Meet the IABM Bursary Students at IBC 2025
Eleven current University students from across Europe are attending IBC this year, thanks to IABM and YOU – our members.
The IABM Bursary scheme allows us the bring the best and brightest new Media Tech talent to Amsterdam – paying for their travel and accommodation as well providing conference passes for the full four days.
This year we have two students from Germany, four from the UK and five from France. All are excited and desperate to see what IBC has to offer this year.
The students will be taking part in the World Skills Café on the Thursday afternoon prior to the show’s launch, and will be around the IBC Talent programme activities on Friday. You might even see a couple of them on stage! We’ll also be meeting some of them in the IABM hub with an Impact stage fireside chat on Monday morning.
Here’s your chance to get to know them…
Alice Ainsworth
Solent Southampton University, BA Hons Film and Television
How long have you been on this course and how long do you have left until you complete?
I have been on the course for 2 years and I have 1 year until my course is completed.
What is your favorite Film or TV Show? And why?
It is always so difficult to pick a favorite anything, but my favorite film is Mark Osbourne’s 2015 ‘The Little Prince’. When I was a child, my Great Aunt owned a copy of the original French book and when she passed it was given to my family. The story is heartwarming and the message that it pushes is one oof love and hope which never fails to bring me to tears. I think the fact I can rewatch it repeatedly is testament to how I feel about the film.
In contrast, my favorite TV series is Channel 4’s ‘The Great Pottery Throw Down’. I really love the way the competition is laid out and I’m a big fan of pottery. The show has also been a connection to home as when it is being broadcast, I call my Mum and we watch it together live, something I can’t often do when I’m at university.
What would be your ideal first job once you complete your degree?
The Ideal first job once I finish my degree would be as a camera operator. I would especially love to be involved in non-fiction productions such as ‘The Great Pottery Throw Down’
And in the longer term, what do you hope to be doing in 10 years from now?
10 years from now I hope to have established myself as a camera operator and I would love to have written and produced some of my own work. The future will shape itself and I just want to be part of this industry that I love.
What are you most looking forward to at IBC?
I’m looking forward to the talks surrounding AI and the future of the industry. I think that AI will become an invaluable tool in the future and will absolutely affect the way I enter the industry. Listening to experts discuss this will be an amazing opportunity to learn how to adapt myself into the changing world.
Hendrik Albrecht
Hochschule RheinMain, Advanced Media Technologies
How long have you been on this course and how long do you have left until you complete?
For 1 Semester, and there are 2 Semesters left.
What is your favorite Film or TV Show? And why?
My favorite film is Catch Me If You Can because I love it when the protagonist is clever and outsmarts others.
What would be your ideal first job once you complete your degree?
Working as an engineer for the broadcast industry e.g. ZDF.
And in the longer term, what do you hope to be doing in 10 years from now?
On a longer term, I aim to take on a leadership position because I want to do work that has meaningful impact.
What are you most looking forward to at IBC?
What I’m most looking forward to at IBC is exploring LED production technology. I believe LED volumes represent the future of virtual production, especially in broadcasting. Traditional green screen studios will likely be phased out over time, and I want to gain expertise in working with LED-based environments, as they offer more realistic lighting and interactive backgrounds.
George Blower
Southampton Solent University, (BSc) Live Event Technology
How long have you been on this course and how long do you have left until you complete?
I have just completed my first year, with another two to go.
What is your favorite Film or TV Show? And why?
My favorite film is Interstellar. The cinematic brilliance from Christopher Nolan paired with Hans Zimmer’s thrilling soundtrack really created a beautiful narrative. The excellence of the film really made me question the technology behind it and how it was produced.
What would be your ideal first job once you complete your degree?
My ideal first job would be either vision or broadcast engineering. Gaining hands-on experience with equipment and technology whilst feeling the buzz of live production would really give me a strong platform to advance my career.
And in the longer term, what do you hope to be doing in 10 years from now?
Designing and creating broadcast systems would be ideal, having a creative yet technically minded role. It would also be amazing to have the chance to work around the world, giving myself the opportunity to collaborate with people from all over the globe.
What are you most looking forward to at IBC?
Having worked at university, broadcasting a few conferences this year, I’m excited to attend one all about broadcast technology! The chance to explore multiple halls and watch new technologies demonstrations will offer me the opportunity to identify the latest cutting-edge developments in the industry.
Alice Carlin
Université-Polytechnique Hauts-de-France, Audiovisuel Médias Interactifs et Jeux (DREAM)
How long have you been on this course and how long do you have left until you complete?
1 year done, 1 to go.
What is your favorite Film or TV Show? And why?
Over the Garden Wall, it’s a yearly Halloween rewatch. Very spooky, very cozy, with amazing attention to detail in its storytelling and costuming. And there is no disliking the music by the Blasting Company.
What would be your ideal first job once you complete your degree?
No clue, no preference for now since I don’t know the reality of any job yet, really, I just want to get my hands busy and try things out until I find my favorite job.
And in the longer term, what do you hope to be doing in 10 years from now?
To be honest I don’t know.
What are you most looking forward to at IBC?
Listening to a lot of different people, see what the different stances are on the current state of the industry in general.
Sohel Charef
Université Polytechnique Hauts-De-France (UPHF), Audiovisual & Multimedia Engineering course (In the Engineering school INSA Hauts-De-France which is part of the UPHF))
How long have you been on this course and how long do you have left until you complete? 3 years of preparatory school and 2 years of engineering. Right now, I’ve got 1 year left.
What is your favorite Film or TV Show? And why? Wall-E because I love space and Robots.
What would be your ideal first job once you complete your degree?
I would say maybe a job that can mix my 2 passions, audiovisual and theme parks (MackOne for example).
And in the longer term, what do you hope to be doing in 10 years from now?
Don’t know exactly yet, either on the IP Broadcast or Computer Rendering or audiovisual integration
What are you most looking forward to at IBC?
Looking into the latest technologies of IP streaming and maybe virtual production integration.
Lisa Haddou
Polytechnic University of Haut-de-France, links with INSA group. (Institut National des Sciences Appliquées), Master’s degree in Post Production (Audiovisual, Digital Interactive Medias and Game).
How long have you been on this course and how long do you have left until you complete?
As a Master’s degree lasts two years, I’m in my last year of college. I entered this course the last September.
What is your favorite Film or TV Show? And why?
I’m a huge fan of Interstellar because it gathers realistic scientific knowledge and artistic audiovisual talent to highlight a beautiful and stirring storyline. I do love Christopher Nolan’s movies and Hans Zimmer’s music as well even though the main point of this movie is the fact that science, art and technology unite in order to create a masterpiece.
What would be your ideal first job once you complete your degree?
I would love to join an audiovisual production company as a camera operator and film editor in order to participate in enough film-making tasks to run as a future film-maker.
Ad in the longer term, what do you hope to be doing in 10 years from now?
I’m hoping to be able to put my skills in the spotlight in order to be a multipurpose film-maker: scriptwriter, film editor, film-maker, trainer, I’m willing to prove that lights, cameras and sounds are fascinating technologies.
What are you most looking forward to at IBC?
I’m looking forward for inspiring meetings and a professional piece of luck at IBC so that I could link up with technology and media experts and enthusiasts.
Antoine Laurent
INSA Hauts-de-France, Audiovisual and Multimedia
How long have you been on this course and how long do you have left until you complete?
I’ve been studying this course for 2 years, and I have just one year left, including an internship in the final semester.
What is your favorite Film or TV Show? And why?
I don’t have a favorite film or TV show, but as a musician, I always appreciate a good movie soundtrack.
What would be your ideal first job once you complete your degree?
I would like to work as a Broadcast Systems Integrator or Broadcast Project Engineer.
And in the longer term, what do you hope to be doing in 10 years from now?
In 10 years, I hope to be in a leadership role such as Technical Director or Head of Engineering, while still being actively involved in innovative projects.
What are you most looking forward to at IBC?
I’m looking forward to meeting people who share the same passion for the broadcast and discovering new trends in this industry.
Lukas Lawall
Rhein Maine University of Applied Sciences, Media Technology, Bachelor of Engineering
How long have you been on this course and how long do you have left until you complete?
I finished the third semester and have 4 semesters left. I’m planning to graduate in 2027.
What is your favorite Film or TV Show? And why?
My favorite Film is Lord of the Rings. From a technical standpoint I like the use of visual effects in a time which didn’t have the resources we have today.
What would be your ideal first job once you complete your degree?
I would like to work in a position where I can combine the worlds of broadcast and large scale events, using the experience I gained in my years of working in the industry before I started studying. In an ideal job I would travel the world and meet people along the way showing me different ways of using the equipment I use on a daily basis. Developing a better understanding of the possibilities we have with the resources available to us.
And in the longer term, what do you hope to be doing in 10 years from now?
I hope I will be doing something that gives me joy, maybe even in a position I’m not familiar with at the moment, working along great people, who strive to deliver the best whenever they can.
What are you most looking forward to at IBC?
I’m looking forward to have a look at the newest technology and trends our industry is providing. Furthermore I want to look at developments regarding XR-Production and workflows.
Linke Li
Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France, Audiovisual – Postproduction
How long have you been on this course and how long do you have left until you complete?
I have been on this course for one year, and I have one year left to complete it.
What is your favorite Film or TV Show? And why?
My favorite films include classics such as Persona, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Breaking the Waves, and Mulholland Drive. My favorite recent films are The Turin Horse, The Florida Project, Memoria, and Beau Is Afraid.
I like these films for their unique, coherent, and inspiring artistic visions, as well as their strong audiovisual storytelling and high production quality. These works may not rely on the most cutting-edge filmmaking technologies of their time, but they demonstrate masterful use of the tools they chose. In each film, form and content are seamlessly integrated to deliver ideas with both efficiency and profound artistic impact.
What would be your ideal first job once you complete your degree?
I would like to become a film editor or a visual effects compositor/CGI artist.
And in the longer term, what do you hope to be doing in 10 years from now?
I hope to gain enough experience to eventually start my own production studio and become an independent filmmaker.
What are you most looking forward to at IBC?
I would like to learn more about emerging technologies in virtual production, AI-assisted production techniques, and new trends in filmmaking that can help reduce costs or simplify the postproduction process. I am also interested in the latest developments in 3D animation and special effects/CGI.
Daniella Smith
Southampton Solent University, BA (Hons) Television Production
How long have you been on this course and how long do you have left until you complete?
I have been at Solent since Sept 2023, and I am now entering my third and final year.
What is your favorite Film or TV Show? And why?
My favorite films are the Harry Potter series. I have always been fond of them since I was young, and have always been fascinated by the London Studio Tour and the magic behind the scenes.
What would be your ideal first job once you complete your degree?
Through experiences I’ve managed to get for myself by networking while studying at university so far, I am very eager to start off as a Graphics Operator for live sports.
And in the longer term, what do you hope to be doing in 10 years from now?
In ten years’ time, I’d love to progress in my career by doing more exiting and bigger sports shows as either a Graphics Operator, or even an EVS Operator, and by doing so – visiting new countries.
I’m passionate about both EVS and Graphics, currently I believe Graphics is more achievable as a career starter. However, I am determined to keep building my skills, keep networking, and hopefully I can get to progress to the VT dept at some point in my career.
What are you most looking forward to at IBC?
I’m most looking forward to seeing industry connections I have already made and, making new ones who can help me further along my journey into the industry.
As well as learning more deeply about the industry I’m about to enter in terms of up-and-coming tech, and even resources that I can use to learn and train myself on before starting my career this time next year.
Ben Thomas
Southampton Solent University, Live Event Technology
How long have you been on this course and how long do you have left until you complete?
I am in my 2nd year of a 3 year degree.
What is your favorite Film or TV Show? And why?
It is not quite a show or film but in the same sort of category I love SailGP. I very much admire the technology behind and have sailed since I can remember so it is something that really intertwines 2 of my passions: technology and sailing.
What would be your ideal first job once you complete your degree?
I am already freelancing as a broadcast engineer and live sound tech when I can so I would love to continue this into my career as I complete university studies.
And in the longer term, what do you hope to be doing in 10 years from now?
I would like to have worked my way up in the broadcast industry and I think my interest lies in system design and integration so I would like to have a role doing that.
What are you most looking forward to at IBC?
I am looking forward to seeing the technologies that I see on LinkedIn and be able to get a bit more hands on. I also can’t wait for the networking opportunities whether they be meeting people I have connected with but not met, meeting up with people I know and most importantly getting to know more people within the industry.
