TECHNOLOGIES AND TRENDS SHAPING THE FUTURE MEDIA LANDSCAPE

One of the standout themes to have emerged during the media industry’s response to the pandemic period has been ‘accelerated change’, with companies abruptly shifting to adopt new technical practices and move to a new way of working, (in many cases years before they had planned to). As one tech giant put it in a recent keynote address, 2020 has been a leap year for broadcasting that has seen us jump three to five years ahead in terms of digital video adoption.

The effects of 2020 for media companies will be long lasting, and permanent, and the period adds a significant footnote in the story of an industry already undergoing fundamental change. Against this remarkable backdrop, the MediaTech 360 conference series will explore some of the industry’s biggest technological and operational challenges, and the opportunities that lie within.

AGENDA 

Thursday, March 25, 2021
10:00 AM - 10:05 AM (EDT)

Welcoming Remarks

James McKeown
10:10 AM - 10:20 AM (EDT)

Opening Address

MediaTech 360 host Oisin Lunny, renowned event MC who has moderated and given keynote addresses at more than 200 events globally, including TEDx, MWC, and SXSW.

Oisin Lunny
10:25 AM - 11:00 AM (EDT)

The Revolutionary Role of 5G in the Media Supply Chain

As we learn more from the various trials and proof of concepts, it is becoming clearer that 5G will revolutionize our industry. As one industry expert put it, “We are seeing end to end innovation, from 5G enabled cameras all the way through to deep immersive experiences such as volumetric video and augmented reality.” And as we move toward more converged networks, we may end up not talking about future iterations of ‘Gs’ at all but about ‘connectivity’. So where are the challenges and opportunities for content providers with the emerging technology in the short to medium term? 

Moderator: Oisin Lunny - Galaxy of OM, S.L.

Panelists: 

Lauren Daly Muki Kulhan Matt Stagg Brendan Yam
11:05 AM - 11:45 AM (EDT)

Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning: Applications and Opportunities

In this session, we’ll learn just how far automation technologies have infiltrated the traditional workflows of today’s media enterprises, and where there remain opportunities to adopt AI and machine learning along the content production, management, and delivery ecosystems. We’ll also investigate the ethical discussion about where AI technology can and should be deployed at the expense of human oversight; how do we maintain a healthy balance of valuable process/task efficiency versus the preservation of human craft (and with it, employment)?

Moderator: Oisin Lunny - Galaxy of OM, S.L.

Panelists: 

Chris Evans Muki Kulhan Hugo Pinto Richard Welsh
11:50 AM - 12:35 PM (EDT)

2021 MediaTech Outlook: Technology Adoption, Deployment, and the Drivers of Change

This session will bring together a selection of contributors from TVBEurope’s recent MediaTech Outlook report to discuss the technologies and trends that are shaping the evolutionary road ahead for media and entertainment businesses.

Moderator: Oisin Lunny - Galaxy of OM, S.L.

Panelists: 

Mike Flathers Sinead Greenaway Mark Harrison Tal Hewitt
12:40 PM - 12:45 PM (EDT)

Closing Remarks

Oisin Lunny
Friday, March 26, 2021
10:00 AM - 10:20 AM (EDT)

Fireside chat with Cinematographer Greig Fraser

We begin day two of the MediaTech 360 Summit in conversation with renowned cinematographer Greig Fraser about his work on The Mandalorian, Rogue One, and Dune, and the tech and techniques enabling today’s directors of photography.

Host: Oisin Lunny - Galaxy of OM, S.L.
Interviewer: Jenny Priestley - TVBEurope
Interviewee: Greig Fraser - Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS

 
10:25 AM - 10:55 AM (EDT)

The Rise of Virtual Production

Over the past 18 months, we have seen virtual production go from a blue sky thinking production technique to one that is being used more and more by content creators large and small. Having first started in the United States, virtual production is being embraced by studios across Europe. We’ll investigate how this new technology has and can be used by content creators, particularly during the pandemic, and what it means for traditional production practices.

Moderator: Oisin Lunny - Galaxy of OM, S.L.

Panelists: 

Greig Fraser Ben Lumsden Jenny Priestley
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM (EDT)

Funding the Future of TV

The pandemic-impacted 2020 was a leap year for broadcasting, according to Justin Gupta, head of broadcast and entertainment, UK and Ireland at Google. The lockdown conditions saw people turning to streaming services like never before, resulting in a three to five year jump ahead in digital video adoption. In this new era of accelerated change for the media industry, Gupta will explore the monetisation models content providers can adopt to take advantage of their digital presence and drive revenues.

Host: Justin Gupta - Google

Moderator: Oisin Lunny - Galaxy of OM, S.L.

 
11:35 AM - 12:15 PM (EDT)

Rising Up: The Importance of Education, Mentoring and Promotion in the Great World of Broadcast Technology

The women’s advocacy group Rise has been a pioneering force for good in creating opportunities for industry professionals through its mentoring programme, networking events and annual Rise Awards. It is also seeking to encourage the next generation of industry talent through its schools outreach programme, Rise Up, supported by BT Sport, Discovery and ITV. Here, we learn more about those initiatives, including the importance of: education at an early age; mentoring; getting the message out that there is an industry behind the screen; plus what the industry can be doing to support Rise and other initiatives. 

Moderator: Nicki Fisher - Clear-Com

Panelists: 
Polly Hickling - Solent University
Stefania Popescu - Sky
Stephen Stewart - Take 1 Script Services

 
12:20 PM - 12:25 PM (EDT)

Closing Remarks

Oisin Lunny
Time Zone: (UTC-04:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) [Change Time Zone]