Top 10 Rental Cameras
The sixth of Televisual’s annual surveys of the camera hire market uncovers sweeping changes as large sensor cameras become de rigueur in all production genres, as Jake Bickerton reports
91 Iambic Media
ceo Chris Hunt staff 6 turnover £1.18m commissions 5 hrs commissioned 8 hrs tx’d 6 key shows The Michael Jackson Story (ITV1/E! Entertainment/TV One) The Abba Years (Five) Placido Domingo: My Greatest Roles (ZDF/Arte)
genre fact, fact ent, drama
92 Minnow Films
company director Morgan Matthews staff 4 turnover £1.15m commissions 8 hrs commissioned 10 hrs tx’d 5 key shows The Fallen (BBC2) The Trouble with Girls (BBC2) Girl Fights (BBC4) genre fact
93 Back2back Productions
company director David Notman-Watt
staff 4 turnover £1m profit £317k commissions 14 hrs commissioned 21 hrs tx’d 18 key shows Josef Fritzl: Story of a Monster (Sky One) Aled’s Christmas Carols (ITV1) Sapphire Fever (Al Jazeera Int.)
genre fact, fact ent
94 Angel Eye
md Richard Osborne creative director John O’Callaghan head of comedy Seb Barwell staff 5 turnover £900k
profit £36k commissions 6 hrs commissioned 2.5 hrs tx’d 2.5
key shows Cowards (BBC4) Delta Forever (BBC3) Raising Kane (BBC2 Scotland)
genre ent, fact
95 Lambent Productions
company director Emma Wakefield
head of production Isabelle Pavitt
senior production manager Audrey English staff 4 turnover £891k
profit £64k commissions 8 hrs commissioned 13 hrs tx’d 13 key shows Tony: I Lost my Family (BBC3) Lifeproof (C4) The Russians are Coming (C4)
genre fact, kids
96= Attaboy TV
md Andrew Shaw development Graham Hardy staff 4 turnover £800k
commissions 2 hrs commissioned 16
hrs tx’d 30 key shows Wheeler Dealers series 5 &6 (Discovery) genre fact, fact ent
96= Proudfoot
md Michael Proudfoot producer Simon Richardson producer/director Eddie Frost staff 5 turnover £800k profit £45k commissions 1 hrs commissioned 2 hrs tx’d 2 key shows Rolex Awards for Enterprise genre fact
98= Hardcash
md David Henshaw
head of production Robin Barty-King head of developement Lesley Bonner staff 3 turnover £700,000
profit £80k commissions 5
hrs commissioned 5
key shows Mum, Dad, Alzheimers and Me (C4) Undercover Mosque - The Return (C4) How to Rob a Bank (BBC3)
genre fact
98= Gemini Pictures
md Martin Stockham
staff 2turnover £700k commissions 4
hrs commissioned 7 hrs tx’d 3
key shows Goodwood Festival of Speed (ITV1 and ITV4) Goodwood Revival Meeting (ITV4) Classic Autos: The Paris Auction (Discovery HD Theatre)
genre fact, sport
100 Lupus Films
joint mds Ruth Fielding, Camilla Deakin
staff 3 turnover £511k profit £130k
commissions 1 hrs commissioned 13
hrs tx’d 13 key shows The Pinky & Perky Show (CBBC) genre kids
Set up in 2002 by Ruth Fielding and Camilla Deakin, Lupus Films specialises in animation, drama and entertainment shows for children. One highlight from the last year for the company was seeing The Pinky & Perky Show launch on CBBC to record ratings in November last year. 2008 also saw the company launch the animation website 4mations.tv with Channel 4 and Aardman. “However one low was Channel 4 commissioning editor of arts and performance Jan Younghusband’s leaving Channel 4 at the end of July and so the animation schemes we look after on behalf of Channel 4 have ceased to exist,” says joint md Ruth Fielding. The company is starting production with new pre-school animated series The Hive for GMTV in the UK.
“Our plan is to make strategic alliances with other companies who have complementary skills and aims to us. For example Picture Production Company, who we’re working on The Hive with, have facilities and a licensing and merchandising division which compliments Lupus’ expertise in production,” says Fielding.
