ROUND TABLE
DEF: What technological developments are having the biggest real-world impact on the rental sector? MB: For us, it comes down to advanced hybrid autofocus and intelligent tracking tech. Independent and corporate crews have shrunk over the last few years; a lot of people are shooting completely solo or with a skeleton team. They rely on features like real-time eye tracking and subject detection on systems like the Sony FX series, which were previously scoffed at by purists although are now an absolute necessity. DE: From our LED screen and image- based lighting side, the technology continues to improve as new equipment is constantly arriving. But it is a gradual evolution over new, exciting, boundary- changing milestones. I would say the side we are seeing the most developments on is on-set playback – and it’s a side productions don’t really see. We have new playback solutions; some with greater colour control, others with better workflows. Over the next few years, this is where most of our internal teams will spend time researching and evaluating. DEF: Do you see AI having a meaningful influence operationally? DE: AI is something that will make a meaningful influence and, I think, from
been strong for many people in the last few months. DEF: What are the biggest pressures rental companies are facing? DE: Our biggest challenge is getting people to commit to rentals in time. We are seeing productions confirm orders closer and closer to the required delivery time. This isn’t something new, as there have often been close lead times, but as we have always delivered on those, the lead time seems to be getting tighter and tighter. If this continues, there will be a point where we have to turn away work as we won’t be able to deliver a system safely with the quality of kit or crew we are happy with. MB: The biggest pressure comes from being squeezed on all sides. We are battling massive inflation across our entire operational supply chain, with surging overheads across staffing costs, couriers, insurance and utilities, yet we are restricted in passing those costs on. Downstream, production budgets are being aggressively cut. Creators and corporate production teams are demanding rock-bottom rates, resulting in a tough, transactional market where deals are won or lost on razor-thin margins. We have to maintain a flawless, premium service and absorb escalating business costs internally, all
while making sure to keep our rental prices fiercely competitive. DEF: What do you think makes a great rental partner in 2026? Where can rental companies add the most value now? MB: Flexibility is key. We are constantly dealing with last-minute approvals, changing budgets, shifting locations and altered kit lists. At Hireacamera, we take this in our stride, removing as much of the stress as we can for our clients to free them up to manage their shoots. But above all, it comes down to reliability. When the gear lands, it needs to be ready to shoot instantly so the crew does not have to think about anything other than capturing their content. DE: As always, our strongest value add is our experience. We have people in our team that have worked in many departments on-set: lighting, VFX, art, to name a few. This experience means we can help productions in the early stages by designing a cost-effective solution that works on-set. There are also occasions where we help design a solution that doesn’t need our equipment, as it wouldn’t benefit production. This value add is where rental companies can be a massive benefit. It’s well worth dropping in for a coffee with them for a chat every now and then.
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