Neil Harris

Neil has spent the past 20 years focused on harnessing digital technologies in a variety of media sectors including film, television and telecommunications.

As a director and developer of the Computer Film Company [w] , he was part of the team that developed the company's pioneering Digital Film special effects technology which laid the foundations for the modern film industry's digital intermediate [w] -based workflows. The Computer Film Company is now part of Framestore, one of Europe's largest digital film and special effects post-production facilities.

As a founding partner and developer of Lightworks [w] , he was part of the team that developed the company's pioneering nonlinear digital film and video editing technology [w] . Lightworks is now part of EditShare.

As a founding director and later Managing Director of Sohonet. Neil designed and built an innovative high-speed IP-based community of interest network [w] for the TV and film industry, linking the major facilities in London to one another and to Los Angeles. Now under new ownership, Sohonet now connects sites in three continents.

Neil and his companies have won many industry awards including:

• two Scientific and Technical Academy Awards
• BKSTS Technical and Scientific Award for contributions to film and television technology
• Network Week's Networking Industry Award
• Communications News' Innovation Award
• International Broadcasters' Convention Transmission System of the Year Award

Neil's current interests are city-scale ultra-high-speed optical networks, Bayesian approaches to image processing, and high-speed streaming storage systems.

Colin Birch

Colin has 30 years experience in the media industry. As a marketing consultant, he specialises in strategic marketing, brand building though direct engagement with customers and prospects, and the new field of social media marketing. His recent experience includes work for a major telecommunications and storage equipment manufacturer, and a major car manufacturer. As a project manager, Colin helps guide projects through the delivery process from beginning to end, with the client being kept in the loop every step of the way.

Our network of consultants

Media Channel has relationships with numerous specialist consultants and suppliers in almost every aspect of the computing, telecommunications, networking, electrical, optical and civil engineering industries, and many more. If your project needs a specialist skill we cannot supply directly, we will engage suitable specialists to provide the necessary skills, products and services.