CVP ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
“We don’t just sell kit, we also repair it and are immensely proud of our service centre” of tech experts in the industry, we’re constantly staying up to date with the latest kit,” he says. “I’m obsessed with lenses, but there are lots of new technologies – from new camera options to livestreaming. Right now, full-frame cameras and lenses are the standout technologies, but for more affordable kit, cameras with resolutions greater than 4K are the next step.” And nowhere does CVP’s technical expertise shine through more than in the repair and service department, which also includes support for Red cameras – one of a handful of approved centres around the world. “We don’t just sell kit, we also repair it and we are immensely proud of our manufacturer-approved professional service and repair centre,” enthuses Fry. “We have an online ‘track and trace’ repair service that enables customers to follow their equipment throughout its repair. “But you also want to be able to speak to a human being who fully understands the problem and can offer efficient solutions.” With an obvious commitment to so much more than simply retailing new equipment to customers, CVP is setting new standards for the UK filmmaking industry as genuine cinematography consultants.
ABOVE Jon Fry (pictured right) is keen to highlight that CVP has a manufactured-approved repair centre and an online ‘track and trace’ repair service that enables customers to follow their equipment throughout its repair
Red, Panasonic and Blackmagic Design and lenses from Angenieux, Leitz, Canon, Sigma, Fujinon and Sony. It is packed with gear fromDJI, Freefly, eMotimo, 1A Tools, Cinemilled, Wooden Camera, Vocas, Zacuto, Small Rig, Miller, Sachtler, Ronford Baker, OConnor, Manfrotto, Anton Bauer, Hawk-Woods and more. All this amazing kit is brought to life by CVP’s exceptionally knowledgeable team, which is always on hand to fully explain the features, functions and compatibilities of the equipment in detail for each customer’s unique requirements. Typical of the expert CVP team is demonstration technician, Joanna Cuper, a former freelancer camera operator with four years’ experience in a rental house. Cuper is actually part of CVP’s Midlands showroom, where she provides technical advice to customers either face to face, online or on the phone, as well as organising a mobile exhibition unit for outside events. “A lot of us on the team have real world experience as camera operators, so we can give practical advice you won’t just find anywhere,” she says. “It’s really helpful for those who know what they want to achieve, but aren’t quite sure how to achieve it.” Cuper also keeps up with the latest hot topics in the industry, and says the buzz right now centres on the launch of the new Sony FX9 and Canon EOS C500 Mark II full-frame cameras. Keeping abreast with all the latest tech, and how it can be used to help customers, is one of the main jobs of CVP’s technical consultant, Jake Ratcliffe. “To ensure we can say CVP has one of the best, most knowledgeable teams
independent and a unique facility to the UK. Customers love that it isn’t a sales environment, but can just come in for a chat and tell the CVP staff what they’re trying to achieve, or even just have a play with the cameras with no pressure. This has led to CVP creating another similar facility, a five-storey flagship showroom based on London’s Newman Street, which is full of production equipment from leading manufacturers including Sony, Canon, Zeiss, Angenieux, Blackmagic, Arri and Red. “The concept is to enable visitors to walk in with a creative idea and walk out with a complete technical solution. Visitors can discuss their projects with one of our technical staff, all of whom have solid creative and technical knowledge and know the products inside and out,” explains Fry. “Our experts will advise what options will best fit the user’s needs, inform them of any issues that may arise from incompatible choices and offer alternatives. We care about their end results, and that way we can build a trusting long-term relationship.” From an HDMI cable all the way to large format cameras and everything else in between, this space gives everyone in the industry a place to learn new skills and get hands-on with the latest kit. Canon and Sony have dedicated spaces within the building, packed with their ranges of pro cameras and lenses to test and rig with third-party manufacturer accessories. The showroom also houses Europe’s largest display of Zeiss lenses, a Blackmagic Design space with a DaVinci Resolve post-production suite and a UHD live production system. There are all the latest cameras from brands such as Arri,
More information
cvp.com
73
WINTER 2019 PRO MOVIEMAKER
Powered by FlippingBook