< PreviousTECH simple and so to help broadcasters create more content more easily and effi ciently. Lip-sync is probably the most noticeable aspect that could go wrong to viewers, and that’s what we are working on.” With multiple demands on the radar, partnerships seem to be the game of the hour. “Partnerships are imperative. The days of one end-to-end product in broadcast has gone. People want the best of breed technology for each part of their workfl ows. Collaboration is key – whether its companies, systems or multiple people working together on certain projects,” claimed Dominic Harland, CEO, GB Labs. Stuart Russell, Communications Director, Ross Video attested, “From a customer’s perspective, single-vendor sourcing makes a lot of sense – one single phone number to call, one technical support contact, one set of warranty renewals, tried and tested interoperability. We’re seeing an increasing number of customers looking to source as much of their system as possible from one single brand – to be blunt, it makes for better value and for an easier life.” Ciarán Doran, Director of Marketing, Rohde & Schwarz conveyed, “Customers need a trusted partner that can take be there for them all along the journey – there are only a few broadcasters who have green field sites where a complete renewal of technology is the way, most normal broadcasters need to take straightforward, steady steps into the future, creating a new software based world while still operating in the current environment.” A COLLABORATIVE FUTURE 4K UHD, cloud workfl ows, app based monitoring, remote operations, anti- piracy platforms, artifi cial intelligence, machine learning, hybrid tech and more, have been driving the industry towards a whole new direction. Several innovators are willing to bet on remote productions via the cloud, as the next big thing. “It was a debate, something to line up for the future. Suddenly it became the sole focus for broadcasters, who quickly realised the potential and starting pushing the boundaries. There is no doubt here. Remote production has been a hot topic for the last year and a half, and it is absolutely certain that it will continue to grow,” confi rmed Daniel Lundstedt, Regional Sales Manager, Intinor. Michael Geissler, CEO, Mo-Sys Engineering added, “We see more and more creatives embracing virtual production which enables them to access places or work within environments in a realistic manner that they would not normally be able to shoot in, whilst giving directors more visibility of what their fi lm will look like during the production phase. And they are saving hugely on resources in terms of extras and physical props required whilst minimizing the travel required. It’s a much more sustainable and cost-eff ective form of production.” Bibhas Kumar Samanta, Sales Head, India and MENA, Interra Systems stressed upon the need for better integration. He spoke about how service providers must design the storage and access, to ensure minimal transfer requirements, simultaneous access and modifi cations of the content. “While the cloud off ers greater fl exibility of on-demand infrastructure, the long-term usage cost of the computing resources, storage, and access must be evaluated before deciding on a platform or usage model. Workfl ow agility is also THERE’S BEEN AN ACCELERATION OF NEW WORKFLOWS AND BUSINESS MODELS, DUE TO ECONOMIC PRESSURE FROM THE PANDEMIC. CLOUD AND IP ARE INNOVATION- ENABLERS AND THEY UNDERPIN THE FUTURE OF INNOVATION.” NEIL MAYCOCK, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER & GENERAL MANAGER PLAYOUT, GRASS VALLEY www.digitalstudiome.com30 / OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021crucial. Integration of any system should off er increased fl exibility and scalability. Additionally, secure access and content security is of paramount importance for any media workfl ow, whether on-premises or the cloud,” he summarised. Paolo Cuttorelli, VP and GM, APAC, Middle East & Africa, Evergent asserted for artifi cial intelligence and machine learning, due to the growing preference for tailored user experiences and the conversion rates that follow. “Thanks to advances in hardware innovation and the fact that the hardware can now support AI applications, AI can be deployed in real world scenarios, rather than just in a lab. As a result, AI technologies are developing at a faster rate and gaining traction,” claimed Sergio from iSIZE. Pete Blatchford, CMO, Starfi sh Technologies added, “There’s little doubt that the growth in digital platforms and rising demand for professional quality content, anytime and on any screen will not slow down. To meet this trend, we expect to see further major advances in sophisticated system automation and monitoring/reporting (Intelligent Automation), especially when applied to new OTT platforms.” On being quizzed about the ideal newsroom in 2022, Bibhas acknowledged the overfl ow of information from social channels, “The artifi cial intelligence coupled with fact-checking services can enable reporters, journalists, news desks and even citizen journalists to fi lter real news instantly, drastically reducing the time in going live. Automated AI-/ML- enabled platforms will not only generate the stories but will also identify and compile related stock videos and images, which the editors or directors can use with the stories or scripts,” he apprised. “Story-centric workfl ows should be at the heart of every good newsroom. The story must be produced right, packaged right, told right and delivered right. Future innovations must create tools that enable clients to produce more quantity of content, whilst maintaining, or in some cases improving, the quality, and have the ability to distribute to wherever the audience is, and whichever screen they are using,” suggested Daniel Url, Head of Global Product Management, Vizrt Group. As the event goes on to unfold in 2022, one thing stands for sure – remote innovation is here and it is only going to get bigger, better and brighter, as content comes to life, not just for the NAB Show, but worldwide across the broadcast and media industry. STORY-CENTRIC WORKFLOWS SHOULD BE AT THE HEART OF EVERY GOOD NEWSROOM. THE STORY MUST BE PRODUCED RIGHT, PACKAGED RIGHT, TOLD RIGHT AND DELIVERED RIGHT.” DANIEL URL, HEAD OF GLOBAL PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, VIZRT www.digitalstudiome.comOCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 / 31 TECHwww.digitalstudiome.com32 / OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 INTERVIEW AT EXPO 2020OW IS ENTERTAINMENT GOING TO ENABLE THE COMING TOGETHER OF PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES AND NATIONS? A diverse entertainment programme will ensure there is something for everyone, of all ages, nationalities and interests – including musical concerts, dance shows, theatrical performances, sports and more. It will be exciting to see the Expo 2020 site come to life with sights, sounds, rhythms and fl avours from across the globe. The World Expo 2020 in Dubai is a global experience dedicated to bringing together people, communities and nations. This is reflected in our theme, Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. Entertainment and live production will play a significant role in fulfilling our purpose by engaging millions of visitors, providing an immersive, as well as emotionally inspiring experience that will ultimately lead to progress. H As doors open to Dubai’s biggest event of the year, Tareq Ghosheh, Chief Events and Entertainment Offi cer, Expo 2020 tells Karishma Hingorani of all that’s in store for media and entertainment enthusiasts in the region LIGHTS, CAMERA, EXPO! IN WHAT WAY IS CREATIVITY BEING USED TO REPRESENT OPPORTUNITY, MOBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY AT EXPO 2020? Our sub-themes (Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability) are embedded in our entertainment programming. The opening ceremony, for example, will take visitors through Sustainability, rising to the highest heights of Mobility, and join humanity’s journey of Opportunity to set the scene for 182 days of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, as Expo 2020 invites visitors from across the planet to join the making of a new world. The opening ceremony brings together some of the brightest and most creative minds from the UAE, region and around the world. It refl ects the nation’s role as a hub for the creative economy, and Expo 2020 as a global celebration of collaboration, culture, as well as human imagination. Being the largest ever event staged in the Arab world, Expo 2020 will showcase the great potential of the region, promoting its rich contemporary artistic creativity and providing an inspiring sustainable legacy for residents, visitors and future generations to take forward. WHAT CAN VISITORS EXPECT IN TERMS OF ENTERTAINMENT AND PRODUCTION AT THE EVENT? Each of the 192 participating countries will have its own pavilion – a fi rst in World Expo history. Visitors will be able to explore the world in one place, with nations showcasing their own cultures, heritage, innovations and fantastic entertainment. This will be truly special and refl ects the inclusive spirit of the UAE, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all visitors, including leisure travellers. As a spectacular event that will draw people back to the UAE again and again, Expo 2020 will contribute to the UAE’s long-term goals by supporting the development of tourism, innovative businesses in the UAE, and enhancing the www.digitalstudiome.comOCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 / 33 EXPO 2020WHICH KIND OF AUDIO VISUAL, ACOUSTIC AND EVENTS TECHNOLOGIES WERE USED FOR THE EVENT AND AL WASL DOME? Al Wasl Plaza, the beating heart of the Expo site, boasts one of the most impressive uses of AV in the world. It combines the dome’s cutting-edge 360-degree surround projection, immersive sound and lighting technologies to deliver a series of visually stunning and emotional experiences and performances that refl ect the purpose and ambitions of Expo 2020 and the UAE as the host nation, inspiring people from across the world. Al Wasl dome boasts a stunning 360-degree projection surface – the largest in the world at 130 metres diameter-wide and 67.5 metres tall; and Expo 2020’s Offi cial Projection and Display Partner Christie supplied 252 RGB pure laser projectors installed in projector pods located around the inside perimeter of the dome to bring the dome’s vast surface to life. IS FILMING ALLOWED AT EXPO 2020? WHAT SHOULD FILMMAKERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS KEEP IN MIND? Filming and photography requests are welcome for non-commercial use. However, they must be accredited as media via media.expo2020dubai.com. Tareq Ghosheh, Chief Events and Entertainment Offi cer, Expo 2020 country’s international position as a place to do business. The World Expo has a number of cultural initiatives that are aligned with Dubai and the UAE’s wider commitment to developing the creative economy. The Firdaus Orchestra will be led and mentored by the Oscar-winning AR Rahman, who will compose music for the orchestra’s inaugural performance. Firdaus Studio by AR Rahman, a state- of-the-art music recording and score production studio will eventually become a permanent facility in District 2020 – the human-centric future city that will repurpose more than 80 percent of the site’s built environment after Expo 2020 closes its doors on 31st March 2022 – furthering the UAE’s ambition to become a global hub for inspiring creativity. Our Design and Crafts Programme aims to push artistic boundaries and pioneer a new framework for collaboration on a local, regional and international scale, mixing the traditional with the new. The programme presents MENASA – Emirati Design Platform, which showcases more than 40 local and international designers, telling stories of the UAE through exclusive curated design collections. All exclusive design collections presented by MENASA will be exhibited and available for sale within the MENASA space located at the ground level of the Rove Expo 2020 hotel, next to Al Wasl Plaza. www.digitalstudiome.com34 / OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 EXPO 2020HAT CAN VISITORS LOOK FORWARD TO AT THE PAVILION, IN TERMS OF ENTERTAINMENT AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY? We have set out to make a pavilion experience that vibrantly brings together the spirit and energy of Australia, is informative and at the same time fun and entertaining. The Australian Pavilion experience is divided into three distinct spaces that integrate to take our guests on a journey of discovery. Each space is unique, surprising and immersive. Welcome Stories is a human scale, intimate, one-on-one space fi lled with bright Indigenous Australia pop art, a hall of mirrors that reveal characters who welcome the guests. High resolution 4K monitories, one way mirrors, distributed audio and screen specifi c speakers were used to set up this space. Star Dreaming is a full dome 15 metres planetarium, presenting an adventure though the cosmos and the journey of indigenous Australians, First Nations observations and lore, from the beginning of time to the present. The audience enter a dimly-lit theatre with a blue sky eff ect created using laser hybrid projectors and surround sound. As the story arrives at the present, hidden doors open to reveal the Natural Innovation Gallery, known as Annika’s Journey. In this third space, audiences are drawn towards a light-emitting central structure. Suspended three metres off the ground, it pulses with rhythm reacting to the complex sound design that has W Situated in the Mobility District at Expo 2020 Dubai, Australia’s showcase at the event is about people, innovations and culture. In a chat with Karishma Hingorani, Andrew Walsh, Artistic Director and CEO, Accolade Communications shares details about the technical set-up and entertainment programming, as the creative project partner AT THE AUSTRALIAN PAVILION continued from the previous gallery. Australian innovative sectors are the narrative’s focus. Our pavilion is about telling stories, both through the visuals and cinematic original music. We have fi lmed on location using 360-degree VR technology and utilising CGI and game engine technology to create a seamless experience. HOW DID YOU PROCURE A FUTURE-READY AUDIO VISUAL AND ACOUSTIC SET UP? We used Australian-designed Blackmagic Camera systems and Resolve 17. For Audio and AV distribution, we used Australian- produced Dante digital networks. SHARE WITH US YOUR PROGRAMMING STRATEGY FOR THE EXPO 2020? Entertainment from our point of view is much more than just curation. It is searching for new and emerging talent, building collaborations across art forms, designing and commissioning unique works programmed in unpredictable ways. The Australian Pavilion celebrates the aspirations and achievements of Australia, its innovation and optimism, as articulated in the Pavilion’s theme Blue Sky Dreaming. At its heart are intimate shared stories as experienced by a young Australian girl. When considering the design fi ve key responses were identifi ed: informative, memorable, respectful, colourful and entertaining. We wanted to keep these consistent throughout the set-up. We create events that bring communities together. We want to show the region through our pavilion that Australia and Australians are at the forefront of innovation, are collaborative and reliable partners, and that our people are inclusive and respectful. We also want to share the beauty of our vast southern land. The Australian Pavilion isn’t the largest or the most expansive pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, but we hope it is remembered for being vibrant, entertaining, educational and fun. www.digitalstudiome.comOCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 / 35 EXPO 2020HAT’S IN STORE FOR VISITORS AT THE NEW ZEALAND PAVILION? The New Zealand Pavilion contains a ground-breaking combination of new technology fused with indigenous culture and storytelling creating a one-of-a-kind immersive experience. We asked the Creative Director to bring to life an indigenous va lue ( kaitia kitanga: care for people and place for f uture generations) that is centra l to New Zea land. We wanted to ta lk about the impact we humans have on the natura l world; but a lso the ultimate resetting that can, and does occur w ith forces well beyond our ow n. We want our v isitors to feel these concepts in their hear ts, and not necessarily think about them too deeply. The stor y-telling dev ice for communication is the W hanganui R iver, which was accorded lega l personhood in 2017. W Nestled within the Sustainability District at Expo 2020, the New Zealand Pavilion is a true refl ection of the Maori value of ‘kaitiakitanga’. In an interview with Karishma Hingorani, Clayton Kimpton, New Zealand’s Commissioner-General to Expo 2020 explains the theme and how technology has been used to enable an interesting cultural display for visitors However, we have not shown the river realistically; we considered the experience would be stronger if the river was an abstraction, through all of the senses. This story is told throughout the pavilion experience – be it the pulsing kinetic façade by Kaynemaile, or the welcome space where pavilion visitors are mapped onto the wall interrupting the fl ow of nature, the river room, as well as the fi lm room. HOW ARE YOU ENABLING A FUTURE- READY IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE FOR VISITORS USING TECH? To create the fi lm room experience, we needed to be able to capture content for 24,000 horizontal pixels that cover 64m of wall space around the room for a completely immersive environment. A further 4,800 pixels make up the coverage of the central cube element in the fi lm room, which added four screens to the space. The scale of our canvas meant that every moment of our immersive experience needed to be custom made - as no capture system existed that could give us an image of the required size. The entire experience is run from the Watchout multi-display system that controls 8 Panasonic 22K lumen projectors and 10 Panasonic 12K projectors within the pavilion. The central control also provides the ability to fully sync projected media with the movement and lighting eff ects of the facade, the real water that drops nine metres from the ceiling in the river room, each individual fabric fi n that makes up the central cube in the fi lm room – and linking these to the ever-present sound of the pulse – which emanates from the mauri stone, and provides the driving force behind the experience. THEY SAY THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AT EXPO 2020. WHAT’S IN STORE FOR FILMMAKERS AND BROADCAST PROFESSIONALS AT YOUR PAVILION? Much of the fi lm room’s content consists of highly considered and fi nished motion www.digitalstudiome.com36 / OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 EXPO 2020 AT THE NEW ZEALAND PAVILION Clayton Kimpton, New Zealand’s Commissioner-General to Expo 2020 viewers to see through this element to the projection surfaces beyond. The dynamic action of the central cube and the way it is incorporated into the narrative of the experience in the room is an innovation in multi-sensory story telling through a different lens. MANY NEW ZEALANDERS HAVE BEEN A PART OF MIDDLE EAST’S FILM SPACE, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO NURTURE SUCH CONNECTIONS THROUGH YOUR PARTICIPATION IN EXPO 2020? One of the highlights in our programming is a short fi lm festival that will be held in December. Guests will be able to buy a ticket to attend, with six fi lms being showcased each night, with delicious food and beverage from our pavilion restaurant Tiaki. We hope this event will attract the many New Zealanders working in fi lm and television production in the UAE, enabling them to share more of our stories with their friends and colleagues. CAN YOU SHARE INSIDE DETAILS FROM YOUR ENTERTAINMENT ROSTER? Within the pavilion, we have hosting venues that can be used by New Zealand export companies to promote their businesses. We have also developed a very strong entertainment and cultural programme that has been curated by creative force Parris Goebel to surprise and delight audiences at Expo 2020. These events will be held both at the New Zealand pavilion and at venues throughout Expo Park across the six months – featuring singers, bands, street artists, dancers and cultural performers from Aotearoa New Zealand. DESCRIBE YOUR PROGRAMMING STRATEGY FOR THE EXPO 2020. The foundation of our programming strategy is making sure that New Zealand is well known as a nation of innovators who Care for People and Place. We know Expo 2020 will attract a very broad audience and we are keen to engage with people who want to build their relationship with New Zealand – be that through doing business with New Zealand companies, investing, looking at international study with a New Zealand education provider or those who want to visit, once our borders reopen. design, combined with collages of live action imagery and footage. There are selected moments where we surround our audience in a completely immersive live action environment. Capturing one of these moments on the Whanganui River required the build of a custom camera rig which incorporated 4 Canon R Cameras (each shooting 8K footage) rigged on a cross truss system, which was mounted on a bazooka mount to a jet boat. The footage from the cameras was stitched together and used to create an immersive environment in what is a fi rst for live action large scale 360 capture and projection. This would be of particular interest to fi lm makers and broadcast professionals. The central cube sculpture in the film room consists of fabric fins which are used as projection surfaces in parts of the experience. At other times, each of the fins can be rotated through the use of a custom build actuator system that allows www.digitalstudiome.comOCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 / 37 EXPO 2020OW DID YOU CONTRIBUTE TO THE SET- UP FOR SINGAPORE’S EXPO 2020 PAVILION? Yah Li Toh: As the lighting designer for the SG Pavilion, we wanted visitors to enter an environment that encourages the regeneration of the forest. A special three minute light show is going to be presented hourly every evening, bringing all components of the landscape lighting together to elevate the breathing rhythm of nature and a celebration of life. Following the pathways meandering into nature, concealed lighting by Luxconex served as a guiding light. The layer of grow lights above the hanging gardens supported the growth and doubled up as a layer for environmental lighting creating a layer of sky. Grow lights in narrow beams also supported the growth of nature on the cones. The grow lights from Maerich were carefully tuned to allow double usage of supporting growth with high photosynthetic photon fl ux output, and also as archi-entertainment lighting with special colours for an immersive biophilic environment, highlighting diff erent parts of nature. In the day time and early evenings, visitors will see that the environment appears to be a natural one, with warm colour tones, but gradually transits to various modes to reveal diff erent spectrums of light in the spirit of the forest and lighting scenes. Fibre optics by Krislite were further deployed to create luminous fi refl ies in the experience. Additional landscape lighting from CMY lighting, Linea Light further supported the overall H Titled Nature, Nurture, Future, the SG pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai uses digitalisation to recreate natural and digital ecosystems. Talking to Karishma Hingorani, Multimedia Show Director Brian Gothong Tan, along with Certifi ed Lighting Designer and Founder of Light Collab Yah Li Toh explains all that went behind setting up the greens digitally AT THE SINGAPORE PAVILION lighting enhancing various features like the water features, trees and other parts of the nature. To complement the experience, we used interior lighting from GLOS and Osram. Brian: I was appointed the multimedia director for the main anchoring video in the City Cone. Part of my strategy was creating a show that could show off Singapore to the world, off er ideas and inspiration to visitors about the unique things we do here. I am always excited to see a form being pushed to its limits – when fi lm or installation art is used in surprising and unconventional ways. It opens up ways for visitors to experience and learn about the world, especially when you present information in an exciting novel way. A truly unique experience tends to stay in the mind much longer. ACCORDING TO YOU, WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LIGHTING FOR A FILM SET OR AN INSTALLATION? Yah Li Toh: Some of the key points would be the ideas, or the narrative that you are communicating, and also the experience of the people, the environment, coming together as a whole. In this project, the challenge was Yah Li Toh, Founder, Light CollabBrian Gothong Tan, Multimedia Director to consider lighting requirements in support of plant life and also for the people. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE SUSTAINABILITY IN THE CONTEXT OF FILM AND PRODUCTION? Brian: The world of fi lm and production has been notoriously known for their wastage, in terms of props, sets and build up. But in the last few years, I have noticed a growing awareness of the need to be sustainable. I work with a lot of art directors now who make an eff ort to rent or borrow, instead of building and throwing after the production. It is a positive trend in the right direction. WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO AT EXPO 2020? Yah Li Toh: We look forward to meeting people, exchanging and exploring ideas with the various countries and regions. Brian: Besides how visitors will receive the Singapore Pavilion, which I’m sure they will be wow-ed, I am interested to see how other pavilions from other countries will come up with. This is my fourth World Expo that I am working on and visiting the Expo site is always stimulating and exciting. www.digitalstudiome.com38 / OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 EXPO 2020ELL US ABOUT YOUR PROGRAMMING STRATEGY FOR THE EXPO 2020 MORNING SHOW. Everyone who lives in the UAE knows that it has been a while since we had a local production on a daily basis. I am excited to be bringing that back on air with Dubai TV. My background has been such – I was the second employee at Dubai One back in 2007, when we produced the fi rst local TV show. Coming back after almost 14 years with another fi rst is great. Think of it as a morning lifestyle show that will off er everything you need to know about Expo on a daily basis throughout the six months. There is a big emphasis on each country’s National Day. Watch out for each country’s individual events and entertainment schedule, as well as the full programme, do your research and see everything you can, while you are here. All eyes on Expo for Ti22 right now. WHY DID YOU THINK IT WAS NECESSARY TO LAUNCH A VIDEO DRIVE THRU? Video consumption and engagement has been at an all time high ever since COVID struck. However, it’s always been a big enigma for people. They always think fancy equipment is needed. The more people I spoke to, I realised they were quite camera shy and didn’t have the confi dence to do it themselves. For me, I thought of it to be a great opportunity to be a helping hand for them. It all started during the lockdown, where we off ered a 60 minutes Video Drive Thru. Following all social distancing protocols, people could get a 60 seconds video within 60 minutes. We helped them write a script, gave presenting tips, fi lmed the video, provided social media support and our graphics team edited the video. We kept T Two years in the making, Ti22 fi lms has been commissioned by Dubai Media Incorporated to produce a daily live TV show from the world’s much-awaited Expo 2020 Dubai. All set to air on Dubai and Expo TV, Reim El Houni, CEO, Ti22 Films and dubai ON demand shares what’s worth tuning into and more – with Karishma Hingorani EXPO ON AIR it extremely cost eff ective too. I have seen many people almost cry towards the end, when they view the fi nal result. In an era where personal branding is so important, it made them gain confi dence. We continue to provide this service even today. Few of our customers wanted this experience to last longer. For them, we now off er the level up experience held over a weekend where we deep dive further into the craft of content. TOP THREE THINGS THAT CAN MAKE A VIDEO ENGAGING? Firstly, the hook or the opening sentence. I normally aim for either a statistic, a relatable question, or something that compels a person to fi nd out more. Secondly, if I learnt something from you, then I am going to keep coming back – education is very important. Thirdly, your confi dence level drives your engagement. Its important to look at the camera. ACCORDING TO YOU, WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF ON-DEMAND CONTENT IN MENA? When I started out in 2014, we made a channel for niches. When we spoke about dubai ON demand being on YouTube back then, people wondered how a TV show could be on the platform. For us, the idea was to deliver easy to fi nd niche content. Today, YouTube is everywhere. I think we are fi nally in a space where people are ready to embrace niche content across sectors, industries and platforms. There is no limit and everyone is a potential content creator. It’s a world that is no longer driven by personalities, or infl uencers. Today, everyone is a thought leader. According to me, we are going to see a huge increase in the volume of content and diff erent types of it in the next few years. Technology, AI and the likes are going to impact the way content thrives amid evolving consumption patterns. Reim El Houni, CEO, Ti22 Films DO YOU THINK IT IS NECESSARY TO BE VISIBLE ACROSS ALL PLATFORMS? I know a lot of people would vouch for being present on every social media platform. I am a fan of people like Gary Vaynerchuk, who says one needs to be everywhere. However, he’s got a massive team to support him through the cuts and edits. Hence, I tend to tell people that it is very essential to pick your audience and stick to one or two platforms. Customise your needs to that platform and make great content for it. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH A SHORTER ATTENTION SPAN AMONG AUDIENCES? People’s attention spans are based on the diff erent stages of awareness. In the initial stage, attraction being the most important objective, shorter videos make the cut. Simply because the audience does not know you yet. If I receive a video, the fi rst thing I see is the duration. If the video is longer than a minute, I hardly watch it. If it’s shorter, I am willing to give it a go. I prefer keeping my content short – majority of it sticks to 45 seconds with an opening hook. Once you have a fan base, you can aff ord to produce longer content, because audiences know your value by then. You have to be visible to gain credibility, and then keep sharing knowledge, which leads to profi tability – that’s a process by itself called VCP. I strongly believe that’s what works. www.digitalstudiome.comOCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 / 39 BROADCASTNext >