People

The Lab Takes Off as Pullen Lands with Qantas

philsandberg — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:37:37 +0000

The Lab Sydney has announced management changes and new investment to position the company for future growth.
In March The Lab’s GM of the past few years, Lewis Pullen, moves on to one of Australia’s most prestigious marketing roles, Executive Manager, Marketing for Qantas.
The Lab is a key part of the Omnilab Media group of companies and Omnilab Media’s Managing Director, Christopher Mapp said, “Lewis has done a great job managing significant change and implementing new systems at The Lab which leaves it better prepared for the challenges of a tough market. We all wish Lewis well in this major role at Qantas. With Omnilab Media a partner of Qantas’ it is very good news indeed to see one of our most senior and experienced executives secure this key marketing position.”
With Pullen moving on The Lab has secured major industry heavyweight Alistair Steven to head up the advertising side of their business as Executive Producer, working closely with current Client Director Michael Eder. Steven joins The Lab from Sydney-based VFX house Engine and boasts a who’s who of clients and agencies that he has worked with in Australia’s advertising industry.
The Lab’s film and TV division will now be the responsibility of long-time employee and well-known industry veteran Prue Fletcher who is promoted to Head of Film and TV. Fletcher has over 20 years experience in longform production and will report into John Fleming – General Manager of Digital Pictures in Melbourne.
Mapp added, “This new structure will take the teamwork and integration between our Sydney and Melbourne facilities to a higher level, helping us compete better domestically and on the world stage by offering and delivering true world-class services to our film and TV clients.”
As part of The Lab’s growth and diversification strategy put in place by Pullen, Alana Watts moves into a new Digital Producer role to help drive digital and interactive services for their corporate, advertising and entertainment clients. This includes the new Swarm Intelligence digital asset management solution and digital display services launched at the end of 2009.
Christopher Mapp concluded, “This is a very strong management team with extensive experience in digital post production, who will be able to take The Lab through the next chapter of its development. Lewis implemented a successful and efficient management process at The Lab giving the new team solid cornerstones and foundations to work from. I’m delighted to say that, thanks to his efforts and our new team structure, everyone at The Lab is excited about the possibilities that 2010 brings and that we are more committed to the pursuit of creative excellence for our clients than ever before.”

Broadcast Pix Picks Breckenridge for Asia-Pac

philsandberg — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:13:07 +0000

Broadcast Pix has announced that Dennis Breckenridge was named Director of Sales, Asia Pacific Region, on Jan. 1. Breckenridge has been part of the Broadcast Pix team for almost three years, most recently serving as Key Accounts and Business Development Manager.
The new position reflects the company’s increased presence and resources in the region. Recently, Broadcast Pix sold six systems to the Indonesian Parliament, plus there have been several customer wins in Australia, New Zealand, and China.
“Asia is a growing, emerging market for Broadcast Pix. Our revenues tripled in that region over the last year,” said Breckenridge. “This is an exciting opportunity to build on our sales momentum in several countries while improving support for our existing customer base.”
“Beyond sales, Dennis brings his experience in video production and technology to our customers in the region,” said Arco Groenenberg, Vice President of Sales. “Building a bigger presence in Asia is a must for Broadcast Pix. We look forward to increasing our share in the Asian marketplace.”
Second-quarter 2010 will see Breckenridge open a new office in Singapore, which will support dealer channels and provide service to the expanding number of Broadcast Pix customers.
He can be reached via e-mail at dbreck@broadcastpix.com or Skype: dbreck.
Visit www.broadcastpix.com

New GM and Talent for Oktobor

philsandberg — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:38:11 +0000

New Zealand visual effects and animation studio Oktobor has announced that Bruce Everett has been appointed as their new General Manager.
Known as a strategic forward thinker, Everett brings a hands-on, craft producer and filmmaker’s eye to the role of GM having previously enjoyed significant success as Group Director of Post-Production for the world famous Pinewood Shepperton PLC and Managing Director of St. Anne’s Post for Ascent Media in the UK.
Everett said, “The world of post production has changed. We are now involved in the creation of media, stories and graphic images in a very different way than we ever have been before. Oktobor has moved with these changes and I’m pleased to say my role gives the scope for us to change further and lead the way into the new media landscape.”
Commenting on how he sees the future for Oktobor and the industries they work in Everett added, “We now interpret client briefs, decode scripts and hope to exceed client expectations with our results. Oktobor is now so much more than a facilities house. We do great post production, create digital content and produce world-class VFX. There’s more to announce as we pursue a far more aggressive and diverse growth strategy for the future so watch this space.”
Bruce Everett’s appointment as GM of Oktobor is effective immediately.
Oktobor’s also has a new Senior Producer, Digital, in the form of Amanda Kabel, another big coup for the company. Kabel is known in the industry most recently in her role as Owner/Operator of production services company Kabel TV where she had a who’s who client list including DDB, Whybin TBWA, Grey Advertising and Lowe working on campaigns for Vodafone, NZ lotteries Commission, Tegel, ASB Bank, Nissan, The Warehouse, Griffin’s and Woosh amongst many others. Prior to owning Kabel TV she was Head of TV Production at Young & Rubicam Advertising (previously known as Mattingly & Partners). Her role at Y&R included the daily management of their TV Production Department where she was responsible for million-dollar television budget productions for clients including Air New Zealand, Caltex – Star Mart, Woolworths, PlaceMakers, Farmers, Deka, Mazda, Beaurepaires, Casio, Pioneer, Oxfam and David Reid Electronics.
Meanwhile, Cristina Casares brings with her to Oktobor a 14-year Animator/Director/Producer background in the industry. She was the director and founder of La Luna Studios in New Zealand and has worked in many top facilities around the world. Notably, her experience includes Production Management at The Pixel Factory (USA), Chilefilms Group (Chile/Argentina) where she set up the first motion capture facility in Latin America and was involved in stereoscopic short film productions. Casares has also coordinated projects with Dreamworks, ILM and Weta Workshop.
Oktobor’s second new Account Manager Zoe Jones is a well-recognised and respected figure in the industry. Jones returns to Oktobor after a short hiatus having previously been a Producer at the company. Jones originally joined from the VTR Group in London and also has significant experience in Telecine.
According to Bruce Everett, “Oktobor’s plan for 2010 is further growth through strengthening our team and upgrading our technology offering. With these three new appointments we are able to give better client management and offer far more in the way of innovative digital services. There is more big news on a range of subjects, including further investment in the company, to come out of Oktobor in the very near future.”

Visit www.oktobor.com

DVS Taps Polgar for EMEA, APAC

philsandberg — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:49:02 +0000

DVS, a leading manufacturer of hardware and software solutions serving the digital film post production, broadcast, and presentation markets, has welcomed Alain Polgar as the Vice President of Sales for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. In this newly created position Alain Polgar will manage Sales, Market Development, and Marketing for the entire region.
Prior to joining DVS, Alain Polgar was the Vice President of International Sales at Ascent Media, one of the world’s largest media service companies. Previously, he held several senior management positions in International Sales, Marketing and Business Development at Avid, Pinnacle Systems, Fast Multimedia, and Thomson Grass Valley.
Peter Spoer, DVS CEO, said “We are delighted Alain has joined DVS. He brings with him an impressive wealth of market, client and managerial expertise. Alain will be spearheading our expansion into the broadcast arena, as we aim for the same success we continue to achieve in the post production industry.”
In reply, Alain Polgar said, “I look forward to being a part of the DVS team, which enjoys a great international reputation. As Vice President Sales EMEA & APAC, I am committed to expand our reach and continue to increase our presence in the post production and broadcast market, headed by our video server VENICE.”
Polgar received a Masters in Business Administration from the Institut Supérieur de Gestion (ISG) in Paris and the EUA program at the University of San Fransisco.

Hoskin Rejoins OmniBus

philsandberg — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:46:26 +0000

OmniBus Systems, the provider of comprehensive broadcast automation, content management and workflow solutions, has announced the appointment of Greg Hoskin as executive vice president of Broadcast Sales. Hoskin returns to the company after spells in strategic roles at Omneon Inc. and Megahertz Broadcast Systems, and he will play a prominent part in developing the markets for the industry-leading OmniBus iTX IT-based transmission and automation platform.
“I made the decision to rejoin OmniBus because of the great success and huge potential of the iTX platform,” said Hoskin. “The market has woken up to the fact that next-generation products based on IT platforms meet financial, business and operational objectives much better than the traditional solutions. OmniBus has already achieved major sales wins with top industry names with iTX, and it is driving some of the most adventurous broadcasting and media projects out there. The company is in a strong financial position and poised for very rapid global growth, so it’s a really exciting prospect.”
Hoskin’s 30-year track record in the industry has given him a great depth of experience in the evolution of automation and file server technologies, the backbone of future media delivery solutions.
“We are very fortunate to bring Greg back into OmniBus,” said Mike Oldham, CEO of OmniBus Systems. “Greg is a seasoned and successful broadcast industry leader. His experience working previously for OmniBus and, more recently, for a leading systems integrator and a video server manufacturer give him a unique understanding of the needs of broadcasters around the world.”
OmniBus iTX is the next-generation solution that makes the conventional broadcast automation, master control and playout chain obsolete. Combining and exceeding all the functions of a conventional chain in a single, integrated suite of software applications, iTX is flexible, open and feature-rich, and offers a significantly more configurable and responsive end-to-end solution for a wide range of operating environments. With market-beating support for SD and HD formats and exceptional ability to integrate with third-party systems, iTX delivers the most powerful solution available while significantly reducing the investment required to launch and operate high-quality channels in broadcast, IPTV, mobile TV, disaster recovery and business continuity applications.

Booyar Heads New Division for ACMA

philsandberg — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:44:43 +0000

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has moved quickly to fill the two General Manager vacancies created by a restructure recently implemented on 1st December last.
‘Following the recent promotion of Maureen Cahill as General Manager of the Communications Infrastructure Division, I am very pleased to usher in the New Year by announcing the appointment of Olya Booyar as the General Manager of the Content, Consumer and Citizen Division,’ said Chris Chapman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the ACMA.
Olya says her new role heading a new division at the ACMA will be her greatest challenge to-date.
‘Although I’ve worked in media and communications for more than twenty years, I don’t think there’s ever been a time of greater change over such shortened timeframes as we’re experiencing today,’ she said. ’We’ve moved from being almost passive recipients of a limited range of services back in the 1980s, to being actively engaged as citizens and consumers in an ever-expanding range of media and communications options.
‘I hope at the ACMA I can help to better define what those changes and challenges mean for consumers and citizens and drive the ACMA’s facilitation of those very changes and challenges.’
Olya will commence with the ACMA on 1 February. She brings to the ACMA extensive experience in media and communications. Having started her career in Australia as a working journalist, she has risen through programming and executive management positions in radio and television to her most recent position as Deputy Director of the Classification Board.
Chris Chapman said ‘Olya has an excellent working knowledge of our broadcasting and online environment and its regulation, as well a significant exposure to content-related subject matter, something which is becoming ever more germane to our activities.
‘Olya’s recent senior responsibility for important national classification matters is highly relevant to the role of the ACMA in ensuring adequate community safeguards, given the reality in that role of the diversity of opinion in the Australian community and the dedication of more and more ACMA resources to its on-line responsibilities.
‘I am confident Olya will bring fresh thinking, insights and energy to the ACMA as she helps develop and shape our thinking on these and other consumer / citizen matters which lie within her division.’
Maureen Cahill was promoted to General Manager of the Communications Infrastructure Division in December from a strong field of internal and external applicants. The arrival of Olya Booyar completes the appointment of permanent General Managers for all Divisions formed in the new ACMA structure.

NDS Grows China Team

philsandberg — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:42:19 +0000

NDS, the provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, has rounded off a year of growth in China with a number of appointments and key promotions across its executive team.
NDS China has increased its team of employees by 73% in the last year. In March 2009, the company opened a major R&D, engineering and customer support facility in Shenzhen. The office is involved in developing middleware and customised electronic programme guides (EPGs) as well as solutions tailored to meet the specific needs of the Chinese pay-TV market.
NDS finished 2009 with the announcement of a major initiative at Chongqing Cable, in partnership with DOXTV, a leading value-added TV service provider in China. Chongqing Cable has launched China’s first HD digital video recorder (DVR) and push video on demand (VOD) service.
Looking to 2010, NDS China is focusing on developing local solutions for the two-way cable model, which is at the heart of the Chinese government SARFT Next Generation Broadcasting (NGB) initiative. With a portfolio of customers involved in the NGB initiative, NDS is well placed to help operators take advantage of NGB.
Underlying the achievements of its team of executives in China, NDS is pleased to announce the following key promotions:

Chris Yap has been promoted to Vice President and General Manager, Cable, for NDS Greater China, reporting to Sue Taylor, Vice President and General Manager Asia Pacific. During his eight years with NDS, Chris has played a pivotal role in establishing NDS’s business in the region. He is responsible for new accounts in the Asia Pacific region; regional strategy; and the technical support and delivery teams in China, Hong Kong, South Korea, India, SE Asia and Australia. Chris also oversees the cable business for the region and manages the team in China.
Yvonne Wang has been promoted to the position of Director of Corporate Development, China, in recognition of the key role she has played in the development of the NDS’ China business. Yvonne’s experience includes four years at the NDS Beijing office and three years at News Corporation. She is now focused on developing NDS’s relationship with the government as well as corporations in China.
Tigo Yeung has been promoted to the role of Director of Major Accounts, Asia. Tigo joined NDS Asia Pacific in May 1998 supporting accounts in South East Asia. Since that time, Tigo has been involved in pre-sales, AP account management and business development in China. Tigo focuses on long-range planning, strategy, and policies for the satellite business in Greater China.
Sammy Qiu has been promoted to Director of Major Accounts. During eight years at NDS, Sammy has developed the account teams working with operators in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, two cities that have seen a spectacular growth in digital TV.
Ben Liu is now Director of Pre-Sales, with responsibility for all pre-sales activities in China. Ben joined NDS in 2002 and has played an important role in supporting NDS customers in Shenzhen, Shantou, Guangzhou, Zhongshan, Tianjin and Anhui.

“The digital pay-TV market is heading into a period of enormous growth as China moves towards analogue switch-off in 2015,” said Sue Taylor. “As operators look to differentiate their offerings with value-added services, such as integrated DVR and push VOD, NDS is well positioned to help operators in the region with a strong executive team and local expertise that is second-to-none.”

FSM Hooks Wanda for VFX

philsandberg — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:38:58 +0000

Sydney post production company FSM today announced that leading 3D talent, Andreas Wanda, has been appointed as VFX_3D Supervisor.
Andreas will join FSM with over ten years experience in 3D from on-set to leading 3D teams for major TV commercials. Most recently Andreas spent two years at Animal Logic where he managed several high profile projects including feature film the Knowing.
FSM Managing Director, Rick Schweikert said: “We’re delighted Andreas has joined FSM as supervisor of our VFX and 3D team.
“His senior 3D and VFX skills will be important as we continue to expand this area of FSM and ensure we remain at the cutting edge of this industry.”
FSM, VFX_3D Supervisor, Andreas Wanda commented: “I’ve worked in some of the best VFX houses in town, from Fuel to Animal Logic. Working on features in recent times you become a small fish in a big pond.
“I like the challenge FSM offers, being a bigger fish, and concentrating on shorter length productions that are just as challenging and creative. I am looking forward to the opportunity to grow the FSM_VFX department along with Scotty Wilcox, who heads up the 3D team.”
The TV commercials Andreas worked on have won several awards including: a Gold Pencil at the AWARD Awards, for Visual Effects on the Sony Kiss ad; and a Gold World Medal for 3D Animation on the Heineken Past Experience ad at the New York Festival’s International Advertising Awards.

ABU Appoints New Secretary-General

philsandberg — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:47:30 +0000

Javad Mottaghi has been appointed the next ABU Secretary-General. The announcement was made by the ABU Administrative Council after a meeting in Kuala Lumpur on 8 January.
Mr Mottaghi, 54, is currently Director of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD).
He succeeds David Astley, who has been Secretary-General since July 2002. Mr Astley is leaving the ABU at the end of June. Mr Mottaghi’s starting date is yet to be announced.
An Iranian citizen, Mr Mottaghi has headed the AIBD since August 1998. Married with three children, he has 30 years of national and international experience in media and communications.
He served Iran’s national broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), in various capacities from 1978 to 1996, notably in the fields of sports, production and news.
He was the Director of IRIB’s Radio and TV Sports Department for 18 years. He also held the directorships of the Foreign Bureau and International Relations Department, TV Social Department and News Department, and was Advisor to the President of IRIB.
Mr Mottaghi has long been active in ABU activities. He was IRIB’s Liaison Officer for both the ABU and the European Broadcasting Union until 1996.
He was a member of the ABU Administrative Council for three years as well as Chairman of the ABU Sports Group, Chairman of the ABU Olympic Sub-Group, Chairman of the World Football Cup Sub-Group, Chairman of the Asian Games Sub-Group and a member of the negotiating team for TV Rights for the World Football Cup, Asian Games and the Olympics for several years.
In February 2009, the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association presented Mr Mottaghi with the Elizabeth R Award for Exceptional Contribution to Public Service Broadcasting.
Mr Mottaghi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tehran Sharif University of Technology, a Master’s Degree in Management and is a PhD candidate in Management from the University of Teesside, England.

Visit www.abu.org.my

OmniBus Appoints Wood for APAC, Middle East, Africa

philsandberg — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:45:21 +0000

OmniBus Systems has announced the appointment of Iain Wood as regional sales manager responsible for market development in the Middle East, India, Asia-Pacific and Africa. Wood’s appointment marks the expansion of the company’s activities in these regions, driven by growing sales and demand for OmniBus products, and in particular for the flagship OmniBus iTX IT-based transmission and automation platform.
“OmniBus has forged a unique position as the industry leader in advanced IT-based transmission platforms, and there is enormous potential as more and more broadcasters and media companies realise the power and versatility of this technology,” said Wood. “Far from being a low-cost, limited ‘channel-in-a-box’ product, OmniBus iTX is the natural successor to high-end conventional automation and transmission systems, with greater capabilities for today’s complex broadcasting and multi-format media services. It’s an extremely exciting time to be rejoining the company and to push forward the success of iTX and the entire OmniBus range in the regional markets.”
Wood’s extensive industry knowledge and contacts in the Middle East, Indian, Asian and African markets reflect his expertise in the field of automation, gathered during 20-plus years in the industry in senior roles with Drake, Omneon and OmniBus.
“The regions Iain will be spearheading for OmniBus are ones in which the company has already achieved some notable successes, but demand and interest in our products have risen sharply in recent months,” said Mike Oldham, OmniBus CEO. “The rollout of HD through these regions, together with the growth of multi-format delivery as mobile TV and Web-based services proliferate, means that we offer exactly the technologies today’s broadcasters and media companies want. Iain’s addition to our team comes at a perfect time as these dynamic markets develop.”

Visit www.omnibus.tv.