IBC has launched an open call for the first set of Challenges in its Accelerator Media Innovation Programme for 2020, including a series of groundbreaking, collaborative projects led by an impressive roster of world-leading media and entertainment industry Broadcasters, Studios, Platforms and Content Owners, such as BBC, Al-Jazeera, AP, Reuters, MovieLabs, RTE, ITV, ViacomCBS, Warner Music and Unity Technologies, to name a few.
With this launch, IBC has announced an open call for additional Participants and Champions to apply to be a part of these exciting, fast-track projects that aim to solve a complex challenge faced by the media & entertainment sector today. Each Accelerator focuses on cross-industry collaborations between major media companies, expert vendors and solution providers who join forces to create a cutting-edge proof-of-concept solution that will be showcased at IBC 2020 and beyond.
IBC Accelerator projects open to additional Participants & Champions include:
- 5G Remote Production
- TV Delivered as Objects
- AI-Automated Video Shot-listing
- Usable VFX Archive
- Virtual & Interactive Live Music Talent Show
- Live Content Moderation
- 5G LB-VR (Location-Based Virtual Reality)
“IBC’s Accelerator programme is designed to support the media and entertainment technology ecosystem with a new model and approach to collaborative innovation, at speed,” said Mark Smith, who heads up the programme at IBC. “Accelerators are essentially rapid-fire R&D vehicles focused on giving the industry’s leading brands and vendors of all sizes – from start-ups to established leaders – the chance to come together to identify challenging, often complex use cases and develop solutions in a matter of months which will then be showcased at IBC and across its community channels.”
“This year we have a variety of projects that are focused on utilising emerging technologies such as 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop new methods of content production and delivery remotely,” said Smith. “For instance, the 5G Remote Production project has a team of world-leading broadcasters that is exploring how 5G can be deployed to create more efficient and effective means of production. Meanwhile, our Virtual & Interactive Talent Show project will look at how both AI and mass-crowd connectivity can be used to create the next generation of digital talent shows for aspiring artists and creatives.”
“Remote and distributed production technologies have really come to the fore as a priority for broadcasters in the current crisis,” said Russell Inman, Executive Product Manager at the BBC and one of the teams working on the 5G Remote Production project. “The project aims to collect, assess and reflect innovation and best practice in this area, feeding into the development of a physical 5G proof of concept, depending on when that might be possible. In the short term we, alongside several other leading broadcasters, are building requirements for a 5G production system based on a multi-camera set-up, deployed over a ‘non-public standalone’ – or private – network in order to test and evaluate some of the key performance data. We of course welcome input, insights and use cases from other media organisations and manufacturers that would like to be involved.”
“Championing an IBC Accelerator project enables us to openly collaborate with industry peers in a far more unique and effective way than ever before,” said Sandy MacIntyre, VP News and Director of Key initiative at AP and lead Champion of the AI-Automated Video Shot-listing Accelerator project. “The programme has given us the opportunity to accelerate some of our R&D ideas in the AI space and diversify our talent pool, bringing in fresh expertise in technology in areas beyond our usual line of sight, and working with colleagues across the world on common transformative challenges.”
Each Accelerator project will showcase democratised, ‘media-first’ collaborations, with the innovative Challenge solutions developed over an intensive five-month sprint, culminating in a high-exposure showcase at this year’s IBC2020 show in September.
