ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
Getting a grip
Among its comprehensive solutions, Sunbelt Rentals offers grip equipment to film and TV productions. We hear from the managing director of grip on the gear’s rising-star status
D uring his 12 years in the grip as telescopic cranes and remote heads were no longer reserved for big-budget blockbusters; they were being used across film and TV. “When productions like Game of Thrones came out, they used the same technology and had the same resources as a feature film,” he recalls. Since then, the demand for grip equipment has only grown higher. Tadros sold his company Alpha Grip to Sunbelt Rentals in 2022, becoming Sunbelt industry, John Tadros witnessed a shift: high-end equipment such Rental’s managing director of grip, bringing his vast wealth of knowledge and practical experience to a new crew. Sunbelt Rentals calls it the ‘team behind your team’: “We assist the DOPs, directors and producers. We have a significant role to play,” says Belinda Swana, head of marketing. “Our teams are experts in their own right. Essentially, the team behind the team can be described as the ‘crew behind your crew’ to make these productions happen. When it comes to equipment solutions, they’ve got a lot to bring to the table.” Tadros and his team are well-versed in grip tech, addressing the skills shortage in this production area. “All these cranes, stabilised heads and vehicles need to go out with technicians; there’s a requirement to provide a certain number,”
BIG RIGS The Scorpio crane’s telescopic arm offers precise shots, ideal for film and TV
he explains. “We took the initiative to employ generally new and young talent and train them not only to work on set, but also to fix the equipment.” When a customer rents from Sunbelt Rentals, it’s an ‘either-or approach’, according to both Tadros and Swana, meaning in- house technicians can also operate the equipment if needed. Since the acquisition, Sunbelt Rentals has been at the forefront of grip innovation, offering a 78-foot Scorpio telescopic crane which can fold to fit in a standard lorry. With one of the largest inventories in the UK and Ireland – and with sizable depots in Wembley, Manchester and Belfast – Sunbelt Rentals
can support any production, from the latest James Bond film to Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice . “Our array of cranes has dramatically grown,” adds Tadros. “Instead of catering to two or three productions at a time, we can cater to nine. Thanks to our inventory, there is a good chance that if someone phones us up the day before production, we could deliver the following day.” Thanks to Sunbelt Rental’s stock, the company can provide film and TV crews with grip – in addition to lighting, cameras, lenses and other gear. “It’s a shopping list,” states Swana. “The customer takes what they want, whatever will benefit them.” “It seems every production wants the camera movement this equipment provides, instead of using a standard dolly or Steadicam,” notes Tadros. “These telescopic cranes and stabilised heads are widely used on the vast majority of today’s productions, whether big or small. Grip is just another part of the toolbox.”
EVERY PRODUCTION wants the movement OF THIS EQUIPMENT”
sunbeltrentals.com/industries/film-tv- production/
53
definitionmags
Powered by FlippingBook