Exclusive Interview With Paul Barton Hodges

Paul Barton Hodges stands at the forefront of live event broadcast and production, bringing unparalleled expertise and creativity to every project he undertakes.

As the driving force behind the reestablishment of the BH brand with BH Broadcast, Paul has transformed the company into a leading name in delivering high-quality broadcasts and productions for a diverse array of clients.

Over the years, Paul has built strong partnerships with events agencies and has earned the trust of multinational corporations, international news publishers and iconic fashion brands. His work has graced some of the UK's most celebrated buildings and venues, showcasing his ability to manage complex broadcasts with precision and flair.

Under Paul's leadership, BH Broadcast excels across multiple sectors, with a notable emphasis on music and the performing arts. Leveraging his own background as a musician and performer, Paul ensures that every production captures the spirit of creativity and connection. The company’s innovative use of Panasonic and Sony PTZ systems allows for discreet multi-camera coverage that minimises disruption to live audiences while delivering exceptional results.

In this exclusive interview, Paul shares his insights on navigating an industry defined by rapid evolution. He discusses how BH Broadcast strategically invests in core technologies to stay relevant in a post-COVID landscape where client demands shift frequently. From adopting cutting-edge tools like Sony's flagship PTZ cameras to refining modular PPUs for productions of all sizes, Paul reveals how his company continues to deliver exceptional experiences.

With live streaming and broadcast at the core of your business, how do you stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry?
Technology is always, and will always move at an alarming rate! The way we stay ahead in the industry is not to be sucked in just by technological advances, but by remaining in tune with what our clients demand and since Covid these demands shift almost quarterly! When it comes to investment we try and identify core technologies that underpin these trends and that will keep us relevant to our clients. For us we see a shift in the use of automated camera systems and the continued, and now normalised, use of hybrid contribution. Remote production has also established itself in main stream broadcast, and we are well position to deploy this as its value becomes recognised by other areas of the live streaming industry.

Can you explain how your production services cater to the diverse needs of events ranging from music and film to corporate functions?
BH Broadcast Hire serves a diverse range of clients, but our background in music means that whenever possible we build projects from audio upwards. This has several technical benefits, but fundamentally poor audio can ruin the best visuals. Furthermore, in a performance environment, the audience (in the auditorium) comes first. Their experience should not be overly affected by the presence of a broadcast, so we try to be as discreet as possible, for example using flagship PTZ cameras rather than manned positions.

Your recent investment in Sony's flagship PTZ cameras, the IMLE-FR7 and the BRC-AM7, is impressive. What led you to choose these models, and how do they enhance your offerings?
Working with a range of production partners, Sony cameras are prevalent, whether it is the FX range of cinema cameras preferred by content creators or the broadcast system cameras used for larger projects. The FR7 fits perfectly into the cinema camera workflow and the new AM7 is a great partner to the system cameras. Both cameras maintain the onboard recording capabilities and codecs making post production workflows easy and they also can integrate in to the broadcast environment with control from RCP units. Additionally, as a pairing they work well together; the FR7 providing exceptional detail in wide and mid shots and the AM7 allowing close up shots with its longer, integrated zoom lens.

As one of the first companies in the UK to stock the BRC-AM7, what kind of projects do you anticipate will benefit most from this advanced technology?
The AM7 is a fantastic camera and a direct challenger to the established Panasonic AW-UE160. What the AM7 brings, over the UE160, is the integration of Sony’s AI tracking and the ability to record internally. These two features (along with the inherited Sony colour science) will mean that this camera will be an excellent tool for studio or events production where smooth tracking of presenters or performers is essential. This is of course achieved with a manned camera, but it is great to have another option when physical or budgetary constraints might demand an alternative. On body recording (with timecode input) will also simply the setup when ISO recordings are required for backup or post production.

Can you tell us more about your PPUs and how they are tailored for different production scales and requirements?
BH Broadcast Hire has a number of PPU options. Each unit has been designed to work in isolation, however they can be combined to form larger solutions with little to no overlap of features. One PPU is essentially a 'corporate broadcast in a box', with everything you would need to run a conference broadcast. Another is focused on live recording, with ISO recorders, file archive & management, and live vision mix and this can be partnered with a third PPU which ads a producer/director position with the ability to be located up to 100m away over IP connection. These modular and flexible solutions can be customised for specific project needs.

Are there any upcoming investments or technologies that you're excited to incorporate into your services?
Proper remote production is the next frontier for the events broadcast world. The benefits have been widely reported and demonstrated by the broadcast industry, particularly in sports coverage. For this to become more widespread in the events world it needs to win over the trust of the events producers, but more importantly it needs to be seen as a beneficial investment when it comes to budgets. Committing budget to an LED wall, for example, is visible and tangible in the event space. Incorporating remote production is an invisible expense, certainly to the attendees, but the environmental impact including accommodation, catering etc should not be overlooked.

How do you envision the company’s role evolving in the context of emerging trends like 8K broadcasting, virtual production, or AI-driven workflows?
On the camera front, AI camera control is an are we are actively investing in with further plans for multi-camera AI solutions. Our recent investments in cameras also allow integration in to Virtual production, with Free-D output integrated into our Sony PTZs.
Having invested in 4K workflows back in 2016, the take up for 4K production is now only really being seen in our multi-camera productions – mainly due to the 'mobile first' culture of consuming online content. The small screens of mobiles and tables, already make HD content look great and 4K is only now starting to come in as 5G networks become more widespread.

www.bhbroadcast.co.uk