Production 360 Issue V1.2 November-December 2024

YOUR MAGAZINE FOR SPORT, NEWS, FILM & TV AND EVENTS

V1.2 • NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024

The Virtual Production Revolution

How new technologies are transforming TV and film production

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It starts by emailing chris@production360.media

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA WELCOME

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 | 3

Welcome to Production 360º

A very warm welcome to issue two

of Production360°, and we hope you

enjoy it. Myself, Dean and David

have worked incredibly hard to

produce a fresher style of publication

with the goal of making easy-toread,

thoughtful and insightful

content with compelling levels of

interactivity, which is a challenge

when many companies are still not

100% confident in supplying dynamic

video — strange for a moving

image industry!

This issue will feature thought leadership from Vizrt,

Sony, Canon, Pixotope, MRMC, Disguise and Alfalite. We

are also incredibly fortunate to have excellent articles from

David Davies, our contributing writer, and another superb

article from Ben Swanton at 808 Talent — a huge thank

you to you all.

Launching a new product into a highly competitive

area where there are some established platforms, brands,

and personalities was never going to be easy. It is more

challenging to publish two issues before the year-end

when most budgets were already exhausted; however, the

first issue went down incredibly well. We received positive

feedback at IBC as well as constructive advice. Again, thank

you to all; you know who you are.

This is not a revolution but an evolution. We have other

things in the pipeline designed to offer thought leadership,

brand awareness and lead generation — do continue

to watch this space. The end game is to have the most

attractive, interactive, and readable platform across any

device, with influential content from industry leaders and

value and ROI for potential supporters. Everything has

to work — we can do more than position an ad on a page

expecting results. With your support, we can do more for

you. All we ask is that you take a look at what we do.

Along with www.production360.media and our highly

engaging LinkedIn audience, which is 4300 and growing

daily, we have three channels to ensure it does work. No

subscription or data is required. If you like what you see,

please share. If you want to be involved, drop me a line or

give me a call.

Thank you and enjoy.

Chris Cope, Publisher

Production 360º

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PRODUCTION360.MEDIA NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 | 5

Publisher

Chris Cope

chris@production360.media

Contributing Writer

David Davies

daviddaviesjournalist@gmail.com

Production

Dean Cook

deancook@magazineproduction.com

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not necessarily those of the editorial or

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/production360

3 Welcome to Issue 2

Publisher Chris Cope welcomes readers to the second

issue of Production360, which focuses on virtual

production (VP) and related technologies such as

extended reality (XR).

6 Production360 News

Rise Awards announces its Woman of the Year, while

there is business and technology news from Avid,

Vizrt, CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, Panasonic,

ROE Visual, Mediagenix and BirdDog.

14 From broadcast to YouTube: how VP

and AI are shaking up video

The TV and film production industries are in the midst

of a huge period of change. Chris Black, global head of

brand and communications at Vizrt, sets the scene for

our VP issue.

18 Virtual production: the next

pieces of the puzzle

The rapid rise of virtual production over the past five

years has been nothing short of phenomenal but now

standardisation is needed, writes David Davies.

20 Alfalite’s Luis Garrido: ‘It’s a new era

for AI production’

Luis Garrido, executive director of leading LED screen

manufacturer Alfalite, discusses the transformational

impact of virtual production and the need for

standardisation as this area of technology matures.

26 MRMC’s Paddy Taylor: ‘Convergence

between gaming and film is a

natural progression’

Paddy Taylor — head of broadcast at Mark

Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) — reflects on the

development of VP workflows and his expectations for

the next stage of the technology’s progress.

CONTENTS

30 Canon’s Graham Payne: ‘The pandemic

put VP in fast forward’

Graham Payne, product business developer ISB

at Canon UK&I, reflects on the benefits of VP and

outlines some of the Canon solutions that have been

adopted in this area.

34 Disguise’s Milo Hancock: ‘We’re in the

maturity phase of VP’

Shortly after it was announced that Disguise had

received new funding with the MAX-R alliance,

technical solutions specialist Milo Hancock discussed

an area of technology where “evolution is constant”.

38 Pixotope’s Marcus Brodersen: ‘VP

meets the demand for high-quality,

immersive content’

Marcus Brodersen, CEO of virtual production software

and solutions innovator Pixotope, discusses the role

that VP is playing in the creation of “flexible, efficient

and creative production solutions.”

42 Sony’s Sebastian Leske: ‘VP’s

vast potential to transcend the

boundaries of technology’

Sony Professional Europe’s business development

manager, cinematography, Sebastian Leske, discusses

some of the many new creative opportunities

heralded by the rise of VP.

46 Remote hiring: common pitfalls (and

how to avoid them)

In his second article for Production360, Ben Swanton

— founder and CEO of 808 Talent — explores the

challenges of remote hiring in global broadcast media

and sports technology.

6 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 NEWS

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

2024 RISE AWARDS

ANNOUNCE WOMAN

OF THE YEAR WINNER:

MEGAN MAUCK

Rise, the awardwinning

advocacy

group for gender

diversity in the media

technology sector, is

proud to announce

the 2024 winner of the

Woman of the Year

Award, Megan Mauck.

Megan is the

Senior Vice President of Media Operations

at NBCUniversal and will receive her award,

sponsored by Zixi, during the Rise Awards

2024 ceremony, which was held Troxy,

London in November.

Megan began her career as an Engineering

Co-Op at Toyota, before joining General

Electric’s Operational Management Leadership

Program in 2006, where she launched her

professional journey with NBCUniversal.

Over the years, she has progressed through

a series of increasingly senior operational

and project management roles, ultimately

advancing to her current position as a senior

executive. Megan holds a degree in Mechanical

Engineering from Purdue University and is

based in Los Angeles, California.

In her current position, Megan leads

NBCUniversal’s 24/7 Media Operations across

Los Angeles, Denver, and New York.

Avid acquires Wolftech

Avid, the global provider

of software solutions for

professional media production,

recently announced it has

completed the acquisition of

the cloud-based multiplatform

news planning, production and

publishing solutions, Wolftech

Broadcast Solutions.

The acquisition enables Avid

to combine its digital-first,

end-to-end media solution with

Wolftech’s expertise in storycentric

workflow management.

News organisations will be

able to increase efficiency and

accelerate story delivery through

enhanced remote collaboration

and multiplatform amplification.

Avid CEO Wellford Dillard

stated: “This is an exciting

moment. Wolftech is

unquestionably on the

leading edge of where the

industry is going, and this

acquisition demonstrates Avid’s

commitment to transform news,

sports, and live production

workflows. We are delighted

to welcome Wolftech into

the Avid family.”

Wolftech CEO Arne Berven

added: “We were focused on

finding a partner that could

accelerate the adoption of our

platform globally. We explored

a number of possibilities, but

when we talked to Avid, we knew

it was the right match.”

The closing of the acquisition

follows Avid’s announcement

on October 7 that the company

had entered into a definitive

agreement to acquire Wolftech.

With this acquisition, Avid

deepens the integration

between the two toolsets while

continuing to embrace an open

approach in partnering with a

wide range of media production

tools and newsroom systems.

Existing Wolftech customers

will benefit from Avid’s global

scale for customer support and

professional services.

Ian Axton, Head of Production

Operations for ITV News,

said: “As a customer of both

Avid and Wolftech we’re

excited about the benefits

this acquisition will bring to

our users and our business.

Wolftech has transformed the

way our journalists work and

collaborate across our multiple

newsrooms and platforms. We

see deeper integration with Avid

MediaCentral as the next logical

step in bringing a single pane of

glass newsroom solution to life

and see this acquisition as a very

positive way to accelerate that.”

Dillard added: “This acquisition

strengthens Avid’s position in

the news market and confirms

our commitment to deliver

best-in-class solutions that

empower news organisations

to thrive in today’s fast-paced

digital landscape. Together,

Avid and Wolftech will enable

news production teams to

accelerate storytelling — from

pitch to publish.”


PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

Pushing the boundaries of live broadcast, the

AFL Final’s virtual camera and AR technology

created a viral social media spectacle

Vizrt, the leader in real-time graphics and live

production solutions for content creators, has

partnered with Champion Data to bring Katy

Perry’s state of the art Australian Football League

(AFL) Grand Final pre-show performance alive with

virtual reality graphics.

A powerful product of the convergence of AR

broadcast graphics and live entertainment, the

collaboration enabled an elevated broadcast

experience for fans tuning in at home and

captivated global audiences on social media.

The event saw the AFL Grand Final attract a

record-breaking audience of 4 million people

tuning into the show via Seven Network. Fans

watching from home were treated to a blend of

high-action performances from Katy Perry and

supporting artists that were interwoven with a

range of dynamic, futuristic galaxy-like graphics.

“Despite the AFL Final being an elaborate, live

show with multiple camera inputs and extensive

graphics overlays, the Vizrt tools very much

enabled us to ‘set and forget’ when it came

to production programming. We had such

confidence in delivering Katy Perry’s production

knowing that Viz Virtual Studio and Viz Engine

formed the technical backbone. We didn’t need

to tweak too much — whether it be for her

performance or our standard game day graphics

— it all came together perfectly,” remarks Andrew

Mott, Champion Data.

Utilising Viz Engine 5’s seamless 4K Unreal Engine graphics

integration, Seven Network’s broadcast teams effortlessly

blended augmented reality graphics into live broadcast

streams, lifting premade graphics created by Katy Perry’s

production team, Silent Partners Studio, in Unreal Engine.

The hybrid augmented reality production saw Champion

Data push the boundaries of its existing AFL production

infrastructure rather than rebuilding from the ground up. The

production team utilized the same technical set up to generate

both the usual Match Day graphics and the AR graphics for Katy

Perry’s performance.

“Seeing the Champion Data team leverage its Vizrt set up to

pull off a remarkable feat of creative graphics for Katy Perry’s

show is testament to the skill, dedication and expertise of the

Champion Data team. Spectacular venue-based graphics were

once only reserved for select high-end projects using specialist

equipment, but the Champion Data team have proved that

Vizrt ecosystems can be used to

unlock the same incredible results,

broadening access to showstopping

graphics capabilities to

everyone,” adds Andrew O’Neil, Head

of Sports, Vizrt.

For Katy Perry’s performance,

Champion Data leveraged Tracking

Hub and Studio Manager from its

existing Viz Virtual Studio installation,

a staple of its typical Match Day

graphics set up for Seven Network,

to feed in data from three cameras

— two of which supplied mechanical

tracking data. All three cameras

sent data to, and were calibrated in,

Studio Manager, passing on outputs

to three Viz Engines on the day which

enabled rendering of Mushroom

Graphics Unreal-based graphics

onto the live feeds.

Spearheaded by Champion

Data, the project brings together

expertise from a range of technology

and live production and event

leaders including Vizrt, Mushroom

Events, Silent Partners Studio,

NEP Group Inc, Seven Network

and Epic Games.

www.vizrt.com

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA NEWS


BCoT opens state-ofthe-art

virtual studio

Basingstoke College

of Technology (BCoT)

made a half million

pound investment

in a purpose-built

green screen virtual

production studio,

designed and

integrated by CJP

Broadcast Service

Solutions. This new

facility is tailored to

meet the evolving

needs of the media and

entertainment industry,

ensuring students gain

practical experience

with professional tools.

The studio features

high-resolution

cameras integrated

with advanced tracking

systems for precise

alignment between

live footage and realtime

virtual graphics.

This setup supports

final-pixel workflows,

enabling students

to produce complex

virtual scenes akin

to those in high-end

film and broadcast productions. The low-energy

lighting rig, designed to work seamlessly with

green screen technology, enhances sustainability

without compromising output quality.

CJP’s comprehensive integration of advanced

production tools helps bridge the skills gap

between education and industry. By working

with a range of technologies—including

motion capture, real-time animation, and postproduction

suites—students develop critical

technical skills and gain exposure to industrystandard

practices. This hands-on training

builds confidence and proficiency, laying the

foundation for a seamless transition into the

professional world.

The new facility, launched for the 2024 academic

year, demonstrates CJP’s expertise in creating

practical media production spaces for education.

This studio allows students to work with industrystandard

tools and technologies, closing the

gap between theoretical learning and real-world

media production practices.

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PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

Panasonic’s Kairos Platform delivers a competitive

eSports advantage for University of Staffordshire

Panasonic’s KAIROS platform is

utilised alongside 4K-capable PTZ

and studio cameras, delivering an

eSports degree that equips students

with the required industry skills.

University of Staffordshire has

created a state-of-the-art eSports

broadcasting course with the

support of Panasonic and its longterm

partner, Digital Garage. This

will enable the university to run

eSports events, accommodate

more students onto the course and

position itself as a leader in academic

eSports broadcasting.

University of Staffordshire was the

first university to launch a dedicated

eSports degree. It has enlisted Digital

Garage to expand its professional

broadcasting capabilities, as part

of a £2.7 million eSports expansion

programme at the university’s

Stoke-on-Trent campus. As the

primary contractor, Digital Garage

will manage the entire design and

build, equipping the space with

professional broadcast studio

equipment from Panasonic.

IP-BASED VIDEO PRODUCTION

The new 61-seat arena in University of

Staffordshire’s eSports Broadcasting

Hub will utilise Panasonic’s state-of-the-art live video production platform,

KAIROS. Two AT-KC200 mainframes will be utilised, compatible with the SMPTE

ST 2110 IP-based transmission standard that is revolutionising the transmission

of video and audio signals over IP networks.

Ideal for remote and studio-based production environments, KAIROS

virtualises traditional switcher functions and eliminates many legacy switcher

hardware constraints. It features innovative CPU/GPU architecture and

removes the one-to-one input restrictions of SDI-only switchers. This will

enable much of the intermediary kit to be removed, providing a cutting-edge,

cost-effective solution for eSports broadcasting.

The installation of Panasonic’s KAIROS platform and 4K-capable cameras

provides students with a professional broadcast environment in a university

setting. Their experience in operating Panasonic’s cutting-edge KAIROS

platform and IP-based video production networks delivers the future skills

they need to go into the workplace.

Richard Mortimer, Technical

Services Manager at University of

Staffordshire, commented: “We

needed to deliver a course to recruit

the next generation of sportscasting

students, albeit within budget. Digital

Garage gave us the confidence

to step out of our comfort zone

and invest in high-level Panasonic

technology, to build industryleading

facilities with commercial

viability. We knew that adopting

ST 2110 was absolutely the right

decision, giving us a competitive

advantage in eSports.”

4K-CAPABLE

BROADCASTING

University of Staffordshire’s studio

is equipped with three AW-UE100

4K-capable PTZ cameras and

three AK-HC3900 HDR studio

cameras. The UE100 PTZ is the

first 4K 50p/60p[1] PTZ camera

to support high bandwidth NDI®

and SRT IP transmission protocols.

Its direct drive motor delivers

smooth pan and tilt movements,

with a wide-angle lens with a 74.1°

field of view and 24x optical zoom

offering installation flexibility, low

noise, and high-resolution image



capture — making it ideal for remote and studiobased

productions.

The HC3900 1080p HDR studio camera is

equipped with a large 4K-CMOS sensor for high

sensitivity and video quality, ideal for broadcasting,

events, education, and corporate environments.

Future upgrades to native 4K 60p/50p will enable

the HC3900 to deliver native 4K video with a

horizontal resolution of 2,000 TV lines.

PROFESSIONAL BROADCASTING IN

AN ACADEMIC SETTING

With Digital Garage managing every aspect of the

project, including design, build and budgeting, it

has complete autonomy over the selection of bestof-breed

kit from Panasonic. It has also re-designed

the installation and staging layout to maximise the

form and functionality of the space.

Furthermore, Digital Garage and Panasonic have

delivered ST 2110 and KAIROS-based training, to

help University of Staffordshire’s IT and academic

staff transition to an AVoIP-based production

approach. This will enable them to manage the

innovative technology and answer any installation

or workflow queries — whilst supporting

students effectively.

Mike Whelan, Managing Director of Digital

Garage, added: “KAIROS live production platform

was a no-brainer; the ultra-low latency of ST 2110 is

ideal for eSports. Combined with Panasonic’s PTZ

and studio cameras, University of Staffordshire’s

eSports arena now has the ‘wow’ factor. They

can now provide state-of-the-art technology to

students, giving them the tools required to run and

host eSports events.”

Click here to read the full case study.

Take 2 Studios Partner with

ROE Visual to Host Hands-on

Virtual Production Workshop

ROE Visual and Take 2 Studios have partnered

to host the region’s first-ever interactive and

hands-on virtual production workshop. Split

over two days, ‘Virtual Production Unlocked’ will

bring together a panel of filmmaking experts

from around the world to share knowledge

and provide insight into the very latest content

creation techniques.

Established in 2023 by sibling team Felix and

Viktoria Brandstetter, Take 2 Studios has rapidly

become the studio of choice for European ad

agencies and production companies. The team

provides a fully managed service and has filmed

everything from car commercials to fashion ads

and product photography.

Take 2 features a cutting-edge LED virtual studio

equipped with Hollywood-grade technology,

which enables clients to shoot in any virtual

environment imaginable, where they can hold

golden hour all day and work uninterrupted by

the weather and other distractions of traditional

content creation.

Speaking ahead of the event, founder Felix

Brandstetter said: “This workshop is ideal for

content creators who want to integrate virtual

production into their projects and leverage

the technology to create compelling, visually

stunning narratives. Whether you’re looking

for an introduction to VP, would like to sharpen

your technical skills, or expand your professional

network, this event will offer invaluable insights

into the future of filmmaking.”

Apart from a full day of hands-on experience,

participants will gain first-hand tips and tricks

from seasoned and industry-leading specialists,

including Steve Giralt from The Garage,

renowned for his commercial work, Nils Pauwels,

an audiovisual expert and Co-Founder of IIM,

and Mazze Aderhold, Chief Workflow Engineer

at Assimilate Inc., with over 15 years of postproduction

experience.

Virtual Production Unlocked is open to

professionals in the film industry, creative

agencies, and businesses who need to shoot

content regularly, regardless of their previous

VP experience. Traditional film staff, like writers,

producers, set runners, DoPs, the art department,

Gaffer & Grip, marketing directors, and brand

owners, will gain valuable insight into the limitless

possibilities of virtual production.


PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

Mediagenix survey shows 55% of media companies

struggle with automation and system connectivity

Mediagenix, a leading provider of smart content

solutions, has published this year’s M-Connect

Survey results. The report provides an in-depth

analysis of the media industry’s current state of

maturity in three critical areas: data-driven decisionmaking,

automation, and system connectivity.

The report is based on responses gathered

during the May 2024 M-Connect event and

assesses participants’ maturity levels in digital

transformation, revealing that many companies

are lagging behind industry best practices. It

highlighted that 55% of media organisations are

still in the early stages of effectively integrating

these strategies. The survey findings emphasised

the need for media organisations to adopt a

more structured approach to leveraging data,

automating tasks, and connecting systems.

In relation to data-driven decision-making, 49% of

respondents are either sporadic or ad-hoc in their

use of data-driven strategies. The report found that

leveraging data enabled media companies to make

more informed and quicker decisions on content

acquisition, scheduling, and monetisation. The

average score was 2.6 out of 5, indicating limited

integration of data into current processes.

Whilst there has been significant interest from

media industry stakeholders in AI and automation

for content workflows, many have not leveraged

this technology effectively. A significant 67%

of organisations lack structured approaches to

automation, scoring an average of 2.3 out of 5.

Only 33% had developed a deliberate strategy to

By capitalising on datadriven

decision-making,

automating our processes, and

connecting our systems, MBC is

future-proofing its workflows

automate core processes, highlighting a major

opportunity for improving efficiency and reducing

operational errors.

In order to enable faster and more accurate

content decisions, and reduce manual tasks,

media companies need to facilitate real-time data

flow across their organisations. However, 48% of

respondents reported limited system connectivity,

which prevented streamlined workflows and

real-time data sharing. With an average score of

2.6, many organisations still struggle to achieve

full integration across their systems, despite the

availability of advanced cloud-based solutions.

Gunel Mammadova, Director, Corporate

Planning and Management at MBC Group states,

“The industry needs to step up its use of smart

workflows to remain competitive. At MBC Group we

understand that achieving high maturity in these

areas means we are better positioned to navigate

challenges, make the most of new opportunities,

and deliver content more efficiently. By capitalising

on data-driven decision-making, automating our

processes, and connecting our systems, MBC is

future-proofing its workflows.”

Ivan Verbesselt, Chief Chief Strategy & Marketing

Officer, Mediagenix added, “Mediagenix is

committed to supporting companies on their

journey to becoming more smart, streamlined,

and connected. Our collaboration with industry

leaders has revealed that the path forward requires

investing in tools and strategies that enhance

visibility, reduce redundancies, and enable more

agile decision-making. These are the key drivers of

our solutions orchestrating the content life cycle

as a lean set of collaborative workflows around one

source of truth.”



BirdDog X1 Ultra recognised in Australia’s

International Good Design Awards for

Excellence in Design and Innovation

The 2024 Australian Good Design Awards were

unveiled recently, showcasing the pinnacle of

design excellence in a grand ceremony at the

International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney,

attended by over 1000 distinguished guests

from design, architecture, engineering and

business sectors.

This year’s theme, ‘The Design Effect’,

underscored the crucial role design plays in

shaping better products, services, spaces, and

experiences while driving the transition to a more

sustainable, less carbon-intensive future.

The Australian Good Design Awards highlighted

how design not only enhances functionality and

aesthetics but also contributes significantly to

business success and societal advancement.

Among the standout winners was BirdDog X1

Ultra — Unified Communications and Broadcast

Robotic Camera, which received a prestigious

Good Design Award Winner Accolade in the

Product Design category for exceptional design

and innovation.

The Jury praised BirdDog X1 Ultra — Unified

Communications and Broadcast Robotic Camera

commenting: “The X1 Ultra robotic PTZ camera

delivers broadcast-quality performance in a

compact form factor, ideal for AV meeting rooms

and live productions. The Jury admired the

clean design and clever use of the light ring for

intuitive user interaction. This camera stands out

for its combination of compactness and highquality

functionality, making it a valuable tool for

enhancing visual presentations.”

Rachel Wye, Managing Director of Good Design

Australia, remarked, “This year’s Awards reflect

the profound ripple effects that exceptional

design can have on people, place and planet. The

projects honoured in these Awards exemplify

how thoughtful design can drive meaningful

change, not only enhancing user experiences

and the way people interact with the world,

but also contributing to a more sustainable

and more prosperous future. The Australian

Good Design Awards are proud to recognise

the truly inspirational work that is being done

across different design disciplines, sectors and

industries in Australia and overseas.”

The 2024 Awards highlighted excellence

across 12 Design Disciplines, covering more

than 32 Categories, and it recognises a diverse

range of projects from Australia and abroad,

encompassing architectural design, engineering,

digital and communication design, and emerging

fields such as design strategy, social impact and

policy design — a new standalone category

introduced in 2024.

14 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 VIZRT

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

From broadcast to

YouTube: how VP and AI

are shaking up video

We are in the midst of a huge period of change as several pioneering

new technologies reshape the way that content is produced

and consumed, writes Chris Black, global head of brand and

communications at Vizrt.

As media continues to evolve, it’s clear that

the tools we use to tell stories must also

change. Virtual production and extended

reality (XR) are leading this transformation,

offering broadcasters and content creators

new ways to engage their audiences. These

technologies, along with AI and automation,

are reshaping how we produce and consume

content, creating immersive experiences that help

audiences connect with stories on a deeper level.

More importantly, they are no longer reserved

for major networks as smaller broadcasters and

independent creators can now leverage these

powerful tools as well.

VIRTUAL PRODUCTION: UNLOCKING

NEW DIMENSIONS IN STORYTELLING

Virtual production offers a level of creative

freedom that transforms how we present complex

stories. For example, when covering data-heavy

events like elections or significant natural

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA VIZRT


Enabling Sustainable, Scalable

Growth

disasters, traditional footage often doesn’t do justice to the complexity

of the situation. By integrating virtual sets or augmented reality (AR), we

can provide more detailed visualisations that help audiences understand

these events better.

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16 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 VIZRT

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

Extended reality (XR), which is often a mix of video walls and

augmented/virtual reality, has become a critical tool for broadcasters

who want to engage audiences in innovative ways

Virtual production makes it possible to not

just broadcast results, but to enhance the entire

experience, providing viewers with in-depth

insights, as seen in the immersive, AR-powered

Downing Street experience created by Sky

News. The most exciting part? These tools

are no longer exclusive to large broadcasters.

Solutions like Viz Virtual Studio Go make

virtual production affordable and accessible

for smaller broadcasters and independent

creators. Now, with a single system, anyone can

create professional-quality virtual sets and AR

environments, levelling the playing field for all

content creators.

XR: ENHANCING VIEWER ENGAGEMENT

Extended reality (XR), which is often a mix of video

walls and augmented/virtual reality, has become a

critical tool for broadcasters who want to engage

audiences in innovative ways. By merging the real

world with virtual elements, XR allows presenters

to interact directly with data, creating a more

immersive and dynamic experience. Whether

it’s election coverage or explaining scientific

phenomena, XR gives broadcasters the ability

to present information in a way that feels more

personal and interactive.

For example, during India’s 2024 elections,

broadcasters used Viz Engine 5 to deliver striking

live graphics and AR-led virtual studios, bringing

viewers closer to the world’s largest democratic

election. Similarly, RTVE’s immersive XR approach

for the European elections allowed them to

virtually place presenters in iconic locations like

the European Parliament, making the elections

coverage far more engaging for their audience.

MAKING INNOVATIVE

TOOLS ACCESSIBLE

One of the biggest shifts we’ve seen in recent years

is the democratisation of production tools. No

longer are high-end graphics engines and virtual

sets limited to the major players. Tools like HTML5

graphics and cloud-based services have made it

easier than ever for smaller content creators to

produce polished, professional content without

needing an enormous budget.

For content creators running YouTube channels

or small-scale broadcasts, tools like HTML5

graphics provide an accessible way to enhance

storytelling. These cloud-based solutions offer

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA VIZRT


powerful capabilities at a fraction of the cost,

allowing anyone to integrate live data into their

broadcasts. For instance, broadcaster TBC in

South Korea successfully used Viz Flowics to

manage real-time election data, creating engaging

visuals without advanced coding skills or external

graphic design support, all while saving costs.

AI AND AUTOMATION:

THE NEXT FRONTIER

While virtual production and XR have already

changed the way we tell stories, the next big

wave of transformation is coming through AI and

automation. These technologies are simplifying

complex production processes, making it easier for

individuals and smaller teams to produce highquality

live broadcasts and virtual environments.

Generative AI is already being used to create

virtual backdrops, allowing creators to quickly

generate environments that match their

narratives. Automation is taking over the more

repetitive tasks, freeing up time for content

creators to focus on storytelling rather than

technical details. Soon, we’ll see more AI tools

seamlessly integrating into live production

workflows, enhancing both the speed and quality

of content creation.

However, while AI and automation are

incredibly powerful, they still require a creative

touch. You still need that artistic eye to bring

everything together, ensuring that the tools

enhance your story rather than overshadow it. AI

can assist, but the vision must always come from

the storyteller.

MAINTAINING TRUST IN A VIRTUAL AGE

One of the challenges we face as we embrace

virtual production and XR is maintaining

trust with our audiences. In a world where

misinformation can spread rapidly, ensuring

the authenticity of virtual content is crucial.

Audiences trust the brands they follow, and part

of that trust comes from knowing the stories are

accurate and credible.

This is where technology can help. Tools

like C2PA ensure that the images and footage

used in virtual productions are authentic,

allowing broadcasters to verify the source

and integrity of the content they’re presenting

and giving audiences at home the verification

that the content they are seeing is real and

correctly attributed to the story. As we

continue to rely on virtual elements to tell

stories, being transparent about how we create

and verify those stories will be essential to

maintaining that trust.

THE FUTURE OF

STORYTELLING IS VIRTUAL

Virtual production and XR are not just trends; they

are the future of storytelling. These technologies

offer endless possibilities for broadcasters and

content creators to push the boundaries of

traditional media. As these tools become more

accessible, we will continue to see new and

innovative uses that engage audiences in ways we

haven’t yet imagined.

With AI, automation and affordable virtual tools

driving this next wave of innovation, the future

of storytelling is more dynamic, immersive, and

inclusive than ever before.

18 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 COMMENT

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

SMPTE’s RIS-OSVP initiative team (L to R): Valentin P. Alt, AC/DIT; Danna Kinsky, camera assistant; Snehal Patel, director/

producer at FearlessProductions.tv and committee leader for the Camera and Lens Metadata Committee; Dave Stump,

ASC BVK; Rob Hummel, photographer; Phil Holland, cinematographer/image scientist; and Joe di Gennaro, stage.

Virtual production: the

next pieces of the puzzle

The rapid rise of virtual production over the past five years has been nothing short of

phenomenal. But as the technology continues to grow and mature, there will need to be

more standardisation and consolidation, writes David Davies.

As recently as 12 months ago, it was possible

to argue that the dramatic emergence of

virtual production (VP) — the technology

area that allows content producers to interactively

visualise and create scenes in a studio

environment — was without precedent in recent

memory. Of course, that was just before it became

truly apparent how transformative AI was going to

be — on both our working and non-working lives,

and in both positive and negative ways.

Nonetheless, the trajectory of VP has been —

and continues to be — phenomenal. According to

recent data from Grand View Research, the global

VP market size was estimated at US$ 2.11 billion

in 2023 and is on track to grow at a compound

annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.6% from 2024

to 2030. Moreover, this will be played out against

an increasingly global background of adoption;

the US remains the largest market, but Europe is

growing fast and now Asia-Pacific is forecast to

have the highest CAGR for the next six years.

Simultaneously, the pace of innovation is — if

anything — continuing to accelerate in both

hardware and software development. LED

video wall screens — employed for real-time

background visuals during internal shoots —

as well as integrated virtual camera systems

and motion capture workstations are among

the types of hardware where the rate of new

launches remains frenetic. And as with so many

other prior tech trends in broadcast and media,

increased competition and a greater attention

to the full span of productions and budgets (ie.

not just the top-tier movie projects that initially

championed the technology) is rendering VP

increasingly accessible to all content creators.

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA COMMENT


This is a development highlighted and welcomed

by many of the vendors interviewed in this edition

of Productionº360.

The outlook in software is arguably even

more tantalising. As several of our interviewees

indicate, the initial dominance of software

platforms drawn from the gaming industry

is unlikely to be open-ended. New players are

coming into the space with what we might label

‘VP-first’ solutions that could prove to be more

customisable to the requirements of film and

TV production. With Artificial Intelligence (AI)

and Machine Learning (ML) bound to have an

increasing impact on software capabilities, the

next few years of VP software development are set

to be extremely exciting.

But for all of the huge potential afforded by VP,

there are also some attendant challenges that will

have to be addressed with some urgency if the

technology is to continue maturing successfully.

THE TYRANNY OF CHOICE?

On one hand, the advent of new players in the

market is brilliant news for overall levels of

innovation and availability of creative options. On

the other, there is a distinct danger that — in an

area of the market that is still incredibly young in

relative terms — the amount of choice becomes

so great that content producers simply don’t know

which way to turn. This could become especially

apparent if, as anticipated by some observers,

the underlying software becomes more niche and

oriented towards specific types of production.

In this case, it could well be that the inherent

tides of the marketplace provide something of

a resolution. A phase of consolidation tends to

occur after a few years in any significant new

area of technology, and judging by some sources

it seems this could already be underway in VP.

As Grand View Research notes, “the level of

M&A [mergers and acquisitions] activities in the

market is rising significantly.” Meanwhile, the

close relationships between technology giants and

creative studios is enhancing “the advancements

in [VP], subsequently fuelling increased

consolidation of the market.”

Greater diversity of technology is also tied

to another growing challenge: the need for

technical standardisation. We do not have to

reach too far into M&E’s past to locate examples

of tech movements that have been held up by

interoperability issues. The impact of ST 2110

on the adoption of IP-based workflows has

been so positive that it can be easy to forget the

difficult — and highly unpredictable — years

that preceded it. In a market that had sometimes

seemed intractably diffuse, the guaranteed level of

interoperability provided by standardisation has

brought significant cohesion to the market, and

ensured that IP now stands poised to reach its full

potential worldwide.

Now we need to see the same kind of trajectory

occur in VP. The newness and complexity of

the market mean this will be far from easy, but

without greater interoperability it’s possible

that VP could eventually hit a ceiling in some

areas of production, especially at the middle

and lower tiers.

Here, too, there is some cause for optimism

as a number of standardisation programmes

are underway. One notable example is the

SMPTE Rapid Industry Solutions, On-Set Virtual

Production (RIS-OSVP) initiative, which was

established in 2021 to devise interoperability

specifications, workflows and best practices for

the industry, along with supporting educational

courses and webcasts. Underlining the

widespread observation (including in this issue)

that standardisation of camera and lens metadata

is a top priority, the initiative recently undertook

a camera and lens measurement study to test

and validate the optical model for accurately

determining the circle of confusion and the near

and far focus planes.

AGENT OF CHANGE

There are other challenges to be attended to —

although in several of these, VP can also be a real

agent of change. Environmental impact is one

such area; at the moment, data about VP’s carbon

output is relatively scarce, beyond the obvious

parameter of its ability to significantly reduce the

amount of travel associated with location filming.

However, the newness of the technology means

there is huge potential to put in place rigorous

and universal carbon reporting from an early stage

— ensuring that not only is its specific impact

comprehensively understood, but that its lessons

can be implemented elsewhere.

Ultimately, these are not insurmountable

challenges and with more collaboration and

collective action — which does now seem to be

emerging — there is reason to hope many of them

will be partially resolved in the next few years.

They also shouldn’t be allowed to overshadow

a phenomenal story of technological progress

whose presence is felt in all of the Q&As that make

up the remainder of this issue.

20 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 ALFALITE

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

Now, backgrounds are

captured directly on camera with

impressive realism…

Alfalite’s Luis Garrido:

‘It’s a new era for

AV production’

The executive director of leading LED screen manufacturer Alfalite, Luis Garrido,

discusses the transformational impact of virtual production and the need for

standardisation as this area of technology matures.

Have you been surprised by the phenomenal

rise of virtual production over the

past few years?

Yes — the growth of virtual production has been

surprising and has exceeded industry expectations.

In just a few years, this technology has transformed

how audiovisual content is created and produced.

Advanced LED screen solutions, like those from

Alfalite, have been instrumental in facilitating

this change, enabling the creation of dynamic 3D

backgrounds and immersive sets that enhance

the experience for the production team, actors

and viewers alike. The increase in quality and

resolution — with options ranging from 4K to 16K

— has allowed directors and producers to recreate

environments that were previously only possible

with complex special effects and post-production.

Now, backgrounds are captured directly on

camera with impressive realism, greatly reducing

the need for additional post-production work. This

speed in workflows, along with the cost savings

associated with location scouting and team travel,

has made virtual production an attractive option

for film, series, advertising and live productions.

The ability to synchronise between the LED screen,

camera and set elements has opened new doors to

creativity, allowing filmmakers to experiment with

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA ALFALITE


Alfalite has been at the

forefront of implementing LED

screens for virtual production…

perspectives and camera movements that were

previously difficult to achieve.

Additionally, advances in interactive

lighting and colour control have allowed

cinematographers and creatives to maintain

precise artistic control over each scene, utilising

LED screens as an additional light source. This

phenomenon undoubtedly marks a new era

for audiovisual production, and at the pace it’s

evolving it’s likely to become the standard in

content creation in the coming years.

From Alfalite’s standpoint, what are the

aspects of virtual production that excite you

most — both in terms of the creative and

commercial opportunities?

Alfalite focuses on leveraging virtual production

to create realistic and immersive 360° spaces,

which not only reduces costs but also increases

creative freedom. Advances in synchronisation

between the camera, set and LED screen provide a

more immersive environment for actors and allow

directors to maintain full control over the scene’s

aesthetics. This represents a major opportunity in

the film, advertising and live production markets,

which can reduce time and optimise resources

with these solutions.

Please tell us a little bit about the history of

Alfalite’s involvement with virtual production.

Alfalite has been at the forefront of implementing

LED screens for virtual production, developing

its VP XR system, which integrates augmented,

virtual and mixed reality technologies. This system

has positioned itself as an innovative solution for

creating real-time virtual environments, allowing

production teams to leverage the advantages

of dynamic 3D sets and perspectives adjusted

to camera depth.

What are your key solutions with relevance to

virtual production as of 2024, and what are you

currently working on in this area?

Alfalite’s key solutions for 2024 include the

Modularpix VP XR LED screen series, offering high

protection, easy maintenance and customisable

options. These screens feature advanced

characteristics like ultra-low latency, HDR10,

a refresh rate of up to 9,840 Hz, and pixel-bypixel

calibration for uniform brightness and

colour accuracy.


PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

Currently, Alfalite is working on major projects

like the Coruña Immersive Studio (CEI), an

initiative led by the Diputación de A Coruña with

an investment of €2,534,538, where its screens

will be the centrepiece of the largest audiovisual

set in Spain. At the CEI, Alfalite will integrate its

VP XR solution, which includes a semi-circular

Alfalite Modularpix Pro 1.9 1/16s screen that is 28

metres long by 6 metres high for the wall, three

high-brightness Alfalite Modularpix Pro 3.9 modules

for the ceiling (totalling over 100 square meters),

and two Alfalite Modularpix Pro 2.6 1/12s totems

measuring 2.5x4.0 m. These screens will allow the

creation of immersive and dynamic backgrounds

with depth and perspective, capable of recreating

It would be beneficial for virtual production to move

toward greater standardisation, particularly in areas like camera

metadata synchronisation

any real or virtual scene with absolute realism and

exceptional immersive capability.

This project, developed alongside Tangram

Solutions and Telefónica Audiovisual Services,

will enable film and television producers to

create highly detailed virtual environments,

offering viewers a completely immersive

experience. Through this collaboration, Alfalite

further consolidates its position in the virtual

production market for film, advertising and

video games, establishing itself as a leader in

cutting-edge solutions.

Riverside TV Studios

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Adamantean and their creative, collaborative and

competitive approach. They have become a valued

partner to Riverside TV Studios.”

William Burdett-Coutts

Managing Director

Riverside TV Studios and The University of Chichester:

two major new studio installation projects Adamantean

is enormously proud to have financed.

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completion of this challenging project. Their diligence and

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Vice Chancellor


PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

How would you like to see virtual production

evolve in the next few years? For example, do

you think that more standardisation is needed

(as we are starting to see happen with camera

metadata) and do you have any views on how

this should be implemented?

It would be beneficial for virtual production to

move toward greater standardisation, particularly

in areas like camera metadata synchronisation,

which would facilitate integration with different

technologies and reduce compatibility issues.

Standardisation in terms of colour control

and latency could also help improve visual

consistency in productions involving multiple

studios and camera systems, creating a more

homogeneous experience for audiences and

simplifying workflows.

Are there any common misunderstandings or

misconceptions about virtual production that

you think need to be clarified?

One of the most common misconceptions is that

virtual production is always costly and complex

to implement. With Alfalite’s technologies, it has

been proven to be an efficient and flexible option,

adaptable to different budgets and production

needs. Additionally, some people don’t fully

understand the advantages of synchronisation

and the customisation capabilities that modern

LED screens offer, which allow for total aesthetic

control and reduce the need for intensive

post-production.

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26 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 MRMC

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

MRMC’s Paddy Taylor:

‘Convergence between

gaming and film is a

natural progression’

The head of broadcast at Mark Roberts Motion Control,

Paddy Taylor, reflects on the development of VP workflows,

the company’s recent projects in film and broadcast, and his

expectations for the next stage of this technology’s development.

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA MRMC


Have you been surprised by the

phenomenal rise of virtual production

over the past few years?

I think it was fairly obvious that it was going to be a

kind of watershed moment in the way that content

is produced. [From an early stage] it was clear that

there were going to be so many obvious advantages

in terms of just how photorealistic activity can

be with regard to lighting the situation, through

to cost benefits and the ability to manage the

environment you’re shooting in that when it came

together it was always going to be a significant

shift in the industry.

[Contributing to this awareness] was the fact

that, both in my personal background and with

MRMC, there had been a lot of involvement with

customers doing projection-mapping and other

virtual production workflows for some time

before this new explosion came about. Then,

when [VP] really started to make an impact, The

Mandalorian was the first project of this kind

…when [VP] really started to make an impact, The Mandalorian

was the first project of this kind which used MRMC robotics, and it

attracted a huge amount of attention worldwide

which used MRMC robotics, and it attracted a

huge amount of attention worldwide.

The workflows behind VP were in development

for years before they were utilised, so it isn’t

a surprise that it has become as big as it has.

The growth has slowed a bit recently, but it will

become bigger as the [overall market] develops.

From our perspective, a lot of major developments

have happened outside companies like MRMC,

but I think we have had an important role as an

enabler and a provider of solutions to help ease

the transition.

28 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 MRMC

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

on location] is something that we shouldn’t

lose, but VP does give you the chance from an

artistic standpoint to try something again and

again without having to reset everything. It

also creates a real opportunity for those lowerbudget

projects to expand [their scope] and

utilise multiple locations without having to move

production elsewhere.

From your standpoint, what are the aspects

of virtual production that excite you



Lighting is a great example here — being able

to shoot content in various locations and times.

It allows you to create the scenes you need

without having to build up a whole set with all

its associated costs. So for example, you can limit

the amount of production teams and talent that

is needed in a physical location by using content

you have created. You can even do re-shoots with

content that was taken on site and then re-shoot in

a hybrid environment. Of course, this comes with a

huge environmental bonus as well.

I still think the magic of [shooting physically

Please tell us a little bit about the history

of your company’s involvement with

virtual production.

Going back a few years, The Mandalorian was the

first project to use MRMC robotics. We also do a lot

of motion control-based visualisation and effects,

which includes productions like House of Dragons,

where the dragons were all virtually controlled.

There have also been a number of major sports

broadcast-related projects recently. One was a

mixed reality application using our studio bots

at the Olympics, which involved the real-world

Paris skyline with the Eiffel Tower in the backdrop

and a VR/hybrid reality environment where

Studio B was shooting to that space through

a green screen and creating graphics with our

[broadcast partner].

The Catalyst Stage for ESPN is another good

example. This is primarily a studio environment

for the coverage of live sports, but at other times it

will be used for different sorts of production, such

as the filming of promos.

It’s worth noting that we have several aspects to

our company structure that help us work across

these different sectors, including a volumetric

division, a film and commercial division — which

includes all of the really exciting, high-speed

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA MRMC


robotics used in shows like The Mandalorian

— and the broadcast division, which is the

department I look after. We have plenty of places

where people can try out their systems, while the

different parts of the business all flow into and

provide advancements to each other.

What are you currently working on in

terms of virtual production projects and/

or new solutions?

We’ve just had a sports broadcaster purchase a

solution at IBC, so it will be exciting to see that

in use. I think readers would also be amazed to

know how many of the Christmas adverts that

they’ll come to love over the next few weeks and

months have been shot on our systems. Some of

them are animated, some are done in VP, some are

chroma key, some are love action, and some are a

hybrid. But yes, our team has been working on a

significant number of seasonal adverts lately!

How are you viewing the development of

related technologies, such as those grouped

under the Mixed Reality banner, and what are

your predictions for their growth in media

applications over the next few years?

We are already seeing some examples of this — AI,

VR headsets in games, phones being used during

live sports games, etc. AI is already being used very

often, but there is still a lot of growth [potential]

here. It’s also the case that to make something look

good and work well, it requires a lot of skill — and

that takes time.

Festivals and theme parks could start to see

more of these technologies being integrated over

the next few years, while experience centres — eg.

for live sports and music concerts — can help

bring greater accessibility and take away a huge

environmental impact [associated with travel].

[More generally] I would say that the

convergence between gaming and film is a natural

progression. I can see the line between the two

being blurred very quickly in the transition from a

film to an interactive game.







Standardisation is needed and is already

starting to happen.

Virtual production is an ideal experience for

live events, but this isn’t where [the technology

is really] happening right now. [It’s more about

focusing on] people watching from home, rather

than the person in the stadium.

The really exciting next stage will probably be

achieving the perfect hybrid of being able to do

something live for an audience locally, as well as

for live audiences at home.

30 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 CANON

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

Canon’s Graham

Payne: ‘The pandemic

put VP in fast forward’

Product Business Developer ISB, Canon UK&I, Graham Payne,

reflects on the key benefits of virtual production and some

of the specific solutions — like the Canon EOS C500 Mark II

camera — that have been widely adopted for VP.

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA CANON


Have you been surprised by the phenomenal rise

of virtual production over the past few years?

VP technology is amazing. I am not surprised

that it has been so widely adopted. I do feel,

however, that the pandemic put the technology

in fast forward and really brought the key benefits

of it to light. Having the ability to shoot in a

controlled environment significantly improves

turnaround time and decreases the requirement to

have huge crews.

From Canon’s standpoint, what are the




From Canon’s standpoint, the rapidly increasing

need for new technology is partly being driven by

the rise of VP; better processors and improved lens

technology are essential. Canon is, of course, at

the forefront of new sensor, lens and processing

technology, which is reflected in our latest camera

and lens releases.


Canon’s involvement with virtual production.

Virtual production is something Canon has no

doubt had an eye on. The growth of it, however,

has really boomed during the mid-life cycle of our

key products, [although] this has not stopped us

from adapting and evolving our products through

numerous free-of-charge firmware updates to

meet the market demands. Key products like the

EOS C500 Mark II have been really widely-adopted

and respected as a key camera by multiple VP

production houses, as well as our incredible Flex

Zoom cinema lenses.

…the ability to shoot in a controlled environment

significantly increases turnaround time…

What are your leading solutions with relevance

to virtual production as of 2024, and what are

you currently working on in this area?

Within 2024 Canon has released two new Cinema

cameras that have a virtual production protocol

built into the camera. The EOS C400 and EOS C80

have this protocol that can speak directly to the

Unreal Engine, giving key information like lens

data in real-time. This allows users to switch lenses

using them live without the need for lens mapping

every single new lens — saving even more vital time

for production crews. This [capability], plus the

fantastic 6K Full frame back illuminated stacked

sensor, makes them ideal for a VP workflow.

32 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 CANON

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

Education is getting behind

[VP in order to teach] the next

generation of creatives

People see the benefits of VP and will find ways to make it work







VP is constantly evolving. From its beginnings to

now, there have been huge strides taken in the field.

The main factor I see is the cost of a full system. To

achieve VP in the past you would have needed a

huge budget to get it in place. The technology should

be accessible to more people, and this is gradually

happening as its popularity and ease of use

increases. Our new cameras are priced and aimed at

owner operators as well as rental, [meaning] these

cameras are not out of reach for independent selffunded

productions, so hopefully the rest of the tech

will also be within the reach of the masses.




The main misconceptions or misunderstandings

are mainly around costs and ease of use. As

mentioned, in the past a VP set up was out

of reach to most budgets and you needed a

Hollywood set-up. However, we have seen in the

last couple of years that more and more crews and

productions have found ways around that and the

tech has evolved massively. People see the benefits

of VP and will find ways to make it work. [Hennce]

we see small production houses, corporate

companies, and universities all now investing

in VP set-ups.

It is a technology that is still in its infancy, so the

ease of use is also improving massively. Education

is getting behind [VP in order to teach] the next

generation of creatives.

The last point to make is about getting used

to it. [Among some people] there is still a view

that it’s not real so it doesn’t look as good,

which is a concern to more traditional

creatives. However, as I have said, this tech is

still evolving; it is not here to replace reality,

but to enhance it, working side-by-side with

traditional production.

Virtual Intercom

Intercom in the Cloud

34 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 DISGUISE

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

… what I’m loving right

now in the industry is it’s kind of

maturing

Disguise’s Milo Hancock:

‘We’re in the maturity

phase of VP’

Shortly after it was announced that immersive experience company Disguise

had received new funding as part of the MAX-R alliance of tech businesses,

technical solutions specialist Milo Hancock shared his thoughts on an area of

technology where “evolution is constant”.



past few years?

Absolutely — it’s been great to see. And what

I’m loving right now in the industry is it’s kind

of maturing. So we saw a massive rise in studios.

People getting into it, people learning about it.

Large studios have started to use Disguise and

virtual production. But I think the really important

thing now is that we’re in the maturity phase of

virtual production. And when I say virtual I mean

using LED technology from a Disguise point of

view. We had two Disguise-led volumes in 2020

and now there are 450 globally using Disguise

power in their studios. So there is a huge, really

exciting uptake.

From your standpoint, what are the aspects

of virtual production that excite you



From the creative side of things, what I’m really

enjoying now is collaboration. So there’s a lot of

technology going into a virtual production studio,

and it is important to be able to work with other

departments on a film shoot. We are starting to

ask questions such as: Who should be controlling

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA DISGUISE


the bright panels? Who should be controlling the

lighting in your virtual environments? And it’s

not always the operator of the LED volume that

should be doing it. It should be the professionals in

the room; the experts. There are 60-plus people in

these productions. So we should keep the experts

in control of the things they need to be in control

of. So I’m excited when I’m using Disguise for

these kinds of workloads; it really simplifies how

we connect things, such as through the API with

remote controls.

From a commercial standpoint, I am enjoying

educating younger generations — they are up

and coming. We’ve been working with a lot of

universities to get LED volumes, and to increase

the general knowledge of people in education

[about] the skill-set that they need to go to use

virtual production out in the world. We’re going

to see that grow in the next few years, when we

get this new generation actually on set doing

these productions, and we’re going to get a lot

more technology — obviously, even more mature

technology. The more people that know about

this tech, the more we’re going to use it better

and we’re going to see some really incredible

productions coming out of it. So that is exciting.

Please tell us a little bit about the history

of your company’s involvement with

virtual production.

Disguise has had a long history of putting on

incredible productions in the live industry. What

we saw in about 2017 was the integration of

camera tracking systems in the live industry,

so that being the augmented reality elements.

It’s not necessarily directly attached to virtual

production, but what that grew into was linking

camera tracking to the LED screens or projection

workflows that we already had.

[Subsequently] it was a very natural progression

to grow into using camera calibrations and then

linking camera tracking systems with LED screens

or projection services to put virtual environments

on — whether that be plates or the environments.

It’s quite a natural progression with it, and since

then — when we’ve been kind of a fundamental

part of so many budget production studios around

the world — we’ve learned and grown along that

journey. I can confidently say we have one or more

of the most fleshed-out tool sets; pretty much the

best tech stack to deliver productions.

So the virtual production platform, as it stands,

is a mixture of software and hardware solutions.

The software side of things is always innovating,

and always updating. We try to do a major

release every quarter with new features, which

is fun. We’re focused on getting the tools that

creatives need so they’re not struggling through

certain processes. An example of that is the 2.5D

layer. When it comes to the hardware, all of it is

ruggedised. It has been built to the utmost quality

so you can rely on it when moving it from studio

to studio, or just knowing it’s going to work 24/7,

day in, day out.

36 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 DISGUISE

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

Should you also need it, we have a whole

workflow for understudies and back-up machines.

So in your pivotal moments, your LED is never

going to go black. You always have a backup which

will automatically take over. [Therefore] you can

rely on the fact that when you’re on set, if something

goes wrong, people are not going to notice.

What are you currently working on in

terms of virtual production projects and/

or new solutions?

As with many things in the film industry, I can’t

talk about the projects I’m currently working on

or have worked on in the past year, but what we

have seen is that large production companies are

confident in the technology. They are using the

technology, and they’re using it incredibly well.

We’re going to see the results of all of this in the

next period of six months to two years. We will

start seeing this professional virtual production

output, which I think a lot of people sometimes

don’t see because it’s hidden.

The film industry is very closed and very secret,

but one of the actual products and solutions

we’ve been working on internally at Disguise

which are probably the most exciting few right

now is OCIO. That’s a colour pipeline, but it’s

an open source version. It gives the creatives

and the colour specialists the tools they need to

confirm the pipeline.

Another useful thing is our ProRes support.

Traditionally, you’d have to use a large,

uncompressed format, but ProRes is again giving

a bit more flexibility to productions to be able to

quickly iterate and use formats that traditionally

used another big tool that’s been out for a few

months. This is a 2.5D layer inside Disguise. And

this is not just using the content in a 3D space, as

people would expect with that name, it actually

gives you the ability to use 3D objects in a 3D

space without needing a real-time engine. Some

examples of that would be using photogrammetry

imagery to create a 3D environment that you

can use in Disguise, or using depth maps to give

yourself depth and perspective to the images.

And our last point, now that we’ve mentioned

depth maps, is that there are some workflows

where you can use depth maps to give depth of

field to the content, which has previously been a

challenge as you have a 2D image. How do you give

yourself depth of field from your camera’s focus…

there are now workflows to do that really well.

How are you viewing the development of

related technologies, such as those grouped

under the Mixed Reality banner, and what are

your predictions for their growth in media

applications over the next few years?

Virtual production has been a pivotal talking point

in technology for a lot of people in the industry.

But a lot of the tech stack we have at Disguise has

also been focused on extended reality, which also

relies on mixed reality, and so all of these tools help

each other. So we’re seeing across the board many

different verticals and industries that are using the

same tools for things like immersive experiences.

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA DISGUISE


…what I’m hopeful for the

future is there’ll be more IP video

in studios

Let’s say you’re in a store. There’s a large LED screen

— that’s the product placement. Maybe they want

to turn that into an interactive experience where

someone walks in and has customised information

on it, or it shows them some environment that is

linking with what they’re actually doing in the store.

Same goes with corporates. There’s a lot of large

companies using LED volumes to do their corporate

presentations or their monthly quarterly reviews

and things like that as another way to keep the

audience and the end-user engaged in the content

— while also giving them the ability to show more

[relevant] information as opposed to something

like a slide deck.


evolve in the next few years?

So for virtual production, evolution is constant. It

never stops. It’s very exciting. But what I’m hopeful

for the future is there’ll be more IP video in studios.

Using ST 2110 is just going to make things easier

for larger resolutions and higher frame rates. [I

think we will also see more growth in] different

tracking systems.

So we have the primary tracking systems of the

majority, but there are all sorts of smaller tracking

system companies and tools that are much more

affordable, and I’m very intrigued to see how

that’s going to assist mid- to low-tier productions.

They don’t necessarily need a super-expensive

tracking system. They just need something to

get along and this also goes hand-in-hand with

people potentially using projection for virtual

production, [which represents] a lower cost of

entry. So I’m pretty excited to see how that’s

going to progress.

Also, I think we need reliable systems to

run everything on [in order] to evolve the

industry. You need to make sure your LEDs

will not go black, that your media server’s

not crashing. You need to know that your

system’s reliable and you can do the production

without impeding.

Finally, we are starting to see different styles

of 3D engines and non-3D engines. Right now

the focus is primarily on Unreal Engine, which is

great. It’s a good tool, but there are other engines

coming, which I believe for the industry is going

to be super-important. They’re not coming from a

gaming background; they’re coming from a virtual

production workflow first. So that’s probably

the most interesting thing, I think, and from a

Disguise point of view we’ve always been engine

agnostic. We’re not locked into Unreal Engine, so

how we integrate with these tools in the future is

yet to be seen.

38 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 PIXOTOPE

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

The ability to create and

iterate content quickly and with

more creative freedom allows for

more innovative and engaging

narratives…

Pixotope’s Marcus

Brodersen: ‘VP meets the

demand for high-quality,

immersive content’

The CEO of virtual production software and solutions innovator

Pixotope, Marcus Brodersen, discusses the role of VP in

creating a new generation of “flexible, efficient and creative

production solutions.”



past few years?

While the rapid rise of virtual production has

been impressive, it hasn’t been entirely surprising.

Over the years, the media and entertainment

landscape has become increasingly competitive,

leading to a battle for viewership where

broadcasters must provide unique and

captivating content that stands out. Virtual

production meets this demand for high-quality,

immersive content.

At Pixotope, we’ve been at the forefront of

this technological evolution, anticipating the

industry’s needs for more flexible, efficient and

creative production solutions, and witnessing

the outcomes and results of those adoptions that

include enhanced creativity, time efficiencies

and ROI benefits. The ability to create and

iterate content quickly and with more creative

freedom allows for more innovative and engaging

narratives, helping producers capture and retain

viewers’ attention in a crowded market.

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA PIXOTOPE


From your standpoint, what are

the aspects of virtual production

that excite you most — both

in terms of the creative and


One of the initial benefits is the

unparalleled level of creativity virtual

production unlocks. As mentioned

above, by leveraging these tools

creators can craft visually stunning

and highly engaging immersive

environments that captivate

audiences like never before.

On the commercial side, there is

one exciting aspect in particular

where we see our tools beginning

to be used more — [namely

that] virtual production unlocks

new possibilities for unique and

profitable advertising opportunities,

and it is a frontier that is only

beginning to be explored. With

virtual production, broadcasters

can craft more immersive

advertisements that are seamlessly

integrated within the main

broadcast, rather than relying on

traditional ad breaks. This technique

keeps the viewer engaged and

immersed in the content as the

advertisements become part of the

viewing experience rather than a

disruptive interruption. By blending

advertising with the primary

narrative, broadcasters can connect

with their audience in a more

natural and impactful way, resulting

in retained audience attention,

enhanced viewer experience,

and ultimately, increasing the

effectiveness and profitability of

their advertising efforts.

A key example of this is when The

Famous Group leveraged Pixotope

technologies to promote Carnival’s

tropical island escape. Just before the

40 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 PIXOTOPE

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

… we offer cutting-edge solutions for virtual

production with a comprehensive software suite

that transforms content creation

kickoff of the San Francisco 49ers vs.

Detroit Lions game, they showcased

their mixed reality advertisement —

a virtual escape to Celebration Key

— in the centre of the stadium.

Please tell us a little bit about the

history of Pixotope’s involvement

with virtual production.

Originally known as The Future

Group, we were a collective of tech

enthusiasts who believed in the

transformative potential of realtime

game engine technology to

revolutionise broadcast content. We

envisioned a future characterised

by immersive and experiential

storytelling and were committed to

making it a reality.

A pivotal moment occurred in

2017 with the premiere of Lost In

Time on Discovery Networks’ TV

Norway. This project required us

to innovate from the ground up

as there was no existing solution

in the market. Following on

from this, we sought to leverage

our extensive knowledge and

understanding of real-time virtual

production workflows by developing

our own software, leading to the

creation of Pixotope.

Our unique approach provides the

graphics engine that creates virtual

elements, ensuring they blend

seamlessly with the real world. As

pioneers in leveraging Unreal Engine

for broadcast virtual production, we

enhance its usability with a userfriendly

interface, making it both

reliable and practical for creators.

Since its inception, our software

has been utilised by major global

brands, including the NFL, League

of Legends, Eurovision and The

Weather Channel.

What are your leading solutions

for virtual production, and what

are you currently working on in

terms of new features or products?

At Pixotope, we offer cutting-edge

solutions for virtual production with

a comprehensive software suite that

transforms content creation. Our key

solutions include:

Pixotope Graphics Solutions:

Providing on-air graphics for

augmented reality (AR) and virtual

studios, along with the Pixotope

Graphics XR Edition, designed

for extended reality (XR) and

LED wall output.

Pixotope Camera and Talent

Tracking: Our camera tracking

software handles every element

of real-time tracking, seamlessly

merging real and virtual camera

movements to perfectly align real

and virtual worlds. Additionally,

our AI-driven talent tracking

software creates interactive, hyperrealistic

virtual sets.

Pixotope Fly: A groundbreaking

through-the-lens (TTL) markerless

tracking solution designed for

simplified augmented reality

creation with drones. This solution

enhances the creative process by

eliminating the need for physical

markers and also now offers unique

zoom capabilities.

Pixotope Living Photo:

Transform 360º camera recordings of

talent into photo-realistic 3D tracked

AR assets that can be leveraged

within any AR, XR and virtual

studio workflow.

Pixotope Pocket: Putting the

power of a virtual production studio

in the palm of your hand, this app

empowers creatives to explore and

test virtual environments with ease,

ultimately enhancing pre-production

efficiency and streamlining the

overall virtual production process.

By leveraging Pixotope Pocket,

creators are no longer confined to

studios — they have the freedom

to work from anywhere with

minimal equipment.

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA PIXOTOPE


Erizos Studios: Our integration

with Erizos Studios enhances

broadcast graphics pipelines, allowing

seamless creation of character

generator (CG), XR, AR, and virtual

studio (VS) graphics elements that

elevate storytelling and branding.

In addition to these product

developments, we have also launched

the Pixotope Education Program. This

is a community initiative developed

in response to the industry’s talent

shortage and designed to equip the

next generation of virtual production

talent with the necessary tools

and connections they need for a

successful career.

Moving forward, we are incredibly

excited about the upcoming release

of Pixotope Reveal, an innovative

AI-driven background segmentation

solution. By leveraging AI, Reveal

automatically isolates up to 20 talents

from their backgrounds, giving

creators the freedom to add dynamic

graphics and AR elements in front

and behind the talent anywhere and

anytime. Without constraints like

chroma keying, lights, infrastructure

or green screen, endless creative

possibilities are available for any

kind of production.

How would you like to see virtual

production evolve in the next few

years? For example, do you think

that more standardisation is

needed (as we are starting to see

happen with camera metadata)

and do you have any views on how


For our team at Pixotope, our

mission and the evolution we would

like to see is the democratisation

of virtual production, making it

accessible and beneficial for creators

of all sizes and budgets. We are

committed to breaking down the

technical and financial barriers

that often limit creativity, allowing

more storytellers to bring their

visions to life. We envision a future

where virtual production becomes

more standardised, user-friendly,

and available to all creators and

budgets of all sizes.

We believe that expanding virtual

production beyond the studio is

crucial for broader adoption. Our

latest innovations, Pixotope Reveal

and Pixotope Pocket, significantly

contribute to this goal. These tools

provide robust solutions for onthe-go

creativity, making it easier

for more productions to effectively

embrace these technologies. Our

aim is to empower creative teams

to fully realise their artistic visions,

revolutionising storytelling and

making high-quality production

accessible to all.

Are there any common

misunderstandings or

misconceptions about virtual

production that you would

like to clarify?

One common misconception is that

virtual production is only for bigbudget

projects. While it’s true that

we collaborate with major clients

like Warner Bros. Discovery, we also

work with regional broadcasters, such

as La 7, a local Spanish TV station,

and VideoReport Canarias, as well

as creative studios like The Famous

Group and Silver Spoon Animation.

Since launching our Education

Program, we’ve seen growing interest

from educational institutions eager

to explore virtual production, proving

that it doesn’t have to be exclusive

to Hollywood-sized budgets. Our

mission is to make virtual production

accessible to everyone by optimising

our products to require less hardware

and integrate seamlessly with existing

setups, keeping entry costs low.

Many companies initially hesitate

to invest in virtual production.

However, those that do often discover

a significant return on investment.

Virtual production reduces the need

for multiple physical studios, lowers

footprint, and enables rapid switching

between shows — even allowing for

remote productions without travel.

Virtual production is also

incredibly versatile and applicable

across various genres. It’s not

limited to news or sports; we

have a proven track record with

TV shows, documentaries,

commercials, and even corporate

presentations. Essentially, any

project that can benefit from

creative visual storytelling can utilise

virtual production.

42 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 SONY

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

Sony’s Sebastian Leske: ‘VP’s vast potential

to transcend the boundaries of technology’

Fresh from the launch of the latest version of the Sony Virtual Production Tool Set software, Sony Professional Europe’s business

development manager, cinematography, Sebastian Leske discusses some of the many new creative opportunities heralded by VP.

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA SONY




past few years?

The rise of virtual production has been in the

making for years and is not surprising, given its

vast potential to transcend the boundaries of

technology and enrich storytelling by offering

filmmakers an expanded canvas to express

their creative visions. What was remarkable

was the way the pandemic catapulted its

progress forward so rapidly and took it to

where we are today.

The film industry, including educational

institutions and film festivals, is increasingly

recognising the significance of virtual production.

Commercials — carmakers in particular — are

now often commissioned with virtual production

sets in mind as a default. VP has moved from

buzzword to a staple in the industry, as tools

evolved, and workflows and ways of working

matured. From C-LED panels, like the Sony

VERONA wall now being installed at University

of the Arts London (UAL), to colour calibrator

or virtual cameras, as included in the Sony VP

Toolset, both the hardware and the software

necessary to create smooth and seamless virtual

environments have progressed to a new level

of practicality.

From Sony’s standpoint, what are the




VP is set to transform every area of filmmaking

and high-end TV production across the globe. The

ability to blend real sets and props with virtual

backdrops expands creative possibilities while

redefining the processes involved in a production,

its carbon footprint and economic model.

Our colleagues at Sony Pictures published

research showing that a virtual production

has over 75% less carbon emissions than a

location production. The increased incentive of

“sustainable filmmaking” government grants,

particularly in the Nordic countries or the Green

Screen EU initiative, will no doubt mean that

virtual production will be seen as an increasingly

attractive filmmaking technology.


Sony’s involvement with virtual production.

Sony is a leader in virtual production solutions

for filmmaking and high-end TV production.

As world-leading experts in cinematography,

our team have unrivalled experience working

on the world’s biggest motion pictures and are

at the forefront of developments in emerging

technologies. After establishing the technology

for movie and commercial creation, we’re now

expanding our focus to the realm of live and

multicam production for the TV industry itself.

44 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 SONY

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

The Virtual Production

Tool Set is a combination of

software that contributes

to improving the quality

and creativity of virtual

production, furthering

creators’ possibilities…

What are your leading solutions and facilities

for virtual production as of 2024, and what are

you currently working on in this area?

Sony is the only company to provide both the

high-end cinematic cameras (Sony VENICE/

VENICE 2) and LED displays (the latest-generation

VERONA modular Crystal LED video walls that

are ideally suited to demanding virtual production

applications) that together achieve spectacular VP

images, combining them with a VP Toolkit which

automates and simplifies much of the processing

necessary to synchronise timings and colour

matching of cameras and walls. For this reason,

Sony has developed expertise in deploying VP

volumes across the world for both broadcast and

cinematic or commercial purposes.

Sony will offer the latest version of its virtual

production software, Virtual Production Tool Set,

from winter 2024. The Virtual Production Tool

Set is a combination of software that contributes

to improving the quality and creativity of virtual

production, furthering creators’ possibilities; it

includes the Camera and Display Plugin for Unreal

Engine and the Color Calibrator Windows 10

application for colour correction.

The development of modular specialist LED

volumes like the VERONA means that you no

longer need to have a large studio to be able

to entertain the idea of a virtual production

setup. Also, the smaller volumes provide a

cheaper overall set-up, making VP so much

more accessible.

At the beginning of 2023 Sony opened its first VP

studio in Continental Europe, in Paris, featuring

Sony Crystal LED technology, with a state-of-the-art

90m² screen offering world-leading image quality for

premium film, commercial and TV production in

the Studios de France.

A few months later, Sony opened its first virtual

production space in the UK within its Digital

Media Production Centre (DMPC Europe) at

Pinewood Studios. The state-of-the-art studio is

designed for broadcasters, production companies

and technicians to learn about and experiment

with the huge cinematic potential of VP and the

technology behind it.

Then, towards the end of 2023, University of the

Arts London became the first organisation worldwide

to invest in new Sony Crystal LED VERONA displays

for a new state-of-the-art Virtual Production Stage

at London College of Fashion Campus at East Bank.

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA SONY


There’s a compelling need

to bridge the gap between

conventional practices and these

cutting-edge technologies to

foster a new generation of

storytellers

We’re now expanding into more broadcast

applications with live trials in multicam switching

with the EBU and the BBC, amongst others, as the

benefits for studios maximising their usage and

airtime are very tangible.







Certainly, more efforts are needed to educate and

equip filmmakers with the tools and knowledge

essential for embracing this technological

evolution. There’s a compelling need to bridge

the gap between conventional practices and

these cutting-edge technologies to foster a

new generation of storytellers. Locations like

Sony’s Digital Media Production Centre (DMPC)

at Pinewood Studios, which has been at the

heart of the creative industry for the last 10

years, provide a setting for forward-thinking

filmmakers to experiment and learn with a

hands-on approach.




There is often confusion surrounding the

differences between the terms XR (Extended

Reality), AR (Augmented Reality), MR (Mixed

Reality) and VP (Virtual Production). XR is an

umbrella term encompassing all of them. We tend

to see anything involving an LED wall described

as VP, but actually an LED wall can just be used for

2D plate playback — much in the same way rear

projection has been done for years. VP, however,

involves precise camera tracking data being fed

through a game engine that is then displayed

on an LED wall.

46 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 EMPLOYER BRANDING

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

Remote hiring:

common pitfalls

(and how to avoid them)

In his second article for Production 360°,

Ben Swanton — founder and CEO of 808 Talent

— explores the challenges of remote hiring in

global broadcast media and sports technology.

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA EMPLOYER BRANDING


For the past four years, the media, broadcast

and sports technology industries have seen

ongoing debates over the effectiveness

of remote, hybrid and in-office work models.

These discussions mirror the parallel arguments

surrounding technology infrastructure as

companies weigh the benefits of cloud,

on-prem and hybrid solutions in adopting

new technologies.

While many larger companies are championing

a return back to the office, for the majority

of smaller organisations remote recruitment

remains crucial for growth. More than just

a logistical choice, remote hiring is often a

necessity that opens up access to global talent

and gives businesses the flexibility to compete in a

dynamic industry.

Recruiting remote employees has tremendous

potential to reshape your organisation by offering

a diverse talent pool, flexibility, and expanded

capabilities that traditional hiring may not.

However, it also presents specific challenges that

I will look to address below — highlighting the

most common pitfalls and outlining practical

steps to help you achieve a successful outcome.

1. Align business objectives and expectations

Before starting the hiring process, it’s crucial to

align your remote recruitment strategy with your

company’s broader goals. Clarify the purpose of

the role and define your objectives, ensuring all

stakeholders involved understand these elements.

This alignment will help maintain consistent

messaging throughout the hiring process, creating

a clear and compelling narrative for potential

candidates and increasing the chance for success.

• Pitfall: Diving into remote hiring without

setting clear expectations can result in

disorganisation, miscommunication and

missed goals. This can also lead to long,

drawn-out recruitment processes and poor

candidate experiences which can tarnish your

employer branding.

• Solution: Start by defining clearly why you’re

hiring remotely and what specific goals these

roles will help you achieve. Is the aim to access

a broader talent pool, improve diversity, or

bring in expertise from different regions (or a

combination of these)? Share these objectives

with all stakeholders, define the resources

needed, and establish the metrics for success.

Once you’re clear on this, recruiting becomes

more purposeful and effective.

2. Prioritising talent over budget

The vast majority of remote hiring can be for

revenue-critical and/or strategically important

roles. In these instances, prioritising the quality of

talent is essential, which can be incongruent with

the initial set budgets for recruitment. Therefore,

being flexible with the budget to ensure that the

ultimate business objectives are achieved can be

key to a successful hire.

• Pitfall: Focusing on recruiting within a budget

at all costs, and not having flexibility, can lead

to short-term savings, but ultimately result

in lower performance and costly turnover.

The wrong hire can set your organisation

back significantly. So it’s wise to match your

expectations of the budget with the talent that

is available within that budget.

• Solution: Be prepared to adjust your budget

…prioritising the quality of

talent is essential, which can be

incongruent with the initial set

budgets for recruitment.

Therefore, being flexible with the

budget to ensure that the ultimate

business objectives are achieved

can be key to a successful hire

where it makes strategic sense. For example,

if you’re hiring sales roles in regions like the

US, understand that top talent will command

competitive salaries. Look at these roles

as an investment; having the right people

in the right positions will drive long-term

growth and stability.

3. Avoiding confirmation bias

Perhaps the most common pitfall in all

recruitment is confirmation bias, but even more

so when it comes to hiring talent that is remotelybased.

Confirmation bias is our natural tendency

to focus on and look for evidence that confirms

our existing beliefs, rather than information that

refutes it. Human nature dictates that we tend to

hire people from familiar companies, competitors

48 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024 EMPLOYER BRANDING

PRODUCTION360.MEDIA

or partner networks, assuming they will integrate

easily due to similar industry experience. However,

this approach can lead to a lack of diversity and

stagnation in perspective.

• Pitfall: Defaulting to familiar backgrounds,

rather than thoroughly assessing each

candidate, can limit innovation and diversity

within your team.

• Solution: Implement an unbiased, data-driven

hiring process. Avoid leading questions and

instead use competency-based evaluations

that measure skills, experience and cultural

fit objectively. Partnering with specialised

recruitment agencies or headhunters can

broaden your reach and introduce candidates

who may bring new, valuable perspectives to

your organisation.

4. Consider implementing psychometric testing

Understanding candidates’ personalities and

motivations is important in remote work, where

traits like self-motivation and adaptability are

essential. Psychometric assessments provide

insights that go beyond résumés and skills, helping

you understand how candidates will fit into the

team dynamics and remote environment.

• Pitfall: Skipping psychometric testing

may mean missing out on important traits

that could influence long-term success

in a remote role.

• Solution: Incorporate psychometric or culturefit

assessments in the recruitment process.

These tests help ensure you hire the right

person while also giving you a sense of how

best to support them once they’re on board.

This data can be particularly useful in tailoring

management approaches and ensuring

productive work relationships.

5. Creating a comprehensive

onboarding process

Effective onboarding is even more critical for

remote employees, who can easily feel isolated

or unclear about their roles without in-person

guidance. A structured onboarding process

helps new hires feel welcomed, supported, and

prepared to succeed.

• Pitfall: Lack of structure in onboarding can

leave remote employees feeling disconnected

and uncertain about expectations.

• Solution: Design an onboarding plan that

includes online training and, if possible, a visit

to your HQ to meet the team. Outline their

responsibilities and provide essential tools,

along with regular check-ins to make sure

they’re supported in their early days. A good

onboarding process helps bridge the physical

gap and strengthens connections. Share this

plan before they join the business and also

ensure all IT (and mobile) systems are set up

for them on Day 1.

6. Establishing a communication cadence

Regular and intentional communication is

essential to remote work success, especially

when working across different time zones.

Without structured communication, remote

employees may feel out of the loop, which can lead

to disengagement.

• Pitfall: Infrequent or inconsistent

communication can leave remote employees

feeling isolated and disconnected from the

company’s goals.

• Solution: Set a consistent communication

cadence that includes regular team meetings,

personal check-ins and collaboration sessions.

Weekly business reviews and monthly team

meetings can ensure everyone is aligned on

key goals. Encouraging team members to share

their challenges and ideas fosters inclusivity

and keeps remote employees engaged.

For remote hires to succeed, it’s crucial to outline

what’s expected of them from day one. This

helps employees focus on measurable goals and

avoid frustration or confusion about their role.

Clearly define the goals for remote employees,

covering their first six months, 12 months, and

beyond. Regular performance reviews provide

opportunities to adjust targets and keep the

conversation open, allowing employees to share

insights or challenges and ensuring everyone

remains aligned.

By thoughtfully navigating the complexities

of remote hiring, companies in the broadcast

media and sports technology industries can

leverage global talent and drive substantial

growth. Prioritising clear goals, investing in

onboarding, and maintaining an open, structured

communication rhythm aren’t just best practices

— they are essential to creating an environment

where remote employees can thrive and

contribute meaningfully.

As the industry continues to evolve, those who

proactively implement these strategies will be

best-positioned to build a resilient, engaged, and

high-performing remote team, ready to meet the

unique challenges and opportunities of a highly

dynamic and competitive market.

Keeping your finger

on the evolution

of production

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