Steve Wise of Atomos Reveals the Latest Innovations Shaping the Future of Filmmaking

We spoke with Steve Wise, the Global Marketing Director at Atomos. As a key player in the world of high-performance recording and monitoring solutions, Steve has been instrumental in driving Atomos’s innovative approach to enhancing filmmaking and broadcasting experiences. In this exclusive interview, we'll explore Atomos's latest technological advancements, the impact of their products on the industry, and what exciting developments we can expect from them at this year's IBC.

Please provide an overview of your company’s latest innovations and products that will be showcased at the International Broadcasting Conference?

Atomos will be focusing on three recently announced, and all now shipping, products at IBC: Ninja Phone, Shinobi II, and Sun Dragon. Ninja Phone connects professional cameras and lenses via HDMI to an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max and records directly into 10-bit ProRes or H.265. Shinobi II is the latest addition to Atomos’ monitor line - slimmer than its predecessor and with a brighter, 1500nit touchscreen and camera control. Sun Dragon is the world’s first sun spectrum, HDR, waterproof, wireless DMX controlled, 5-color LED, flexible production and cinema rope light. Atomos will also be showcasing its connected Ninja and Shogun monitor-recorder range that can be used for camera to cloud workflows, remote collaboration, and live production.

How do you anticipate the trends and developments in broadcasting technology influencing the industry in the next few years?

At Atomos, we anticipate two major trends influencing (or more appropriately, continuing to influence) the industry over the next few years: The cloud and AI. Addressing the cloud first, direct camera to cloud workflows is nothing new for Atomos. Speed is of the essence in content production and Camera to Cloud (C2C) workflows allow production teams to capture, store, and upload video footage to the cloud, for immediate editing, even while production is still taking place. This transformative potential of cloud-based workflows in video production, will significantly improve efficiency and collaboration, leaving content producers with more time to focus on creativity. By shrinking the capture-to-edit time frame, editors can begin working on media instantly, instead of waiting for hard drives to arrive or for file transfers.

Which leads us almost naturally to AI. It’s not hard to envisage that within seconds of that audio and video hitting the cloud, AI could start to produce transcripts, translations, recognize audio keywords and video cues for metadata, as well as convert the file resolution, the framerate, apply a LUT, and convert between SDR and HDR. All before a human even starts to work on the content. For those who have never explored synchronized workflows before, take a look at what this brings to your operations while at IBC. Both camera to cloud and AI facilitate a dynamic, seamless approach to production and post that is fast becoming the future of our industry.

In what ways do you believe your products can address the evolving needs of broadcasters and content creators?

For broadcasters the old mantra was always “faster and cheaper” with little thought to “better”. But UHD and HDR in 1080p have changed that. Consumers can now literally see with their own eyes that a signal is in HDR as consumer TVs place a little text-based “HDR” in the corner for a few seconds. If you’re old enough to remember, think of that stereo light that would come on when your receiver detected an FM station broadcasting in stereo. It doesn’t just make you feel good, but you know you’re going to see something better than you could have previously. Atomos addresses a variety of signal types: SD, HD, UHD, SDR, HDR, WCG, and we’re ready to address new varieties as they are adopted in the industry. Basically, we’re here to support you through changing standards and formats.

For content creators the primary concern is agility. These are often one-person production teams working on projects that would have been impossible to tackle solo in the past but are now much more accessible. However, they still need new innovative tools that support the high demand for fast-turnaround content. The ethos behind the Atomos Ninja Phone was that it was designed for the thousands of content creators who capture, store, and share video from their iPhone 15 Pro but aspire to work with professional cameras, lenses, and microphones. At the same time, the Ninja Phone is the perfect tool for longer-form professionals who want to adopt a cloud workflow without a complex and expensive technology footprint.

Can you share any case studies or success stories where your products have significantly enhanced broadcasting operations or content production?

Camera to Cloud workflows have been successfully deployed at the Sundance Film Festival (this year and last year), the 2024 BRIT Awards and by Austrian broadcaster ProSiebenSat. PULS 4 for popular reality series Bauer sucht Frau. All agree that Camera to Cloud significantly speeds up production and, in the case of live events, enables them to publish to social media within minutes of the action taking place. For other case studies see: www.atomos.com

How does your company approach sustainability and environmental responsibility in the design and manufacturing of your products?

Remote production and collaboration by definition reduces the need for travel, so creating and promoting cloud-connected products certainly contributes to a more sustainable industry.

Where can we find you (booth number) at the show and keep up with you (URL, social media handles?)

Booth # at IBC: Hall 11.D25

URL: www.atomos.com
X (aka Twitter) x.com
LinkedIN: www.linkedin.com
IG: www.instagram.com