From the restoration of Peter Jackson’s WWI epic They Shall Not Grow Old to behind the scenes of Love Island and the impact of AI, holograms and Brexit on the media industry, we look at the most popular Production articles of 2018.

1) They Shall Not Grow Old: Peter Jackson’s WW1 restoration epic
Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson has used all the firepower of his Lord of the Rings post production house and the Hollywood 3D facility behind Black Panther and Ready Player One to turn the black and white film from the First World War into colour in such a startling way that it brought soldiers’ “faces to life”.

2) Love Island: From villa to screen

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Love Island Season 4 

ITV’s summer hit, Love Island saw its viewership, production crew and kit grow for the fourth season of the programme where global audiences followed the dramatic entanglements of those looking for love. IBC365 looked into how every kiss, mugging off and argument was captured, analysed, clipped and aired for almost instant public consumption.    

3) Spotlight on: Digital Imaging Technicians 
Digital imaging technicians (DIT) work across film, TV and commercials and are responsible for the handling of content and image quality control from creation throughout its lifecycle on and off set. The first in the spotlight series IBC365 spoke with three DIT’s whose credits include Black Mirror, Skyfall and McMafia.

4) Fine-tuning Bohemian Rhapsody
The Editor and Production Designer of Freddie Mercury’s biopic Bohemian Rhapsody recounted how the highly acclaimed film recreated the classic Live Aid concert from Wembley Stadium – with 800 extras at Bovingdon airfield near Hemel Hempstead.

5) The making of the ’Hazard Hologram’

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Interview via Hologram: Eden Hazard 

Football star Eden Hazard’s augmented reality (AR) interview on Belgian TV went viral soon after it aired during the World Cup.

Experts shared the chroma key insertion virtual production technique which is also referred to as ’teleportation’ that enabled audiences to watch the post-match live interview from Hazard’s locker room in Russia. 

6) Post-production priorities: UHD, HDR and the adoption of IP
A roundtable discussion with heads of technology from major post-production providers who have enthusiastically adopted cutting-edge technologies and discuss the rise of UHD and HDR content and the possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain in the post workflow.    

7) A game-changing revolution 
Attendees of a jaw-dropping Big Screen session at IBC2018 got to see for themselves how game technology is fundamentally changing the way films are made. Virtual production puts the tools of VFX and pre-viz artists at the hands of directors and DPs to allow them to visualise and interact with CG sets and elements during shooting.

8) Endemol Shine embraces the AI revolution

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IBC2018: Lisa Perrin on AI

AI is set to transform production and boost creativity in TV, according to Endemol Shine Creative Networks CEO Lisa Perrin who spoke during the IBC2018 conference. Already employing AI techniques to log scenes on Big Brother, to “take away the most boring jobs in television.”

9) Brexit: Media industry concerns
Leading media executives discussed the big issues they want the government to resolve ahead of the deadline of Brexit. Free movement of talent, access to European international channels and licensing were the key concerns with little clarity for the future as the Brexit deadline approaches.   

10) How full-frame sensors are changing the lens market
What does the popularity of large format sensor digital cinema cameras mean for the lens market? In electronics, the rule is almost always: smaller is better… except when it comes to image sensors. Cinematographers have been excited by the recent slew of large format sensor digital cinema cameras with increased resolution and more control of depth among the benefits.