Blackmagic Design workflow records Japan’s Podcast Expo

Japan:

With 24 conference sessions running across two stages, Japan’s Podcast Expo 2026 required a production workflow capable of recording around 24 hours of content while making the material available online shortly after the event. Blackmagic Design cameras and live production equipment formed the core of the recording setup.

Organised by Zatsudan Inc, the Tokyo-based company behind podcast studio and event activities including Pocast Weekend, the expanded Podcast Expo combined its established market event with a conference format inspired in part by the London Podcast Show.

The conference featured 64 creators and industry experts across 24 sessions. Each of the two conference areas was equipped with an ATEM Mini Extreme ISO G2 live production switcher, HyperDeck Studio HD Plus broadcast deck and three cameras. The camera inventory included Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K, Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, Studio Camera 4K Pro G2 and Studio Camera 6K Pro models, alongside SmartView 4K and Video Assist 5-inch 12G HDR monitoring.

The production team designed the workflow to complete as much postproduction as possible onsite. Switched programme feeds were recorded in a format intended to require only colour and audio adjustments, while ISO recordings were captured to SSDs connected to the switchers as a backup.

“We decided in advance to record the switched programme feed in a form that could be used almost as is, so that only colour and audio adjustments would be required afterward,” explained Nobuhiko Ueno, who oversaw the recording operation. “As a risk management measure, we also recorded ISO feeds as a backup, saving them to SSDs connected to the switchers. We used DaVinci Resolve for editing. Because we applied LUTs during shooting, the footage was already close to its final look at the time of capture, which made the process very efficient.”

Ueno said the team had used Blackmagic Design cameras and ATEM switchers for recording and streaming since the first event, helping to streamline the setup. “We had two streaming operators assigned to each stage at all times, while I directed the overall production,” added Ueno. “In addition to handling the audio and camera operations on the stages, we also provided a private stream so that staff in another room could monitor what was happening. Since we were already very familiar with Blackmagic Design products, the setup was extremely smooth. Another advantage was that we were able to capture sufficiently bright images even though the stages were quite dark.”

The recorded sessions were subsequently made available as an archive for those unable to attend in person.