ROUND TABLE
JACOB ALATISE Partner, CameraOne
JAMES BRIDGFORD Managing director, Get Set Hire
JAMIE CROSBIE Senior vice president, Universal Production Services
BARRY BASSETT Managing director, VMI
DAN EDMONDS Account manager, Universal Pixels
DANA HARRISON COO, ARRI Rental UK
the industry is undergoing significant change, there’s also a sense of grounded optimism. People are realistic about the challenges, but there’s a clear appetite to innovate and adapt. From where I stand, it’s not just about bouncing back, but about reshaping the way we work for the better. That energy and openness to doing things differently is what gives me confidence in the months ahead. JAMIE CROSBIE: From my vantage point, the rental sector in set lighting and grip remains a vital pillar of the production ecosystem. Like much of the film and TV industry, it’s been going through a period of recalibration. At Universal Production Services, we’re focusing on investment in our cutting- edge inventory, our knowledgeable staff led by Rob Garvie in the UK and, now, our brand new facility. We just completed a move this summer to a new 100,000 sq ft
facility directly across the street from Sky Studios Elstree. From this new location, our experienced staff can support all the London area studios and location shoots and supply industry leading equipment across the UK and beyond. In our conversations with clients, we’re hearing a return to fundamentals: tighter budgets, more strategic planning and a renewed emphasis on value. BARRY BASSETT: Rental is quite simple – we need to be relevant by offering a service which our clients value. At the point that we stop doing this, we become superfluous and will go out of business. Gratefully, we’re now seeing an increase in production levels, so having fewer rental competitors has made business somewhat easier than before, but the truth is that no rental companies can afford to be complacent, and all need to work hard to engage with their clients
and keep innovating, if they want to succeed. To keep doing the same thing year after year, our clients will become bored and go elsewhere. DAN EDMONDS: In all our sectors, the rental market seems very busy this year. With film and TV specifically, there’s a positive mood going forward after the last few years of uncertainty, which understandably caused worry for some. DANA HARRISON: Here in the UK, there’s a sense of the energy picking back up and activity increasing. For several years, the government has supported the industry with tax incentives that have attracted international filmmakers and driven domestic investment. The UK has a reputation as a world-class production hub with incredible infrastructure, talent, crews and services. High-end American
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