TVyVideo+Radio spoke with Luis Gama, commercial director of Simplemente, who told the story of the company and the panorama of the industry in Mexico.
TVV: Tell us a little bit about the history of the company, how long ago did you start? What systems or services did you offer back then for the television industry?
Luis Gama: It was simply born in February 2000, we have just turned 20 years old. We were born in the film industry, on the creative side and as a response to the need to make our own productions with limited budgets but with high quality.
So Monica Reina and Rune Hansen, the founders of Simply, decided to use tools such as a Mac and Final Cut to post-produce those projects and thanks to that and the spirit of sharing that they have and that prevails in Simply, they began to share "the recipe" with their fellow creators.
TVV: Today what are the brands you represent for the broadcast industry and what segments are you targeting?
Luis Gama: We represent around 50 brands and although we are mainly recognized on the post-production side, we are also on the production side. Our main brands are Apple, HP, DELL, Quantum, Promise, Blackmagic Design, AJA, Atomos, Canon, RED, Telestream, Primestream, Softron, ToolsOnAir, EVS, Adobe, among many more.
TVV: Is your operation concentrated in Mexico or are you also in other countries in the region?
Luis Gama: We operate mainly in Mexico and have carried out projects in some countries in Central and South America. In addition to our sister companies operating in the United States.
TVV: From your experience, how have you seen the technological evolution that the industry has had in the years you have been participating in it?
Luis Gama: I have been in the industry since 2005 so I have had to see this wonderful and accelerated evolution in the way of producing and post-production, I have lived and helped many customers in the change from tape to digital media, from SD to HD, from HD to 2K, from 2K to 4K, from 4K to 8K and many technologies that have become relevant in this time. A very funny one was when 3D became relevant.
TVV: The accelerated technological evolution that the industry has had in recent years, how does it impact the business of distributors and integrators? How quickly does the Mexican industry adopt new technologies?
Luis Gama: We see the accelerated evolution of technology as an opportunity to help our clients improve their workflows, be faster and more efficient when producing and above all to create content of higher visual quality.
Mexico is a country that adapts very well to new technologies, the main television stations in the country and companies that create audiovisual content understand very well the importance of being at the forefront and rely on us to achieve technological solutions better adapted to their budgets and needs.
TVV: Please list what are the trends, from technology, that you think will be fundamental for the broadcast industry in the short and medium term in Mexico.
Luis Gama: There are many aspects to answer this but without a doubt 5G is one of the most important trends that will change the pace of production and the way of consuming content; However, trends such as Artificial Intelligence, the adoption of IP technologies, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality bring to the industry new flavors and infinite possibility for content creators.
TVV: Could you mention the technical details of any recent projects in which you have participated for the Mexican broadcast industry?
Luis Gama: The recent merger of Televisa Deportes, TDN and Univision Deportes allowed us to collaborate to merge the post-production of the 3 entities facing the challenge of Collaboration Miami-Mexico concentrating the operation in Mexico but with the ease of accessing the materials from Miami.
TVV: The emergence of companies that offer low-cost technology for the industry with high technical quality, how has it impacted the industry?
Luis Gama: Definitely in Simply we commune with the accessibility of the means of production, in our case more than thinking about companies of high or low cost, our interest is to offer the right mix of products and services that our customers need, regardless of the price.
