Camera rental specialist opens regional office in Bristol

VMI is to open a Bristol branch in January 2015, having acquired the local division of The Hire Company. Initially, VMI will take over the companys Lower Park Row city centre premises in advance of moving into a purpose-built facility in the first half of the year.

We aim to give producers in the South West and Wales fast access to the same equipment as London-based producers. Having a supplier close at hand means that crews will also enjoy world-class service levels, fast and responsive support and comprehensive test facilities on their doorstep. Says Branch Manager, Jeff Berning.

The move comes after strong growth for VMI in the West of the country: during the course of 2014, the rental company supported over 25 weeks of drama and feature film shooting in Wales alone. With the new facility, Producers will now be able to select from the same extensive range of equipment as is available at VMIs Acton headquarters, including ARRI, Sony, Red and Canon cameras, as well as Alpha Grips range of dollies and cranes.

Among the other equipment ear-marked for VMI Bristol is the new Canon 50-1000mm lens which is expected to generate strong interest from local natural history units. Additionally, an array of 2/3 ENG camcorders will be available for HD television production and documentary makers.

The opening of the Bristol office is evidence that the stated aim of the BBC and other commissioning broadcasters to grow production outside London is having an impact on the regions. Besides working with major products in Wales and the South West, VMI also supported more than 30 shooting weeks of drama production in 2014 in the North of England. Berning remarks:

Although we currently have no plans to open further offices, we look forward to developing our reach into regional production and we are researching how we can best support producers nationwide.

LINK:	http://www.tv-bay.com/news/Camera_rental_specialist_opens_regional_off...
	See more stories from tvbay

Most recent headlines