the excitement and elevate production quality

handle complex broadcasts. The primary goal of this implementation is to facilitate rentals, significantly boosting production capabilities for local clients, says El Baba.

Saudi-based rental house Production Crew, a subsidiary of Aflam Productions, recently took delivery of a new outside broadcast (OB) unit to support the rapid growth of sports coverage in the Kingdom. Built by Dubai-based systems integrator El Baba Smart Technology, this OB truck represents a significant investment in broadcast capabilities, enhancing the local production landscape.

The contract for the OB truck was awarded in January and completed this summer, demonstrating an impressive turnaround for this project. The truck is equipped to handle up to 16 cameras, including two wireless

quantum cameras from Vislink, offering flexible production setups that can adapt to various event requirements. Additionally, the system includes a single expansion capability, allowing for future enhancements as demands evolve.

In a broadcast landscape increasingly focused on remote production, investing in a large OB truck may appear counterintuitive. However, this vehicle was specifically designed to meet local demands for extensive coverage, making it a strategic asset. The incorporation of 12G technology was driven by the production crew’s high demand for setups involving 12 cameras or more, ensuring the truck is well-equipped to

The truck is enhanced with 16-channel replay capabilities from EVS and 12 ISO recorders to improve sports coverage and enable more comprehensive replays for viewers. Constructing this OB truck, however, presented challenges, including technical integration and logistical coordination, but the final result is a versatile OB unit.

Among its standout features are advanced room configurations and a versatile studio area tailored for efficient production. The truck supports multiformat acceptance, accommodating HD, 3G, and 12G inputs through a For-A mixer that offers up/down conversion and frame synchronisation on each input. Moreover, the design includes connectivity with existing bureaus, allowing external customers and suppliers to link into the broadcast setup for collaborative production efforts.

A key component of the OB truck is the FOR-A HVS-6000 production

From left: Systems integrator Ihab El Baba with Mohammed Abu Ziyadeh, FOR-A Regional Manager for MEA.

switcher, paired with the HVS-3355OUA panel, which provides operators with up to four M/E banks and 80 inputs. This setup allows for full pre-programmable macros, digital video effects (DVEs), and graphics layering, all designed for reliability under pressure. The switcher’s ergonomic panel layout ensures functionality is easily accessible to operators during live productions.

Complementing the switcher is a FOR-A MFR-4100 router, also 12G native and capable of configurations up to 72 x 72, meeting the practical needs of live production. Signal conversion and distribution are managed by the FOR-A USF modular system, which can host up to 12 cards in a 2RU rack, equipped with 12G distribution amplifiers for both video and audio processing.

“It was important to us that we got the right production flexibility and creativity,” says Shady Mokdad, Managing Director at Production Crew. “That drove us towards the FOR-A HVS-6000. Working with El Baba on the system design, we also saw practical advantages like the multiviewer hosted in the switcher, saving us precious on-board rack space.”

It was important to us that we got the right production flexibility and creativity

SHADY MOKDAD, MANAGING DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION CREW

Ihab El Baba, Managing Director at El Baba Smart Technology, emphasised the design goal for the OB truck: “to achieve world-class sports coverage using reliable hardware that is easy to troubleshoot. This led us directly to a 12G native environment, where FOR-A excels,” he notes. “The company’s products work seamlessly with other key equipment, such as Ikegami’s 12G native cameras.”

Local support from the FOR-A team in Dubai was also crucial. “From initial conversations to final commissioning, they have been completely supportive and responsive,” El Baba adds.

Mohammed Abu Ziyadeh, FOR-A Regional Manager for the Middle East

and Africa, speaks about the growing reputation of FOR-A’s production equipment. “Our complete 12G solutions feature cutting-edge technology and a user-friendly interface. The HVS-6000 seamlessly integrates into any production environment, supporting high-resolution workflows for outstanding video quality and reliability. We are excited to see how this advanced switcher enhances live productions and empowers our clients to deliver exceptional content. We look forward to the remarkable coverage that the Production Crew will achieve with this equipment.”

El Baba says the key suppliers For-A, Ikegami, Vislink, EVS, Yamaha and RTS were very supportive to ensure that the integration was smooth. Training and knowledge transfer were integral to the project, with the implementation partner providing expertise to ensure the in-house team was equipped to operate the complex setup. So far, the solution has improved rental capabilities and production quality, with further benefits expected as the team refines operations and expands service offerings.

The truck will be used primarily to cover sports events in Saudi Arabia.

Beyond genre: AI-powered report reveals themes shaping Arabic content trends

Historically dominant themes in Arabic scripted content including secrets, betrayal and mystery have declined, giving way to more complex and resonant narratives

According to a new report by Rise Studios, family secrets, misadventures, hidden pasts and personal growth have been the fastest-growing themes and topics in Arabic movies and series this year.

The AI-powered report, Exploring emerging themes and topics in MENA’s streaming landscape, was conducted in partnership with Vynd – a company

that provides AI enhanced insights to the entertainment industry – and delves into Arabic content trends and how these have evolved over the past 12 months. Its findings reflect the region’s evolving societal dynamics where traditional values are often challenged by modern realities.

Traditionally, genres and subgenres have been the standard framework for

categorising content. However, this is fast becoming outdated with technology enabling the analysis of themes (central message) and topics (subject matter), presenting a more precise alternative. The new report goes beyond genres and explores the thematic and topical trends shaping contemporary content across 12 streaming platforms. The report reveals that historically

dominant themes in Arabic scripted content including secrets, betrayal, relationships and mystery have plateaued or declined, with intrigue being the exception, rising by 9% the past 12 months across MENA production territories. This has made way for more complex and resonant narratives. Content reflecting hidden pasts saw the largest y-o-y increase (73%), followed by family secrets (68%), misadventures (68%) and personal growth (67%).

Discussing the trend, Amanda Turnbull, Rise Studios founder and CEO, says: “The stalling of previously popular themes can partly be attributed to the law of diminishing returns. However, a more compelling factor is the surge in investment

over the past three years, alongside the influx of young, up-and-coming creatives across the MENA region. These new voices are eager to break from tradition, exploring fresh, often edgier themes that resonate with younger audiences, allowing viewers to engage with stories that mirror their own experiences of cultural shifts, identity and transformation.”

Driven by the MENA younger generation’s exposure to global content and changing socio-political circumstances, combined with an influx of young Arab writers, directors and creatives, the report notes a rapid change in storytelling in the Arab world. The demand for complex, layered storytelling – particularly around themes such as hidden pasts,

personal growth, misadventures, family secrets, culture clashes and family dynamics in Arabic series – is rapidly increasing, primarily driven by Egyptian and Levantine productions. Although there is significant overlap in the most common themes and topics used in movies and series produced in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Levant, some notable differences have emerged too. Egypt leads in themes of relationships, family and love, as well as with themes like betrayal and secrets, with the Levant not far behind in these areas. In contrast, family dynamics and culture clash are growing themes for KSAbased producers. Further, Levantine productions over-index in themes like secrets, betrayal and intrigue, indicative

Fastest Growing Emerging Themes & Topics In Series And Movies Produced In Egypt / KSA / Levant

Adversity

of a strong focus on ‘good vs evil’ and ‘overcoming adversity’ storylines.

The ‘good vs evil’ theme remains prominent in Egyptian films and series. At the same time, themes of ‘identity & values’, such as smalltown life, enigmatic characters and traditional values, are gaining popularity by exploring the tension between modernity and cultural heritage. This blend of familiar moral struggles with evolving societal dynamics engages audiences by reflecting both preservation of tradition and adaptation to change, making these storylines relevant in today’s context.

Recent productions coming out of Saudi Arabia show a wide blend of themes and topics growing at a fast pace: family dynamics (192%), culture clash (190%), humour (170%), small town (133%) and investigative (125%). These are being driven by the local government’s recent push in facilitating a fast-growing local media and entertainment industry.

Lebanese and Syrian series and films have demonstrated the growing popularity of mystery, suspense and small-town themes over the past two years. These stem from several factors, including global streaming influences introducing international thriller genres and the cultural resonance of secrets and hidden truths. Small-town settings amplify tension, reflecting societal pressures and moral ambiguity. Younger, evolving audiences prefer fast-paced, intellectually engaging stories with twists and suspense.

In Levantine movies and series, mystery and suspense are becoming increasingly prominent themes, often woven into stories dealing with societal, political and personal conflicts. Moreover, the supernatural theme is emerging fast with 2023’s Awake by Nadia Tabbara and Al Ghareeb, a Lebanese/Moroccan co-production produced by Sophie Boutros, as prime examples.

Arabic and international scripted content share a significant overlap

in their top 15 themes, indicating a degree of commonality in storytelling preferences. However, a notable distinction lies in the concentration of these shared themes. Arabic content exhibits a higher concentration of these common themes, suggesting a more pronounced focus on certain narratives compared to international counterparts. Themes like family dynamics, tradition and traditional values remain popular and growing in Arabic productions, while in North American and European movies and series, they have diminished in prominence.

Maarten Kranendonk, Vynd cofounder and CEO, says: “With the rapid advances in technologies such as AI and large language models (LLM), we can dive deeper into the core of the content and draw out valuable data and insight. This supports companies like Rise Studios – who rely on data to give audiences what they want – to shape the future of content in the region.”

NEW SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

BroadcastPro ME takes a tour of the cutting-edge studio at the Higher Colleges of Technology’s Yas campus, integrated by Advanced Media Trading. This state-of-theart facility promises to ignite creativity and transform the educational journey for a fresh wave of aspiring media professionals

A media production lab installation involves the comprehensive design, assembly and configuration of a unit dedicated for audio-visual purposes. From a student learning perspective, it must have the necessary machinery that lets them experiment, explore and craft – an interactive space that’s functional, educational and bespoke to cover a spectrum of creative endeavours.

When the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) ventured to build a spanking new media production lab for its Baniyas Abu Dhabi campus, it turned to local distributor and systems integrator Advanced Media Trading (AMT) for delivery of an all-in-one multimedia lab. Customised, flexible and scalable, the result is an innovative facility for virtual productions, green screen work, broadcast, podcasting and photography, among others, guaranteeing top-tier results across all platforms.

The broadcast studio at the heart of the lab conceived and integrated by AMT is designed to use the most progressive real-time creation tools

alongside traditional broadcast systems. The virtual production set-up is based on Unreal Engine, generally deemed the future of the media industry. It allows real-time integration of live footage with virtual sets, giving scope and range to a variety of productions, from immersive virtual environments to interactive presentations.

HCT’s objective behind the lab was to merge the college’s applied media courses with first-class learning facilities that would provide students with an elaborate technology-aligned programme in digital media and content design, integrating immersive technology.

Based on a standard, the syllabus is the result of extensive research. HCT benchmarked 70 universities globally, meticulously measured and considered their programmes, material and curriculum, and did market research on industry needs, requirements and careers for students after graduation. The outcome was two new courses launched in August 2024: Bachelor of Digital Media, and Bachelor of

Design and Media Production.

The college’s primary target is Emiratis, and HCT has received its first cohort of new students who will be utilising the new lab and equipment. The team responsible for the students, faculty, operations and schedules are the Executive Dean, Dr Rachel Bentley; Associate Executive Dean, Dr Mohammed Shukri; Academic Programme Chairs responsible for structuring the courses in Applied Media, Dr Kevin Trinh and Zakaia Cvitanovich; and Dr Nada Abdul Baki, Division Chair for Applied Media.

Work on the 200sqm cuttingedge multimedia lab began in March 2024 and was fully completed in July 2024. Designed for broadcast, photography, podcasting and virtual production, the suite encompasses pioneering technology from top industry vendors, establishing it as a hub for contemporary content creation.

Collectively, the colleges feature a virtual production set-up, a cinematic studio and podcasting studios

DR NADA ABDUL BAKI, DIVISION CHAIR FOR APPLIED MEDIA

In lab design and execution, Advanced Media was backed by 20-plus years of expertise in MENA professional broadcast, cinema, video and photography installation. Being the largest supplier of broadcast equipment and accessories in the UAE made the switch to systems easier

in terms of amalgamating multiple, varied and complex alignments.

Technologies invested in the lab cover a compelling and powerful stable of equipment from the world’s finest technologies. Equipped with premium audio gear, the space promises clear, high-quality sound for broadcasts, podcasts and recordings. It also includes a range of backdrops, a seating area and a pre-shoot preparation space that offer a professional and comfortable setting and environment.

The lab’s podcasting set is improved by Sony PTZ cameras, allowing easy control and seamless integration into live streaming workflows. Cinematic cameras are also infused into the broadcast workflow. The lab features a Ross Video vision mixer and production equipment for advanced virtual production.

Other elements are PlayBox Character generator and video server systems, audio-video monitoring solutions from Wohler, professional-grade lighting and power solutions from SWIT, Hollyland intercom and wireless communications systems, professional audio microphones and wireless systems from Sennheiser, Rode high-quality microphones for podcasting and live recording, Godox versatile lighting equipment for the photography studio, and an EditShare media asset management (MAM) system for efficient workflow.

“The podcast set-up accommodates up to six participants with professional equipment for visual podcasts and live streaming. Each audio and podcast section includes a dedicated control room for smooth management,” says Cvitanovich.

Fitted with 4K formats, AMT also implemented a cinematic look with the broadcast workflow in the lab, using Sony FX9 cameras. The CCU has Sony RCP to control colours, to add better visibility and brighter display during operations.

“With class sizes going up to

From left: Dr Kevin Trinh, Dr Nada Abdul Baki, Zakaia Cvitanovich and Dr Mohammed Shukri.

25, the course is structured into groups of five so that while creating a production video there are people on cameras, in the broadcasting room, in audio and so forth, so that students get to handle different techniques in video production that enhances their skills,” explains Cvitanovich.

Immersive art is deeply embedded in the new curriculum, alongside VR and AR. The defining feature of immersive

art is that it is a meticulously designed, multi-sensory environment giving scope and new direction. “The virtual production set up in the new lab employs Voyager from Ross, giving students the power of creating stunning virtual environments,” says Abdelrahman Elalfy, AMT’s Head of Corporate Sales.

HCT has invested in Meta Quest headsets and Wacom drawing tablets “to help students get into the digital side for

fundamental drawing, the foundation of visual design, digital and visual storytelling, and typically to improve on their drawing skills”, says Dr Trinh. HCT is also concentrating on augmented reality, part of the reason for the green screen. It currently operates as a trackless augmented reality system, which means the camera lacks any sensors.

“We are looking into augmented and extended reality, the whole digitalimmersive narrative, and hoping to collaborate with technology companies and international immersion artists, the details of which we are working out, to conduct workshops with faculty and students that will help strengthen our design strategies while simultaneously helping students tell their stories through pictures,” explains Dr Trinh.

As social media continues to expand the reach of various platforms, there is increasing appetite for media production courses, and particularly for HCT. With its exciting new collaboration with CNN, the college aims to attract up to 200 students. To enable them to thrive, HCT provides an industry-aligned programme, an apprenticeship model that is competency-driven, practice-based and develops interdisciplinary applied skills.

“From year three on, students are placed with companies, giving them first-

The podcast room.

The Production Control Room.

FIELDS OF GOLD

Katara Studios recently launched its second Arabic co-production, Chasing Dreams, on MBC Group’s streaming platform Shahid. Hussein Fakhri, Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Producer at Katara Studios, talks to BroadcastPro ME about the creative process and challenges faced during the show’s development, highlighting the company’s role in the series

Chasing Dreams follows the journey of five young Arab refugees who want to make it big in football.

Chasing Dreams is a compelling docu-series that follows the journey of five young Arab refugees from Al Zaatari camp in Jordan as they aspire to become professional football players in Brazil. Directed and created by acclaimed filmmaker Bassel Ghandour, known for his Oscar-nominated work on Theeb, and Executive Producer Hashem Sabbagh, the series features top-notch production from Katara Studios with all-round support from Generation Amazing (GA), a Qatari entity that focuses on empowering underserved youth worldwide through football.

“The concept was brought to us by Generation Amazing, who wanted to tell this powerful story of survival through football,” explains Fakhri. “Football has an incredible ability to unite people, and Bayt Al Shawareb [a TV and media production house in Amman] had started this journey to use the sport to highlight the struggles and resilience of a group of boys in a refugee camp. Katara Studios fell in love with it, and we jumped aboard as a co-producer because the project perfectly aligned with our mission to tell meaningful stories that resonate globally, while showcasing the humanity of our region.”

He goes on: “Our goal was to highlight the journey of these boys. The project shed light on the refugee crisis while highlighting how football can be a powerful force for good.”

He points out the relevance of their stories against the backdrop of Qatar hosting the World Cup for the first time, adding depth and significance to the narrative. “Having the boys in Qatar during the World Cup was an amazing experience for them and us.”

A particularly touching moment involved a meeting with football legend David Beckham, who spent time with the boys. “Those

This is a story about hope, perseverance and the power of sport to bring people together

HUSSEIN FAKHRI, CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, KATARA STUDIOS

moments are woven into the final cut, showcasing their joy and aspirations.” During post-production, the team was deeply moved by the emotional depth of the scenes, reminding them of the importance of telling such a heartfelt story.

To ensure the boys’ stories were portrayed authentically, Fakhri highlights the importance of collaboration. “It was crucial to align with Generation Amazing and Bayt Al Shawareb. Executive Producer Hashem Sabbagh spent significant

time with the boys, always ensuring their stories were treated with dignity and respect. This careful attention to authenticity allowed the series to focus on their resilience rather than sensationalising their struggles.”

Fakhri’s own journey to his current role is noteworthy. He began his career in digital marketing and advertising technology, with early experiences in Ireland shaping his strategic approach. After working at Qatar Airways as Marketing Manager and taking on leadership roles in the banking sector, he founded successful businesses in advertising and film production in Doha. Joining Katara Studios in 2018, he now focuses on driving growth and innovation in the entertainment industry, a mission that aligns perfectly with the vision behind Chasing Dreams

The production process was not without its challenges. Fakhri candidly discusses the obstacles faced, particularly during the pandemic. “The nature of unscripted documentary filmmaking meant we had to adapt quickly to unexpected situations,” he shares, acknowledging difficulties with training schedules and

securing visas for certain countries. Despite these challenges, the team maintained a focus on capturing the boys’ journeys with emotional depth, balancing their struggles with moments of hope and triumph.

Looking forward, Fakhri expresses hope that audiences will find inspiration in the series. “This is a story about hope, perseverance and the power of sport to bring people together, shedding light on the human aspect of the refugee crisis,” he says.

While specific viewership data is still being compiled, he remarks on the overwhelmingly positive feedback received so far, indicating that Chasing Dreams has resonated deeply with viewers, particularly for its authentic portrayal of the boys’ journeys. Reflecting on lessons learned, Fakhri emphasises the importance of agility in documentary filmmaking. “One of the key lessons we learned is the importance of flexibility and trust. When dealing with real-life stories, things often don’t go as planned, and it’s crucial to adapt quickly.” He believes that building

This is a story about hope and the power of sport to bring people together, says Hussein Fakhri.

Hussein Fakhri says the industry is witnessing more pan-Arab collaborations and projects that blend genres.

trust with the people whose stories are being told is essential to capturing authentic content.

In the broader context of Arabic content production, Fakhri sees a growing trend toward authentic storytelling that challenges stereotypes. “There is a growing trend toward telling more authentic and diverse stories from the Arab world.

We’re witnessing more pan-Arab collaborations and projects that blend genres. Additionally, we’re seeing an increase in premium content from the region, with higher production values and more ambitious storytelling.

The international appetite for Arabic stories is growing, and it’s an exciting time to be part of the industry.”

He acknowledges that funding can be a challenge, but equally important is “finding the balance between staying true to our

One of the key lessons we learned is the importance of flexibility and trust. When dealing with real-life stories, things often don’t go as planned, and it’s crucial to adapt quickly

HUSSEIN FAKHRI, CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, KATARA STUDIOS

cultural roots and making content that appeals to a global audience … There is also the issue of navigating cultural sensitivities while challenging stereotypes. However, we are seeing a positive shift with more international interest in stories from the Arab world, and studios like Katara are at the forefront of this change.”

Ultimately, Chasing Dreams not only tells the inspiring stories of five boys but also embodies the hope and resilience that sport can inspire, resonating deeply with audiences around the world.

“Football serves as a narrative vehicle that not only engages viewers but also provides moments of lightness and joy. It was important for us to show the triumphs of these boys as well as their struggles, ensuring a dynamic yet respectful portrayal,” Fakhri concludes.

NAVIGATING CLOUD AND AI

Scalability and efficiency have been definitive as cloud transforms the way media companies run operations, generating swiftness, maintaining robust protection in the wake of unforeseen challenges and doing away with extensive investment. Amidst all of that, AI leads a disruptive charge of technology springboarding ideas, trends and patterns to augment this dynamic space. We bring you discussions from a roundtable BroadcastPro ME organised with the Alibaba Cloud team

of running a legacy IT including cost savings and scalability, the complexity of moving to the cloud involves availability, multi-regional challenges, media services without bespoke solutions to build and maintain them, and security. When an outage can impact the globe, security is paramount.

Cloud computing can often be viewed as utilising someone else’s data centre. Typically, system outages are not due to the infrastructure or architecture itself, but rather because the services operate on a public cloud model. This model introduces shared resources and multi-tenancy, which can lead to vulnerabilities and dependencies that may not be present in private or dedicated environments.

How do businesses safeguard against disruption? Are cloud strategies sustainable? Do AI-driven innovations pledge business continuity? And what are DR best practices?

Aus Alzubaidi, CISO, Director of IT and Media, MBC Group; Eyad AlDwaik, Director of Engineering Operations, Intigral; Dr Naser Refat, former CTO, Rotana Media Group; Manish Kapoor, EVP – IT and Broadcast, Zee Entertainment Middle East; Melvin Saldanha, VP Technology and Products, OSN; Prasanjit Singh, Principal Architect – Enterprise Architecture and AI Practice, StarzPlay; and Sherif Zaidan, CTO, BusiNext, exchanged views at a cloud discussion moderated by James Wang, Country Manager of United Arab Emirates, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. In an industry vulnerable to change,

media companies recalibrate their cloud migration pathways to benefit their organisational IT infrastructure, whether in part or in whole.

As one of the early adopters of cloud, moving petabytes of content wasn’t easy, began Melvin Saldanha, OSN’s VP of Technology and Products. OSN realised early on that a hybrid model works.

“The base principle was to keep it in two different places – on-prem and in the cloud. It is debatable how much you want to do in the cloud and how much you want to do on-prem; we have a mix, and it works for us.

We modernised as we moved, and currently our workflows are running in a microservice architecture using dockers, containerisation and Kubernetes, so we can move between clouds if need be.”

With the advantages and challenges

“Soon after the CrowdStrike outage, another incident hit the globe. It was thought to be a DDoS attack; however, the data centre of the provider was hit by its cooling. They shut down a lot of systems and routed traffic elsewhere, but bringing it back took a couple of hours. So, in spite of a top cloud infrastructure, we were at the mercy of a cloud provider,” stated Saldanha.

Multi-CDN vendors are an option, though they can be complicated, especially when the CDN is the primary source supplier, as switchovers can have significant impacts. Content distributors aim to be a single point in the cloud from which they can distribute content across multiple locations. Multi-CDN solutions offer resilience in terms of risk management, help mitigate vendor lock-in, and provide control over pricing.

“Hosting data on a local data centre reduces egress costs. Aside from scalability and the ability to implement AI and ML features dynamically, the primary driver for us was decentralising operations. This new architecture enabled us to launch new services within days or hours instead of months,” said Aus Alzubaidi, CISO, Director of IT

and Media Management, MBC Group.

MBC Group operates a complex hybrid cloud environment with workloads spread across multiple cloud hyperscalers, ensuring both efficiency and a fit-for-purpose set-up.

“Relying on a single cloud provider creates a complete monopoly, which limits flexibility and control. The future of infrastructure cannot be solely on-premise or entirely cloud-native; it must embrace hybrid multi-cloud environments to enable full flexibility, innovation agility and cost optimisation. While outages and downtimes are

inevitable, having the right controls in place can reduce their impact to a bare minimum. For instance, most of our TV channels are currently onpremise, with the exception of FAST.”

Factoring in profitability is key to a company’s cloud journey. Comparing cloud with on-prem is not about a server on the rack versus a virtual machine in the cloud. Racks that run server zones require a lot of power and cooling, which means that when it’s 50 degrees outside, the temperature inside is 17 degrees. Before cloud, each company had to build their own tier-four data centre, adding to

total cost of ownership and translating to more people, resources, maintenance and systems. “The moment you are in public cloud, you secure yourself in terms of DR, given cloud offers multiregion availability,” said Saldanha.

“We can’t fully rely on being cloud-native,” Alzubaidi explained. “For 24/7 news operations and ports, the combination of technology, total cost of ownership and last-mile connectivity isn’t quite there yet. We’ve tested it with our own POCs and POVs, and while it works for FAST, managing complex transmissions

and multiple contributions makes it challenging to ensure consistent reliability and avoid latency.”

Manish Kapoor, Zee Entertainment Middle East EVP – IT and Broadcast, agreed. Receiving content from a large number of studios daily for different channels with about 300 hours of content, Zee has all its systems built on-premise, given the nature of its hi-res editing.

“Our data centres are outsourced; we use cloud for OTT content storage, archiving and DR,” he said.

The future of infrastructure cannot be solely on-premise or entirely cloud-native; it must embrace hybrid multi-cloud environments AUS ALZUBAIDI, CISO, DIRECTOR OF IT AND MEDIA MANAGEMENT, MBC GROUP

“An important part of broadcast is syndicating content, which is roughly about two to three thousand hours of transcoding a day. For that kind of distribution from your content library to third parties and customers, the cloud is not ready. When you’re editing, you need to be as real as possible, and with cloud edit there’s a mix of latency, codec, multitrack audio and discrete tracks being down in real time.”

Dr Naser Refat predicted a gradual shift towards cloud-based solutions, based on feasibility. “As content creators on FAST, security is our primary concern with RAW 4K or 8K film material. We currently utilise onpremise solutions to maintain control over security and distribution.”

Having multiple clouds is a good thing, but it is important to strike the right balance between various cloud environments and mechanisms, to establish an architecture that endorses a company’s workflows.

“From the outset, StarzPlay adopted a strategy of not putting all our eggs in one basket when it came to cloud infrastructure,” said Prasanjit Singh, Principal Architect – Enterprise Architecture and AI Practice, StarzPlay.

“This approach led us to adopt multiple clouds as well as custom-built platforms that we developed in-house. We never used on-prem infrastructure, except for our edge servers and custom-built CDNs in countries where we lacked cloud service provider coverage or where network connectivity was subpar. This allowed us to maintain flexibility, resilience and optimal performance across regions with varying infrastructure capabilities.

“Born in the cloud, our engineering

Jerry He, General Manager of Alibaba Video Cloud.

James Wang, Country Manager of UAE, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.

Dr Naser Refat, former CTO, Rotana Media Group.

strategically explored multiple cloud providers to optimise both costs and efficiency. We segmented our environments by leveraging provider-specific strengths such as pricing discounts, data analytics, AI capabilities or regional coverage.

Although this introduces certain challenges, particularly around complexity, it has proven invaluable for scalability, especially in the context of live streaming. Each time we integrate a new cloud provider,

our platform teams are tasked with mastering the provider’s distinct services and terminologies, ensuring seamless deployment and management across the multi-cloud ecosystem.

“While most core functions are consistent across cloud providers, the key differentiator lies in the specific terminologies and nuances of their services. To avoid vendor lock-in, we strategically steer clear of proprietary solutions in favour of more portable, open technologies, from container orchestrators like Kubernetes to AI frameworks like Tensorflow. This ensures our applications remain consistent, irrespective of the underlying cloud infrastructure. We also prioritise hosting infrastructure and pipelines as code, which not only simplifies maintenance but also enhances the portability and scalability of our deployments.

“Our core engineering team primarily operates within one cloud environment for day-to-day operations, while a secondary cloud provider acts as a hot standby. This allows us to rapidly restore infrastructure from a frozen state using pre-built scripts in the event of a failure. Although we’re still refining this

It is debatable how much you want to do in the cloud and how much you want to do on-prem; we have a mix, and it works for us

MELVIN SALDANHA, VP TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS, OSN

process, the end goal is a robust failover architecture that seamlessly shifts traffic across clouds during critical outages.”

Eyad AlDwaik, Director of Engineering Operations, Intigral, said, “Going to cloud with a huge static workload is expensive when talking about 200-plus channels. When you have an event-based requirement, it doesn’t make sense to build it inhouse if it’s available in cloud. With on-premises CDN, we utilise both our edges within the STC network and third-party providers. This ensures lower cost for content delivery in our

Johnny Zhou, Chief Solution Architect, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.

Melvin Saldanha, VP Technology and Products, OSN.

Prasanjit Singh, Principal Architect – Enterprise Architecture and AI Practice, StarzPlay.

Aus Alzubaidi, CISO, Director of IT and Media, MBC Group.

primary market with the high availability and wider reach of third-party CDNs, noting that successful execution depends on a well-planned architecture and having the right resources.”

Singh added: “As an OTT company, our priority is delivering top-tier streaming services, not just building cloud platforms. We prefer leveraging available technology that can reliably support our operations without downtime, allowing us to focus on enhancing the viewer experience.”

While transitioning to the cloud offers clear advantages, latency continues to be a major challenge. “Given that we cover multiple regions and continents, if we have a reporter in one location and the cloud resource is hosted in another distant region, there’s no way to completely avoid latency unless there’s a cloud region within that same country,” Alzubaidi explained.

From an implementation perspective, the future is heading towards complete cloud adoption, except for tasks like studio work that may pose challenges. However, what promises to be truly disruptive is generalised AI, said Sherif Zaidan, CTO of BusiNext. “We’re developing generalised AI

The next few years will witness an unprecedented surge in AI automation

PRASANJIT SINGH, PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT – ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND AI PRACTICE, STARZPLAY

from the ground up, not just as a code generation tool but to enhance customer experiences with highly personalised and interactive capabilities.”

“It’s shaping our future, impacting personalisation, life and events,” agreed Refat. “But technology is merely an enabler. Without naming any specific cloud provider, I can say that no single provider has all the solutions.”

Subtitling and dubbing are among the basic AI innovations that media houses employ. Today, companies use AI to moderate broadcast, OTT and usergenerated content, from compliance through to ad sales, opening multiple streams of opportunity. It helps improve recommendation and personalisation,

but harvesting all of that means a lot of cloud and a lot of processing.

“The problem with using AI for content compliance is you cannot sue it for an error,” said AlDwaik. “We looked into a custom-built application for censorship where the AI learned from our censorship library and censorship history, but eventually somebody had to review it before it went on-air, so we dropped the idea.”

Cloud providers work with companies to identify objectionable or non-confirmed content and, with periodic censorship and regular feedback, optimise a model that gradually brings down nearly 95% of the manpower used.

“There are cases where AI is not yet ready, but we use a term called ‘commercial-ready’ which indicates the accuracy has reached a level acceptable for commercial use,” said Alzubaidi. “AI algorithms are designed to drive attention and engagement with content, which can lead to polarisation. Large media houses have a responsibility to regulate how AI is used and the impact of the content it promotes.”

AlDwaik added: “When AI begins to generate most of the content, human

Manish Kapoor, EVP – IT and Broadcast, Zee Entertainment Middle East.

Eyad AlDwaik, Director of Engineering Operations, Intigral. Sherif Zaidan, CTO, BusiNext.

input used for training diminishes and AI may start learning from synthetic data rather than real-world data. Over time this can lead to decreased accuracy and bias, known as model collapse. This synthetic data can make the resulting insights less representative of reality.”

Which leads to the philosophical question: what is reality?

“We define reality based on what is human. But when everything is generated by AI, maybe that’s reality,” countered Zaidan.

AI is only going to get better, the group concurred, agreeing that there are two ways of viewing it – from a limitation and a potential point of view, about finding opportunities and evolution, and about saving time by helping optimise workflows. “Apple and Google’s machine learning algorithms collect data from each of the apps you use to give better recommendations, effectively bringing the app world into one super app to cater to a person’s hyperpersonalised needs,” said Saldanha.

AI helps with the big data, added Kapoor. “Earlier, when we were displaying channels, the data was not coming back. Now, thanks to AI, it comes fast and we at Zee are learning to build that database, learning when

we have maximum peaks, when people are watching a particular content, etc. It’s like talking to your viewers.”

“The next few years will witness an unprecedented surge in AI automation,” predicted Singh. “Reflecting on recent advancements, it’s astonishing how rapidly AI agents have evolved. These breakthroughs have not only met but surpassed expectations, transforming industries and reshaping the future. And the trend will prevail!”

As more companies adopt cloud technologies and AI develops, prospects lie in collaboration, Kapoor pointed out, so that everyone can co-create capabilities that will boost the industry

Large media houses have a responsibility to regulate how AI is used and the impact of the content it promotes

EYAD ALDWAIK, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING OPERATIONS, INTIGRAL

in the region and beyond. “AI is the talk of the town; it will help us optimise approaches and give audiences a better experience,” agreed Refat.

As industry insiders continue to experiment, fail, learn and move on with AI, it has been hugely groundbreaking, stated Alzubaidi. “We are not there yet, but with time things will improve.”

“From a potential framework perspective, it is about building on use cases that will be future-proof. And when it comes from use cases, then we’re ready to implement that and not remain limited to what we have built,” said Zaidan. “And this limitation perspective is a moving target, because every day there are innovations.”

As broadcasters continue to be pushed on cost, vendors must reevaluate cloud provider relationships, pave the way forward with effective solutions, and forge partnerships where the broadcaster and vendor train the machine to craft an improved version that benefits everyone. While the possibilities of this super algorithm are endless, its resource consumption and carbon footprint cannot be overlooked, and players must endeavour to integrate models that do less damage to the planet.

The roundtable participants with the Alibaba team.

SHADES OF SUCCESS

Fady Melek, a senior colourist with more than 20 years of experience in the film industry, has been at Katara Studios since 2017, where he works on grading feature films and TV shows, as well as managing intricate workflows for demanding VFX projects. He discusses his journey as a colourist with BroadcastPro ME

Tell us about your journey to becoming a colourist.

My journey started when I was working in the scanning and printing field, during the days of digital intermediate (DI). It was here that colour grading introduced itself to me, and I immediately fell in love because it combined two of my favourite things: painting and technical knowledge.

I believe the role of the colourist has expanded, and their involvement has become crucial in every project

FADY

Shortly after this, I became an Assistant Colourist and then worked my way up the ladder to where I am today as Senior Colourist at Katara Studios.

MELEK, SENIOR COLOURIST, KATARA STUDIOS

Tell us more about how you work with skin tones. Manipulating skin tones to make them more pleasing to the eye is a delicate and extremely important task. Ultimately the viewer focuses largely on this part of the image, and a significant part of the story’s emotions can be conveyed through the characters’ skin tones. Chromogen is now my go-to tool for adjusting skin tones in this scenario. Colour cross-talk and bleaching skin tones separately from the overall image is a powerful technique.

Tell us more about your experience working as a film lab technician and how this influenced your move into colour grading. I went to university to study Chemistry, and in my third year I had the chance to work in a film lab in Egypt. We would receive films to be scanned and printed, and I was immediately drawn to the art of cinema. When you work in a lab, you understand the power of printer lights and how you can completely transform the feeling of an image and the impact on the viewer with just one tool. When I moved to grading, I used the same approach – by not building a look based on masking and keying, but more of a homogenous global effect on the image. This is how my experience influenced my colour grading.

Tell us about your role and work at Katara Studios. Working at Katara Studios, as Senior Colourist and Head of Picture, I get to grade and conduct look development for almost all the content produced by the studio – from feature films, TV shows and music videos to documentaries and commercials. I also take care of the technical aspect of the image, designing a pipeline for VFX and on-set viewing for SDR and HDR. It has been a remarkable

period for me, not only to be working at such a high level technically but to also be surrounded by like-minded professionals. It is inspiring!

You work on a such a mixture of content. How do you manage this variety, and do you prefer one format over another?

At Katara Studios, we are exposed to all formats. One day I am working on a feature film, and the next day I am grading a music video clip for the World Cup. The credit for managing these different projects goes to the post-production team at Katara Studios, as together they have designed a system and pipeline which makes us very effective in handling a variety of projects at the same time. I enjoy it all, but after all is said and done, I am still a film guy to the core.

How would you describe your grading style?

This is a hard question to answer. I prefer not to have a specific style and instead focus on what the piece needs. However, I do pay a lot of attention to skin tones and how they are rendered – this is what I use as a reference for balancing and look development.

Tell us about the postproduction industry in the Middle East. What are the key opportunities and challenges? The industry in the Middle East has existed for a very long time. It has always been a rich environment for drama stories and mythological characters. I think there is so much opportunity in the Middle East, with so much history and story that has not been touched upon. The only challenge I see is the slow development of a system that protects artists and filmmakers. My hope is that this will evolve and nourish with the right leadership that has a collective vision for harnessing the talent and the art, so that they can enhance and share it with the world.

You have experience with multiple different grading systems. What makes Baselight your tool of choice? The answer is simple – a solid workflow and reliable tools. Firstly, Baselight gives you the flexibility to work as you wish. However, for me the innovation in the tools is like nothing else. When FilmLight releases a new tool in Baselight, you can be sure it will not let you down or break the image in the middle of a project.

Have you explored Baselight 6.0? If so, what are your thoughts?

Baselight 6.0, with the new addition of so many tools like X Grade, Chromogen and all the spatial tools, has made grading faster and more fun. With these new tools, the sky’s the limit for what the image can become.

How important is look development to you, and how do you approach it? Do you approach long-form projects differently to short-form?

I always like to dedicate some time to talk to the DoP and production team, to come up with a look for the project that will serve as the show LUT, usually scene-referred under a specific DRT. After that, my grading becomes a harmony of massaging the footage of the piece to fit well and to also be homogenous with the look created, so in the end the grading serves the overall intentions of the cinematography.

What are your thoughts on the evolution of the craft? Do you embrace colour management, HDR and new grading tools?

The software tools and the dynamic range of the images we have now are way superior to those in the days of DI (digital intermediate). I believe the role of the colourist has expanded, and their involvement has become crucial in every project. A big part of the look in the past was fixed in the negative with the film print, but now the camera data serves as a blank canvas for cinematographers and colourists to collaboratively create a unique piece for every project.

Around 90% of the time, I work using a scene-referred pipeline. In my opinion, working with that T-CAM DRT in Baselight is the most reliable and accurate way to render between different display standards, because the look aspect is separated from the

display rendering and does not limit you to any looks for the project. Working with HDR has evolved a lot in the last couple of years. HDR is simply a bigger canvas to work with, but I am always very careful with the highlights rolloff. At the end of the day, our goal is to pull the viewer in, and if the highlights in HDR are not done well it can have the opposite effect.

Tell us more about your work on The Pact. How and at what point

did you get involved? How did you achieve the gritty look? How did you work with the DoP and director? Did you work to any visual references? What were the key challenges?

The Pact is a project that was executed in the studio from pre-production through to final delivery, so I was part of the team from day one. This allowed me to take part in the early discussions surrounding the look and feel of the show. The cinematographer, Steven Whitehead, and the producer/director, Ahmed Al Baker, both had a clear idea of what they wanted the visuals to say, so I conducted different approaches and styles for the show, and we settled on one that we felt gave us the harsh, cold and gritty feel we wanted from a post-apocalyptic show. One of the key challenges was the amount of VFX in the show. We designed a strong workflow with the VFX company AUTOMATIK to automate all the plate pulling, and the LUT creation made this turnaround very fast and seamless.

What are you working on now?

Right now, I am working on a feature film titled (Where is Saood), which is one of seven projects recently greenlit by Katara Studios, including feature films and TV series.

Fady Melek.

BROADCASTING BEYOND BORDERS

After proving itself on the world’s biggest stage, remote production ushers in a new era in global sports broadcasting

In the summer of 2024, the world’s attention was focused on a certain global, multi-sport competition held in France. And while the excitement and action were centred in Paris, much of the production technology supporting coverage of the event was distributed all over the world. It marked a significant milestone in broadcast technology, boasting one of the highest densities of remote production the industry has seen to date.

The triumph of remote production in Paris was made possible by the industry’s increased understanding of which personnel need to be on hand for any given event. While certain staff, such as camera crews and audio technicians, still require a physical presence at the venue, many others can now perform their duties remotely. This shift has been enabled by advancements in technology and the industry’s growing confidence in remote workflows, which has developed over time through their successful use in increasingly larger events – culminating in Paris at one of the greatest spectacles on Earth.

The technical underpinnings of remote production environments centre on managing latency – the time it takes for an action performed by

a remote operator to impact the live production. The key to successful remote production lies in minimising this delay, allowing a seamless experience that mirrors on-site workflows. There are two main models of remote production, both influenced by latency to varying degrees.

Remote control centres

In the first model, the video and audio feeds from on-site cameras and microphones are transmitted back to a remote production control centre. In this model, latency has historically been a significant challenge. With traditional codecs, it can take the director a few seconds or more to see the results after they’ve asked the camera operators to make an adjustment. This can lead to a frustrating and inefficient process. However, this challenge has been significantly mitigated with the introduction of the JPEG XS codec, which dramatically reduces latency, enabling near-instant feedback while maintaining high picture quality.

A great example of this model in action was at the 2022 World Cup in Doha, Qatar. During some of the matches, shaded camera signals and source audio were compressed using JPEG XS and sent to control rooms

located in Europe, where the actual cutting and replay operations took place. JPEG XS enabled a very short loop between director and camera, while the replay operators, directors and technical directors had the benefit of real-time decisions and collaboration in a standard control room, as effectively as if they were on-site. This kind of workflow excels at maximising resource utilisation, as the same set of production equipment, the same control room and even the same crew can do multiple matches in the same day.

Remote operators, onsite equipment

The second remote production model takes a significantly different

approach. Here, the truck, replay machines and even production switcher are physically at the event venue, while many of the operators are at another location controlling the equipment remotely. This model has proven to be very effective when retrofitted to existing trucks – the production signal itself remains within the truck until it’s finished – while delivering the financial benefits of reducing the number of on-site personnel.

In this scenario, operators have traditional replay shuttle units and production switcher panels and see the multiviewer outputs for their operating positions, but they are physically separated from the venue and the equipment they are

controlling. When they perform an action, the command is sent back to the truck, where the equipment carries it out. While this model introduces slightly more operational latency, due to the physical separation between the operator and the equipment, modern codecs still allow the lag in the video returns to be minimised.

Cost, efficiency and sustainability

Both of these remote production models have gained considerable traction in the broadcasting industry and are being widely used around the world. Each offers distinct advantages depending on the needs of the production and the capabilities of the facilities involved. For broadcasters, the benefits of both

are clear. Each allows them to reduce the size of on-site crews, allowing them to cut down significantly on travel expenses, logistics and the environmental impact of sending large teams to international events. But perhaps the most significant benefit is the fact that remote production doesn’t compromise the quality of the broadcast. Ultimately, it is the viewers at home who will decide if remote workflows work or not. From what we’ve seen, they can’t tell if a production was produced on-site or remotely, because the picture quality and production values are equally high in both cases.

Looking ahead

As demonstrated in Paris, remote production technology has matured to the point where it can be relied upon for even the largest and most high-profile events. And with the two main models of remote production, broadcasters now have the flexibility to choose the approach that best suits their needs. Both models are highly effective and will certainly see even more widespread adoption in the coming years, introducing a new era in global sports broadcasting.

JOHN MAILHOT IS SENIOR VP OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT AT IMAGINE COMMUNICATIONS

LALITA TADIKONDA

For market challengers and incumbent leaders, every subscriber and every dollar counts

Netflix is still on top – but what’s next for

streaming profitability?

With 5.1m new paid subscribers, over $9.8bn in revenues and 35% growth in ad-tier membership reported in Q3 2024, Netflix continues to lead with profitability amid growing competition and significant shifts in the streaming subscription economy. The latest quarterly figures reflect a wider story around the streaming industry’s pivot in focus. While subscriber growth remains a critical objective for all major services, a push for data-driven customer relationships and deeper engagement across multiple subscription tiers is coming to the fore – not just temporary boosts in subscriber count, but delivering long-term value. Let’s take a closer look at what’s new and what comes next in streaming profitability.

Driving engagement in a hybrid future

From its first quarterly earnings report next year, Netflix will move away from disclosing subscriber growth metrics and average revenue per member, focusing instead on user engagement and profitability. As some markets approach saturation and the business broadens its offering with more diverse service tiers, price points and revenue models, this shift in reporting focus makes sense, not least because wider research points to slowing streaming subscription revenue growth – PwC finds average revenue per subscriber will barely increase over the next few years,

rising from $65 in 2023 to $67 in 2028. All leading streaming businesses are diversifying their revenue strategies beyond premium subscriptions to power new advertising incomes, or more flexible monetisation models to drive ROI on live sports investment. With 50% of Netflix’s Q3 2024 sign-ups coming from cheaper, ad-supported plans, a combination of low churn rates, increased viewing time and a fast-growing audience should prove effective in building long-term advertising revenues. Championing hybrid monetisation with a comprehensive, tailored mix of subscription options is essential for maximising revenue. Deloitte forecasts that the number of SVOD tiers offered by top providers will increase from an average of four in 2023 to eight this year. What’s more important is making sure those packages are customised to cater to regional nuances, diverse tastes, price points and payment preferences.

And sometimes, less is more. Cultivating a healthy subscriber relationship starts right from the sign-up stage. Making life easy for subscribers with intuitive onboarding and personalised offers helps bring customers onto your service quickly.

Simple fixes for long-term growth

I talk with business and engineering leaders from streaming companies every

day, many of them in the MENA region. Shahid, for example, has championed local content and a powerful multimarket growth strategy with regionally tailored, multi-currency pricing and payment options to increase customer acquisition by 75% and overtake Netflix as the regional market leader. Yet there are revenue gaps across subscriber interactions that impact the bottom line. Besides affordable ad-supported tiers and password-sharing measures, streamers employ under-the-hood techniques to improve subscriber growth and retention. Behavioural analytics are helping predict potential subscriber cancellation and address it before it happens. Market innovators are using advanced analytics and AI to tackle all flavours of churn through intelligent payment retries, personalised offers or user-centric pause-and-resume capabilities. Looking ahead, more media companies will push for personalised, value-added subscription offerings, whether through content and digital service bundling, compelling live sports propositions or ultra-tailored pricing options that subscribers simply can’t refuse.

LALITA TADIKONDA IS SVP OF CORPORATE STRATEGY & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AT EVERGENT

BroadcastPro ME November 2024

GEARING UP FOR SUCCESS

GROUP

EDITORIAL

ADVERTISING

STUDIO

CIRCULATION & PRODUCTION

DIGITAL SERVICES

FOUNDER

WELCOME

Designed for Live – Designed for Life

UPDATE NEWS

20

COVER

CLASSROOM OF THE FUTURE

PRODUCTION

REPORT

THEMES SHAPING ARABIC CONTENT

KICKING OFF NEW DREAMS

INTERVIEW — POST- PRODUCTION SHADES OF SUCCESS

ROUNDTABLE

NAVIGATING CLOUD AND AI

TECH UPDATE

BROADCASTING BEYOND BORDERS

TRENDING

Cash rebates for films shot in Abu Dhabi now raised to 35%

DUBAI STUDIOS SIGNS LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP WITH IATAS

EditShare increases tech footprint at Last Cut Media in Abu Dhabi

NOORPLAY APPOINTS NEW CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER

VIACOM18’S DESIPLAY TV NOW ON STARZ ON IN MENA

Get Digital Film Quality for Broadcast

Compatible with B4 Broadcast Lenses

Add Viewfinders, SMPTE Fiber and Lens Mounts

Live Sync and Edit Media while Recording

Zen Film releases social media horror anthology series

FIRST ARTHOUSE CINEMA IN RIYADH SET TO OPEN

STUDIO52 LAUNCHES DRONE FILMING SERVICES IN KSA

NiS and Sawa Media team up

Next-Level Broadcasting Starts Here

MUVI STUDIOS TO PRODUCE 10 SAUDI FILMS IN NEW DEAL

DICM returns this month

SBA AND STC TV SIGN CONTENT LICENSING PARTNERSHIP

BEIN AND PARAMOUNT GLOBAL CONTENT DISTRIBUTION INK MENA DEAL

NEOM AND KOFIC TIE FOR TRAINING INITIATIVE

MBC AND TOKYOPOP ANNOUNCE ANIME LINE-UP

KEEP IT ROLLING

SHADY MOKDAD, MANAGING DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION CREW

Beyond genre: AI-powered report reveals themes shaping Arabic content trends

Fastest Growing Emerging Themes & Topics In Series And Movies Produced In Egypt / KSA / Levant

Adversity

NEW SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

DR NADA ABDUL BAKI, DIVISION CHAIR FOR APPLIED MEDIA

FIELDS OF GOLD

NAVIGATING CLOUD AND AI

and Media Management, MBC Group.

PRASANJIT SINGH, PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT – ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND AI PRACTICE, STARZPLAY

SHADES OF SUCCESS

MELEK, SENIOR COLOURIST, KATARA STUDIOS

BROADCASTING BEYOND BORDERS

Remote control centres

Remote operators, onsite equipment

Cost, efficiency and sustainability

Looking ahead

streaming profitability?