Vol. 23 Issue 03 | October - December 2021 LOOKING FORWARD As the industry stands at crossroads, adapting to uncertainties in a rapidly evolving digital world, natives believe in revisiting fundamentals to shape the road to 2022 ACROSS 17 A game changer in entertainment 20 Dubai’s popular technology week 28 An event that could have been DOWN 12 October’s calendar update for techies 22 Middle East’s leading 4K 32 Current talk of the townIT’S TIME TO BE WHERE THE WORLD IS SEE YOU DIGITALLY ONLY ON WWW.DIGITALSTUDIOME.COM digitalstudiomiddleeast digitalstudiome digitalstudiome digitalstudiomeCONTENTS OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 5 EDITOR’S LETTER As the industry dwindles between choice and chance, it’s time to explore new horizons digitally 6 DS UPDATES The latest news and industry insights trending this quarter on Digital Studio ME’s website and social channels 9 ANALYSIS Maithieu Harel, Marketing Director of Anti-piracy Services, Viacess- Orca on secure streaming 10 SPOTLIGHT Pixotope’s newly appointed Vice President, Global Business Development – Sports, Sam Leadsom writes about disrupting global events with virtual technology 12 CABSAT Thomas Löffl er, AVP – Exhibitions, DWTC gives details on what’s in store for visitors this year 22 COVER STORY 32 DS AT EXPO 2020 17 INTERVIEW 20 GITEX Marketing Mania Chairperson and Creative CEO, Mimi Nicklin talks about addressing empathy in tech 21 EDUCATION Murdoch University on being the fi rst AWS Academy-accredited partner in the UAE 28 TECH As NAB Show gets cancelled, top innovators share industry insights on the way forward 40 FILMS Jack Bishop shares a top view on drone fi lming in the Middle East 41 READY SET GO Focus Puller, Koko Boutchakjian offers tips, tricks and techniques from his time on set 42 5 MINUTES WITH Amir Dora of Hell’s Gate fame on streaming with Shahid VIP 39 BROADCAST 15 CONTENT BUSINESS www.digitalstudiome.comOCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 / 3 SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE WWW.ITP.COM /SUBSCRIPTIONS WWWWWWW W.W.W.W.W..WW ITITII P.COM/SUBSCR IPTIONS DON’T MISS AN ISSUE! CH-1CH-2 Published by and © 2021 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 444 3000 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London & Mumbai ITP MEDIA GROUP CEO Ali Akawi Managing Director Alex Reeve EDITORIAL Editor Karishma Hingorani Tel: +971 4 4443454 e-mail: karishma.hingorani@itp.com ADVERTISING Digital Publisher, Enterprise Technology Group Paul Hylden Tel: +971 4 444 3396 email: paul.hylden@itp.com Marketing Solutions Thomas Lambert Tel: +971 4 444 3637 email: thomas.lambert@itp.com ITP LIVE General Manager Ahmad Bashour Tel: +971 4 444 3549 email: ahmad.bashour@itp.com PHOTOGRAPHY Senior Photographers Efraim Evidor, Adel Rashid, Fritz Asuro, Ajith Narendra, Jessica Samson PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Production Manager Basel Al Kassem Production Co-ordinator Manoj Mahadevan Senior Image Editor Emmalyn Robles CIRCULATION Distribution and Circulation Executive Evijin Pathrose Circulation Executive Rajesh Pillai Distribution Coordinator Avinash Pereira MARKETING Director of Awards & Marketing Daniel Fewtrell ITP GROUP CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. www.digitalstudiome.com4 / OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 / 5 EDITOR’S COMMENT www.digitalstudiome.com As I sit down to write this letter, with the new Razer Opus X wrapped around my head (review online), helping me transcribe in what ’s most delightedly a busy newsroom, there are mixed feelings to deal with. W hen I joined Digital Studio Middle East, little did I know I would be writing the last Editor’s letter in print. Having said that, it gives me great pleasure to take it where its meant to be – be it by name or by destiny – thriving industry style online. And that is the biggest turnaround this quarter – the fine tuning between choice and chance. The NAB Show cancelled with less than a month to go for its in- person event, having to make the choice to go online. At the same time, the much-awaited Expo 2020 Dubai prepares to open its doors to millions from afar, taking a chance in its stride. Somewhere between choice and chance, struck by a new normal, content big wigs tell me it ’s about assessing opportunities and going back to the fundamentals of any business. For them, the way forward is about story telling, ser ving a purpose and optimising opportunities that lay across platforms. W hile several industry events shuttle between yes and no, what remains consistent is the barter between choice and chance – while some choose to take a chance, others choose to take a stance. Somewhere in there, the industry seems to be becoming more agile and shaping a very promising premise for 2022. With over two decades of interacting, engaging and inf luencing industry perspectives and grow th, Digital Studio continues to go where broadcast and production in the Middle East is headed – beyond itself, embracing innovation and technolog y for farther reach, breaking boundaries and going glocal. As we do that, there is ambiguity, as well as sincerity, but what ’s the joy without those butterf lies between action and cut! It ’s time to say yours digitally, and this time for more than a quarter. See you more often than ever on www.digitalstudiome.com, Until we engage over your next click, Karishma Hingorani karishma.hingorani@itp.com CHOICE AND CHANCE KARISHMA HINGORANI T Dig ita lSt udioMiddleEa st dig ita lstudiome dig ita lstudiome dig ita lstudiomeNEWS UPDATE Yas Creative Hub, the home for Abu Dhabi’s media, gaming and entertainment sector recently announced that it had reached the 95 percent completion mark. The 270,000 square metres (2.9 million square feet) sustainable development will be home to a diverse group of global companies, local and independent businesses and freelance professionals. With the number of jobs in Abu Dhabi’s creative industry expected to triple to 16,000 by 2031, Yas Creative Hub has been purpose-built to meet the future needs of this fl ourishing sector and is one of the assets being developed under Abu Dhabi’s AED 30 billion investment strategy for the Culture and Creative Industries (CCI). With construction on the project reaching 95 percent, after more than 15 million man hours without Lost Time Incident (LTI), twofour54 released the fi rst offi cial images of the campus. It also revealed continued high demand for units, with 93 pecent of GLA already leased. The company said the 600+ firms set to make Yas Creative Hub their home include more than 270 SMEs and start-ups, which are the engine of the media and gaming sectors and the drivers of innovation. Among the latest organisations to confirm their move to Yas are mobile gaming developer Boss Bunny, music publishing company PopArabia, critical issues firm Brunswick Group, the Eton Institute YAS CREATIVE HUB COMPLETES 95 PERCENT CONSTRUCTION EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT INSIGHT THIS QUARTER IN THE TV AND FILM PRODUCTION INDUSTRY training and development centre, production company Bidaya Media, communications firm Edelman, the Korean Cultural Centre, and dmg events. They will join household names such as Ubisoft, Vice, Ericsson, Unity Technologies and CNN on campus, as well as new partners including Abu Dhabi’s state broadcaster, which is relocating its headquarters to Yas Creative Hub. “Media, entertainment and gaming are growing at an exponential rate globally and in Abu Dhabi, and Yas Creative Hub has been designed with the future of these sectors foremost in mind. It offers industry-leading production facilities, next-generation connectivity, digital technologies and flexible workspaces for firms of all sizes, from start-ups to international powerhouses. We are looking forward to welcoming them all to one of the most advanced content creation hubs in the world,” said Michael Garin, CEO, twofour54 Abu Dhabi. Yas Creative Hub was designed by MZ Architects, the creators of Aldar’s HQ. It features a fully walkable, landscaped campus including parks, cafes, restaurants, wellness facilities, an outdoor amphitheatre, rooftop terraces, and direct pedestrian access to Miral’s Yas Bay Waterfront and Etihad Arena. There will be more than 60,000 sq.ft. (5,500 sq.m) of production and post- production facilities, as well as an AD Gaming Hub featuring the Unity Center of Excellence that provides the game development industry in the region with on-ground support and mentorship. The centre is part of a 10-year landmark partnership with Unity Technologies, the world’s leading platform for creating and operating interactive, real-time 3D (RT3D) content. It will include six purpose-built studio facilities equipped with cutting edge technology that enables world-quality broadcast, including the region’s first glass-walled studio, which will offer an incredible outlook across Yas Bay Waterfront. www.digitalstudiome.com6 / OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 STAY UPDATED For latest news, visit www.digitalstudiome.com Twofour54 prepares to start handing over units to partnersNEWS UPDATE www.digitalstudiome.comOCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 / 7 CINEMAS: Saudi Investment Company – a developer, owner and operator of shopping malls in Saudi Arabia, recently signed an agreement with Muvi Cinemas, a homegrown brand, to open a cinema complex at one of its malls, the Quwaieyah Mall, in Al-Quwayiyah city, Riyadh region. The fi ve-screen cinema will be able to accommodate over 650 moviegoers. “We are delighted to announce our plan to open a cinema complex in Quwaieyah Mall. This will strengthen our position as the market maker in providing special cinematic experiences to our patrons, enhancing their overall experience at our unique shopping mall. Taking a bold call in going to type B or C cities, our endeavour is to facilitate modern retailing and entertainment experience and boost engagement with the local population for employment/business,” said Sultan Fahad Al-Shathri, Managing Director, SICO. MUVI TO SET UP FIVE-SCREEN CINEMA AT QUWAIEYAH MALL Shareholders of Zee will have a 47.07 percent stake in the new entity The ex-Amazon empoloyee has over twenty fi ve years of experience in build- ing brands from scratch ANGHAMI APPOINTS MARY GHOBRIAL AS CHIEF OPERATING AND STRATEGY OFFICER STREAMING: Leading music streaming platform, Anghami announced that the company has appointed ex-Amazon Director Marketplace Expansion and previously CCO for Souq.com, as their new Chief Operating and Strategy Offi cer. “As Anghami prepares for listing on NASDAQ in Q4 ‘21, we are happy to raise the bar with a hire like Ghobrial who will help us to scale and will bring many of the Amazon leadership skills. What is unique about her is that she also has the experience of a startup like Souq while being an extremely creative tech leader”, said Elie Habib, CTO and Co-founder, Anghami. With Amazon, Ghobrial was leading the fastest growing initiatives enabling global selling partners to sell across the MENA region, empowering the local entrepreneurs to sell globally, and contributing to millions of new selections to the Customer. She also Muvi Cinemas is the fi rst homegrown cinema brand in Saudi Arabia owned and operated by Muvi Cinemas Company. The company has an aggressive expansion plan over the next few months — by the end of 2021, it plans to open an additional nine screens to have a total of 21 sites in eight diff erent cities with a total of 209 screens, off ering unique experiences. “At Muvi, we believe people should experience movies and not just watch them,” added Sultan Fawaz Abdulaziz Al- Hokair, CEO, Muvi Cinemas. CONTENT BUSINESS: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd announced an in principle approval for merger with Sony Pictures Networks India. Based on the regulatory filing, SPNI shareholders will own a majority stake of 52.93 percent in the newly merged entity, and infuse capital for growth into SPNI. Upon closing, SPNI has approximately $1.575 billion, for other growth opportunities. ZeeL board approved the merger and announced Puneet Goenka as Managing Director and CEO for the new entity. In a statement, the leading entertainment group said that it had not only evaluated financial factors, “but also the strategic value which the partner brings to the table.” The statement said that both companies had entered a non-binding agreement to combine their linear networks, digital assets, production operations and program libraries. “The Board of Directors at ZEEL have conducted a strategic review of the merger proposal between SPNI and ZEEL. As a Board that encompasses a blend of highly accomplished professionals having rich expertise across varied sectors, we always keep in mind the best interests of all the shareholders and ZEEL,” said R. Gopalan, Chairman, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. ZEE ENTERTAINMENT TO MERGE WITH SONY PICTURES NETWORKS INDIA leads the 3P business for Saudi Arabia, the largest marketplace in MENA. During her time with Souq.com as Chief Commercial Offi cer, Ghobrial initiated and built the regional retail across categories, tier one vendors, advertising sales, peak events, as well as brand marketing. “I am so happy to be back to the entertainment world, but more importantly to be part of building this amazing Arabic strong brand and scaling it further”, commented Ghobrial. The state-of-art entertainment offering in Riyadh is slated to open in the summer of 2022 Elie Habib, Mary Ghobrial & Eddy Maroun Puneet Goenka, Managing DirectorNEWS UPDATE www.digitalstudiome.com8 / OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 PRODUCTION: Ross Video recently revealed that the company has acquired D3 LED (Dynamic Digital Displays) from Southpaw Live. Founded in 2006 and based in Rancho Cordova, California, with remote offi ces in New York City, D3 is a leading provider of high quality indoor and outdoor LED displays, as well as LED processing, content management, and playback systems which can generate, process and distribute video to scales (over 100M pixels in 1 AEPIMS system). D3’s interfacing and control solutions are leveraged in some of the most cutting-edge experiential applications. Their award-winning solutions are used by major broadcasters like ABC and ESPN as well as international corporations, including Gap, Capital One and Victoria’s Secret, to name a few. “We’re excited to welcome the amazing D3 team to Ross. D3 is in a class of their ROSS ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF D3 LED The new offi ce is an integrated base in Asia, aiming to generate jobs and foster creative skills Especially suited for sports photography and reportage, the camera features over 100 improvements CANON LAUNCHED THE NEW EOS R3 TECH: The imaging professionals launched the new EOS R3 camera, off ering the familiarity and speed of the renowned EOS-1 series, along with the versatility of the EOS R System. Leveraging the new 24.1 megapixel backside illuminated stacked CMOS sensor, the EOS R3 off ers fast image capture and enhanced responsiveness. The sensor almost entirely eliminates rolling shutter distortion and with a rapid shutter speed, off ering a range of 30 seconds to 1/64000th of a second, it helps sports photographers freeze the fastest of subjects. When using the electronic shutter, photographers can shoot up to 30fps with AE and AF tracking even when shooting RAW fi les, as well as options for shooting at 15fps and 3fps. Canon has also introduced a vehicle tracking function, to track motorbikes, open cockpit Formula cars as well as GT and rally cars – with the ability to prioritise own for LED processing technology and the services that make customers succeed! They are innovators who were fi rst to market with many technologies including IP data/video distribution between LED Controllers and Receivers using their True Element technology to deliver the highest quality imagery. It’s great to add another world-class brand to the Ross family, and I can’t wait to have our R&D teams collaborate and help our customers overcome their challenges,” said David Ross, CEO, Ross Video. ENTERTAINMENT: WarnerMedia announced the opening of its new regional hub for Asia (excluding China and Japan) in Singapore, occupying 40,000 square feet across two floors at the Solaris in Fusionopolis – a media and tech business park. Designed by Singaporean firm ID21, the space incorporates a post-Covid and flexible work environment inspired by an Activity Based Work strategy. Officially opened on 24 September 2021 by Singapore’s Minister for Communications and Information (MCI) Josephine Teo, the office signals the full integration of WarnerMedia’s business in the region that includes Warner Bros., HBO and Turner brands. It also houses the new streaming platform HBO Max, which is expected to launch in its first Asian markets in the future. “Our new flagship office is truly spectacular. More than just a new workspace, it brings together the most incredible parts of our diverse business – from Harry Potter’s Wizarding World to Looney Tunes, Game of Thrones and Wonder Woman – under one roof for the first time. Here in Singapore, we have long supported a sizeable ecosystem for the entertainment, broadcast, production and licensing industries. From our new hub, we will continue with our ambitious plans for the region,” said Clement Schwebig, Managing Director, WarnerMedia for India, Southeast Asia and Korea. WARNERMEDIA OPENS REGIONAL HUB IN SINGAPORE the vehicle or the driver’s helmet. Eye, face, head and body detection are now available in all AF modes, as well as a new Flexible Zone allowing users to select the size and shape of the Zone AF area. It can focus in lighting conditions as low as -7.5 EV - making this one of the most capable low light cameras available. As with the EOS R5, the EOS R3 can capture 6K 60p RAW resolution footage. Users can remotely control the camera from a mobile device. More details available on www.digitalstudiome.com. This is the company’s eighteenth takeover since 2006 and follows its acquisition of Primestreamideo streaming is skyrocketing. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the number of on- demand streaming service subscribers are expected to jump to 32.65 million by 2026, compared with 14.16 million at the end 2020, according to Digital TV Research. In Africa specifi cally, OTT movie and TV episode revenues will reach $1.7 billion by 2026, up from $392 million in 2020 – a 340 percent increase. While video streaming growth opportunities are abundant in the region, video piracy is a critical challenge, especially for premium content such as live sports. The piracy landscape is changing as well with new, emerging types that are more easily accessible. Some of the most popular ways that consumers in the region are illegally gaining access to streaming services include illegal redistribution and password sharing. In an eff ort to fi ght back against unlawful streaming, service providers are adopting a holistic approach to anti-piracy services that includes dynamic watermarking, monitoring, investigative services and AI technologies. With a complete anti-piracy service, content and service providers can effi ciently identify and take down pirated content, as well as stop the accounts responsible for pirating content. A HOLISTIC ANTI-PIRACY STRATEGY Executing a robust anti-piracy strategy is critical in today’s streaming world. Service providers need to protect the value of their premium content and a well-rounded anti- piracy service off ers a secure path forward to fi ghting piracy, as well as encouraging legal consumption of content and services. Dynamic watermarking is a crucial component of an anti-piracy services, allowing providers to identify the source of a leak in the video delivery chain very rapidly (i.e., in minutes). Dynamic V Maithieu Harel, Marketing Director of Anti-piracy Services, Viacess-Orca explains why it is essential to invest in security solutions for a profi table video streaming future SAY NO TO PIRATES! watermarking marks content with an invisible watermark that is imperceptible to viewers. What makes this technology dynamic is that algorithms can be modifi ed in real time to add counter measures against new types of piracy. This advanced technology can be used to protect content on broadcast, IPTV, and OTT networks, and can be deployed on the client side without aff ecting the end-user experience, making it a must-have tool for protecting video streaming services. Monitoring is another rung on the anti-piracy ladder. This phase of the service involves monitoring the web, including social media channels, niche websites, search engines, and pirate apps, 24 hours a day for the presence of illegal streaming services. By monitoring the web for piracy, service providers can assure swift identifi cation and removal of illegal content. Automated monitoring is a growing trend, as it frees up resources to focus on other important tasks. In an ideal world, at least for now, a hybrid solution that includes automated and human-led monitoring is typically deployed. INNOVATIONS IN AI TECHNOLOGY Advances in artifi cial technology is helping to speed up and optimize the monitoring process. AI-powered anti-piracy services, combined with IP detection, allow service providers to identify shared or stolen credentials for accessing streaming services in real time. With AI, service providers can determine the exact location where piracy is happening, consumption patterns and devices being used. Another key element of a holistic anti-piracy service is illegal streaming investigation. The basis of this service is to help service providers perform a deep dive into illegal streaming. A list of all the illegal streaming brands is compiled by the anti-piracy service and an investigation of each brand ensues. This allows providers to comprehend how piracy is directly competing with legal streaming services and aff ecting subscribership. The next step in the investigation is taking remedial action and driving illegal users to legal alternatives. Finally, multi-DRM content protection is a must for streaming. Today’s viewers are watching streaming services on a wide range of devices, which support diff erent digital rights management systems (DRMs), such as Microsoft PlayReady, Apple FairPlay, and Google Widevine. As part of an anti-piracy service, multi-DRM technology assures that service providers can securely deliver content on any device, taking into account the various DRMs that are used. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the streaming industry to think deeply about content protection. To adequately fi ght against piracy, service providers need a holistic solution that includes dynamic watermarking, AI monitoring, investigation services, and multi-DRM. It is no longer enough to receive an alert only when there is a leak. By taking a proactive approach to detecting illegal activity at any point and at any time in the chain, service providers can protect premium content and video streaming revenues. Mathieu Harel, Marketing Director of Anti Piracy Services, Viacess Orca www.digitalstudiome.comOCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 / 9 ANALYSISNext >