Measuring the Media World
This year, the MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin #MCB15 is going to be even more international and multi-faceted. And is profiting from the close cooperation with the State Media Authority Berlin-Brandenburg (mabb) and the re:publica. Here are the highlights:
The big news: the MEDIA CONVENTION will be offering a special treat on both evenings of the two-day event (May 5 and 6), and is opening the doors of the STATION Berlin to the public, free of charge. That means anybody can join! On the first night, Sky will be presenting the screening of the first episode of Season 5 of “Game of Thrones” at 8:15 p.m. on Stage 5.
The second evening sees the live Let's Players Etienne Gardé and Simon Krätschmer (Rocket Beans TV), as well as Arno Heinisch (Founder and Managing Director of Rocket Beans Entertainment) and Ronald Horstman (Managing Director of Studio71) extend an open invitation for a Let's Play session. Of course, they’ll also be discussing the phenomenon itself, but first and foremost it’ll be all about playing – and everyone’s invited!
Additionally, the Exhibition Space will give you the opportunity to try out new and innovative technologies from TV, web, transmedia, mobile and games – from virtual reality to branded video publishing, all the way to automated animation and the future of gaming.
Topics and speakers
The conference days themselves (where you’ll be needing a ticket again) will be centred around online platforms, moving image and video strategies, the YouTube Generation, video on demand, new journalism formats and the future of television.
One of the absolute highlights will be the talk by Netflix boss Reed Hastings. On May 5, he’ll be discussing his vision for the future of digital entertainment and what kind of Netflix activities he’s planning for Germany, Europe and the world.
The sociologist and progressive thinker Prof. Harald Welzer will be reflecting on the power of internet companies, digital self-determination and the internet as a tool for more freedom and democracy. Following his talk, he’ll be discussing the measuring of the media world with State Secretary Brigitte Zypries (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy) and Christoph Keese (Executive Vice President, Axel Springer SE).
Online platforms are also reinventing themselves and increasingly investing in video and in-house productions. Robert Bridge (Yahoo), Ben McOwen Wilson (YouTube), Martin Ott (Facebook) and Christoph Schneider (Amazon Instant Video Germany) will be discussing the challenges, new strategies and possibilities for German and European production companies.
The European market for shows and series has gained momentum thanks to the rise of new platforms and the growing demand for serial-format entertainment. Marcus Ammon (Sky), Lutz Mamor (NDR/ARD) and Dr. Sebastian Weil (Studio71) will be talking about what role European productions have to play in the shifting global market.
Another hot topic is the rise of new journalistic narrative forms on the internet. Jeremy Mendes, co-producer of the Canadian web series “Seven Digital Deadly Sins“, Jennifer Wilton, author of the cross-media WELT/N24 project “Angst”, as well as UFA producer Marc Lepetit and BILD chief reporter Paul Ronzheimer (“Behind the Story”), will all be presenting their projects and demonstrating what happens when publishers and television producers free journalism from its analogue conventions.
Within the scope of the “Film and TV made in Germany – Meet the Team” format, we introduce you to the creators of exemplary German productions. On stage, we’ll have the production team of the new rbb (Radio Berlin-Brandenburg) “Tatort” crime series, with leading actress Meret Becker, the Undercover team around Günter Wallraff, as well as Kai Wiesinger and Bettina Zimmermann, protagonists in the recently launched MyVideo web series “Der Lack ist ab” (“The Paint’s Come Off”).
Awards ceremony for the Your Turn - Video Creator competition
The winners of the Your Turn - Video Creator competition will be announced on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Winners will be receiving cash prizes totaling 65,000 Euro. Jury members include the YouTubers LeFloid and Sami Slimani, Oscar-winning film and television producer Max Wiedemann (“The Lives of Others”), President of the Babelsberg Film University and former Managing Director of the UFA Prof. Dr. Susanne Stürmer, Medienboard Managing Director Elmar Giglinger, as well as the producer Prof. Martin Hagemann.
Further information at www.mediaconventionberlin.com