PAUL BARKER
Head of Department Electrical Rigger
35 years rigging international features and premium TV. Based UK. Available UAE.
Currently
Head of Department Electrical Rigger on Warner Bros. & HBO's Harry Potter series at Leavesden Studios. 2024 – present.
About
Thirty-five years freelance, exclusively on Tier-1 international features and premium television. Long-standing relationships across Warner Bros., Netflix, HBO, Universal and Sony, with credits spanning Christopher Nolan features, the James Bond franchise, Bridgerton, The Crown and Captain Phillips.
Now seeking to base in Dubai to support UAE service companies and inbound Hollywood productions across the Gulf — bringing the rigging standards, safety culture and crew-management discipline expected on major studio productions, backed by the Pinewood, Leavesden and Warner Bros. Studios pipeline.
Selected Credits
Television — Head of Department
- Harry Potter (series)Warner Bros. / HBO
- Bridgerton (S2 & S3)Netflix / Shondaland
- The Crown (S2–S4)Netflix / Left Bank Pictures
- PeripheralAmazon Studios
- One Day2011
Feature Film — Head of Department
- WonkaWarner Bros.
- Batman: The Dark Knight RisesWarner Bros. — dir. Christopher Nolan
- Captain PhillipsColumbia Pictures — dir. Paul Greengrass
- Bridget Jones's BabyUniversal / Working Title
- Peterloodir. Mike Leigh
- Mr Turnerdir. Mike Leigh
- Another Yeardir. Mike Leigh
- The Outfit2022
- Effie Gray2014
- King Arthur
- Jane EyreFocus Features
- Red 2Summit Entertainment
Feature Film — Chargehand, Rigger & Specialist
- InceptionWarner Bros. — dir. Christopher Nolan
- SkyfallEon Productions / MGM — Chargehand
- Fantastic BeastsWarner Bros. — Chargehand
- Harry Potter (film series)Warner Bros. — Rigger & Flying Wire
- In the Heart of the SeaWarner Bros. — dir. Ron Howard
- Sherlock HolmesWarner Bros. — dir. Guy Ritchie
- Star WarsLucasfilm — Flying Wire
- The Boy Who Would Be King20th Century Fox — Stunt Rigger
- Tom and JerryWarner Bros. — Rigging Supervisor
- Fred ClausWarner Bros. — Chargehand
- Peter PanUniversal — Chargehand
- Shaun of the DeadUniversal — Standby
Specialisms
- —Department leadership: crew hiring, scheduling, budget input and risk assessment across multi-unit productions.
- —Truss systems (Prolyte and equivalent), chain motors and motorised rigging for studio builds and large-scale lighting grids.
- —Flying-wire and stunt rigging for performer flying and aerial action, working alongside SFX and stunt departments.
- —Challenging environments: water tanks and at-sea rigs, heritage locations, exteriors and high-temperature work.
Certifications
International Advanced Rigging · LOLER · HSE · First Aid · Full clean UK driving licence