< PreviousWavo’s has bought exclusive rights to showcase Hulu’s critically-acclaimed, Golden Globe winning Arab-American comedy, Ramy in the Middle East. In the semi-autobiographical series, Ramy, the title character tells the story of his experiences as a millennial American Muslim living in New Jersey and the clash of his conservative Egyptian immigrant parent’s expectations with his Western surroundings. The series is written, executive produced, created by and starring Ramy Youssef and is also co-created by Ramy’s parents providing a realistic portrait of the Arab Muslim experience. The series scored a Golden Globe win for Youssef’s lead performance in the sitcom. Its success has spawned a 10-episode second season set to debut in spring of 2020. Youssef was born in the United States to Egyptian parents and fi rst rose to WAVO SECURES EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO RAMY ARAB-AMERICAN GOLDEN GLOBE WINNING SITCOM WILL BE AVAIL- ABLE ON OSN’S WAVO PLATFORM FEATURES INCLUDE AUTOFOCUS PERFORMANCE AND EASY-TO-USE OPTICAL VIEWFINDER NIKON LAUNCHES FX-FORMAT D780 DSLR CAMERA Nikon Middle East FZE has announced the launch of its FX- format D780 DSLR camera. The latest model, succeeding the Nikon D750, delivers refi nements in image quality, performance and versatility and features evolved autofocus (AF) system with an easy-to-view optical view fi nder and high AF precision in low light situation. Primary features include two AF systems — one with the advanced 273-point hybrid AF which automatically switches between focal-plane phase detection AF or contrast- prominence in 2017 after appearing for a stand-up segment on the popular talk show The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He pursued a career in acting, stand-up comedy and directing where some of his most famous work includes his reoccurring role in Season 3 of Mr. Robot. Emad Morcos, chief content offi cer of OSN said: “The launch of Ramy on Wavo reinforces the mission of providing curated content that we know millennials in our region will love.” 51200 (expandable to ISO 204800). The D780 also supports 4K UHD with full pixel readout, Full HD/120p recording allowing users to record movies that make the most of wide- angle lenses and broad angles of view delivering edge to edge sharpness. Video creators can enjoy the 10-bit N-Log7 profile or the HDR (HLG8) profile for true-to-life movie output with HDMI 10-bit output. This HDR (HLG) picture profile supports instant HDR workflow which allows acquisition of rich tonal gradation movies without colour grading. ARRI RELEASES NEW RANGE OF SIGNATURE PRIME LENSES ARRI released an entire range of Signature Prime lenses. Known for capturing warm, smooth skin tones, with soft bokeh and delicate fl ares, the ARRI Signature Prime lenses are the fi rst full range of large-format lenses designed specifi - cally for digital cinematography. The large-format lenses have 16 focal lengths ranging from 12 mm to 280 mm. The Signature Primes cover all im- age circles, up to 46 mm, making them compatible with any ARRI or third- party camera with an LPL mount. Since its launch, the ARRI Signa- ture Prime lenses have been used on set of fi lms and television series in- cluding 1917 with Roger Deakins CBE, ASC, BSC, Emily in Paris with Steven Fierberg ASC, Just 1 Day with Chris Doyle HKSC, Outlander (Season 5) with Stijn Van der Veken ASC, SBC, and The Invisible Man with Stefan Duscio ACS. Emad Morcos detection AF that covers approximately 90% of the image area. The DSLR also supports moviemaking capabilities featuring a pixel count of 24.5 megapixels and high sensitivity at ISO NEWS UPDATE www.digitalstudiome.com10 / FEBRUARY 2020 Yves Padrines Khalid Al Kaf. Etisalat’s E-Vision has launched multi-tenant OTT service across countries in the Middle East and Asia. The service is powered by Synamedia’s Infi nite platform. The platform is already live in Egypt and will launch soon in Saudi Arabia soon. Additional markets will follow. E-Vision’s multi-tenant cloud-based service provides operators in the MENA region and Pakistan with a platform to launch and run multi-screen, multi-language OTT services quickly and cost-eff ectively. E-Vision’s existing content and channel licensing business spans Hollywood studios, Bollywood and regional Arabic productions as well as more than 550 TV channels. The cable TV provider currently off ers telcos, ISPs and other OTT providers a secure turnkey OTT platform for linear TV and VOD services. The Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) has announced four new Emirati executive appointments across government, commercial, operational and technical business units. The new appointments, eff ective from January 2020 include the following engineers: Sulaiman Al-Ali, deputy chief executive offi cer of Thuraya; Eisa Al Shamsi, deputy general manager of Yahsat Government Solutions; Adnan AlMuhairi, deputy chief technical offi cer of Yahsat; and Khalid Al Kaf, deputy chief operations offi cer of Yahsat. Khaled Al Qubaisi, Yahsat chairman and Mubadala Aerospace, Renewable & ICT CEO said: “These appointments demonstrate Yahsat’s commitment to diversifying the UAE’s knowledge-based economy by unlocking Emirati potential. ETISALAT LAUNCHES MULTI-TENANT OTT YAHSAT BOOSTS LEADERSHIP WITH FOUR EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS CLOUD-BASED ‘E-VISION’ SERVICE WILL OPERATE ACROSS THE MENA REGION AND PAKISTAN THE MOVE ALSO SUPPORTS YAHSAT’S LONG-TERM STRATEGY search and recommendations for a personalised user experience proven to drive viewer engagement. Additional supported features include pay-TV, SVOD and AVOD business models and the pre-integrated Evergent Revenue and Customer Lifecycle Management platform for comprehensive subscriber management and frictionless billing. Yves Padrines, CEO of Synamedia commented: “With its new multi-tenant OTT service, E-Vision is pioneering a new approach to OTT services - one that we believe is the shape of things to come. With such intense competition in the OTT space, a shared video platform makes sense for many operators. Using our platform E-Vision liberates its OTT customers from worrying about the underlying technology and lets them focus instead on building a sustainable, profi table business faster.” sector and support Yahsat’s eff orts globally to advance the world we live in through innovative satellite technology. Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, CEO of Yahsat said, “Together, our four new leaders bring with them over 65 years of experience within the industry, and stand as a testament to the unique working culture and passion at Yahsat — one that’s strictly committed to the consistent development of its people and to the development of the UAE space sector. The four individuals have risen through the ranks and grown into these executive positions while displaying an endless drive to pursue excellence both at home and abroad, through training and development. They will play a huge role in developing the next line of Emirati talent and inspiring the next set of leaders in the industry.” The appointments bring Emirati talent into c-suite positions leading government, commercial, operational, technical, and engineering business units. We’re proud to bring together the brightest Emirati and regional minds to help grow the ICT The cost of infrastructure, innovation, video processing, monitoring, software integrations, software lifecycles and analytics is shared across all service providers using the service, providing E-vision’s customers with a cost base linked to revenue growth. The platform includes cloud DVR and supports content aggregation, NEWS UPDATE www.digitalstudiome.comFEBRUARY 2020 / 11 L-ACOUSTICS LAUNCHES AVB RACK FOR TOURS L-Acoustics has launched its LA-RAK II AVB fl yable touring rack, off ering twelve channels of amplifi cation in a 9 U frame. Contained within are three Milan- certifi ed LA12X amplifi ed controllers, two LS10 AVB switches and power and signal distribution panels that are internally prewired to off er plug-and- play networked audio. Genio Kronauer, director of elec- tronics development and Avnu board member said: “Our goal at L-Acoustics is to consistently evolve our technology to optimize system design, deployment and control, so that sound engineers can focus on creating experiences for their artists and audiences. Launch- ing a dedicated AVB rack is our way of making tours and mobile installations as fast and simple as possible for sound professionals while further improving audio quality.” In a behind the scenes video released by TwoFour54 and Netfl ix the cast and crew of 6 Underground — led by director Michael Bay — have shared their experience of fi lming in the UAE capital. The complex shoot, which took place in 24 diverse locations and TwoFour54 provided full production services, including locations assistance, securing permits and suppliers, as well as catering, accommodation and travel. “6 Underground is one of the largest and most complex productions to have ever been shot in the UAE,” said Her Excellency Maryam Eid AlMheiri, vice chair of TwoFour54. “Filming such complicated action sequences across so many locations in such a tight timeframe really pushed the boundaries. The 6 Underground crew revealed how the rich diversity of locations in Abu Dhabi meant they were used not only for scenes set in a fi ctional Middle Eastern country (Turgistan) but other MICHAEL BAY SHARES ABU DHABI SHOOTING EXPERIENCE SHOOT TOOK PLACE IN 24 DIVERSE LOCATIONS ACROSS ABU DHABI PANASONIC DEMONSTRATES BROADCASTING SOLUTIONS EUROPEAN ESPORTS BROADCASTER BBH USES PANASONIC Panasonic demonstrated its range of broadcasting solutions for sports and showcased its work with European eSports broadcast facilities company, Best Broadcast Hire (BBH) at the SVG FutureSport event in London on November 26, 2019. At the event, Swedish broadcast facilities company BBH showcased the success it has had using Panasonic solutions to broadcast eSports events around the world, including FIFA eSuperliga, the BLAST Pro Series across seven diff erent countries and the StarLadder Major tournament in Berlin. At the FIFA eSuperliga tournament in locations around the world, including Hong Kong and Las Vegas. This included ADGM Square and Reem Island doubling for Hong Kong in one key action sequence, Etihad Towers doubled as Las Vegas and Al Hamra in Ras Al Khaimah was used for scenes set in Afghanistan. A mansion for the lead villain was set at Emirates Palace, while TwoFour54’s backlot and the famous Liwa desert was used for the fi ctional country in the fi lm, Turgistan. Michael Bay on set of 6 Underground. Panasonic demonstrated its range of broad- casting solutions for sports t the SVG FutureSport. wide shots, live action, close-ups and fan reactions. The tournament sees 16 teams compete over eight weeks for a 49,000 euro prize pool. The image quality and the flexible camera system were key features required to support the FIFA eSuperliga, whilst the single sensor and Low Skew Mode found in the AK-UC4000 camera prevented any potential issues with unwanted moiré screen patterns when using the LED screens. Copenhagen, BBH used the Panasonic AK- UC4000 UHD camera system for studio NEWS UPDATE www.digitalstudiome.com12 / FEBRUARY 2020 The agreement was signed by Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali and Ahmed Saeed Al Mansouri, hief executive officer, DMI. The sights and sounds of Expo 2020 Dubai will be beamed to the world by Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI), which has been announced as the Offi cial Host Broadcaster for the fi rst World Expo in the Arab world. The Offi cial Host Broadcaster will broadcast activities from the Expo 2020 site in Dubai. DMI is the offi cial media organisation of the Government of Dubai, incorporating a number of print, radio and TV channels under its umbrella. It serves consumers regionally and internationally with content across multiple platforms, including Dubai TV, Dubai One, Al Bayan and Dubai Radio. Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali, executive director, Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau, said: “The media holds a major role in informing global audiences about Expo 2020 and its messages, and is a key pillar in achieving our goals. “The collaboration with DMI will signifi cantly bolster the media coverage of Expo 2020, contribute to the event’s success and help to share a positive image of the UAE to millions of viewers around the world.” The agreement was signed by Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali and Ahmed Saeed Al Mansouri, CEO, DMI. Ahmed Saeed Al Mansouri, CEO of Radio and TV Sector, DMI, said “As Offi cial Host Broadcaster for Expo 2020 Dubai, we are excited for the opportunity to create outstanding legacies for Dubai and the UAE in broadcast content production and delivery.” Expo 2020 will present The World’s Greatest Show, off ering a rich calendar of activities for all, from entertainment and food and beverage to arts and culture and the latest innovations from all over the world. It will provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience to millions of visitors of all ages and nationalities, more than 60 daily live shows during for its 173-day duration. EXPO 2020 DUBAI APPOINTS DUBAI MEDIA INCORPORATED AS OFFICIAL HOST BROADCASTER OFFICIAL HOST BROADCASTER WILL BEAM ALL ACTIVITIES FROM THE EXPO 2020 SITE The Expo 2020 site will boast a spectacular display of world-class architecture and the latest in technology and sustainable solutions from its opening on 20 October 2020 until its doors close on 10 April 2021. NEWS UPDATE www.digitalstudiome.comFEBRUARY 2020 / 13 14 FEBRUARY 2020 EDITOR’S COMMENT www.digitalstudiome.com he concept of leaving behind a legacy is a deep one, there comes a moment in our lives when we stop and think ‘what will the world remember me for?’ Even if it’s just your close friends and family — it’s important to leave behind a legacy that’s in most cases a good one. This is the 20th anniversary of Digital Studio Middle East. Not to get overtly philosophical, but putting this issue together got me thinking of all the stories and features we have published over the years. If you share a bond with this magazine, we would love to hear from you. Maybe you won an award, or made it to the shortlist, or had your story told in the 5 minutes with… section. You might have even noticed the little badge besides our masthead on the cover, it’s something that we will carry for the rest of the year in all our issues as part of our 20 year anniversary celebration. I’ve often heard producers, directors and creatives speak about the importance of talent and newcomers into the industry. We appreciate the hard work that’s put in my academicians to train and hone skills of the next generation of creative professionals. To that ilk it also gives me great pride to announce that henceforth we will have a dedicated section in the magazine and on our website that shines a light on young professionals studying cinematic arts. Wouldn’t it be great for these young guns to look back at what they set out to do a decade on from now? Possibly serve as a reminder to stay on par for the course when things might not seem to be aligning as planned. We are also going to host the 16th edition of the Digital Studio Awards on April 1, 2020. Depending on the time you read this, the nominations deadline would have closed or you might still have a couple of days (nay hours) to get your nomination in. I can’t wait to get started on reading all your nominations. I can assure you that our judges are quite eager to read your nominations as well. Here’s wishing each and every one of your the best of luck and may the best man / woman / creative win. It’s a milestone year for Digital Studio Middle East and we want to celebrate it with you, feel free to write to me with any suggestions you might have. Drop me an email at nikhil. pereira@itp.com. 20 YEARS OF DIGITAL STUDIO NIKHIL PEREIRA TA NIGHT TO SHOWCASE INDUSTRY EXLLENCE WEDNESDAY 1ST APRIL LAST CHANCE TO NOMINATE DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY 5TH FEBRUARY www.DigitalStudioME.com/awards #DSAWARDS GOLD SPONSOR FOR SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES, CONTACT: THOMAS LAMBERT, Sales Manager Tel: +971 4 444 3637 Mobile: +971 55 760 0707 Email: thomas.lambert@itp.com FOR NOMINATION ENQUIRIES, CONTACT: NIKHIL PEREIRA, Editor Tel: +971 4 444 3426 Email: nikhil.pereira@itp.com FOR EVENT & TABLE SALES ENQUIRIES, CONTACT: TERI DUNSTAN, Events Manager Tel: +971 4 444 3227 Email: teri.dunstan@itp.com16 / FEBRUARY 2020www.digitalstudiome.com GUEST COMMENT ’m sure at some point in your career you were confronted with a briefing that left you with more questions than answers. In some cases, this can be a blessing as it grants us the freedom to explore and develop, while in other cases this requires us to tap into our mindreading skills and deduce what the client really wants and expects. This scenario can make our lives more difficult, with longer workdays producing many versions and proposals, hoping one matches the clients’ expectations. Having been in those shoes several times, the first real time graphics solutions represented a light at the end of the tunnel. What if we could change content right in front of the client’s eyes? What if we could implement changes on site, even at the last minute, and with the audience already seated and anticipating a great experience? And all of this while still running a smooth show. When Ventuz released their first beta version in the mid-2000s we were really excited, and hesitant, as this was entirely new without any stress testing under extreme conditions. Suddenly we had a tool that allowed us to create, amend and run big shows, trade shows, interactive experiences and broadcast graphics much faster and in a much more flexible fashion than before. As the software rapidly developed and other solutions came into the market, real time graphics solutions became our go-to tools for 90% of our projects and developments. While most solutions were originally developed for broadcasters, we very quickly understood that such tools open new horizons for live events and interactive experiences. For us at Three Monkeys it always starts with a blank canvas and possibly a white rectangle. The next step is setting aside real time tools and focusing much more on classic design work in the tools that everybody uses, REAL TIME GRAPHICS HAS DISRUPTED THE CREATIVE PROCESS HOW DO YOU BRING A PROJECT TO LIFE? HOW DO YOU TURN A BLANK CANVAS OF ANY SHAPE OR FORM, ANY DISPLAY OR TECHNOLOGY, INTO AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE THAT CAPTIVATES YOUR AUDIENCE? such as Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. While real time graphics software runs 100% of the show, it only makes up 30 to 40% of the development process. Some operators also use it as a design tool, but we mainly see it as the compiling element that allows us to bring together designs, data, imagery, audio and all sorts of external inputs and signals. Having worked on events, shows, exhibitions and experiences of all shapes and sizes around the world, my experience is that Ventuz as a real time graphics solutions helped me in far more cases than it limited me. Thanks to our internal IT, A/V and engineering I Marc J. Mikulla, co- founder, Three Monkeys Creative Consulting.FEBRUARY 2020 / 17 www.digitalstudiome.com GUEST COMMENT knowledge and the software being a relatively open platform, we have been able to combine designs, technologies and resources that aren’t too obviously compatible. From live data streams, online content and social media, to mechanical outputs or physical triggers, our solutions combined all those that allowed us to enhance experiences, making them stand out from any off the shelf solutions. While in the beginning clients were quite skeptical of the ideas we proposed, over the years they began challenging us to come up with setups and designs that are not only unexpected, but also unprecedented. Many clients may shy away from such an approach as it sounds complicated and costly to start with, but this is a misconception. It isn’t very challenging to create something stunning out of a big budget. The real work of art is to create something outstanding with a smaller budget. Sometimes it’s the small bits and pieces from the hardware store around the corner that unexpectedly enhance an experience, that add the element of surprise or, to use an expression we don’t really like, produce the wow-effect. Over the years we built a network of local and international suppliers and technical partners who can support us with technical components and supplies that allow us to bring our ideas to life. Starting with understanding the needs, developing an idea, creating a concept, convincing the client, designing the experience, integrating technologies and add- ons; and bringing it to life – those are the typical production steps for our projects. Real time graphics technology enabled us to migrate all those steps into one fluid process, keeping additional routes and amendments open to deliver unexpected and startling experiences. And yes, sometimes we don’t even know whether an idea we have can be brought to life. We only know this after giving it a try, but isn’t this part of what makes our job so interesting? About the author Marc J. Mikulla, co-founder, Three Monkeys Creative Consulting, Dubaiwww.digitalstudiome.com18 / FEBRUARY 2020 IN FOCUSGO HOME OR Richard Hammond speaks exclusively to Nikhil Pereira in Dubai on his latest show BIG, and the disruptive nature of social media in today’s media landscape GO BIG ichard Hammond is amongst the most popular television presenters of this generation. Hammond worked his way to Top Gear fame having started out his career in journalism and radio. “I never thought that I would end up on Top Gear when I drove out of the audition, which was a piece that I had do with Jeremy. When I did get it [presenting on Top Gear] little did I know it would be more than 20 years of my life and grow to be the biggest factual entertainment show the world has ever seen,” Hammond tells Digital Studio ME exclusively. Hammond isn’t synonymous with only Top Gear and branched out into presenting several science and entertainment series over his three decade career. He’s currently producing BIG — a new engineering series that explores the world’s biggest structures and machines — for the Discovery Channel. Hammond was in Dubai to film one of the episodes that would cover various engineering and architectural aspects of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa — from its construction to its maintenance. “I’ve visited Dubai in the past for car-related shoots but this is a completely different way to see the place,” says Hammond upon visiting Dubai for the first time in three years. “The fact that the Burj Khalifa is built on sand and not clinging on to a lump of granite is making me look at Dubai in a way that I have never seen it before. As a visitor it’s easy to forget that all of what’s built in Dubai has been done so on san d,” he adds. “I love making engineering shows because I’m fascinated by the science and people behind some truly amazing feats. I’m not an engineer or a scientist, so I don’t mind asking the obvious questions — until we get it to the point where if I can understand it, anybody can. We used ‘Big’ as the theme, because it’s a diff erent way of looking at engineering, and you can then ask how do things change when you supersize stuff ? Whether it’s a container ship a quarter of a mile long or the longest rail tunnel in the world 2km under the Alps, or a massive hydroelectric dam, or an oil platform — once you get to a giant scale,” Hammond notes. R IN FOCUS www.digitalstudiome.comFEBRUARY 2020 / 19 Next >