Executive Overview
As the global entertainment ecosystem grapples with rapid technological disruption, the debate surrounding artificial intelligence and digital innovation has evolved from a speculative luxury into an urgent imperative. Nowhere is this transformation more palpable than in Spain, where the Madrid Audiovisual Cluster (MAC)—an influential economic interest group representing nearly 100 Madrid-based media companies—is positioning the Spanish capital at the vanguard of international audiovisual evolution.
From September 29 to October 2, MAC is rolling out a comprehensive, two-day industry networking and peer-learning program within the framework of the prestigious Iberseries & Platino confab. This year’s initiative centers on an ambitious core thesis: while artificial intelligence serves as a critical connective tissue across contemporary projects, true innovation must be viewed through a wider lens that encompasses novel business models, immersive emerging technologies, and evolving creative workflows.
Rather than treating AI as a silver bullet, MAC’s curated program explores eight distinct, high-impact industry case studies. These presentations demonstrate how technology is practically applied to streamline pre-production, revolutionize visual effects (VFX), optimize global localization, and connect undiscovered creators with heavyweight decision-makers. However, this tech-forward optimism is firmly anchored by industry stewardship. As Iberseries & Platino Industria co-Director Samuel Castro aptly noted, the heartbeat of storytelling must remain fundamentally human and author-driven, with technology acting strictly as an enabling tool rather than an end in itself.
Detailed Chronology & Program Breakdown
The MAC-curated industry showcase is meticulously structured to maximize knowledge transfer, peer-to-peer networking, and strategic foresight over its two-day run in Madrid.
Day One: September 29 — Innovation in Action (The Case Studies Workshop)
Running from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM, the central event of the MAC program is a fast-paced, highly focused workshop titled "Innovation — Case Studies in the Audiovisual Industry: New Business Models, AI and Emerging Technologies."
With eight distinct case studies on the docket, each presenter is allotted approximately 12 minutes to dissect a real-world technological implementation. This rapid-fire format ensures that attendees—ranging from independent producers to global streaming executives—receive actionable insights into how technology solves logistical, financial, and creative bottlenecks.
Day Two: September 30 — Strategic Dialogues and Global Perspectives
Following the intense technical deep-dives of day one, the program shifts its focus toward global market dynamics, co-production strategies, and cross-border distribution.
A high-profile conversation anchors the day’s schedule, featuring acclaimed producer Rosa Bosch alongside Tanja Meissner, Director of Berlinale Pro. Meissner oversees some of the world’s most influential industry platforms, including the European Film Market (EFM), the Co-Production Market, Berlinale Talents, and the World Cinema Fund. This dialogue promises to unpack how European content creators can successfully scale their technological and creative ventures to meet international market demands.
The Eight Case Studies: Transforming the Audiovisual Value Chain
The eight case studies presented by the Madrid Audiovisual Cluster illustrate the breadth of technological integration currently underway across the Spanish and global media landscapes.
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| THE MAC 2025 CASE STUDY ECOSYSTEM |
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| 1. Pre-Production & Ops | PLIA ("Playback" script breakdown & tracking) |
| 2. Virtual Environments | TBS Tech Brand Stories (Virtual Production, AR, AI) |
| 3. Global Localization | Hark Media – Go Global (Hybrid AI/Human Dubbing) |
| 4. Post-Production & VFX | Xpost Studios / Secuoya (Advanced VFX workflows) |
| 5. Talent Discovery | Story Pitcher (AI-powered creator-producer matching) |
| 6. Strategic Advisory | Mercedes Santalla (Commercializing tech-driven talent) |
| 7. Location Scouting | Scoutters (Digital location management platform) |
| 8. Real-Time Animation | HaMo / Paramotion Films (Real-time digital puppetry) |
+--------------------------+--------------------------------------------------------+1. PLIA: Streamlining Pre-Production on Feature Film Playback
Administrative fragmentation has long plagued film production, with scripts, notes, budgets, and location data siloed across disparate systems. PLIA, an AI-powered production platform, aims to dismantle these barriers by centralizing information into a unified framework.
- The Application: PLIA will present its deployment on the feature film Playback, detailing how the platform was utilized for script breakdown, pre-production planning, and live production tracking.
- Key Presenter: Jose Velasco, CEO of PLIA.
2. TBS (Telefónica Broadcast Services): Bridging Physical and Virtual Stages
Formerly known as Telefónica Broadcast Services, TBS operates as the Telefónica Group’s creative powerhouse, wielding a roster of over 450 professionals who manage high-profile sporting events, live broadcasts, documentaries, and entertainment programming.
- The Application: The case study examines the convergence of virtual production environments, augmented reality (AR), motion graphics, and AI. It provides a blueprint for how legacy broadcasters can successfully transition into modern, tech-enabled studio environments.
- Key Presenters: Alberto Gonzalo (Graphics Supervisor) and Luis Miguel Boedo (Technical Coordinator).
3. Hark Media – Go Global: The Rise of Hybrid Dubbing
As streaming platforms demand instantaneous global releases, localization has emerged as a major operational hurdle. Go Global specializes in entertainment localization, offering translation, subtitling, and dubbing services.
- The Application: Titled "When AI Learns to Move Us," this presentation investigates the emerging role of AI in dubbing. Crucially, it advocates for hybrid workflows that pair algorithmic efficiency with human emotional nuance to preserve authorial intent across linguistic boundaries.
- Key Presenter: Paula Ferrari, Founder & CEO.
4. Xpost Studios & Secuoya Content Group: Re-engineering Post-Production
Operating out of the sprawling Madrid Content City hub, Xpost Studios (part of Secuoya Content Group) houses top-tier infrastructure for editing, color grading, sound design, and VFX.
- The Application: The session explores cutting-edge innovations in post-production pipelines. By modernizing VFX workflows, Xpost demonstrates how studios can compress delivery timelines without compromising visual fidelity.
- Key Presenter: Marcos Requena, Post-Production Manager.
5. Story Pitcher: Democratizing Creator-Producer Access
Bridging the gap between emerging creative talent and risk-averse production executives has always been a game of chance and networking. Story Pitcher is a digital platform attempting to systematize this process.
- The Application: The platform utilizes AI-driven matching algorithms coupled with robust legal-protection mechanisms. This dual approach connects screenwriters and directors directly with decision-makers while safeguarding intellectual property.
- Key Presenter: Frank Belyeu, CEO of Story Pitcher.
6. Mercedes Santalla: Navigating the Commercialization Frontier
Innovation means little if it fails to find a commercial market. Creative strategist and talent manager Mercedes Santalla operates at the delicate intersection where artistic practice meets venture capital and technology.
- The Application: Her session outlines strategic frameworks for taking technology-led creative projects from the embryonic development stage to a competitive marketplace, addressing the shifting dynamics between talent, tech, and monetization.
- Key Presenter: Mercedes Santalla, Creative Strategist & Talent Manager.
7. Scoutters (Scout & Film): Digitizing Location Scouting
Sourcing and securing filming locations has historically been an exhaustive, boots-on-the-ground endeavor fraught with logistical friction. Scoutters, developed by Spanish venture Scout & Film, brings this process into the digital age.
- The Application: The presentation explores how digital platforms are transforming location management by connecting location scouts, advertising agencies, production houses, and regional film commissions through a centralized, searchable database.
- Key Presenters: Rubén Souto and José Díaz, Co-Founders of Scout & Film.
8. HaMo & Paramotion Films: Real-Time Digital Puppetry
Real-time animation has advanced in leaps and bounds, largely driven by game engines like Unreal Engine. Developed through the Next Lab Generation R&D initiative, HaMo represents a significant leap forward in this domain.
- The Application: HaMo is an inertial-sensor-driven motion-capture system that translates an operator’s physical movements directly into a 3D CGI character in real time. The technology enables virtual characters to interact live with human presenters and audiences across studios, live events, and social media platforms.
- Key Presenters: José Luis Farías (CEO) and Alfonso Fulgencio (CTO).
Supporting Context & Strategic Metrics
The timing of MAC’s showcase at Iberseries & Platino Industria is no coincidence. Madrid has rapidly consolidated its status as the undisputed audiovisual hub of Southern Europe. Fueled by strategic municipal investments, tax incentives, and world-class production facilities like Madrid Content City, the region has become a magnet for international inward investment.
- Ecosystem Scale: The Madrid Audiovisual Cluster represents an economic bloc of nearly 100 specialized enterprises, spanning everything from telecommunications giants like Telefónica to nimble boutique VFX shops and AI startups.
- The Latin American Bridge: As Iberseries & Platino Industria serves as the premier international event for Spanish- and Portuguese-language content, innovations premiered in Madrid immediately ripple across both European and Latin American markets, creating a transatlantic pipeline for technical and creative exchange.
- Workforce Adaptation: With over 450 professionals operating within institutional outfits like TBS alone, the modernization of workflows is not merely about aesthetic enhancement—it is about scaling capacity to meet the voracious content appetites of global SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand) platforms.
Official Statements & Industry Perspectives
The duality of enthusiasm and caution defines the current discourse surrounding AI in media. Leadership within the Madrid Audiovisual Cluster and Iberseries & Platino Industria have been vocal about striking the right balance.
Teresa Azcona, managing director of the Madrid Audiovisual Cluster, emphasized the holistic nature of the program during a preparatory briefing:
"While AI is a common thread running through the projects, the session takes a broader view of innovation, covering new business models, emerging technologies and evolving production and creative workflows. Together, they show how innovation is transforming the industry and opening up new opportunities across the value chain."
Counterbalancing the technical enthusiasm, Samuel Castro, co-Director of Iberseries & Platino Industria, offered a vital philosophical boundary line for creators and technologists alike:
"The ability to create stories should always be based on a fully human, author-driven concept and development. AI should be used as a tool, not as an end in itself."
Future Outlook: Madrid’s Blueprint for the Next Era of Media
As the curtains rise on Iberseries & Platino Industria, the initiatives spearheaded by the Madrid Audiovisual Cluster offer a clear blueprint for the future of European content production. The industry is moving past the era of blind tech-hype. Instead, the emphasis has shifted toward pragmatic integration: how machine learning can eliminate administrative friction via platforms like PLIA; how real-time rendering via HaMo can redefine live entertainment; and how hybrid localization models through Hark Media can bridge linguistic divides.
By fostering an environment where tech pioneers, institutional heavyweights, and independent creators can converse under one roof, Madrid is proving that technological advancement does not have to dilute artistic integrity. On the contrary, when anchored by author-driven storytelling, innovation becomes the ultimate engine for creative liberation and economic growth across the global audiovisual stage.
