Early in the last decade, a tsunami in Japan devastated the factory that supplied HDCAM-SR tapes - the format used to deliver most TV programmes. As people sought an alternative, the uptake of file-based production was accelerated. An informal organisation was formed - called the Digital Production Partnership - that seized on this opportunity to hasten the move to end-to-end digital, by creating a new file-based delivery specification.

A few years later the DPP became a formal company, committed to bringing all parts of the media supply chain together to solve problems and create opportunities. It provides insight, technology change leadership and market opportunity for around 400 member companies drawn from the whole media supply chain, from start-ups to global corporations. 
And now another kind of natural disaster has happened: the global pandemic. So what media industry changes might this event precipitate? And will the DPP once again find itself at the centre of whatever happens next?

It seems just the right moment for RTS London to invite the DPP to reflect online on the key milestones of the last decade, and the probable trends for the next.

Speakers:
Mark Harrison - CEO, DPP
Helen Stevens – Operations Officer, Content Supply & Distribution, ITV and Chair of the DPP
Rowan de Pomerai - CTO, DPP

Speaker biographies

Dr Mark Harrison
CEO, DPP
Mark Harrison began as an Historian at Cambridge University, before moving into media. He spent 15 years as a freelance film director, and won many awards including Royal Television Society, British Film Institute, and an International Emmy. He was also BAFTA nominated.

Mark became MD of an independent production company before being appointed BBC Head of Arts in 2001, and then Head of Multiplatform Production. He was subsequently Controller of Production for BBC North and leader of the BBC’s End-to-End Digital Programme, before becoming Director of Transformation for BBC Design & Engineering 2014-2016.

Mark was a founder of the DPP - the media industry’s international business network. He now leads the DPP as its CEO.

Helen Stevens
Operations Officer, Content Supply & Distribution, ITV and Chair of the DPP
As Operations Officer, Helen is responsible for all of ITV’s operational content supply chain from the point of commissioning through to distribution to the customer and beyond.  This includes service management of our key partners in our Broadcast supply chain – BT, Arqiva, Red Bee and TVT.   Helen oversees all of the integration of Operations and Technology as ITV modernise their systems and processes.

Helen is a Board Director of Clearcast and of D3&4 and she Chairs the DPP.

On 1^st August 2017 Helen was appointed her contract of services to the board of UTV Pension Scheme as a Trustee Director, where she is collectively responsible for the operation of the UTV Pension Scheme. And as of 1^st June 2019, Helen became a member nominated Director of the ITV Pension Scheme Ltd where she is collectively responsible for the operation.

Rowan de Pomerai
CTO, DPP
Rowan de Pomerai leads the technology strategy and delivery for the DPP. He has an MEng in Electronic Engineering with Media Technology from the University of York, and a strong background in media innovation, having started his career in BBC Research & Development.

Since then he has delivered transformative change for some of the UK’s biggest broadcasters and producers. This included architecting and deploying the BBC’s Automated QC solutions, and leading the Production Modernisation project at ITV Studios, streamlining the production and delivery process.

Most recently, Rowan was Director of Professional Services, EMEA at Ooyala. He and his team delivered media workflow, asset management, and online video solutions to leading broadcasters, sports clubs and enterprises. He joined the DPP in 2018.

Producer: Carol Owens