WELCOME | High Definition magazine

In a recent Boyer lecture Rupert Murdoch made some very perceptive comments regarding the challenges of new technology. This magazine hopes to reflect the art, science and business challenges of working with high definition imagery. Frequently our articles mention the pressures and frustrations they endure at the hands of accountants or ‘execs’ making poor decisions after being bamboozled by Geeks or misled salesmen.

Mr Murdoch makes the point that successful workers will be those who embrace a lifetime of learning. He says that in many industries Chief Executives are saying that technology is not a problem, the challenge is retaining talented people. In a technology rich industry talented people are valuable. In 1992 Bill Gates stated that if he took the top 20 people away, Microsoft would become an unimportant company.

The issue for our industry is that the pace of change is so rapid that it is hard to identify who has relevant talent and who doesn’t. In many areas of film and TV where there is a plentiful supply of experienced talent, it is the inexperienced who are often seen as the safest pair of hands when dealing with latest technology.

This leaves experienced talented workers frustrated and out of work.

With some exceptions creative talent is gravitating away from mainstream TV to other forms of creative expression. I’ve personally found that computer games manufacturers are on the ball at attracting experienced talent.

The warning to both middle management and experienced talent from Mr Murdoch, relevant to all tiers of our industry in varying degrees is to “Get out in front of new technology or it will get out in front of you.”

This is more than a catchphrase because we are shifting from an industrial society to a information society, a revolution if not as dramatic certainly more widespread and on a greater scale than the industrial revolution.

But don’t be mistaken that talent will surface and remain afloat based on a favourable set of genes alone. The most important skill we need in our career is the ability to acquire new skills, a mantra equally valid from the runner to the CEO.

As Mr Murdoch says, drawing on an Australia colloquialism, “She’ll be right.. but she’ll be right only if we make it right.” Fair enough, as technology levels the playing field the human factor becomes more important.

Given that the personal energy needed to keep abreast of new technology is significant and we don’t know for how long the playing field will be level before we have to start all over again, it is not surprising that many struggle to find the time to reinvent themselves. So I do wonder at the net cost effectiveness of the industry as a whole of improved technology when balanced by the millions of hours of effort required to learn how to drive it....

Michael Brennan