2020 SVG Esports Production Summit

FULL PROGRAM

Day 1: November 17 Program

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2:00 p.m.: Opening Remarks presented by Ross Video
Presented by: Cameron Reed
, Ross Video, Business Development Manager, Esports

2:00 – 2:05 p.m.: Welcoming Remarks From the Chairman
Presented by: Pete Emminger, Activision Blizzard Esports, VP, Global Broadcast

2:05 – 2:30 p.m.: Opening Keynote Conversation: Call of Duty League Commissioner Johanna Faries
Since launching in early 2020, the Call of Duty League has created an ultra-unique viewing experience that’s built to engage the powerful community behind one of the world’s most beloved franchises, as well as new fans around the world. CDL Commissioner Johanna Faries joins us to provide a deeper look into the launch of the League, how it has adapted to and met the challenges of the pandemic, lessons learned from its inaugural season and what esports fans can expect in year two.

Moderator: Pete Emminger, SVG Esports Production Summit Chair
Speaker: Johanna Faries
, Activision Blizzard, Commissioner of Call of Duty Esports

2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: Esports 2020: Inside Remote-Production Ops for Today’s Online Events
When the pandemic hit early this year, live in-person esports halted abruptly. However, thanks to the ingenuity of publishers and producers, the esports industry shifted quickly to online events and was delivering live events to fans in a matter of weeks. During this special session, major sports-production entities take you inside the groundbreaking virtualized workflows and cloud-based technologies that have revolutionized the world of esports and keep content-hungry fans satisfied with live action.
Moderator: Jason Dachman, SVG, Chief Editor
Panelists:
Matt Arden
, NBA 2K League, Head of Content and Media
Matt Donovan, Riot Games, Broadcast Engineering and Technology Manager
Steven “Claw” Jalicy, ESL Gaming, Global Head of Streaming
Joseph Lynch, EA, Head of Broadcast
Corey Smith, Activision Blizzard Esports, Director, Live Operations

3:30 – 3:45 p.m.: Grass Valley Case Study: EA Sports Relies on GV AMPP for Remote Production
Presenters:
Geoff Butler
, EA Sports, Technical Producer, CGE
Claudia Souza
, Grass Valley, Director, Global Business Development, Advanced Technology

3:45 – 4:15 p.m.: Re-Creating the LAN Party: Online Interactivity and Replicating the Live Experience
With esports tournaments shifting to online formats, producers and event organizers are searching for new ways to re-create the live in-venue experience. Learn how virtual productions are incorporating new interactive elements and next-gen technologies into their live streams to better engage fans and reproduce the one-of-a-kind immersive experiences they get at live in-person esports tournaments.
Moderator: Pete Emminger, SVG Esports Production Summit Chair
Panelists:
Nicolas Estrup
, BLAST, Director of Product and Experience
Andrew Isaacson
, The Famous Group, Executive Vice President
Ryan Thompson, Esports Engine, Chief Production Officer and Co-Founder

4:15 – 5:00 p.m.: Esports Production Tech Focus: Tips, Tools, Techniques
Even before the pandemic changed the face of live production, no sector of the M&E industry pushed the boundaries of technology more than esports has in recent years. In an effort to create a unique fan experience, live-esports producers have embraced a wealth of next-gen technologies and workflows — for both onsite events and remote productions from home. Hear from technology leaders on how these groundbreaking tools are changing esports production and what they could mean for the future of live content.
Moderator: Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Executive Director, Editorial
Panelists:
Charles Conroy
, The Switch, VP, Gaming
David Hoffman, Blackmagic Design, Business Development Manager
Cameron Reed, Ross Video, Business Development Manager, Esports
Stephen Remich, Riedel, System Consultant – MNIP Specialist
Ricardo Rodrigues, Telstra, Head of Business Development, Americas – Broadcast Services

5:00 – 5:30 p.m.: Live Speaker Q&A and Networking Zoom Room


Day 2: November 18 Program

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If you have already registered for the event, CLICK HERE to watch the 11/18 program on demand now (password: SVGesports20)

2:00 – 2:30 p.m.: Spotlight Q&A: Esports Broadcast Pioneer & VENN Co-Founder Ariel Horn
Few individuals have left a more indelible mark on the way viewers watch esports broadcasts than Ariel Horn, taking esports from niche convention halls to packed stadiums with global viewership in billions of hours. He helped pioneer the way esports broadcasts are produced while overseeing production of BlizzCon for Blizzard Entertainment and Riot Games’ League of Legends esports operation, which he helped transform from a fledgling outfit into a global ecosystem with more than a dozen competitive regions around the world. Now, Horn has teamed up with Ben Kusin to launch VENN – a new network aimed at gaming, esports and entertainment audiences. In this fireside chat, Horn will recount war stories from his years on the front lines and provide a look at what VENN means for the future of the industry.
Interviewer: Jason Dachman
, SVG, Chief Editor
Interviewee: Ariel Horn
, VENN, Co-Founder and Co-CEO

2:30 – 3:15 p.m.: The Observers: Behind the Scenes With the In-Game Storytellers
No portion of the esports-production chain is more integral to telling the story than the observer team. As the virtual in-game camera operators, observers are responsible for constructing a coherent narrative out of the ballistic, expansive action taking place within the game. Hear from some of the industry’s top observers explain their production workflows, storytelling techniques, and how the tools they are using continue to evolve.
Moderator: Jason Baker, Do Not Peek Entertainment, Co-Founder and Managing Director
Panelists:
Maikol Brito, Overwatch League, Lead Observer
Heather “sapphiRe” Garozzo, CS:GO / VALORANT Observer and Dignitas, VP of Talent
DJ “Prius” Kuntz, CS:GO / VALORANT Observer
Emil “Ansvar” Nachtweij, Freelance, In-Game Director and Observer

3:15 – 3:30 p.m.: Parsec Case Study: Broadcast From Anywhere Using Parsec to Empower Remote Production Teams in Esports
With live/in-person esports broadcasts all but impossible, innovative production agency Mad City turned to high performance remote access provider Parsec to bring the 2020 PAX Arena Valorant Invitational (and many others) to life. Learn about the workflows, tactics, and tools used to make these esports broadcasts such a hit, and how Parsec’s able to bridge the gaps for fully remote crews.

Presenters:
Vegim Begolli
, Mad City, Infrastructure

Benjy Boxer, Parsec, CEO and Co-Founder
Eric Boyer, Mad City, Principal and Creative Director

3:30 – 4:00 p.m.: The Influencers: Inside the Digital-Content–Production Ecosystem of Streamers
The gaming and esports communities have always been about much more than live competition. Social-media influencers and streamers are creating a non-stop source of live and VOD content to serve content-hungry gamers and esports connoisseurs. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the technology and workflows used to support this ecosystem and why it is becoming more and more critical to game publishers, media companies, and esports leagues.
Moderator: Kristian Hernandez, SVG, Associate Editor and Social Media Manager
Panelists:
Chelsea Delbridge, Activision Blizzard Esports, Senior Manager of Digital Content
Gabe Feldman, Viral Nation, Senior Business Development Lead
Viranda Tantula, VENN, VP and Executive Creative Director

4:00 – 4:15 p.m.: Microsoft Case Study: Cloud9 Conquers Esports Using Azure Data Analytics
Presenters:
Scott Bounds
, Microsoft, Media Cloud Architect
Danny Brady
, Cloud9, Senior Data Engineer

4:15 – 5:00 p.m.: The Future: What Onsite Productions Could Look Like When They Return
While the majority of live, in-venue esports events are on hold due to the pandemic, the live-production industry is already looking toward what these shows might look like when they return. Although no one has a crystal ball, production pros from esports organizers, venues, and broadcasters peek into the future for what we can expect from live-esports events.
Moderator: Jeff Jacobs, VENN, EVP and General Manager
Panelists:
Robert Brambila
, Panasonic, Sales Engineer, Broadcast/Cinema/Professional Video Systems
Corey Dunn, Envy Gaming, Executive Producer
Simon Eicher, ESL Gaming, Executive Producer, Special Events and Senior Global Manager, Procurement
Pete Emminger, SVG Esports Production Summit Chair
Andrew Lane, FACEIT, Director of Broadcast

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