» We ΄ re seeing UK public service broadcasters start to commission new formats, shows and generally invest in production again «
start building 3D content, whether it’s for gaming or for VR headsets like the Apple Vision Pro. Seeing that convergence of technologies is exciting for us, and we’re starting to see an increase in enquiries from production companies who want to explore that. Interactive content is also very much on our radar. What about AI? At the end of March 2025, we will be completing a UKRI research grant, which involves funding from the UK government. We collaborate with the University of York and a company called 2LE Media, and the grant we received is called Bridge AI. We had a proposition about creating improved lighting for virtual sets – how virtual elements can interact with real ones – and using AI to composite much more realistic people in virtual environments. An example would be if you were in a virtual world, and one minute you’re in a sunny desert and the next a snowstorm happens – and so on. By putting this through an AI engine,
the lighting on the real person in the studio could be altered and driven by the effects in the virtual world. This has been a very exciting project, and while it’s currently at an early stage of research, we’re looking forward to developing that further and seeing where it will take us. How is the future looking for UK broadcast – and what part will Dock 10 play in that? As I’m sure you’re more than aware, the industry has had a tough stretch in the last couple of years, but I’m feeling very optimistic about the year ahead. We’re seeing all the UK
public service broadcasters start to commission new formats, new shows and generally invest more in production again. Another thing is that BBC Sport has always been really important to us, and the appetite for sports coverage doesn’t seem to be diminishing; it just grows and grows and grows. The desire for sports content, as well as analysis, is stronger than ever, and we’ve seen huge domination from streamers, who are becoming a big part of sports content. Whether it’s through a linear channel or a streamer, there’s going to be a long future for that kind of television – irrespective of how it gets delivered to people’s screens.
EYES ON THE FUTURE Waters can see a bright road ahead for sports broadcast, making use of VP technology especially
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