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Nathan Bazley
Head of Light Speed R&D & Virtual Production at Light ADL
Nathan Bazley is a commercially-minded senior leader and innovator with a wealth of experience in the fields of journalism, technology, and content production. With a career spanning over several years at the prestigious Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Nathan has built an impressive portfolio in senior roles that span management, production, and technology integration. His ability to blend strategic thinking with a passion for innovative solutions has made him a respected figure in the industry, especially in the realms of spatial technologies, augmented reality (AR), and immersive media.
Professional Background
Nathan Bazley currently serves as the Head of Light Speed at Light ADL, where he pushes the boundaries of innovation strategy and explores new opportunities that arise at the intersection of technology and human experience. His role allows him to not only lead but also inspire teams in developing content that utilizes advanced spatial technologies to engage audiences in novel ways. Recognized for his forward-thinking approach, Nathan effectively communicates potential opportunities in the tech landscape, advocating for the development of solutions that improve the quality of life through innovation.
Before taking on his current role, Nathan held various significant positions at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). He began his remarkable journey as a field reporter and producer at 612 ABC Local Radio Brisbane, where his storytelling abilities shone through in engaging narratives that connected with audiences. His talent for communication and passion for journalism paved the way for him to transition to television, where he took on the role of series producer and later became the host of the acclaimed children's news program, Behind the News (BTN).
Throughout his time at ABC, Nathan demonstrated a unique aptitude for marrying technology with storytelling. He served as the Executive Producer for projects such as the BTN 50 Years TV Documentary and Kokoda VR, where he championed immersive storytelling through the use of virtual reality (VR) and AR technologies. His contributions to the organization also showcased his capability as a Senior Project Manager on significant initiatives, including the ABC AR - Space Discovery project, which further illustrated his commitment to leveraging innovative technology for educational and engaging content.
Nathan's experience as the XR/Immersive Technology Lead allowed him to influence the direction and development of the ABC's interactive content strategy across multiple platforms, making waves in how audiences engage with news and information. In addition to his managerial duties, Nathan's creative vision helped shape many of ABC's emerging projects, laying the groundwork for future platforms and content opportunities that resonate with diverse audiences.
Education and Achievements
Nathan's educational background laid the foundational skills that would serve him throughout his illustrious career. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Journalism from Queensland University of Technology, where he acquired critical skills in communication, media production, and storytelling. His education not only prepared him for the fast-paced world of journalism but also ignited his passion for exploring how technological advancements could enhance storytelling methods in significant ways. Nathan's formative years at Dalby State High School also set him on a path of curiosity and innovation, encouraging him to embrace new challenges and ideas.
In addition to his impressive career trajectory, Nathan is known for his ability to synthesize complex technologies with compelling narratives. He has a knack for bringing stakeholders together, ensuring that projects are not only technically sound but also aligned with core creative visions. Nathan’s impressive leadership skills contribute to his ability to communicate effectively across different platforms, ensuring that all team members understand their roles in crafting groundbreaking content.
Achievements
Nathan Bazley's achievements demonstrate an unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence in the media industry. His leadership on the Kokoda VR project represented a significant milestone in immersive storytelling, setting standards in how history can be best experienced through cutting-edge technology. His involvement in the creation of the BTN 50 Years TV Documentary showcased Nathan’s ability to reflect on the past while paving the way for future innovations in journalism.
As a thought leader in innovation strategy, Nathan consistently engages with industry trends and technological advancements, always seeking the next leap in content opportunities that can improve viewer experience. His work at Light ADL continues this legacy, reinforcing his identity as a creator devoted to enhancing how audiences interact with news and information.
In his continued efforts to champion new ideas
Highlights
This question came up recently - why rally behind a specific tool like ICVFX, or a suite of tools like Virtual Production? After all, on the surface this is just another tool in a filmmaker’s kit. There are times when it should be used and there are times when it shouldn’t. Why champion it specifically?
People think it must be the technology, but the tech behind VP isn’t revolutionary, in and of itself. In truth, it's a combination of different parts, both soft and hardware, cleverly adapted from a raft of other industries and now refined for use in this one.
So what am I really rallying for in Virtual Production?
I rally for the change in process that it requires, the flexibility it encourages, the innovative thinking it enables. I rally behind the new people introduced to the industry, with new backgrounds, skill sets, thinking styles and ways of communicating. I rally behind the deconstruction of the traditional filmmaking nucleus that often excludes outside input. I rally for the participation of everyone on set, who are able to see and contribute meaningfully to the end result. I rallying for every actor’s ability to perform in a space that evokes exactly what they are trying to reflect.
I rallying for building less physically, and more digitally. I rally for environmental sustainability, with fewer flights, fewer moves and better work/life balance for those on set. And I rallying for economic sustainability, with more options, greater certainty and fewer impossibilities.
I rally for the ideas that become possible. I rally for the chance to bring the best people and concepts from the film and TV and games industries together within a complementary process, a team that can work together, create together, and produce stories the world hasn’t seen before.
I rally for VP because I think this industry needs to evolve, as every industry does. And I think VP gives us the perfect foundation from which to do just that. VP isn't the end goal, but it is without a doubt an important step that we'll use to climb higher and higher.
As everyone in the production world is aware, projects are still thin on the ground, budgets are tight, and there is more scrutiny on how every dollar is spent. So it’s not surprising to see some consolidation happening in specialty roles. In an ideal world, productions looking to use ICVFX for over, say, 40% of their schedule would have a VP HoD oversee the process. Anything under that would ideally have an advisor to provide oversight & a considered strategy. (The exception to this is if we’re just talking a minor amount of ‘non-hero’ sim travel, etc.)
The reason I recommend this is because it becomes too big of an execution risk to leave it unassigned or sitting under someone without direct knowledge of the space. It leads to doing more VP than necessary, less than economically warranted, using the wrong approach, or having it go off the rails through bad vendor choices or management. In any case, the issues & rectifications cost many times more than that one wage ever would have.
I’ve noticed Ops or VAD teams now commonly offering to provide this advice for free. This is undoubtedly valuable, as long as you also keep in mind that it will generally also be aligned to the best interests of the vendor - suggesting approaches that play into their strengths or within their technical limitations, showing off a capability that is strategically advantageous, or maximising their profit across the project. Sifting through this noise for nuggets of helpful advice is important.
In the recent past, studios used to provide much of this support internally - ensuring a consistent playbook and safety net for all. However many (not all…) have pulled back on this, cutting teams and allowing productions to make their own calls. Creatively, that might sound good, and it’s certainly good for reducing overhead costs within the studio, a number closely scrutinised by investors. However it leads to role consolidation, a vacuum of advice and a reliance on operator/VAD advice I mentioned earlier. It also means lessons aren’t always shared, meaning they’re often repeated.
Finally, if a production doesn’t feel like they can justify client-side VP support, it usually falls on the VFX supe. This can go very well or very badly, depending on their outlook, attitude & experience. But as a general rule, I’d say it’s fraught with danger in the form of misaligned incentives, as their budget is calibrated around providing support during prod and post, not pre. And many savings found when using VP effectively are not realised through the post budget, but rather in physical prod, construction or logistics. This means that a VFX supe needs to voluntarily take on costs & additional responsibilities outside of their direct comfort zone to save other depts money. A holistic approach to budgeting & management would mean better decisions for the production overall. But changing how productions are budgeted seems akin to fighting gravity, so we'll make do with a VP HoD.
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Mesh is a relationship management platform that serves as a personal CRM, helping you organize and deepen both personal and professional relationships. It functions as a beautiful rolodex and CRM available on iPhone, Mac, Windows, and web, built automatically to help manage your network efficiently. Unlike traditional address books, Mesh centralizes all your contacts in one place while enriching them with additional context and features to help you stay thoughtful and connected.
Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
- Network Strength: Visualizes the strength of your relationships relative to others in your network
- Timeline: Shows your relationship history with each contact
- Smart Search: Allows you to search using natural language like "People I know at the NYT" or "Designers I've met in London"
- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
- Home Feed: Displays updates about your network including job changes, news mentions, and birthdays
- Groups: Organizes contacts into meaningful categories
- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Mesh is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Mesh as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Mesh offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
Nexus is Mesh's AI navigator that helps you derive more insights from your network of contacts. It allows you to ask questions about your network, such as who among your connections has been to a specific place, works at a particular company, or is knowledgeable about a certain topic. Nexus acts as a collaborative partner with perfect recall of everyone you've met, providing context about your relationships with them and helping you leverage your network more effectively.
Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Mesh isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Mesh instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Mesh is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Mesh can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.