Peter Nalli, Head of Animation and VFX at ILBE and ILBE Studios, participated in this year’s Adria Summit – Future of Digital Commerce. This was the second edition of this innovative conference, held from May 3 to May 7, 2023 at two locations, the Kempinski Adriatic in Umag, Croatia, and the Kempinski Palace in Portorož, Slovenia. 

Peter participated in a panel discussion called 'The New Audience: How to Create and Deliver Digital Content with Platform Power,' moderated by Jasmina Koprivica, Head of Digital Media, Euronews Serbia. Other panelists included Berina Tanović,Sales Director at Rakuten Viber,Mirza Hadžić, Sales Director at Europe, Infobip, and Nela Bunčić Vukomanović, Head of creative at CAS Media, who talked aboutvarious topics – from how younger generations see leadership differently to how social media has democratized creative output. 

Peter presented our studio’s vision and role in the future of the creative industry, and shared thought-provoking ideas about the role of AI and its impact on art and society. 

Jasmina Koprivica, the panel moderator, emphasized the importance of this discussion: “The topic of the panel was hugely attractive because in today’s world, information is traveling so fast that is changing the way that we live, learn and consume everyday life. My guests-panelists showed great understanding of the importance of creating qualitycontent for the users, so that they can have strong bonds with them based on trust and loyalty, not only to the product, but also to the brand itself.” 

As an international animation studio, we are actively finding new ways to engage with our audience on digital platforms such as Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. As Peter emphasized, “Storytelling is our value. We are students of story. Our storytelling is a key aspect of our digital strategy, and of our brand, which helps us create a deeper emotional connection with our audience.”  

We are aware that by utilizing the power of digital platforms, we can reach a wider audience than ever before, without relying on traditional distribution methods. This allows for a more direct connection with our audience and the ability to adapt content to their needs and preferences. Artificial intelligence (AI) was also one of the main talking points throughout the entire conference, which comes as no coincidence, with ChatGPT, MidJourney, having already opened countless business and economical questions, as well as serious philosophical and ethical debates.  

“Companies who know how to use all available sources of communication, like “ILBE Studios”, are true leaders in creative economies and they change the way that people consume media, making the transition towards shorter video content instead of long-watch format, which was so popular in the past,” said Jasmina Koprivica.  

In order to approach the rise of AI from all sides, Peter introduced the audience to the ideas of the black swan event, the dark forest hypothesis, and discussed various possibilities which emerge when we humans are faced with something that we do not recognize. “AI will indeed create a new paradigm shift in the way creative industries, among many others, will operate, but there is no reason to be scared of it,”as Peter put it.“AI is making quantum leaps in the creative sector and artists are nervous. This is actually a boon to our industry though. AI will imagine and develop all the many ways possible the artist can focus on creating to be truly free.” 

As an animation studio, we have an unprecedented opportunity to reach a global audience with high-quality digital content on streaming  and social media platforms, by creating and delivering stories which are imbued with value, and which resonate with audiences around the world. 

Finally, as Jasmina concluded, “Today, a modern business can’t survive if it’s not capable of communicating ‘right here and right now’ with its users. At the same time, media organizations have a big responsibility in creating content that respects and adds value to the life of their readers/consumers.”