The media landscape is in the midst of a seismic shift. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the game-changer that’s reshaping how media is produced, distributed, and consumed. Whether you’re in advertising, journalism, content creation, or any corner of the media world, there’s no escaping it: AI is here, and it’s not just for the tech gurus. The most challenging aspect is that once again, even our most seasoned media professionals may need to play catch-up on another emerging technology that is becoming pervasive in everything we do.
Young Person of the Year – bring on the talent
Every year at the IABM Annual Awards, IABM recognizes the Andrew Jones Young Person of Year with a special award. The competition for the 2024 award was particularly intense. In the end, the award went to Ciaran Ennis, Associate Engineer at Techex. However, any of the shortlisted candidates would have been worthy winners in their own right.
We spoke to the shortlisted candidates to find out what brought them into the MediaTech industry, what they enjoy about it and how they see their futures unfolding. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and personal drive is a common factor for all of them – as is the support and mentorship they have received. What follow is an inspiring read in its own right and also provides an excellent insight into how to foster the new talent our industry needs to continue to thrive.
IABM Student Bursary scheme – 15 years of fostering new talent for the Broadcast and Media industry
Now in its fifteenth year, the IABM student bursary scheme offers students from some of Europe’s top Media technology courses a Delegate Pass to IBC in Amsterdam.
At IBC24 students from RheinMain University in Wiesbaden, Solent University in Southampton and L’Université Polytechnique Hauts-De-France Valenciennes will once again have a chance to experience everything IBC has to offer – from wandering the many Exhibitor Halls to attending conferences.
Over 100 students have benefitted from the scheme since its inception, with travel, hotel and daily expenses covered by the IABM, together with close mentoring from the IABM team throughout the event to ensure they get the most out of the experience.
Postudio – Driving new talent and inclusivity in post-production
Back in the 80s as a young boy, I witnessed what was the prevalent Business Model of the era – The Manufacturer Model – i.e. when necessity was the mother of invention. Busier families with less cooking time needed Instant noodles, pagers (yes, those antiquated things) when you needed to be reached urgently, Sony Walkman because you needed music when you walked/ exercised or were on long flights.
Pixotope – Educating the innovators: nurturing the next generation of talent in virtual production
The world of media production is evolving at an unprecedented pace, bringing with it a variety of new opportunities and challenges. In particular, the adoption of virtual production technologies has skyrocketed, driven by groundbreaking use cases ranging from Hollywood blockbusters like The Mandalorian to immersive sports broadcasts, such as Nickelodeon’s “Nickified” NFL games. This surge has resulted in an increased demand for high-quality live VFX-heavy content that modern audiences have come to expect. At Pixotope, we are confident that virtual production has become a cornerstone of general media production. To enhance this vision, however, it is essential that there is the continued development of a workforce that is well-equipped and eager to embrace these advancements and nurturing the next generation of talent in virtual production is crucial. The rapid evolution of virtual production brings with it a demand for skilled professionals who can navigate and innovate within these advanced workflows. Right now, due to the exponential adoption and development of this technology, there is a talent shortage within the industry that poses a critical barrier to fully capitalizing on these advancements.
Moments Lab – Diversity and Inclusion to fuel Innovation in the media, entertainment, and broadcast industry
In recent years, we have seen businesses across many sectors re-evaluate their workplace to create a more diverse and inclusive environment for everyone. This initiative is crucial for all industries, and the media, entertainment, and broadcast industry is no exception. Historically a male-dominated space, it remains unbalanced to this day. However, change is happening, and there is cause for hope as the industry looks to become more diverse in terms of gender, disability, ethnicity, and more. Encouraging this shift is vital to creating and maintaining an environment where everyone feels valued, included, and represented. By fostering diversity and inclusion, companies in the media, entertainment, and broadcast sector can not only enrich teams with a variety of perspectives and experiences, but also create a more equitable and welcoming workplace for all.
Mediaproxy’s Erik Otto on diversity, team-building and “securing your future growth”
Recruiting the finest potential talents from the greatest range of backgrounds is really a ‘no-brainer’ when it comes to building a winning team, suggests the CEO of compliance software innovator Mediaproxy
Imagine Communications – Bridging the skills gap: addressing the talent shortage in the media and entertainment industry
Recently, rapid technological advancements in the media and entertainment industry have coincided with a generational shift in the workforce. Many seasoned broadcast engineers are retiring or approaching retirement, resulting in the loss of crucial skills that support traditional broadcast systems still in use today. And while younger hires bring important IT, cloud and IP networking expertise to the table, they lack the valuable knowledge of their predecessors in television technology and are not entering the field quickly enough to replace them. This has led to a skills shortage, and in this article, we will explore what the industry is doing — and needs to do — to address it.
Resilience through talent: addressing shortages in the MediaTech industry
In the ever-evolving landscape of MediaTech, the industry faces a significant challenge: a shortage of skilled talent. This issue is not only impeding growth but also hampering innovation , stifling creativity, and impacting the bottom line, as the scarcity of talent drives up hiring costs. To combat this, it is essential to understand the complexities of talent shortages and resilience within the industry and to actively implement strategies to attract, retain, and develop talent.
Our latest internal research, comprising a comprehensive survey and a series of interviews with MediaTech professionals, reveals five key pillars of the challenges and potential solutions to this pressing issue.
Chyron: How Accessible Training Translates to Talent – Building, Leveraging, and Keeping It
Access to great training resources is a must in live broadcast production, where — thanks to both historical factors and modern pressures — it can be difficult to attract, maintain, and retain talent.