6 minute read
It's IBC time again! As is traditional, Matt Gregory sifts through all the pre-show news and marks your card for 10 essential things to see and do as IBC2024 rolls into the Amsterdam RAI.
Welcome to our guide to the things we recommend you check out at Europe’s most popular film and TV technology trade show, IBC, this year. Our editorial inbox is full of press releases so we are expecting a LOT of new tools for you to see and interact with this year. Actually you will already have seen a lot of IBC releases as companies like Canon, Aputure and Apple (?) get their news out before the show starts in an effort to be heard. Before I get onto the list though, one major, major tip I always add is if you haven’t been before: Get a floor plan! The RAI is an elaborate maze of halls and tangled passageways that can stump visitors that have even been attending IBC for 20+ years! Anyway, if you do visit, have fun and enjoy the show. And if you don’t, keep coming back here for all the news from Amsterdam.
Here are my Top 10 Things to See for the show this year.
1. Adobe (7.B35)
Adobe just announced a huge range of updates to Premiere Pro 25, Beta version due out next month. There are a bunch of upgrades you can read in detail about here but the main one (IMO) is an entirely new colour management system that automatically transforms RAW and log footage from nearly every camera into great-looking SDR and HDR, so users can spend less time managing LUTs and start editing right away. This is really cool for a production company like ours that has our own tools but also works with contractors that provide footage in different formats from different cameras. We can see a real problem being solved with this and will be getting a demo from the Adobe team at the show for sure.
After Effects 25 also has a range of new features including embedded 3D animations, allowing seamless integration of 3D models with keyframe animations and bone-based deformations. The Adobe team gives awesome demos and their booth is always worth a visit.
2: Lighting (everywhere)
We think lighting is such a major thing at IBC 2024 our in-house lighting (and more) expert Phil Rhodes wrote about it specifically here. First of all the guys at Aputure have been insanely busy. Just this week they have released their STORM 1200x which is the first light in Aputure’s new STORM family, this debuts the company’s new BLAIR light engine. It says that the Blue/Lime/Amber/Indigo/Red combination produces outstanding full white spectrum light. Just another note to say the Aputure stand is VERY impressive and if you get a chance to talk to/ grab a demo with Co Founder Ted Sim do it, he is an incredible communicator and as passionate as anyone about the industry. Also go and see Godox. I hadn’t heard of them until 2021 when I started seeing crews use their kit. We now own a range of Godox lights for our own in-house video production work! Just three weeks ago they launched their new LP series of LITEMONS LED panels (above: we covered that here). They provide soft lighting and high brightness coupled with a wide range of colour temperatures and diverse professional modes that should make them a good choice for multiple lighting situations. This section of the industry was hit *hard* by the strikes and shutdowns, so to see it innovate like it has is incredibly impressive — please go by and support them if you can.
3. AJA (7.B19)
AJA has always had an impressive presence at IBC and 2024 will be no different. AJA is one of the industry's most trusted sources for remote, 12G SDI, HDR and streaming services. Just recently it launched the Ki Pro GO2, an advanced multi-channel HD/SD recorder that supports up to four simultaneous channels of H.265 (HEVC) or H.264 (AVC) recording. If you need IO/ converters AJA has you covered. Their team is great and incredibly knowledgeable. We have fond memories of being there for the launch of their (underrated) CION camera but it's the everyday products they have that end up being essential elements in a broadcast workflow. Make sure you check them out!
4. Atomos (11.D25)
The big news from our point of view here is CEO and Co-founder Jeromy Young is back. Jeromy led (and I mean *led*) the company to the stage where Atomos were the major player in recorder/ monitoring in our industry. With a fluent grasp of Japanese language and culture he was able to tie up strategic partnerships with Canon, Sony, Panasonic and Nikon - no mean feat - and make Atomos key players in the mirrorless cinema camera boom of the last decade. Now with their ProRES support and IOS app they are going to a much larger market, however IBC is the place to see their film and TV tech solutions. With Jeromy back expect a loud and proud Atomos stand with fun and hands on things for visitors to try. Top tip: If you like cameras they seem to have every cinema camera you can think of rigged up so a good place to try a range of cameras without the queues you might get at Sony or Canon.
5. ASUS (2.A29)
We were with ASUS at NAB 2024 and their progression from gaming / consumer tech’ company to fully fledged professional technology provider via their ASUS ProArt range is complete. These guys make incredible hardware with specs that match / better products 2-5x the price with style and build quality that matches anything out there. We’ve seen its displays, laptops and workstations used in major post houses, studios, and some of the leading film and TV schools in the world.
This year their theme is AI, that was evident from the news released at Computex Asia around their new series of laptops like the P16 that we actually have for review right now (look out for that). They will also have 4K/ 5K and 8K monitors for visitors to check out. Oh, and on Saturday from 4pm I found out they are doing stand drinks so pop by and see them for a chat over a Heineken if that is your thing. For those that want to learn more about the companies that partner and use ASUS equipment there are Master Talks from Adobe, Nvidia, Blackmagic and even RedShark (I’ll be presenting a talk about how 4D volumetric capture company Evercoast uses ASUS hardware). Also at 4pm on Saturday there will be a drinks/ mixer on their stand - I’ll be there so come and say Hi!
6. Canon (11.C40)
You have seen the news about the new EOS C80 (if you haven’t check it out here). This is the most read pre IBC article on RedShark for a reason, this is a killer camera for a killer price. Go see it, we will! The Canon stand always has tonnes to see, if lenses are your thing there is nowhere better IMO, the range of cameras Canon has is incredible and their broadcast tech is always fun to play with. Seriously, it’s a must visit at IBC.
7. Matrox Video (7.B15)
One of the key themes of IBC this year will be Video over IP. Matrox are absolute experts at this and have a range of products and solutions you sometimes don’t hear about, but a show like IBC is perfect for getting hands on with companies like Matrox that supply solutions to the biggest broadcasters in the business. This is essential stuff for anyone interested in live production/ streaming. We know Cloud will be huge this year and Matrox last year released a tool named “ORIGIN” that we reviewed and were very impressed with. The Matrox team are based in Montreal, Canada and are some of the most welcoming folks you could wish to meet with incredible industry experience.
8. Virtual Production (everywhere)
The other big theme at IBC2024 *will* be Virtual Production. The momentum has not been lost post pandemic on finding ways of using in camera VFX to help green screen and LED wall productions. Sony (13.A10) is going big with VP on their stand with a great demo featuring the IBC2023 award winning camera, Sony BURANO. We would also recommend you check out Zero Density (7B:01). We first saw them at IBC last year and already this year they are making strong announcements about their new tool, Lino, the Unreal Motion Design-based platform that enables a comprehensive graphics ecosystem. If you are considering upgrading your VP solution you should talk to these guys.
9. The Beach
No, not the “actual” beach, I mean the RAI’s recently updated new artificial beach. Which actually is a massive bar area! By now you’re shattered, have had 20+ demos (or given 40+ if you’re working there - don’t worry exhibitors, we haven’t forgotten about you) can’t quite remember how many stops of dynamic range the latest Canon/ Sony/ BMD cinema camera has, and you need some refreshment. This is the place to go! The central hub for networking, relaxing or getting away from it all. Also the venue where a lot of the show parties are held. All in all I’d say it’s the beating heart of IBC. Have a beer, the sun’s shining (hopefully) and you’ve earned it.
Oh, and if you have got this far you deserve a reward - we are co-hosting an event on the Saturday evening from 6pm with our good friends from Symply Storage (check them out if you are a small/ medium sized post house that want/ need really good on prem/ cloud storage), if you want to join us email maari@redsharknews.com and hopefully she will hook you up with VIP entry; just say Matt said it was cool and she will be absolutely right on it :-).
10. Amsterdam
Amsterdam is an incredible City and we are all lucky to visit / work in such a wonderful place. There are IBC related events going on everywhere (take a sneak peak at Eventbrite and search “IBC” if you fancy canapes and drinks for dinner). Hopefully the issues at Schiphol are behind us and people arrive safely, have a great time, and have a straightforward journey home. Fingers crossed…
Tags: IBC2024
Comments