Meet the Makers?

'Meet the Makers' is an event organized by the New Technology Hub. It's a crossover event with visual content creators - the makers - from all over Europe to inspire and get inspired. For two days in 2021, and one day in 2022 the VRT and RTBF headquarters turned into an inspiring center exploring the world of online video. Meet the Makers focused on a whole set of topics that combine innovative creation and technology.

You can read the recap of 2021 in the article on this page.

What we learned in 2022 can be read right here:

For the second year in a row, New Technology Hub organised an inspiring crossover event that gathered experts from broadcasting organisations and creatives from all over Europe, who got the chance to meet some of the most cutting-edge media makers of today. On September 22nd 2022, the Marconi studio at VRT turned into an international living room dedicated to exploring the future of online content.

What goes into producing a podcast? How do you position yourself as an audio brand? What does the metaverse mean for broadcasters? Is there a future in creating a digital twin for your real-life event?  What’s new in the world of 5G, VR, AR and 3D and how can it be useful to you? How do you connect with the younger audience and who the f*ck is Average Rob? These are only a few of the questions that were answered during this year's Meet The Makers sessions. Let’s recap.

 

Stage of meet the makers

 

Podcasting

Meet the Makers kicked off with a presentation by Catherine Lekime, the editor-in-chief of the audio team at VRT MAX, VRT’s audio and video streaming platform. Catherine and her team aim to create a digital change within the organisation. But how do they go about it? Amongst other things, Catherine told us about centralising all podcasts that were previously scattered over VRT’s different platforms.

Catherine also explained why VRT chose to combine video and audio into one app instead of creating two separate platforms. The philosophy behind the merger is a one stop shop: in the morning people can listen to podcasts and in the evening they can use the same app to watch video content.

While Catherine focuses on the back office of creating a podcast, Wouter Van Driessche operates in the front office. As the creative director of the podcasting agency Uitgesproken (Outspoken), Wouter shared some of the insights he has gained from producing over five hundred podcast episodes. He emphasised that you have to use every audio trick in the book: play with layers in editing and look for ways to tell the story that transcends people just simply talking.

It sounds really simple if it’s well done, but the simpler it sounds, the more difficult it is to do.
List of podcasts

 

During the panel, Wouter and Catherine discussed what it takes to create a podcast. Both referencing their journalist background, they agreed that while with a radio show you want to reach as big of an audience as possible, with a podcast you want to reach a community. So there is a different strategy behind producing it. But what makes a good podcast? Because not every idea makes for a good listen. Our next newsletter will be fully dedicated to podcasting and has all the answers. So definitely keep an eye on your mailbox.

The consensus was that you shouldn’t go into podcasting for the big money. But if you want to create quality journalism in a nice environment, something that is quite often overlooked in media productions because of the tight deadlines, it is a very rewarding experience.

Still eager to keep on reading about Podcasting? How to position yourself as an audio brand? The full-length article can be found over here.

 

Media in the metaverse

Sofie Hvitved is a Futurist and Senior Advisor at the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies. Sofie explained the complexity and diversity of the metaverse and what it could mean for broadcasters. The metaverse is the merging of physical and virtual reality. And although it may be virtual, the impact will be real, and it’s much more than just VR. Sofie showcased a number of different predictions from reports on the metaverse. In one of them by McKinsey & Company they predict that by 2030 it’s entirely plausible that 50% of live events will be held in the metaverse.

However, the metaverse is still a long-term perspective. The part that is relevant for content creation in the media today is that it is essential to act now. How can we elevate some of the storytelling that we do by utilising the tools that are already at our disposal? Besides empowering the content creators to be users and producers of the technology at the same time, Sofie also shared some very practical tips like buying a pair of VR glasses, trying AR filters on your smartphone or creating an avatar and visiting a virtual world.
 

Sofie Hvitved
The metaverse is an evolution, not a revolution.

During the panel, our very own Niels Van Duyse invited Anne Mckinnon, CEO and co-founder of Ristband, Reinhart De Lille of Soundstorm and Sofie Hvitved to join in on a discussion about the future of live entertainment in the metaverse. One thing they all agreed on is that big tech companies like Meta and Google are not well equipped to create the future. They can create hardware, but it will be young people that create the content.

 

Panel about the metaverse

 

Both Ristband and Soundstorm were born out of necessity during the pandemic. But how do you position your brand in the metaverse today, now that the demand for digital venues isn’t the only option for enjoying a concert anymore? Anne Mckinnon believes that experiencing a real-life event is still the best thing, but there are many reasons why someone wouldn’t be able to go. That is why Ristband created a real-live event and a digital twin where they used the metaverse to create an experience that transcends a simple live stream. In Ristband, the event was attended 27 times more than in the real-life equivalent. This showed Anne that there is still the desire for people to hang out online and that people that are fans of an artist in the real world also want to take part in this unique experience. Soundstorm is also focused on the community and tries to create an all-around experience where concertgoers can even wait in line to grab a beer. 

 

Tech Talk

Studio 100, one of the biggest content producers for children in Belgium, is using new technologies to reach its audience. Onur Bulut is the Digital Product Manager at Studio 100 and shared with us some of the insights they gathered by creating a VR and AR experience and a XR production. Using the best of those worlds, Studio 100 created an immersive pop-up experience where families could explore the digital world without the expensive VR equipment or the high-end AR devices. Because they found out that what kids really like is the collaboration as a team within the storyline.

In a pop-up building Studio 100 created an installation that tells a story through different spaces and chambers with floor-to-wall projections that make you feel surrounded and fully immersed in the images. The combination of simple story-based interactions, each space that tells another part of the story and has some interactive parts that require collaboration, makes sure Studio 100 stays true to its core mission: to keep telling stories using all types of storytelling. And because kids believe in magic, you don’t need the complex tech foundation. 
 

With the right partners, everything is possible.
Hervé Verloes on stage

 

Hervé Verloes is the XR director of production at Poolpio. An XR virtual production studio based in Brussels that focuses on everything immersive that has been working on interactive content. Hervé explained how using a LED wall combined with Unreal Engine can create beautiful and innovative real-time 3D content. The difference between a massive green key studio and the technology Poolpio uses, is that it allows you to move from an offline production to real-time technology to produce exactly the background that you want in the shot. This could be interesting for future weather forecasts, and VRT has already successfully tested the technology at “Het gala van de gouden K's”. 

VRT is constantly striving to be at the forefront of innovation. Head of ENG, EFP and RF Transmission support at VRT Koen De Leener, explained how VRT is using Starlink, a low latency, broadband internet system. Because during bad weather conditions or in a neighbourhood with many cell phones, 4G coverage is still not reliable enough to ensure going live on the antenna. Starlink is a broadband satellite internet connection that targets remote areas. It is easy to use and relatively cheap. However, it is still in the beta stage. 

VRT is currently trying to test the up- and downlink UDP stability over time, latency and jitter measurements, if bonding with 4G and wired are possible as a safety option, audio and video encoders and what the impact of the weather is on the satellite. Since the top of the Starlink is heated it is convenient when it snows. It is less convenient when cats turn the warm and cosy satellite into their preferred napping spot. The next steps are talking to organisations that also use Starlink to exchange thoughts and to use the device more often at major events.

 

Cats on StarLink

 

Enough talk about 4G. Where does 5G currently stand? Morten Brandstrup is Head of Newstechnology at TV2 Denmark and a true expert on the subject as partner in a 5G-RECORDS consortium. For three years, TV2 has been investigating what is possible to do with a private 5G network. Not to be confused with the 5G you have on your smartphone. This is the type of network TV2 is in control of. Private 5G can be used for live audio production, multiple camera wireless studios or live immersive media productions. Currently, TV2 is studying the gateway between the media, the production side and the 5G network.

Meanwhile, Marco Lehner of the German radio stationBayerischer Rundfunktalked about “Remix Regional”, a prototype to further regionalize the news offering of the public broadcaster through AI and Automation Lab. Automation is used for versioning, which means that you have one piece of content and try to distribute it in different kinds on different platforms to different audiences. On the other hand, there is personalisation and regionalisation. The latter one isn’t new for Bayerischer Rundfunk, since as a public broadcaster regionalisation has been going on for years in different areas of the region. But what happens if you live on the border of two of those areas? Bayerischer Rundfunk is currently testing a system in which their five audio streams are split into parts. Those parts can be read into the database and be used in an app, so the consumer can select which region they are interested in. 

But wait! There is more. We have a whole article about about Media in the metaverse which can be read over here.

 

Creating online content for a younger generation

It is the age-old question: how do we reach young viewers? Melody Holst Talebi of the NRK, Joachim Vandoorne of VRT and Thomas Duprel of RTBF discussed how their respective networks aim to connect with a new generation of viewers.

NRK made the radical choice to move away from their platform and relocate to Twitch, where they have set up an influencer house in which the inhabitants will be live streamed around the clock called LL35. Although logically a brand wants to direct as much traffic as possible to its own platform, there is no use in creating content if the audience is not finding it. Melody told us about the beta phase of the project and what the broadcaster has already learned. 
 

We can make the best show in the world, but we need to go to the audience.

Tarmac, the hip-hop network created by RTBF, wants to drive people back to the radio by creating change and representing more diverse and authentic faces. One of the strategies is to make crossposts so the audience knows Tarmac is part of the RTBF brand. Another is utilising influencers, who, according to Thomas, are sometimes even bigger than the media itself.

Ketnet also felt like they needed a new way to speak to an even younger audience that watches their tablet instead of television. Rethinking all the technology, Ketnet started creating new characters that only live in the digital world: The Peetie Club. Every week, they bring these characters together in the online live show called The Peetie Club. Joachim talked about the strengths and weaknesses of a digital experiment like The Peetie Club, and the need for a completely online world instead of a catalogue of content you’ve already created.

 

Panel discussion with RTBF, Ketnet and NRK

 

Engaging the audience through social media

In the past, a continuous drama like Thuis didn’t have to put much effort into engaging the younger audience. The long-term strength of Thuis is that the TV show can outlive its audience. In return, however, Thuis has to seduce the next generation of viewers to get noticed in other ways than they did in the past. With a monthly reach of 1,3 million people on Facebook, and more than 350K followers on Instagram, what is the secret? Hans shared some of the communication strategies the Thuis social team uses.

 

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Thuis creates its storylines on social media with two very different ambassadors in mind and tries to imagine what is important to them. That is why the same clip on Instagram will tell a different story on Facebook by shifting the focus catered to the platform's specific ambassador. One of the most important learnings that Hans shared is that it is important to stick to the rules of those platforms. 

 

Who the f*ck is Average Rob

The Belgian content creator Average Rob explained how he approaches interactive social media and how he managed to accumulate over 180K YouTube subscribers and half a million followers on Instagram.

 

Picture of Average Rob

 

It is important to keep fueling your passion.

Average Rob’s unique selling point is that he creates content in English but still manages to capitalise on his Belgian identity. His Flemish accent creates an extra layer of authenticity and his self-deprecating humour allows people to connect with him on a deeper level. Rob also revealed some other methods behind the magic, but he emphasised that it is always the most important thing to create with love and passion.

Do you want a more in-depth look at some of these topics? More podcasting tips & tricks, insights into the metaverse and innovative ideas? Be sure to subscribe to the Future Media Hubs newsletter so you don’t miss out on any of the good stuff. You can subscribe by entering your mailadres in the blue bar down below!

If you want to discover more secrets on how to create content for a younger audience. Take a look at this in-depth article about this topic @ Meet the Makers 2022.