Kyran Speirs, Head of Post Production, Arrow Media, gives his round up of the 2024 IBC show in Amsterdam.
It’s that time of year again: IBC. The annual pilgrimage where broadcast, film, and tech nerds from around the globe descend on Amsterdam. Normally, I’d be buzzing with excitement (and caffeine), but this year was different. I was more apprehensive than ever. Why, you ask? Had I heard whispers of some mysterious, world-shaking tech revolution? No. Was I dreading another round of the AI hype machine? Not even close. The real reason? This was my first IBC without alcohol.
That’s right. No booze. Well, a shandy. I know what you’re thinking—IBC without a beer in hand? Are you even human? But hear me out. This year was an experiment in sobriety, and honestly, it gave me a fresh perspective on the event. Plus, it turns out the IBC magic still works, even when you’re not squinting through a pint glass.
First things first, I have to give credit to Kirsty Ellison from Jigsaw24 for dropping a truth bomb: “It’s all about connecting with people.” She couldn’t be more right. Technology may have its glitzy moments, but at the end of the day, IBC is all about the humans behind it. And let me tell you, this year the people shone brighter than any 8K HDR screen.
I strolled through the halls, catching up with old friends and meeting new faces, all while pretending I knew what half of them were talking about. It quickly became clear: I know sweet, sweet zero about most of the tech on display. But that’s fine, because there are some very smart cookies in Amsterdam—and no, I’m not talking about the local edibles.
The industry is resilient, and despite the unnecessary fear some people whisper (hello, AI apocalypse), there’s a sense of optimism and camaraderie. Everyone stood tall, full of ideas, and ready for whatever the future throws our way. This isn’t just an industry; it’s a community. And this year, that sense of togetherness was stronger than ever and humans are way smarter than AI.
Now, I must give a shoutout to Keith from Symply. This guy has a vision for storage drives that reads like the plot of a sci-fi novel. We’ve been using Symply’s drives on a major US shoot for Discovery ID, and let me tell you—they are rock solid. But it’s not just the tech that impressed me. Keith is one of the nicest people in the industry, fighting hard for the title against Nick Long from Salon. It’s a tough competition, but Keith is definitely a contender.
Oh, and did I mention I got to do some shadow boxing at the exhibition? Yeah, that happened. Did I feel like a bit of a wally? Absolutely. Was there a reason for this odd display of physical prowess? Sort of. I wanted to check out some motion capture tech from Zero Space, and boxing seemed like the easiest way to test it. Spoiler alert: I looked more like Rocky Marshmallow than Rocky Marciano, but the tech didn’t care. The real-time rendering was instant, smooth, and insanely cool. I walked away with an FBX file of my marshmallow-like movements, ready for any future use case that might pop up. Honestly, I can’t wait to find an excuse to use this tech—it’s like something out of a sci-fi film, and I’m here for it.
Speaking of cool tech, it was great to reconnect with the folks at Eizo. We’ve got some of their monitors over at Arrow Media, and I took the opportunity to check out their latest PROMINENCE CG3146 monitor.
We looked at some AI as there’s a mission we’re working on—fingers crossed I’ll be talking about it in a year once it all comes together. But for now, I’ll keep that little nugget of mystery to myself.
Another highlight was my annual visit to the Limecraft stand. Now, these folks know the way to my heart: mint and chocolates. We chatted about new features we’d love to see in their products, and what I appreciate most about Limecraft is that they actually listen. If it’s possible, they try to cater to your needs. They’re the kind of company that makes you feel like a partner, not just a customer.
It wasn’t just about the exhibitors, though. I had some fantastic conversations with Kevin Zemrowski over at Imaginary Pictures—a guy who’s always got his finger on the pulse of emerging tech. And, without sounding too sycophantic, one of the big highlights for me was meeting Emil Mikkelsen, Head of Technology for the Nordics and Poland at Fremantle. It was a real pleasure meeting him in person, along with other members of the Fremantle family like Michael Dias at 72 Films. There’s something truly exciting about the future of our relationship with Fremantle, and I can’t wait to see where it leads.
Before I wrap this up, I’d be remiss not to give a quick shoutout to James Bennett from the excellent Televisual (seriously, if you haven’t read it, you should). It was great chatting with him, and I still can’t help but think about the quirky parallels between IBC and Glastonbury. Sure, sometimes the music (or tech) isn’t the greatest (sorry, Coldplay), but it’s the people who make the trip worth it.
So there you have it—my round-up of IBC 2024. No booze, plenty of fascinating minds, and, yes, I swear I saw an AI goblin drawing a picture while speaking in a South American accent and asking me questions. No, I wasn’t drinking, so it had to be real. Right?
Jon Creamer
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