Program

Event Schedule:

8 a.m.: Registration Opens
9 a.m.: Smart Content Summit Begins
11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.:Morning Technology Showcases (Multi-Track Breakout Sessions)
TRACK 1: Insights and Analytics
TRACK 2: Cloud, Preservation and Production
TRACK 3: Distribution, Platform and People
12:45 – 1:45 p.m.: Networking Luncheon
4 p.m.: WiTH Registration Opens
4:30 – 6 p.m.: WiTH @ Smart Content
6 – 7 p.m. Networking Reception
 

8:45 – 8:55 a.m.
Opening Remarks
Guy Finley, President, MESA
Mary Yurkovic, Director, Smart Content, MESA
 

8:55 – 9:15 a.m.
Conference Welcome Remarks
Matt Turner, Strategic Advisor and Technologist
 

9:15 – 9:45 a.m.
OPENING KEYNOTE: Breaking the Impossible Barrier – Challenges and Lessons in Building to Scale
In 1999, before smartphones, apps, and digital assistants, our Keynote presenter came up with the idea for people to identify songs by using their mobile phone. But turning this idea into a commercial product was exceptionally difficult since PhDs in signal processing considered this problem “impossible” to solve due to the background noise. In addition, the startup faced numerous challenges in building the “fingerprint database” of millions of songs as well as launching to users in a world before mobile apps existed. This Opening Keynote explores the challenges overcome and the lessons learned as a product ideates from concept to reality, and delivers to our Smart audience what it takes to bring an original idea to market when everyone says you can’t do it.
Chris Barton, Entrepreneur, Shazam Founder, and Former Mobile Strategist for Google and Dropbox
 

9:45 – 10:15 a.m.
Smart Supply Chain
As our industry has moved to digital supply chains, we’ve uncovered sometimes unexpected efficiencies, often leading the business to re-invest. With this increased investment comes increased expectations for transparency, operational insights, reliability and, yes, even more efficiency. These experts discuss renewed investment in supply chains, the shift to software development to support them and our ability to meet business expectations around data-driven decisions.
Moderator: Guy Finley, President, MESA
Panelists:
Eric Iverson, CTO/CIO, Iverson Consulting
Nona Janssen Walls, Principal Consultant, Slalom Consulting
Jason Lambert, Executive Director, Content Licensing & Metadata, Sony Pictures Entertainment
David Sugg, Vice President, Content Architecture & Engineering, Warner Bros.
 

10:15 – 10:25 a.m.
Smart Data: Streaming Demand & Audiences Decoded!
Research across various data sets found that illegal online P2P based file sharing data of film and TV content is a great proxy for digital OTT consumption with 90% correlations across all platforms. Even more important than understanding what consumer demand is understanding who these consumers are. Correlating the P2P IP addresses with demographic data provides detailed audience profiles regardless of the content distributor/platform. This session addresses how these real-time insights can inform decisions when packaging, financing, buying, selling or marketing content – enabling a deeper understanding of what global audiences want and how to target them effectively.
Tobias Queisser, Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, Cinelytic
 

10:25 – 10:55 a.m.
Linking the Gaps: Asset Management in Production
Having an end to end supply chain is critical for organizational optimization. One of the biggest links involves technologies that can handle the hub of content, information and workflow in a user friendly way. This session takes a closer look at one of those “links”, the Asset Management Systems. Connecting people with data and content to produce amazing content. Hear from this panel of asset management experts who are on the front lines of overseeing DAM systems and related technology that create the “smarts” for their content.
Moderator: Mary Yurkovic, Director, Smart Content, MESA
Panelists:
Christina Aguilera, Head of Creative Engineering, Amazon Studios
Michael Cioni, Global Senior Vice President of Innovation, Frame.io
Pauline Lopez, Senior Digital Asset Manager, Amazon Lab126
Chuck Parker, Chief Executive Officer, Sohonet
 

10:55 – 11 a.m.
Introductions to Breakout Sessions
Bob Gold, President, Bob Gold & Associates
 

11 – 11:30 a.m.
NETWORKING BREAK
 

11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
MORNING TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASES (MULTI-TRACK BREAKOUT SESSIONS)
Industry experts share innovative ideas, processes, or perspectives in an interactive and intimate way with the audience who are free to choose which topic/area they find
most interesting. Sessions will address key areas on three separate tracks:
TRACK 1: Insights and Analytics
TRACK 2: Cloud, Preservation and Production
TRACK 3: Distribution, Platform and People
 

TRACK 1: Insights and Analytics

11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
The Impact of Consumer Insights on the Streaming Wars Content Supply Chain
Recognizing the power of bringing their own content directly to consumers, media companies are creating their own distribution platforms. We know that content is critical in how consumers choose a service. With content costs on the rise, how do you decide what to efficiently acquire, distribute and monetize? Data-driven decisions are becoming more critical than ever, but they must be based on the right types of data. In this session, we will look at how consumer viewership and engagement data can be mined, applied and leveraged throughout the supply chain. We’ll also explore: predictive and prescriptive analytics becomes the new world order; how data can help you understand what content is likely to succeed; and how an organization needs to adapt your current infrastructure to survive and thrive in the streaming wars.
Dave Cornella, Senior Vice President, Global Strategic Accounts, Whip Media Group
Alex von Krogh, Vice President, Whip Media Group
 

12:15 – 12:45 p.m.
Streaming Demand & Audiences Decoded: Deep Dive
A follow-up to his mainstage presentation, this session takes a deep dive into how these real-time insights can inform decisions when packaging, financing, buying, selling or marketing content – enabling a deeper understanding of what global audiences want and how to target them effectively. Tobias will share some more insights on current demand trends and detail the demographic evaluation of US audiences for leading TV shows.
Tobias Queisser, Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, Cinelytic
 

TRACK 2: Cloud, Preservation and Production

11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
We Will Rock You | Preserving the Richest History of Rock and Roll Footage for Future Generations
With a mission to engage, teach and inspire through the power of music, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Rock Hall) is making its content accessible while preserving it for future generations. However, they’re faced with the challenge of preservation video content trapped on decaying tape media and obsolescent infrastructure. A modern way to preserve, access and share their priceless collection beyond the traditional storage tape was urgently needed. Hear how Tape Ark, the world-leading specialists in tape-to-cloud migration, with their partner Seagate Lyve Data Services, safely restored over 2,800 hours (350TB) of preservation-level video files for the Rock Hall’s, Library of Archives and ingested the content into the public cloud. Together Tape Ark and Seagate are liberating the world’s most extensive collection of data to the cloud. By innovating every step of the tape to cloud ingest process to create a safe, secure and unique technology stack that scales and efficiently migrates, at speed, legacy tape data, like no other. Long Live Rock!
Kyle Evans, Director of Sales, TapeArk
 

12:15 – 12:45 p.m.
Leveling Up: Remote Post Collaboration for Studios
In a world of ever-increasing travel challenges (costs, scheduling, talent availability, virus outbreaks), working remotely is a requirement, not a luxury. While the rest of the content production chain works hard on ensuring that your content moves between applications while retaining as much metadata as possible, we are working hard to provide an “over the shoulder” experience for your content collaboration that keeps your content in its original system (Baselight, Resolve, Flame, Avid, etc) so that you have one less metadata step to manage. Come by and check out what our high-quality, hassle free and secure solution for remote screening, colour grading and finishing review and approvals.
Chuck Parker, Chief Executive Officer, Sohonet
 

TRACK 3: Distribution, Platform and People

11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
OTT Planning & Scheduling for Seamless International Delivery
As content planning, scheduling, distribution and delivery becomes more complex, the need to manage larger quantities of metadata, schedules and rights is vital to running a successful streaming service. Learn how cutting edge technology has helped some of the worlds largest players unify their VoD operations as well as bring together linear planning and scheduling into one unified solution to drive visibility, control and productivity.
Dan Meyer, Sales Manager, BeBanjo
 

12:15 – 12:45 p.m.
Smart, Sustainable, Stimulating Staffing
Analysts. Architects. Scientists. Put “Data” in front of any of these, and you know you need them. But what do they do? How many do you need? And how do you attract and retain them, given heavy competition, outlandish demands, and ever-increasing privacy laws? In this session, you will develop an understanding of the various roles these (and other data professionals) play, innovative methods for evaluating and rewarding performance, and how to direct these modern pioneers’ career paths toward meaningful and passion-driven work.
Nish Fox, Data & Analytics Leader, Slalom Consulting
Nona Jansen Walls, Principal Consultant, Slalom Consulting
 

12:45 – 1:45 p.m.
NETWORKING LUNCH
 

1:45 – 2:15 p.m.
AFTERNOON KEYNOTE: Using Audience Viewing Data to Breakthrough with Short-Form in the Peak TV Era
With 20 years of experience, Carter Pilcher, founder and CEO of the 24/7 short entertainment television channel ShortsTV, has a deep understanding of the evolution of short-form content and its trajectory into the future entertainment landscape. The rapid success of streaming platforms and increasing appetite for ‘on-the-go’ mobile viewing have propelled the way content is consumed into exciting new territories where short-form content is emerging as a choice format for audiences. Join Pilcher as he gives an inside look at how changing viewing habits, techniques and tactics prove the rise of short-form entertainment will continue to grow on a global scale.
Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive Officer, ShortsTV
 

2:15 – 2:45 p.m.
Smart Strategies for Audience Engagement & Viewership
As programming options proliferate, consumers inundated with thousands of options for content consumption. With so many programming options, platforms live or die by their ability to connect subscribers with new, relevant content on a daily basis. Recommendation engines are challenged to help viewers “or their content owner’s customer” find their next binge-worthy show. How does effective data strategy optimize content recommendation and personalization for discoverability?
Moderator: Nona Janssen Walls, Principal Consultant, Slalom Consulting
Panelists:
Kyle Hufford, Director of Digital Asset Management
Chad Ludwig, Head of Brand Marketing, Fandango
Lori H. Schwartz, Principal, StoryTech
 

2:45 – 3 p.m.
LMT Update 2020: Metadata Madness with Momentum
Smart Content continues to evolve through our industry at unprecedented speed. At this year’s summit, we are excited to provide an update of the Language Metadata Table (LMT) on where we sit with adoption, engagement, and collaboration among studios, TV networks, and their service provider partners. Launched July 2018, and sponsored by MESA, the LMT provides a forum for the increased exchange of ideas and expertise in the meta(data)verse. In this session, LMT Chair, Yonah Levenson, provides an update on the LMT’s core framework and addresses what new objectives are being proposed, as well as share some very exciting news about partnerships.
Yonah Levenson, Metadata Strategy and Terminology Governance, WarnerMedia
 

3 – 3:30 p.m.
Metadata Across the Organization
As the volume of marketing activity and supporting content increases, the complexity of managing your data strategy grows exponentially. Yet, anything less than complete administrative control can introduce governance challenges and make it difficult to scale. As teams manage an increasing number of marketing programs, how do you accurately: plan, organize, and measure for KPIs at a detailed level? This session reveals tips and insider knowledge on how metadata is the secret sauce!
Moderator: Matt Turner, Strategic Advisor and Technologist
Panelists:
Jason Lambert, Executive Director, Content Licensing & Metadata, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Yonah Levenson, Metadata Strategy and Terminology Governance, Warner Media
Yael Miller, Senior Content Manager, Global Operations, DTCI, The Walt Disney Company
 

3:30 – 4 p.m.
KEYNOTE CONVERSATION: Mars Madness – A Data-Driven, Real-Life Drama
How does one go about leading a technology team for a world-famous hi-tech organization that does live streaming from space? This closing Keynote Conversation with a Hollywood Alumni brings the day’s discussions into perspective and inspires us with data innovations that fuel the interstellar evolution of smart content (and metadata madness)!
Eric Iverson, CTO/CIO, Iverson Consulting
Randi Levin, Chief Information Officer, NASA – Jet Propulsion Lab
 

4 – 4:30 p.m.
NETWORKING BREAK
 

4:30 – 6 p.m.
WiTH @ Smart Content Program
 

6 – 7 p.m.
NETWORKING RECEPTION
 

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