Interning at Appear

Appear is a live production technology company with headquarters in Oslo, Norway, that works with broadcasters, production companies and network operators worldwide. They produce high capacity, sustainable solutions for content delivery for the most demanding of live productions; delivering content from high-scale events to viewers with ultra – low latency. We spoke to Matthew Williams Neale (Vice President Marketing) and Ronja Svensden (Global Talent Acquisition) about our publication, and on their views on young people’s place in the production technology industry – and they got us in touch with some recent interns.

Appear is a distinctly ‘young’ company - not in years, but in its thinking. With an average age of 39, its progressive stance on a “software defined future” goes hand in hand with their acquisition of new talent and innovation. When we told them about Signal Shift the response was overwhelmingly supportive, and it seemed like they shared a lot of our values. Alongside a young staff, Appear run a summer student program for software and FPGA (field programmable gate array) development, with a focus on real – world tech challenges and working with cutting edge technology. I spoke to a few of this year’s interns about their projects, what it’s like joining the industry as a young person, and their experiences during this program.

Most of the applicants for the program are NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) students working towards a degree or Master’s in Electronic Systems Design, and mentioned that they applied after Appear gave a presentation at their university. While their specific circumstances differed, they all agreed that it was a valuable and informative experience. There were 9 interns in total, divided across software, FPGA and UX (user experience) teams. I spoke to four of them; Amalie Hauge (who wrote an article on data centres in Norway for this edition of Signal Shift), Ingrid Lyngstad, Emma Langeland and Maia Berbom Gabrielsen -

The software team was focussed on problem solving. Appear uses SDI (serial digital interface) cables to route raw video between devices. The use of physical cables introduces a lot of room for human error, for example accidental unplugging or swapping of cables, and these mistakes can often go unnoticed. The software team developed a code that would send a ‘test signal’ through the network to ensure this hadn’t happened. I got the sense that some of the interns were sceptical about the growing use of AI in the industry, but that learning to work with it rather than against it is crucial – and they made sure to be vigilant in testing AI generated inputs. Ingrid Lyngstad said, “We genuinely couldn't have made the product we did without it. It's a completely different way of working than what I was used to, and to what I was expecting.”

The FPGA team worked on “integrating a RISC-V soft CPU core into one of Appear’s existing FPGA designs, starting with the basics, such as JTAG, LED, and UART functionality, before moving onto more ambitious goals”. The team also worked on getting DOOM running on one of Appear’s FPGA’s – which was a fun and interesting task that helped build a lot of practical knowledge.

There was a unanimous agreement that Appear had created a welcoming and engaging space for young people, and that they had thrived in that environment. Their mentors would give them guidance while necessary, but also a lot of freedom – and a strong sense of trust in their abilities. Emma Langeland said Appear has a “real, visible focus on bringing more women into technical roles”, as well as an encouraging young staff – which is so important to see as you’re starting out.

An invaluable part of work experience is the real – world consequences and responsibilities. Being entrusted with tools and resources, and seeing your efforts come together is vital in building confidence and establishing yourself in a work environment. “It's one thing to build something on its own in isolation, but seeing the full pipeline function end to end was really satisfying. Getting positive feedback from the rest of the company, and on top of that, realising this might actually be something they use going forward, made it feel more important and appreciated than just a summer project”.

The interns are now finishing up their degrees and finding work in the media industry, looking to tackle the rapidly changing world of system design. After gaining real-world experience, the leap between university and working life won’t be so much of a shock. It’s vital that companies like Appear have initiatives like this – where young people are given actual responsibilities and encouraged to be innovative, rather than given the jobs that no one else can be bothered to do! In an industry that is so volatile, young people are very well-equipped to adapt and learn, and shouldn’t be held back for lack of experience.