This year’s GENR8 conference features six sessions analysing current trends and distilling the hype into practical insights for screen practitioners.

Open to in-person and virtual attendees, the Screen Producer Australia event will explore emerging technology trends, the impact and opportunities that come with Artificial Intelligence, the potential for virtual production, and what all these changes mean for those working in the screen industry today.

Included in the program are:

• GENR8 Health Check: One Year On from Last Year’s Tech Trends: An exploration of everything from whether the “Metaverse is really ill-fated” to what’s big news right now, including Web3, UEFN, AI animation, Vision Pro, Deepfakes and more. This session will reunite speakers Reggie Ba-Pe III, Awza, and Nathan Anderson, New Canvas, to recap how the 2022 trends have evolved, forecast their predictions for upcoming innovation, and how screen practitioners can stay informed while staying smart in 2023 and beyond.

• The Next Gen – Producers Cutting Through with Curiosity: This session includes rising stars of the Victorian screen sector, sharing their thoughts on how to embrace change, utilise skills to take advantage of opportunities that could provide a competitive advantage. Attendees will hear firsthand from screen professionals including Hayley Adams, Amplify, Leena van Deventer, Reuben Games, Ling Ang, Multimedia Artist and Producer, Luke Saliba, Saliba Pictures, and Michael Hudson, Third Impact Films, discussing challenges faced when trying to tell stories in unique and expressive ways.

• Case Study: The Business Model for Sustainable XR: A look at how to work successfully in XR, uncovering the potential to revolutionise storytelling, boost audience engagement, curating immersive experiences, and what this means for the more traditional screen producers. Ones To Watch Screen Internship grant recipient Emma Roberts and Sparsh Ahuja will discuss their projects Gondwana and Project Dastaan, talking through their business models and process behind their XR projects which continue to generate income and revenue.

• The Exponential Growth of Virtual Production: A deep dive into Virtual Production, how it can be cost-effective, and its potential for TV and film producers as the infrastructure behind this expands, bringing down costs, and creating huge opportunities in coming years. Speakers Matt Vitins, Sophie Taylor, Jordan Beth Vincent, and Chris Carter will investigate the predicted growth of virtual production in the next 10-20 years, the lifecycle of productions, affordable options for productions, and a look at how Docklands Studios now has the biggest virtual production studio in the world.

• Case Study: Leveraging Virtual Production for Your Next Project: This session will delve deeper into virtual production pathways, exploring the utilization of state-of-the-art tools, real-time rendering techniques, and virtual environments. Fires producer Elisa Argenzio and DreamScreen’s Clayton Jacobson share valuable strategies for maximizing production value while minimizing expenses, offering practical insights on workflow, budget allocation, virtual set design, and efficient resource management.

• AI as a Tool for Growth and Evolution: An explanation of how AI won’t replace attendees but will force them to grow and evolve. Session speakers Reggie Ba-Pe III, Fabio Zanetta, and Tobias Willis will explore the transformative impact of AI on the Australian screen industry, and how producers are applying the tools of AI in their daily practice enhancing the business outcomes of their projects.

In-person attendees can look forward to mingling with industry professionals and like-minded creatives by starting their day at the Media Super Speed Networking Hour, where light refreshments will be provided as part of their registration, as well as an additional networking The Oxford Scholar after the forum where a cash bar will be available.