Vol. 24 Issue 11 | November 2022 How Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdulla Al Qassimi is redefi ning cinema in the region DIRECTING A CREATIVE GENERATION REIMAGINING MARILYN’S HOLLYWOOD Temprimental VFX on bringing to life Marilyn Monroe in Netfl ix’s Blonde ARAB CINEMA FESTIVAL Championing homegrown fi lmmaking talent INSIDE THE BROADCAST OF THE UPCOMING FIFA WORLD CUP QATARAND FORMULA ONEWE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS NEOM MEDIA INDUSTRIES MAKING IT HAPPEN AT NEOM NEOM.COM SCAN FOR MORE 40%++ cash rebate for all TV, Film and TVCs 4 sound stages with full production support spaces & backlots 25 productions in 18 months on time/on budget Supporting productions ensuring minimal friction Direct flights to NEOM airport and 5* crew accommodation Sweeping deserts & dunes, mountains, pristine coastline & beaches, amazing rock formations and lush valleys PRODUCTION INCENTIVES WORLD CLASS FACILITIES DELIVERING RESULTS EXPERIENCED TEAM EASE OF ACCESS STUNNING LOCATIONSCONTENTS NOVEMBER 2022 6 UPDATE SONY DELIVERS IP SOLUTIONS FOR AL ARABY TV STUDIOS IN QATAR, WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY LAUNCHES NEW MENA PRODUCTION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INTIGRAL, POST MALONE CONCERT, AND OTHER HAPPENINGS FROM THE INDUSTRY 10 IN FOCUS: DISRUPTING NEWS DELIVERY HOW AL JAZEERA IS SHIFTING THE PARADIGM OF NEWS DELIVERY IN THE INDUSTRY 12 EXCLUSIVE REPORT BEHIND TEMPRIMENTAL VFX’S TECH AND TECHNIQUES THAT BROUGHT TO LIFE MARILYN MONROE IN NETFLIX’S BLONDE 16 TECH WHY MICROSOFT HUB IS INCREASING ITS FOCUS ON TRANSFORMATIVE MIXED REALITY TOOL, HOLOLENS 2 18 COVER STORY DIRECTING A CREATIVE GENERATION 24 SHOWTIME How arthouse cinema, Cinema Akil and its Arab Cinema Week are nurturing rich storytelling in the fi lmmaking space 28 IN THE FAST LANE The Seven Production team reveals how they are powering the F1 and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 30 SPECIAL FEATURE Inside the production set-up for the powerhouse MTV Video Music Awards 2022 32 INTERVIEW In conversation with TikTok MENA 34 5 MINUTES WITH... Samer Asfour, CEO, Nested VFX 6 24 12 18 www.digitalstudiome.comNOVEMBER 2022 / 3 SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE WWW.ITP.COM/SUBSCRIPTIONSWW W. IT P.COM/SUBS CR IPTIONS DON’T MISS AN ISSUE! CH-1CH-2 Published by and © 2022 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 Deputy Managing Director Nicky Dawson EDITORIAL Group Editor Carla Sertin Editor Misbaah Mansuri Tel: +971 4 4443454 e-mail: misbaah.dilawar@itp.com ART Designer Mohammed Irqsosy ADVERTISING Digital Publisher, Enterprise Technology Group Paul Hylden Tel: +971 4 444 3396 email: paul.hylden@itp.com Sales Manager Philip Johnston Tel: +971 4 444 3637 email: philip.johnston@itp.com ITP LIVE General Manager Ahmad Bashour Tel: +971 4 444 3549 email: ahmad.bashour@itp.com PHOTOGRAPHY Photographer Marwan Elsayed Videographer Julius Garcia Videographer Muhammad Kaleem Video Editor Liju Cheruvathur Sound Engineer Borys Hridin PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Production Manager Denny Kollannoor Production Co-ordinator Manoj Mahadevan Senior Image Editor Emmalyn Robles CIRCULATION 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 /NOVEMBER 2022EDITOR’S COMMENT www.digitalstudiome.comNOVEMBER 2022 / 5 aving just returned from the recently-concluded Arab Cinema Week by Dubai-based arthouse cinema, Cinema Akil, I’m still blown away by how the creative scene of the Middle East continues to fl ourish with each passing day. This belief was reinforced all the more as I was exposed to a multitude of stories at the fi lm festival, all related to generational confl icts and dialogues, with fi lms that are emerging from Sudan, Somalia, Tunisia, the UAE, Qatar, Yemen, among others. A special mention to the drama feature fi lm The Alleys directed by Bassel Ghandour where I was particularly pleased to see the portrayal of compelling female characters, ones who carry past trauma but are not defi ned by them and have found a way to navigate the challenging landscape in which they have to live, no matter how aggressive they have to be. It’s so rare to see such well-rounded women in any fi lm, let alone one set in the Middle East. With the above in mind, this issue is dedicated to those disseminating the Arab cinema heritage to the world with Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdulla Al Qassimi, Director of FUNN and Sharjah International Film Festival (SIFF) for Children and Youth, gracing our cover. It’s immensely inspiring to see her presenting the children and the youth with incredible resources, trainings, championing a landscape where rich stories can be told, and allowing them to dream without inhibitions. Elsewhere in this edition, we take you inside Netfl ix’s recent release, Blonde that commemorates the iconic Marilyn Monroe, bringing to you an exclusive report on how the stars behind its VFX produced exquisite visuals for the fi lm, meant to teleport the audience back to the 40s and 50s. I must also mention how stoked I was to witness the very best of cutting-edge tech at the recent edition of Gitex Global. Think fl ying cars, AI, natural language processors that took over the showfl oor in all its glory. From the event, we look at Microsoft Hub’s increasing focus on HoloLens 2- a transformative mixed reality tool and how it is a key enabler for next-gen disruption. With the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup Qatar and F1 upon us, we also fi nd out how Seven Production the team behind the broadcasting of these mega-events is prepping to bring these spectacles to life. Through our chat with Butheina Kazim, Founder, Cinema Akil and Rabih El Khoury, Program Curator of its Arab Cinema Week, we continue to capture the blossoming of the Arab cinema world. Today more than ever, I’m convinced that as the world watches the current events in the region, the Middle East’s fi lms are the best place to discover its true soul — from the most extreme circumstances to more-commonplace diffi culties, capturing the Arab world with an unfl inching eye, a big heart, and a critical hand. Here is to the future of cinema, one which elevates kindness and creativity—both have no limit and are right at home in these pages. To new frontiers of cinema and innovation MISBAAH MANSURI HTOP NEWS AND HAPPENINGS IN THE TV AND FILM PRODUCTION INDUSTRY INSIGHT SONY DELIVERS IP SOLUTIONS FOR AL ARABY TV STUDIOS IN QATAR HD/4K-ready ecosystem will strengthen the state-of-the-art Al Araby studio at its new headquarters in Lusail City in Doha. The IP Live System will provide a variety of confi guration functionalities across a 430 sq mt newsroom, 290 sq mt morning studio, and a 235 sq mt blackbox studio, so the user can build several production systems under one networked system of AV devices. Jobin Joejoe, Deputy Managing Director, Sony Middle East & Africa said: “We are delighted to work closely with Al Araby studios and Modern Home in Qatar to deliver optimised use of studio facilities, control rooms, and the most suitable solutions to maximise programming output. Broadcasters and production companies can transform their live operations with Sony’s IP solutions, which are especially useful in busy news broadcasting environments. Our goal is to make live production more agile, fl exible, and cost eff ective through our end-to-end IP solutions. As we execute more projects in the region, we are also ramping up our partner capabilities to support customers locally with after-sales services.” Ali Husseini, Director Of Broadcast Operations & Visuals, Al Araby TV, commented: “Being an IP implementation, this was a challenging project both in terms of the latest technology and strict delivery timelines to be ready in time for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Sony’s pioneering development of practical IP Live Production Solutions and their vast experience in delivering similar projects helped us at multiple levels during the various stages of the project. It was a collective eff ort which ultimately contributed to the success of the project.” Sony Middle East & Africa has delivered a comprehensive IP HD/4K-ready live production studio for Al Araby TV in Doha, Qatar T he solutions include Sony’s Live System Management (LSM) and IP Control Software for signal routing and control, and confi guration of the IP live production system. Sony also provided 11 4K HDC-3500 system cameras, delivering new levels of image quality, portability, and creative fl exibility for live production environments; and two XV-S7000 multi-format video switchers, delivering operability for mid-range productions. Modern Home supplied 130 65-inch BRAVIA XR TVs for IPTV distribution within the premises. Al Araby TV will be the fi rst major network in the Middle East to be equipped with IP HD/4K-ready technology across its three studios. The IP system enables studios, control rooms and production equipment to be shared within a facility for more effi cient use of production resources. Sony’s full IP AL ARABY TV WILL BE THE FIRST MAJOR NETWORK IN THE MIDDLE EAST TO BE EQUIPPED WITH IP HD/4K-READY TECHNOLOGY ACROSS ITS THREE STUDIOS. www.digitalstudiome.com6 / NOVEMBER 2022INSIGHT P roduced by Flash Entertainment, the Etihad Park show will see Post Malone (Austin Richard Post) perform a selection of hits from his back catalogue, such as Psycho, Sunfl ower, and Better Now, as well as new tracks DIAMOND- CERTIFIED POST MALONE CONFIRMED TO PLAY ABU DHABI SHOW OVER NATIONAL DAY WEEKEND Diamond-certifi ed American singer-songwriter Post Malone will return to Abu Dhabi for an outdoor concert at Etihad Park on December 3. The world-renowned rapper, who has sold 95 million singles and 13 million albums in the US alone, promises to captivate the Yas Island audience with an electrifying performance over UAE National Day weekend from his latest album, Twelve Carat Toothache. “I’m excited to be returning to Abu Dhabi and performing for the incredible audience there again,” said Post Malone. “The crowd for my last show there was electric and I can’t wait to take to the stage and perform for my fans in the Middle East. Together, we’re going to enjoy a fantastic weekend.” The 27-year-old, who is the eighth best-selling digital artist of all time, rose to fame for his unique blend of hip hop, pop, R&B, and trap genres and subgenres. Twelve Carat Toothache, which was released in June 2022, debuted at No2 on the US Billboard 200 after selling 121,000 album-equivalent units in its fi rst week. “Flash Entertainment constantly works to bring the region’s audience the highest quality of performers and unmissable experiences,” said John Lickrish, CEO of Flash Entertainment. “As part of this commitment, over the past 15 years, we have successfully managed to regularly bring AAA talents to Abu Dhabi and Post Malone is one further example of that. A world-class talent with a unique sound and well- established base of fans in the region, I know he is excited to return to the UAE for the fi rst time since 2018.” Tickets for the concert are available for purchase from ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE. General Admission tickets cost AED 295, while General Admission with Early Entry to the iconic Etihad Park venue cost AED 395. Golden Circle tickets, enabling concert-goers to experience the show closest to the stage, are priced at AED 695 and AED 795 for Golden Circle Early Entry. Those who want to enjoy the performance with the enhanced experience with an elevated viewpoint have the option to do so by buying Tree House tickets, which cost AED 895. THE CROWD FOR MY LAST SHOW THERE WAS ELECTRIC AND I CAN’T WAIT TO TAKE TO THE STAGE AND PERFORM FOR MY FANS . ” www.digitalstudiome.comNOVEMBER 2022 / 7 INSIGHT D are to Take Risks follows the girls’ journey as they traverse culturally rich and iconic destinations of the KSA, UAE, and Egypt. From conquering mountains to jumping from heights and diving 50-meters underwater, the girls’ friendship and resilience are put to the ultimate test in the 6-part series. Shot in some of the MENA region’s epochal landmarks, such as UNESCO heritage sites Hegra and Aswan and the illustrious Burj Khalifa, the series champions the wonders of the Arab world, WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY LAUNCHES A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND MENA PRODUCTION, ‘DARE TO TAKE RISKS’ IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INTIGRAL STARRING AMY ROKO, HADEEL MAREI AND MAHA JAAFAR Warner Bros. Discovery, together with Intigral, stc Group’s subsidiary of digital media and entertainment, announces the launch of a new reality gameshow, Dare to Take Risks . It stars prominent infl uencers of the Arab youth generation: Amy Roko, Hadeel Marei, and Maha Jaafar “Warner Bros. Discovery is honoured to be able to pay homage to the MENA region and support its recreation and tourism industries. This unique project is a landmark moment within our long- standing partnership with Intigral. We are excited for viewers to be inspired by this new generation of Arab women, with their extraordinary creativity, zest, and humour,” said Francesco Perta, Vice President of Business Development and Distribution for the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey at Warner Bros. Discovery. Peter Mrkic, Chief Commercial Offi cer of Intigral, stated: “This partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery marks a new milestone for digital entertainment in the region as it engages a group of talents from the Kingdom and the region and the best production and broadcast technologies. It will also enhance the Kingdom’s position as a production powerhouse and a hub for the latest digital entertainment productions.” taking viewers on a light-hearted journey fi lled with laughter and daring adventures. Dare to Take Risks is the newest addition to Jawwy TV’s collection of discovery+ Originals. WE ARE EXCITED FOR VIEWERS TO BE INSPIRED BY THIS NEW GENERATION OF ARAB WOMEN, WITH THEIR EXTRAORDINARY CREATIVITY, ZEST, AND HUMOUR. ” www.digitalstudiome.com8 / NOVEMBER 2022INSIGHT SNAP INC. LAUNCHES FAMILY CENTER IN SAUDI ARABIA IN A JOINT COLLABORATION WITH THE GENERAL COMMISSION FOR AUDIOVISUAL MEDIA In collaboration with the General Commission for Audiovisual Media (GCAM), Snap Inc. has launched Family Center in the Kingdom, making it one of the fi rst Arab countries to launch the service parents can now easily and confi dentially report any suspicious accounts directly to Snap’s Trust and Safety team to help keep the Snap community safe. While Saudi Arabia is making big leaps in digital transformation and enabling large-scale adoption of the latest technologies, it is imperative that we ensure safe online spaces for the Kingdom’s youth,”added Assery. Georg Wolfart, Head of Public Policy at Snap Inc. said, “With Family Center, we are facilitating important conversations between parents and their children about online safety, which will positively impact online experiences for Saudi society in the long run.” Snap plans additional safety features for Family Center in the coming months, including new content controls for parents and the ability for teens to notify their parents when they report an account or a piece of content to Snap’s Trust and Safety team. STAY UPDATED FOR LATEST NEWS, VISIT WWW.DIGITALSTUDIOME.COM “WHILE SAUDI ARABIA IS MAKING BIG LEAPS IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND ENABLING ADOTION OF LATEST TECHNOLOGIES, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE ENSURE SAFE ONLINE SPACES FOR THE YOUTH. ” T he new in-app tool gives parents more control over their children’s online activity, allowing them to see their friends list on Snapchat, and monitering whom they have been communicating with without revealing the substance of those conversations. With the help of Family Center, parents can now easily and confi dentially report any suspicious accounts directly to Snap’s Trust and Safety team, a dedicated unit that works around the clock to help keep Snapchatters safe. Snap has also launched new tools to encourage constructive and open conversations about online safety. Esra Assery, CEO of the General Commission for Audiovisual Media, said, “The new service adds another layer of protection to existing safeguards, ensuring that teens must be mutual friends before they can start communicating with each other.” “According to a study by Kantar and Snap Inc., 71% of parents in Saudi Arabia now use Snapchat. With the help of Family Center, www.digitalstudiome.comNOVEMBER 2022 / 9 Next >