Protected: Is 4K or 6K Enough. Do we even need 8K or more? Cameras, Media, DIT and Streaming There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Vote for VMI Offset Scheme for 2023 Climate Neutrality Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VMI_2023_VOTE VMI’s plans to offset the 105T of CO2e carbon carbon emissions generated in 2023 an Albert-certified offset scheme run by Ecology and we are inviting our clients, staff and other … Read more
Flint Media Publishes VMI Guide to Starting Your Sustainability Journey Link: https://theflint.media/sustainability-guide-download/ Unbelievably, Neil Howman of On-line Publisher, Flint Media, was so impressed with the sustainability efforts of VMI, that they asked whether we could help them to create a 10 page … Read more
VMI runs Bootcamp to help youngsters join TV industry Courtesy of funding from DfE and sponsorship from SEGRO, VMI and JGA ran a six-Week Skills Bootcamp in early 2024 to further develop and support aspiring individuals keen to understand what … Read more
VMI SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES 5-PAGES IN ZERB Link: https://vmi.tv/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/02/Zerb-Feature-on-VMI-Spring-2024.pdf We are excited to share that VMI’s climate-friendly actions were recently featured in a 5-page case study in the Spring edition of Zerb Magazine, the official magazine of the GCT! … Read more
FIELDTRIP: Exploring the Uncharted Frontiers of Science Fiction Large Sensor Cinematography “FIELDTRIP,” a 25-minute science fiction, multiple award-winning short film, stands as a testament to the creative ingenuity and collaborative spirit of filmmakers Paul Arion and Soren Bendt. Shot against the … Read more
Power to the People Cameras, Lighting You can have the best camera kit in the world but if you can’t power it because your batteries have failed you, then you are really stuck. This article explores the battery standards which exist today and how to make the most out of every type of technology.
The Winners Announced – Sustainable Film Competition VMI and Sustainable Film arranged a competition to offer free camera and grip equipment and the results are now in…
VMI Sustainability in the News Link: https://vmi.tv/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Definition-Story-on-VMI-Sustainability-Dec-23.jpg Definition Magazine ran a full page feature on VMI and its sustainability initiatives this month.
VMI 2023 Client Survey – great results In December 23/January 2024, we held our 16th annual client satisfaction survey, asking all VMI clients who had hired from us in the previous 12 months exactly what they thought … Read more
What company has their own compost heap? VMI! We have been recycling all of our bio waste for some years but Bristol, has gone one better and recycle all food waste with their own compost heap. Gary, the … Read more
Sustainable Film Competition CALLING ALL SUSTAINABLY MINDED FILMMAKERS! 2023 was a difficult year for our industry, to get 2024 started on the right note, VMI and Sustainable Film are offering 2 productions the … Read more
VMI Price Match – You won’t hire it cheaper. Full Stop. Find a better price elsewhere? Just send us a competitor’s quote and we will match it. You will also help to save the planet, since we are the only Albert Certified Carbon Neutral rental company. VMI Price Match commitment – we will price match against any other UK Rental company, subject to availability.
VMI Presents our Christmas Client Secret Santa! Your Chance to Save up to £500 on Your Next Hire We understand that this year has presented some unique challenges, with the writer’s strikes and the rising cost of … Read more
Linney has high speed food shoots licked with Ember Large Sensor Cinematography In the world of food commercials you only have a limited time before the item you are photographing begins to lose its appetising freshness. “If a lettuce wilts or a … Read more
Shooting Anamorphic in Full Frame and S-35 Lenses Everyone appreciates the cinematic quality of shooting anamorphic. With the popularity of Full Frame, it made sense for VMI to make more options available for capturing in both anamorphic and Frame. This is a new article to explore these options.
VMI Open House Event… In Pictures With the degree of weirdness for 2023 being off the weirdness scale, we decided to host an ‘Open House’ in September for our clients and it was a great success with lots of new and existing kit on show. Here is the story… in pictures!
Solar Panels Boost Video Village Power Solutions In the past, portable location power was only possible using a generator but the latest AC batteries give a real emissions-free alternative for many applications. Best of all, the addition … Read more
VMI Publishes Sustainability Film VMI publishes a short film to show our approach to sustainability and how we have reengineered our business to become an Albert-approved Carbon-Neutral rental company since 2022. We know that … Read more
VMI Open House Day 13 Sep – Book Now A lot has changed in 2023, so instead of waiting until December for our annual new products day, we are hosting an ‘Open House’ in September with lots of new … Read more
VMI awards Best Shorts award at KIFF 2023 VMI loves to support new entrants to the industry and after a successful inaugural Kingston International Film Festival (KIFF) in June 2022, VMI are proud to be continuing their support … Read more
VMI SPONSORS CINEMATOGRAPHY 2023 AWARD AT PORTSMOUTH UNIVERSITY We never forget that we were all once students – even James Cameron and Martin Scorsese had to learn the art of film craft once! VMI are proud to have … Read more
VMI is recognised by Science Based Targets Initiative as on target for Net Zero by 2030 VMI’s emissions targets have been recognised by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) website and partners’ website We Mean Business as being on target to our Net Zero by 2030 … Read more
VMI has been a Living Wage Employer for 6-years Back in June 2017, VMI became a certified Living Wage Employer, as it ensured that our staff could earn a wage which the Living Wage Foundation calculated would be enough … Read more
May ’23 – VMI Becomes Net Power Exporter May 2023 was the first month when VMI became a net exporter of power. In May 2023, VMI imported 2,307KWh of power from the grid but with 55KW of solar … Read more
Company Wood-burning Pizza Experience VMI company wood-burning pizza-experience day, May 2023, which was a real team effort, for which a lot of fun was had by all and a lot of pizzas were consumed … Read more
Phoenix Rise Large Sensor Cinematography There’s a stigma that some kids’ shows can have which is about tending to have the same quite high key look and not affording that many creative opportunities,” says Claudio Cadman, the show’s director of photography (Cunk On Earth)…
VMI Supports RA Futures Programme VMI continues to support the RA Agency Futures Program by offering space and equipment to aid training to help them with their aim of identifying and developing black female talent … Read more
The VMI Value-added Factor Seriously, why choose one rental company over any other? We think that exemplary customer service, delivered entirely carbon-neutrally and which is competitively priced are our value-added-factors. Ready why here:
First Short Films Shot by WLC Students using VMI donated ARRI Alexa Camera kit Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB1KOZiQbdc Sometimes, two organisations can help each other and both feel that they have achieved the best deal and VMI’s long-standing collaboration with West London College is one of those rare … Read more
Judgement Day – VMI Publishes Lens Comparison Videos Cinematography, Lenses In a break from tradition demos, VMI invited 40 camera department professionals to come and shoot their own tests across full frame lenses from Cooke, Gecko, Tribe and Sigma on either Sony Venice or ARRI Mini LF. No agendas. No hard selling. Just creative people doing what they do best.
VMI has our own Brazilian Rainforest (really!) This is not quite as crazy as it sounds but there genuinely is a region of Brazilian rainforest which we have paid to be caretakers of, as part of an … Read more
London Building Solar expanded to 40KW VMI’s London HQ building which was fitted with a 10KW Solar PV array in 2022, has been expanded to 40KW in April 2023 in order to cope with the substantial … Read more
Judgement Day – VMI Publishes Lens Comparison Videos FINALLY, THE FILMS ARE READY! In a break from tradition demos, VMI invited 40 camera department professionals to come and shoot their own tests across full frame lenses from Cooke, … Read more
VMI now showing the Carbon Saved on Quotes As a carbon-neutral company, we thought that it might be fun to calculate and show our clients just how much carbon they were saving. We use the CO2e/£1m ratio to … Read more
VMI IS ALBERT-CERTIFED CARBON NEUTRAL VMI paid to offset our 121.4T of CO2e carbon emissions generated in 2022 to invest in a project to preserve the Brazilian Rainforest to avoid deforestation over a 30 year … Read more
VMI Publishes its third Carbon Audit VMI has completed its third Carbon audit, which confirms that CO2 emissions have reduced for a 3rd year and are now at half of 2019 levels, two full years ahead … Read more
The Creative and Technical Differences between Full Frame and S-35 Cinematography Fully Updated Article, April 2023: To shoot Full-Frame or S-35? Are there really artistic reasons for shooting on FF? What are the advantages and what gear will I need?
Robert Grooms, winner of the UoP Best Cinematography Award sponsored by VMI, shooting with his rental prize Robert Grooms is a talented cinematographer who graduated from the University of Portsmouth in 2022, having won their Best Cinematography prize for his work on the dystopian film, frequency. The … Read more
VMI’s clients win 3 awards at the Royal TV Society Awards. A huge recognition to three of VMI’s clients who won awards yesterday at the RTS awards for Dodger (Children’s Programme Award); Brassic (Best Comedy Drama) and Tinder Swindler (Best Single … Read more
VMI hosts local students for an Insight Day VMI hosted 20 students from across 7 different West London Colleges to attend an insight day at VMI. Business studies and Media studies students were given a tour and attended … Read more
VMI Halves Carbon Emissions since 2019 VMI has completed its third Carbon audit, which confirms that CO2 emissions have reduced for a 3rd year and are now at half of 2019 levels, two full years ahead … Read more
Bristol Building Solar expanded to 15KW VMI’s Bristol building which was fitted with a 10.6KW Solar PV array in 2022, has been expanded to 15KW in March 2023 in order to provide the majority of it’s … Read more
VMI is awarded Highly Commended in West London Business Awards 2023 VMI, a has been awarded Highly Commended for Park Royal Business of the Year and named a finalist for Race To Zero Company of the Year in the West London … Read more
Not Another Boring Lens Comparison Event Mar 7/8, Acton In a break from tradition demos, VMI would like camera department professionals to come and see some of our new FF lenses and help to create a ‘real world’ comparison … Read more
VMI profiled in Ealing news for 2023 West London Business Awards Link: https://ealing.news/business/ealing-news-meets-vmi-tv-shortlisted-for-west-london-business-awards-2023/ EALING.NEWS meets VMI.TV, shortlisted for West London Business Awards 2023. Article reproduced from EALING.NEWS reporter 21 February, 2023 Eleven businesses based in Ealing have been shortlisted in 11 categories at this year’s West … Read more
Free Introductory Lighting Courses Run VMI hosted a one day introductory course in February for anyone in the industry wanting to know more about lighting and specifically, learning how to light.The course was given by … Read more
5 years of Wellness Days at VMI As a monthly treat, VMI arranges for a masseuse to visit VMI in Acton on the last Tuesday of the month to give a personal massage to consenting staff. It … Read more
VMI Website History – 1995-2023 Few will realise that VMI’s website is now on its 5th version and thanks to Google’s cache facility, we can share some of these versions with you to show you how our website has evolved.
Josh Barker passes his Camera-Tech Apprenticeship After 2.5 years of planning to design a new apprenticeship standard, 3 apprentices started the scheme with VMI in August 2021. Fast forward 18-months and our first Apprentice, Josh Barker, … Read more
VMI Sponsors Year 2 of KIFF Film Festival VMI loves to support new entrants to the industry and is a founder member of a brand new film festival which started last year. The Kingston International Film Festival aims … Read more
VMI Supports Roundhouse Young Filmmakers VMI has been a long been a supporter of young filmmakers by providing discounted equipment for the Roundhouse Young Creatives Group, who help new entrants to the industry to learn … Read more
2022 VMI Annual Client Survey – Best Ever Results In December/January 2023, we held our 15th annual client satisfaction survey, asking all VMI clients who had hired from us in the previous 12 months exactly what they thought about … Read more
VMI supports 3 new film makers to make a film VMI sponsors Casa creative studios scheme to support three filmmakers from under-represented backgrounds to help to make three films. VMI are supplying a camera equipment package to launch this new … Read more
Building a circular economy into every business We all like the idea of sustainable business and sustainable living but what about adopting sustainable techniques in an office? Barry Bassett from VMI was thinking about this when he … Read more
VMI is Double Winner at 2022 West London Business Awards VMI Named Park Royal Business of the Year For Leading On Climate Change and Barry Bassett is named West London Business Leader of the Year. The actions and leadership of … Read more
VMI’s Christmas-themed New Products Day was a great success We arranged an amazing event in early December 2022, which was superbly received, attended by several hundred visitors and above all, was great fun! Instead of a full written account, … Read more
VMI Eliminates Plastic Waste from Cleaning Products A year into committing to use Splosh as a supplier of cleaning products, VMI has all but eradicated plastic waste from bottles and cartons. Splosh manufacture environmentally-friendly hand soap, dishwasher … Read more
Phantom VEO 4K demand scales new heights Super Slow Motion Read how in the 5 years since VMI pioneered stocking the Phantom VEO 4K, it has become the go-to camera for many genres including natural history.
Shooting Large DoF with InfiniProbe lenses Cinematography, Lenses @vmitv New VMI blog post: A considerable effort is given to creating a shallow depth of field (DoF) to create a more cinematographic look, however there are occasions when a large DoF is needed. Here’s how to achieve this.
Tracking the shots on Midsomer Murders… with Ronin 4D Large Sensor Cinematography You’d be forgiven for thinking that time moves rather slowly in the rural villages of Midsomer, but behind the scenes technology has not stood still. For the evergreen ITV crime drama’s … Read more
Vintage Lenses are Still Cool Lenses To reflect that VMI’s wide range of vintage and vintage-look lenses, we have redefined the vintage category on our website to now includes 14 different types of sets of Vintage/Vintage-look … Read more
Bristol’s 1st EV arrives The supply chain issues post-COVID has meant that Bristol has been waiting a full year for their first of two EV to arrive with their electric van expected to arrive … Read more
VMI New Products Day 6/7/8 Dec. Limited Availability *** FREE EVENT – LIMITED AVAILABILITY *** VMI’s biannual New Products Day is this week! This is a big deal for us, as we only host this once every 2 … Read more
Is This the End of 8K TVs? Technology 8K TVs are so power-hungry, that they are now about to be banned from the European Union, so does this mean that the quest for higher and higher resolution monitors will now cease? My private 4K TV is in the A+ efficiency category but 8K sets are currently classed as G, so is 8K doomed?
Excellent Bristol Lighting Event Held in October VMI held a very successful lighting event at the brand-new Boomsatsuma studios in Brislington, Bristol on 25 October 2022. Thanks for running the led lighting day in Bristol, which was … Read more
VMI Implements using Potato Starch Bags for Sealing Filters After widespread experimentation with different materials, VMI finally took delivery of its first bags made entirely of potato starch which break down in a regular consumer compost bin within 3-months. … Read more
It all started with a comment… It all started with a comment back in 2018: Like many companies, VMI regularly engaged in customer questionnaires seeking feedback on product and service and like any company there will … Read more
Apple TV’s Earth At Night In Colour Natural History Natural History DP, Mark Payne Gill shoots a series entitled Earth At Night In Colour using Astrograph lenses and Canon ME20 with 4m ASA in order to shoot entire episodes being lit just by the moon.
VMI Implements What3Words for Efficient Deliveries Postcodes are great but can be really limiting when clients are shooting in open parkland like Richmond Deer Park or venues like Wembley Stadium which have several entrances. Even large … Read more
How A Supportive Team Say Farewell Many people have described working at VMI as feeling a bit like being in a family (without the seasonal discord bit at Christmas…). Well, we think that this is quite … Read more
VMI Shortlisted for ProMoviemaker Rental Company of the Year Pro MovieMaker Magazine has written this terrific article on VMI’s environmental crusade as a reason for shortlisting VMI for their Gear of the Year award. A COMPANY WITH A CONSCIENCE … Read more
Sustainable Dog There has been a lot of research demonstrating the positive impact that pets can have on staff, just by being in the workplace. So if you visit VMI in Acton, … Read more
Too much lighting choice? Let’s cut through the confusion Lighting British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan made an optimistic speech in 1957 that “we have never had it so good” and the same can be said of lighting today! With so … Read more
Z CAM: Does This Powerful Underdog Have a Future? Cameras Did you know that the American heist action feature film “A Day to Die” was shot entirely on Z CAM E2-F6 and S6? Also, did you know that the E1 … Read more
VMI sponsors Cinematography award at Portsmouth University One of our favourite sayings is that ‘Everyone got to where they are today, from where they were yesterday’ – even Steven Spielberg was a student at one time! VMI … Read more
VMI’s solar panels save over 4T CO2 in June 22 VMI’s solar panels in London and Bristol generated 1.05MWh in June 2022, saving an estimated 4.46T of CO2. This is the equivalent of 2 people flying return from London to … Read more
VMI Hosts Successful Ronin 4D Workshops VMI continues with is new post-COVID 2022 workshop season with three bespoke Ronin 4D workshops held at West London College’s Studio in Ealing Green and also at the Cleveland Arms … Read more
VMI awards Best Shorts award at KIFF VMI loves to support new entrants to the industry and is proud to have been a partner and sponsor of the best short film at the inaugural new film festival … Read more
Mid-range cameras don’t mean compromise Cameras At VMI we’ve noticed a recent trend among filmmakers and wondered if you agree? We’ve spotted that a significant number of productions are ‘trading down’ from using traditional top of the range cine-cameras…
VMI Books Eurostar to Visit IBC in Amsterdam We have been travelling to visit the IBC TV convention in Amsterdam for decades and other than the Superheroes campaign (2017-2019) when we travelled by bicycle, we have always travelled … Read more
VMI Lighting Workshop Demonstrates Value of In-Person Events Seeing is believing, as they say, and now that we’re all back to business the chance, VMI’s new in-person workshops which allow visitors to get hands on with equipment and … Read more
VMI 2021 Carbon Audit Shows 9% CO2 Reduction Our second annual carbon audit of 2021 is complete and demonstrates that VMI has reduced its total carbon emissions, according to the Science-Based Target Initiative from 234TCO2e to 213TCO2e, a … Read more
VMI’s Latest LED lights to join our fleet Lighting This is a short article to profile the very latest modern low-energy lighting fixtures that we have added to our fleet, most of which will be available to see at our 2022 lighting workshops.
Bristol Building 10.6KW Solar PV Installation VMI’s Bristol building has been fitted with a 10.6KW Solar PV array, to provide the majority of it’s power requirements. As part of this initiative, we have also replaced all … Read more
Bristol Solar PV cuts power use by 56% Amazingly, Bristol’s Sola PV installation has cut their power use by more than half (56%), though the pictures tell the full story though!(Data from Octopus energy readings taken 25-April – … Read more
VMI London has 10KW of Solar Panels Installed In May 2022, in spite of having a 100% green electricity tariff since 2018, VMI installed 10KW of solar panels to its London HQ to generate most of its own … Read more
Environmental Grant won from West of England Combined Authority and European Regional Development Fund 50% Funding for environmental improvements to Bristol was sought and approved from the West of England Combined Authority and European Regional Development Fund. They helped to fund improvements to Bristol’s … Read more
VMI is voted one of the UK’s Best Workplaces Having achieved a Great Place To Work certification for VMI, we were invited to enter the UK’s Greatest Workplace Awards and were delighted to be officially ranked 62 as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces …more
VMI is Infinity’s Prime UK Rental House Lenses VMI has a long-standing relationship with Infinity Photo-Optical who makes the Infiniprobe TS160 probe lenses. Barry Bassett, VMI’s Managing Director, has been recognised as being their ‘Nelsonian Award’ winner back … Read more
VMI donates full ARRI camera kit to West London College West London College is proud to announce a significant partnership with camera rental company, VMI, who supply camera packages to the TV Industry for dramas, feature films, documentaries, music videos … Read more
VMI E-BIKE SCHEME OPEN DAY HELD VMI held a BLIKE open day in April for our staff to try out the full range of E-Bikes available to lease from BLIKE. The scheme has been set up … Read more
Bristol Building Roof Insulation and Triple-Glazed Roof Lights Fitted We replaced the single-glazed roof lights with triple glazed (U-value 1.6) and sprayed foam insulation to the underside of the steel roof of our Bristol building to improve its thermal … Read more
VMI Awarded Ealing Business Pioneers To Promote Sustainable Lighting Use In Film and TV VMI has been awarded an Ealing Business Pioneers grant to help fund running in-person courses to spread awareness of the benefits and advantages of the latest LED lighting technology. The … Read more
Area 51 Incident delivers horror thrills from the Abyss Large Sensor Cinematography Horror fans will devour Area 51 Incident. The new movie from genre specialists Dark Abyss Productions imagines an alien species landing on earth to make it their new home and to commit … Read more
We publish updated VMI Environmental and Sustainability Policy We updated our Environmental and Sustainability Policy and uploaded it here. We strongly believe in the power of community and continues to share ideas and solutions that inspire wider industry … Read more
VMI Sponsors KIFF Film Festival VMI loves to support new entrants to the industry and is proud to be a partner of a brand new film festival in June, which aims to celebrate a diverse … Read more
VMI replaces all Sachtler Video-18 & 20 Tripods to latest Flowtech Design Grip VMI has replaced its entire fleet of Sachtler Video 20 tripods to the latest Sachtler Video 20S1 heads with the newly designed Sachtler Flowtech 100 legs, since they are faster to setup, are lighter, easier to carry and offer greater stability.
WORKING RESOLUTION: CONSIDERATIONS & BEST PRACTICES Cameras, Media, DIT and Streaming Netflix have published a very useful article, which takes an in depth look at the concept of a working resolution and outlines the best practices for image scaling throughout the production lifecycle…
VMI stops stocking Polyboards and pioneers sustainable replacement Polyboards are horribly unsustainable and their size makes them difficult to dispose of, so we have found a practical sustainable alternative and have stopped supplying the originals. The new Lastolite … Read more
Camera Technicians Apprentice Scheme Builds on Successful First Year The new Apprenticeship Standard for Camera Prep Technicians is looking to expand after a successful first season launch. Last summer, nine trainees became the first cohort of apprentices to participate … Read more
Company Food Poll What kind of company polls their staff to see what food they would like to eat for catered events? We do! In February 2022, we polled the entire VMI staff … Read more
VMI GROUP RECYCLES 100% OF WASTE – 2021 CERTIFIED Since 2019, as part of our annual carbon audit, we audit our waste every year to confirm that our waste reduction plan is working. For the entire 2021, just as … Read more
Launch of VMI Microsite to show 20-year Sustainability Journey Not many people know that we have been working for almost 20 years to make VMI into a more sustainable and socially equitable company. We are totally committed to becoming … Read more
VMI Donates Lights for Student Training VMI has partnered with Bristol-based college, boomsatsuma, donating a range of lighting equipment for BA Hons Filmmaking Production and Post-production degree student skills development, Jan 2021. Degree students based at … Read more
VMI is a certified Great Place to Work! VMI has always striven to be a place that people enjoy working in and a recent independent audit by organisation, GreatPlaceToWork, has confirmed that 96% of VMI’s workforce judge VMI … Read more
VMI E-Bike Scheme Launched VMI launched the BLIKE scheme as an alternative to the existing Cycle-to-Work scheme, to personally lease E-Bikes as a healthier and cost-effective way of commuting.
Latest BECTU Guidance Adopted Jason Henwood, working with the Bectu Camera Branch, has published the latest guidance document detailing policies and and recommendations to help camera assistants, producers and rental companies to adopt more sustainable working … Read more
Celebrate the World achieving Net Zero! Celebrate the world achieving Net Zero and not surpassing 1.5°C global temperature rise and 20 years of Net Zero as a company thriving within the green economy. …well, there’s nothing … Read more
True Net Zero Achieved We aim to reach Net Zero emissions in Scopes 1, 2 & 3 by 2030. This means that we will have reduced our emissions as far as technology allows and … Read more
Address Scope 3 Emissions As with many companies auditing their emissions, we know that Scope 3 can be tricky. But by 2026 it is our goal to have all upstream & downstream Scope 3 … Read more
Cut Emissions by 50% We will have cut our emissions by half by 2025 compared to 2019. Our plan is to create less than 62,500KG this year (and/or less than 2KG/employee). We will have … Read more
Full Transition to EVs We plan on transitioning all of our vehicles to electric by the end of 2024. This will save approximately 37,000 KGs of CO2e (when compared to our 2019 transport emissions)
Data Centre Power Audit We’re auditing all of our data centres to make sure that our hosts all use 100% renewable electricity.
Cut Packaging 10% We plan to cut a further 10% of our packaging and the packaging we receive. Even if packaging can be recycled, it’s better if it can be eliminated in the … Read more
We will be a Carbon Neutral Company by end 2022 We will be a Carbon Neutral company, by measuring and offsetting all CO2e emissions that we create operationally. This will be accredited by Roxy Ericksson of One-Thing to be recognised … Read more
Our 2021 Carbon Emissions to be fully offset Whilst offsetting isn’t quite the same as not emitting CO2 in the first place, it is nevertheless a start! By measuring all our employee commutes we will be able to … Read more
Bristol Building Insulation Programme The Bristol facility is being fully insulated and fitted with triple-glazed roof lights. We don’t know exactly how much CO2e this will save yet, but if it saves 33% of … Read more
This year, 55% of Our Vehicle Fleet Will Be Electric We plan that by end end of 2022 35% of our vehicle fleet will be electric. This could save over 9,000 KG of CO2e.
2021 VMI Annual Client Survey – Best Ever Results The latest annual VMI client survey had the best results of all time achieving a client satisfaction score of 4.8 out of 5, or 96% client approval rating, which I am utterly … Read more
VMI wins National Climate Award VMI won a national award being crowned “Hero of Net Zero” by the UK Government at the international COP26 climate summit in November 2021 for its work on sustainability. More … Read more
Formal commitment to Net Zero on Government Business Climate Hub The Government Business Climate Hub keeps a register of all UK companies who have committed to a net Zero Pledge and August 2021 saw VMI also adding its name, committing … Read more
VMI Christmas Jumper Day to help Save the Children VMI took part in Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 10 December 2021, where we all wore our silliest, most festive jumper on and raised £124 for Save … Read more
RA Futures Programme We supported the RA Agency Futures Program, identifying and developing black female talent in the scripted camera department, by offering space and equipment. To find out more about RA Agency … Read more
VMI 2021 Client Survey – 96% Service In December 2021, we held our 14th annual client satisfaction survey, asking all VMI clients who had hired from us in the previous 12 months exactly what they thought about … Read more
Electric Vehicle Charging Our Acton and Bristol Branches now have charging stations to allow us to use electric vehicles to transport your goods and so that our staff can commute via electric vehicles. … Read more
VMI Shortlisted for Park Royal Business of the Year award 2022 For the third year in as many years, VMI has been nominated as a finalist for the West London Business Awards. VMI has been shortlisted as one of three companies for the Green ‘Race to Zero’ Business of the Year but what is really surprising is that also, for the first time, we have been also shortlisted as one of three companies in the category of Park Royal Business of the Year. Read Full Story
New generation of Auto Focus lenses now available with E and EF Mounts Lenses Auto Focus is here to stay and whilst this is not a panacea to force all focus-pullers to retrain, the increased adoption of Full Frame (which necessarily makes focussing more critical than S-35 or APSC formats) and the enhanced development of the technology, makes this functionality more useful and as a result, we are noticing an increased interest in it.
Lighting & Camera Sustainability Group We all agree in the importance of working together and sharing best practice, so Barry Bassett, VMI’s Managing Director set up a new sustainability group in late 2021, to build … Read more
VMI Are Recruiting! VMI currently have the opening for a Senior Technician to join our busy camera rental facility in West London and are inviting applications now. Candidates must have a background in … Read more
What real world Cinematographers think about using Infiniprobe lenses Cinematography, Lenses The Digital Cinema Society presents an exploration of Micro/Macro cinematography with three DPs including Bill Bennett, ASC, James Mathers, and Cameron Cannon. The trio photograph a variety of shots in order to evaluate these exceptional lenses and also share their insights in behind-the-scenes coverage.
The not so Hapless production story behind the new Netflix sitcom Large Sensor Cinematography The new comedy series Hapless which landed on Netflix this month will have viewers unaware of its extraordinary journey to the screen. The British sitcom starring Tim Downie (The King’s … Read more
The grade: Core Post’s Matt Brown on Brassic 3 Large Sensor Cinematography Core Post’s Matt Brown on the HDR grade and key scenes in the third season of Sky Original, Brassic Brassic is a comedy series set in North West of England, which … Read more
Netflix Surgeon’s Cut Shooting With Cinema Cameras and Lenses Large Sensor Cinematography Netflix’s cinematic documentary, ‘The Surgeon’s Cut’ has won a well-deserved Emmy in the category of Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary. This four-chapter series demonstrates some new and intriguing filming techniques. … Read more
VMI Retires all Tungsten Rental Lighting Tungsten is the most traditional form of TV/Film lighting still in use today, having replaced expensive and dangerous Carbon Arc fittings. In reality though, tungsten lighting fixtures ought to be … Read more
VMI switches to ‘Green’ Gaffer/Camera Tape We are starting to look at all aspects of our business processes and supplier LeMark suggested that their new gaffer tape was more environmentally friendly than the regular type. They … Read more
Climate Crisis Employee Education Engaging with all stakeholders on our climate crisis journey is integral to realising the change needed. One step in this is educating our team on the basics of Climate Change … Read more
Company Policy: Vegetarian Meals Encouraged Our company policy now requires meals and drinks paid for by the company to be mostly vegetarian saving approx. 480 kgs of CO2e (based on current employee count and purchasing … Read more
Mike Rosario joins VMI as Head of Cameras VMI has a new Head of Cameras starting this week on VMI’s camera floor in Acton, West London. Mike is extremely well known in the industry, having worked during the … Read more
Shooting Tyger on SIGMA Classic Primes Large Sensor Cinematography New British indie feature Tyger has finished filming with a Canon C500 II and SIGMA Classic Primes, a combination picked to enhance the emotional impact of an ex-soldier’s internal conflict. … Read more
Print and Toner Recycling All old ink and toner cartridges are disposed of in a responsible and sustainable manner with a new recycling bin installed by Lewis. We all know that these are very … Read more
Ethical Banking We have reviewed our banking facilities and are pleased to be with the Cooperative Bank, who have the best ESG profile of all UK banks*. We continue to review all … Read more
Created Net Zero Roadmap We’ve created our Net Zero Roadmap! We will reduce our emissions to the limits that technology and society set for us by 2030 and offset any residual emissions along the … Read more
VMI : Climate Leader Award VMI is voted a Climate Leader by Ealing council in 2021 for its sustainability drive.
VMI Stops Using Disposable AA Batteries We all know that disposable batteries are extremely harmful for our environment and for a long time, we have been keen to eradicate them from VMI but did not have … Read more
VMI takes on three new Apprentices From left: Jonah Mann, Josh Barker, Matt Fisher. Dominique Unsworth recently posted on Linked-in, “I remember when everyone I spoke to said it couldn’t be done, it wouldn’t work, our … Read more
Sustainable Travel Policy Implemented We created a company travel policy, committing to not using airplanes for all European travel. Our policy promotes video conferencing, bike and rail travel, suggests road travel as Plan B … Read more
VMI Group Recycles 100% of Waste – CERTIFIED As part of VMI’s sustainability drive, we are immensely proud to report that a recent waste audit completed by our waste contractor, Collect My Waste, certified that none of the … Read more
Long-awaited UK Camera Tech Apprenticeship standard is rolled out More than 200 young hopefuls who initially lodged their interest in the new Camera Tech Apprenticeship programme, were reduced to 100 after the first sift, 56 at the second and … Read more
Lower Carbon Cleaning Products We use Splosh, who provide washing up liquid, cleaning products and hand-wash, to reduce plastic waste. Their products are refilled using pouches, which are sent back for refilling or to … Read more
VMI wins award to achieve net-zero by 2030 VMI is the proud recipient of a Better Futures+ Green Innovation Voucher, awarded by West London Business, to help VMI to become a net zero, fully sustainable business by 2030. … Read more
First Carbon Audit Complete VMI completed its first ever Carbon Audit. Since 2020 was such a peculiar year, we used 2019 as our base year from which all of our carbon saving measures will … Read more
Brand New VMEDIA on-line database V2 Media, DIT and Streaming, Technology With so many different recording formats, memory card types, media sizes, compatibility issues and upgrade requirements, it can be a challenge trying to find compatible memory cards or SSDs for your camera or recorder. However, Lewis has been extremely hard at work to make this easier for you with the VMEDIA Online Database V2 which is organised into the most popular brands and sortable by camera model, which gives details on compatibility, data rates and approximate recording times too
UK’s first Apprenticeship Standard for Camera Technicians now open for registration Back in 2019, VMI Managing Director, Barry Bassett, first contacted the TV Industry body, ScreenSkills in order to investigate whether it might be possible to set up a formal apprenticeship … Read more
VMI Bristol is 6 years old VMI Bristol celebrates six years since it was set up and in that time, Gary, Jon and the rest of the Bristol team have established it into a mainstream camera … Read more
Some S-35 zooms already cover FF (you just didn’t know this!) Lenses This is an extremely brief article to help to explain a lesser-known but extremely valuable tip. In summary, film zooms designed to cover S-35 sensors, will also cover Full Frame as well IF used with a 1.5x extender and this is built into several zoom lenses already, such as the Canon Cabrio zooms.
Going viral with Venice in lockdown London Enterprising young filmmakers Edoardo Forato and Fyras Slaiman hope their new short film In-Flu-Enza will catch the attention of producers and directors. The period drama, set amid the 1920 Spanish flu outbreak, … Read more
Netflix Approved UHD 4K cameras Cameras, Technology Here is a list of Netflix approved UHD cameras as of November 2020.
VMI now charge a 3-day hire week on all products For decades, there has been an unwritten convention in the UK that professional and prosumer cameras/associated equipment attracted a 4-day hire rate for a week’s hire, whilst broadcast and film … Read more
Resource Productions: Breaking down the glass door Resource Productions: Breaking down the glass door The film and TV industry is a Catch-22 for many aspiring filmmakers. How can you attract the attention of producers, commissioners and agents … Read more
5 years of renewable electricity We have been powered solely by 100% renewable electricity since 2016 at all our sites. We are proud that in 2022, all of VMI’s gas and electric supplies of all … Read more
Macro and Micro Cinematography Cinematography, Lenses We all love to see images of extreme magnification to show a world which we can’t experience with our own eyes but just like all cinematography, this is hard to do well. The choice right lens for the specific shot is key and this article aims to explain the differences between Close Up, Macro and Micro photography/cinematography and in particular, to introduce the cinematographer to a relatively recent new type of lens, which are called Nelsonian Lenses made by Infinity Photo-Optical and which use microscope techniques to create unique images which are not possible using traditional optics.
VMI’s Barry Bassett wins prestigious Nelsonian Award. A surprise announcement by Infinity Photo-Optical Company, saw VMI’s Managing Director, Barry Bassett being awarded their annual Nelsoniantm Award to recognise his work and lifetime commitment to imaging excellence and … Read more
Living Wage Week coincides with VMI’s anniversary achieving accreditation One year ago, VMI achieved formal accreditation of being a Living Wage Employer. The Living Wage foundation are the organisation at the heart of the independent movement of businesses and … Read more
Latest Canon EF lenses increase functionality of latest Canon 5D/C300 III/C500II cameras Cameras, Technology Canon’s autofocus technology has continued to improve and the latest dual pixel CMOS AF system is the most sophisticated ever, allowing smooth, high-performance focus tracking and face detection on the Canon C300 Mk II and C500 Mk II cameras.
Beginner’s Guide to Depth of Field Cinematography, Lenses This article is written mainly for those who want to know the very simple concepts which allow camera operators to manipulate the Depth of Field in order to make them look more cinematic.
Indie feature shoots under Covid-conditions Large Sensor Cinematography Reports of the death of independent filmmaking are premature. Indie feature This Is The Night Mail has been produced entirely under lockdown with a degree of ingenuity and ‘can-do’ spirit that augurs well … Read more
VMI Expands London Facility post lock-down It might seem a strange thing to do in such uncertain times but VMI has taken the opportunity of the lock-down to expand its London operation to build a third … Read more
Sea Dragon shot with Sumire Primes Large Sensor Cinematography Who loves a peek behind the scenes? We caught up with Clemens Majunke, DP on the short film Sea Dragon directed by James Morgan Photography, to find out more about his … Read more
Notting Hill Carnival Access All Areas Large Sensor Cinematography The Notting Hill Carnival 2020 Access All Areas production is in the final stages of production. Shooting in Kennington Studios, Abbey Road and other locations, they aim to capture the flavour … Read more
How to achieve the most from the Canon C500 Mk II Cameras A brief article written by DP Clemens Majunke on how to achieve the most out of the Canon C500 II
VMI London, VMEDIA & VMI Bristol now open with regular hours VMI/VMEDIA has resumed full operations in London, VMEDIA and Bristol as of Monday 3 July with full working hours. We have implemented new comprehensive COVID-19 procedures to ensure that safety of … Read more
An account of a successful Sigma Lens Day held on 13 February 2020 at VMI Lenses VMI held a Sigma lens day on 13 February 2020 in London.
Canon CN20 lenses pitched perfectly for World Cup heroics Large Sensor Cinematography To many Indians, the nation’s World Cup cricket triumph in 1983 is as culturally significant as England’s momentous soccer success in 1966. A new film replays the achievement in all … Read more
A VMI guide to lens extension tubes and diopters to reduce the minimum focus distance of lenses. Cinematography, Lenses Connecting a lens tube behind the lens will move the lens farther away from the camera’s film plane or digital sensor, which allows the lens to focus much closer than … Read more
Behind the scenes – Mark Ronson: From the Heart Large Sensor Cinematography The hour-long BBC/YouTube Originals co-production documentary Mark Ronson: From the Heart was released at the end of 2019. The film delves into the mind of one of the most acclaimed … Read more
Amis Productions takes the ME20 to sea Large Sensor Cinematography The capabilities of the Canon ME20F-SH for capturing extraordinary video in extreme low light conditions has caught the attention of producers working on projects outside of wildlife filming. Amis Productions, … Read more
VMI evaluation of whether the Canon C500 Mk II is any good? Technology The Canon C500 Mk II may look like a C300 II but it has been completely redesigned and we think that in this configuration it becomes a fully-featured 4K camcorder … Read more
VEO unlocks creative freedom for Affixxius Films Super Slow Motion Affixxius Films are firm believers that there is no point in producing something that is different if it isn’t also engaging. That’s why the creative video agency turned to the … Read more
Gramco.studio plays games with Phantom VEO 4K for Manolo Blahnik Super Slow Motion As the fashion world revolves more and more around social media so creative directors like Graeme Montgomery have cut their cloth accordingly. As one of the world’s leading photographers and … Read more
An Ideal Marriage – How to build a kit hire relationship that lasts Other Most GTC members will either regularly or occasionally need to hire items of camera equipment, whether it be a full kit for a long, ongoing shoot, or a one-off lens … Read more
Pioneer Productions and Canon ME20 captures secret world of Nocturnal Britain Natural History Sport’s broadcasters have a reputation for advancing live production techniques but wildlife filmmaking routinely pushes camera technology about as far it can go in efforts to explore the natural world. … Read more
Proper diagnosis saves The Good Karma Hospital from location drama Large Sensor Cinematography Hit ITV medical drama The Good Karma Hospital required a top to toe check-up of its own to keep camera equipment operational in the heat and dust of a location … Read more
Star Wars fan film delivers blockbuster action with Kowa primes Large Sensor Cinematography From the opening tracking shot extending back from rugged desert dunes to reveal a guard jumping into a World War II army truck you know you are watching a movie … Read more
Friday Night Dinner for Celere primes Large Sensor Cinematography The latest series of long running Channel 4 comedy Friday Night Dinner for Big Talk productions was filmed by DoP Matt Wicks using Celere primes. Each series has been distinguished … Read more
Anamorphic and Full Frame Lens Tests, including a 57 Video Playlist. Lenses Do you ever wonder what a Zeiss Supreme looks like next to a Zeiss Masterprime? or what about a Tokina Vista next to an ARRI Signature prime, or even how … Read more
Sci-Fi Short Shoots Anamorphic On 16:9 Sensor Large Sensor Cinematography Shooting anamorphic with KOWA anamorphic lenses and a 16:9 widescreen camera is an unusual combination but it proved the perfect technical and aesthetic choice for a futuristic short film about … Read more
Filming a car stunt at 1000fps on VEO Super Slow Motion A high-speed car stunt filmed in 4K at 1000fps on a Phantom VEO 4K is the centrepiece to a new online campaign for Irwin Tools. The brief for the three-minute … Read more
VMI evaluates the Canon Sumire Primes – the first Canon lenses designed with character Lenses Canon’s latest lens group, the Canon ‘Sumire’ lenses have landed at VMI and 2 sets of 14mm-135mm primes are now complete.
Dare the Unknown with the F55 in neon-lit Hong Kong Large Sensor Cinematography Fashion brand Palladium wants you to ‘Dare the Unknown’ in a new promo featuring rule-breaking New York-based super model Jazzelle (Zanaughtti), London Grime artist Octavian and Arthur Bray, a Hong … Read more
Capturing Wildlife in Super Low-light – all you need to know Cinematography Filmmakers wanting to shoot in extreme low light or even no light conditions have never had it so good. Camera technology had advanced to enable the recording of the most unbelievable images in almost total darkness.
Those shoes were made for Phantom VEO 4K Super Slow Motion Dropping things into paint and throwing objects at shoes is the kind of attention grabbing visual you only do in a commercial and the kind of concept that demands to … Read more
E-Mount Lenses – perfect for the Sony FX9, FS7, AS7 & FS5 Cameras, Lenses Article introducing the native E-Mount lenses
Owl Short Film shot with Phantom VEO – “More Efficient and More Productive” Super Slow Motion It’s part of the job description of every natural history filmmaker to travel, often overseas, typically to remote locations or extreme environments – or both – and without the luxury … Read more
Capturing 2:1 Anamorphic with Alexa LF and S-35 lenses Cameras Capturing 2:1 Anamorphic isn’t quite so straight forward on the Alexa LF and Mini LF, due to the number of photosites on the sensor.
Going Fast and Furious with Reds and Celeb 250s Large Sensor Cinematography Film producer Lars Sylvest has a successful track record producing features with stars such as Sandra Bullock, Kevin Bacon and Kurt Russell but he’s long harboured a passion project to … Read more
VMI Guide to Film Lenses Lenses Article introducing the differences between film lenses and explaining the terms and factors which distinguish them.
Sigma Cine Primes and Canon C700 capture the post-apocalypse Large Sensor Cinematography To survive in a world destroyed by global warming a family needs to make a heartbreaking decision which could split them apart forever. This is the dystopian vision of writer-director … Read more
A Filmmaker’s Guide to Sensor Sizes and Lens Formats Cinematography This article aims to help questions such as: – “Will this lens work with my camera?” – “Will this lens cover 8K?” – “Will this lens cover full frame.” – “What will full frame lenses look like on a S-35 sensor.”
Documenting a race against time for Africa’s elephants Natural History The fate of Africa’s elephants, under immediate threat from poaching and an irrevocably changing habitat, should concern us all but filmmaker Lizzie Daly is intent on making a difference. The … Read more
Panasonic EVA1 now permits external 5.7K RAW record to external recorders to 30p Cameras The Panasonic EVA1 camera installed with their updated v2.02 firmware enables external 5.7K RAW recording to certain external recorders up to 30p. Presently it works with ATOMOS inferno and will … Read more
The Good Karma Hospital, series 2 Large Sensor Cinematography For series two of Tiger Aspect’s India-set hospital drama, freshening things up without losing what made the show a hit is key for the producers. Olly Grant reports from the Sri … Read more
Slow Motion – What you REALLY need to know | Phantom VEO 4K | Phantom FLEX 4K Super Slow Motion VMI guide to shooting super slow motion on the Phantom VEO 4K camera.
Wacky Races: Rogue Films jumps aboard The Grand Tour Rally Large Sensor Cinematography In celebration of Season 2 of Amazon Prime’s The Grand Tour, social media stars took to roads across the world in The Grand Tour Rally cars. To fuel their favourite … Read more
The difference between the Phantom FLEX 4K and Phantom VEO 4K Super Slow Motion This is an article illustrating the differences between the Phantom FLEX 4K and Phantom VEO 4K and including essential Information about the Vision Research Phantom VEO 4K that you really need to know before your first production.
Offspring take wildlife night filming to new levels Natural History The extreme low light 4m ASA Canon ME20F-SH has been used by Offspring Films to capture the behaviour of one of the world’s fastest mammals at night for the first … Read more
2016 Film Zoom Lens Comparison Chart Lenses A very useful chart including all current film zoom lenses in a table and compariring useful data including image coverage, front diameter, weight, min T stop etc.Compiled by Tom Fletcher and Gary Adcock and reproduced with kind permission from Tom Fletcher
Wireless Lens Control Systems – all you need to know (updated Sep 19) Technology THIS ARTICLE AIMS TO INTRODUCE THE CURRENT RANGE OF WIRELESS LENS CONTROL SYSTEMS WHICH VMI CONSIDERS THE BEST IN THEIR FIELD AND EXPLAIN WHY WE THINK THAT THEY WORK VERY WELL IN GIVEN SCENARIOS.
Classical music gets unconventional treatment Large Sensor Cinematography Internationally acclaimed pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi takes inspiration from the elements of nature in his latest stunning work so any recording of his electric live performances have a lot to … Read more
Off The Fence use Canon ME20 for night filming of elephants in Botswana Natural History The extreme low light Canon ME20F-SH (4m ASA) has been used by Off the Fence Productions on assignment for Vulcan Productions to support the US TV premiere of Naledi: One Little … Read more
Easyrig – all you need to know Grip This is a short article to explain the principles behind the Easyrig concept and to introduce the product range of models with advice to their suitability for various camera configurations.
The Edge pits Celere versus the elements Large Sensor Cinematography Brimming with the elemental forces of nature, Wales is a land of dramatic scenery from coastline to mountains captured by The Edge Picture Company for a distinctive new campaign. Regional … Read more
Sigma Cine Primes and Zooms – all you need to know Lenses This article seeks to introduce the range of Sigma Cine Primes, Classic Primes and Film Zooms and to explain why we like them as much as we do.
The force is strong for Star Wars: Made GREAT in Britain Large Sensor Cinematography Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was 2016’s top-grossing film at the UK box office, more than £1m ahead of its nearest competitor, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. … Read more
Capturing natural magic in 8K with Red DSMCW-Helium Large Sensor Cinematography Shooting high resolution video to extract useable frames has become a handy and relatively common technique in live sports and feature film visual effects but Banana Split Productions has made … Read more
Pretzel Films mixes a zany cocktail with Alexa Mini and Superspeeds Large Sensor Cinematography Pretzel Films mixes a zany cocktail with Alexa Mini and Superspeeds An online commercial for drinks brand Island Oasis achieves a zingy yet retro flavour thanks to a smart creative … Read more
Basketmouth plays Wembley with multi-camera production values Other The sell out show Basketmouth Live @ The SSE Arena, Wembley was not only a high octane gig for the Nigerian comedian but a night of great success for live … Read more
Best Practice for avoiding Data Loss and strategies to fix if you do Media, DIT and Streaming This article gives some useful tips to prevent data loss from happening and to know what to do if you are unlucky enough to experience it.
Midsomer Murders now shooting with Cooke Mini S4i lenses Large Sensor Cinematography The current long-running Drama, Midsomer Murders has a new look as a consequence of replacing the old faithful ARRI UltraPrimes for Cooke Uncoated Mini S4i supplied by VMI. Now in … Read more
2019 Camera Comparison Chart Cameras A very useful chart including all current HD and 4K cameras in a table and compariring useful data including image size, latitude, pixel resolution power consumption etc.Compiled by Tom Fletcher and Gary Adcock with information gathered from numerous conversations with various cinematographers, colorists, colleagues and manufacturers. and reproduced with kind permission from Tom Fletcher
Filming Lucid is a dream come true Large Sensor Cinematography Cinematographers often eulogise about the alchemy of vintage optics combined with a high-end digital cine camera but for most low budget features their use remains a distant dream. For Lucid, … Read more
2016 Anamorphic Prime Lens Chart Lenses Compiled by Tom Fletcher and Gary Adcock with information gathered from numerous conversations with various cinematographers, colorists, colleagues and manufacturers and reproduced with kind permission from Tom Fletcher. Click on the chart to … Read more
Eliana’s Wish To Run: When giving time really means money Large Sensor Cinematography Generously giving their time and expertise, independent production company Pretzel Films alongside the staff and pupils of Saint Ronan’s School, filmed a promo to help give a young girl a … Read more
The Great Migration – Long Lens Action! Natural History DoP Geraint Warrington has just completed filming the prestigious documentary series on the Migration of Wildebeest across the African Plains. “The Great Migration” is a 4 part 1 hour documentary series … Read more
DON’T LEAVE EQUIPMENT IN UNATTENDED VEHICLES – PREVENT THEFT Other Theft from vehicles and sets accounts for more than half of all equipment theft. Here are some guidelines to assist you to reduce this growing problem.
Alexa Mini or Amira – which should I choose? Cameras This is a short article to highlight the differences and similarities between the two cameras in order to assist VMI clients in making sensible and informed choices about which system would be most suitable for a given project.
Getting the right balance with MoVI and Ready Rig Large Sensor Cinematography A short film for Heathrow Airport illustrates the detailed preparation necessary to ensure simple ideas take flight. The one-minute long film produced by Hungry Man Productions via agency Havas Creative … Read more
Achieving More From Your Production Budget Other A guide to answering questions of How to compare rental prices from competing rental companies? What equipment to use? Whether to buy or hire? Or, if buying is considered, then when is the right time to buy?
Nocturnal activity caught on camera for the first time Natural History The biggest prize in natural history filmmaking is to capture animal behaviour in a way that’s never been done before. Offspring Films achieved this in its eye-opening document of Tarsiers … Read more
Ronin & MōVI Gimbals – all you need to know Grip This article explains the benefits and limitations of using these Gimbal systems and provides essential information if you want to use one in production. Revised June 2021. Introduction This is … Read more
Guide: How to Shoot Bullet Time Cinematography A VMI guide with video, courtesy of Stephen Roach and Jermaine Allen of Merchant Cantos showing just how easy it is to create unique ‘Bullet time 360″ videos for the ultimate ‘hero’ selfie.
The Canon C300 Mk II vs C300 – What’s the fuss about? Cameras Article exploring the differences between the Mk I and Mk II C300 camera.
Types of Apple Prores Codecs Media, DIT and Streaming A brief introduction to the various types of Apple ProRes formats with a link to download the full Apple White Paper.
Lighting – a short walk through the minefield of location lighting for Film & TV Lighting This is a short article examining the most popular lighting fixtures and technologies.
Va Va VMI, shot EPIC! Large Sensor Cinematography The driver, a normal member of the public, arrives at the dealership to test the new Renault Clio. As the car approaches a T-junction, the salesman presses the Va Va Voom … Read more
Olive Green – The World’s First Interactive Feature Length Film for English Language Learning Large Sensor Cinematography The jump from producing adverts, training videos and corporate films to shooting a feature length movie is a daunting prospect. However, this was not the only challenge that production company … Read more
VMI tripods are now supplied in HPRC tripod tubes as standard Grip What is the collective term for tripod tubes? We think that it is a pyramid! Back in 2018, VMI elected to replace the soft bags of Sachtler Video 18, … Read more
What it is like to shoot with Uncoated Lenses – Duncan Telford DoP Cinematography, Lenses DoP Duncan Telford shot a Weetabix commercial with Uncoated Cooke Mini S4s and describes in this article what it is like to shoot with uncoated lenses and how this look varies between different types of lenses
2016 revised IATA Guidelines on air transport of Lithium-ion batteries Other, Technology The rules have on air travel with Lithium-ion batteries have become much more restrictive over the past few years and you have to be aware of recent stricter limitations for transporting Lithium-ion batteries. This article has been completely updated with the guidance of IATA in July 2016 to help make you aware of these new rules.
Closing in on Perfection with the Sony PMW-F55 Large Sensor Cinematography “The F55 images were amazing. I would definitely use the Sony again.” Said Richard Stoddard, DOP on a new S4C feature film. The film follows the story of a couple … Read more
Do we adopt 4K now or wait for 8K? Cinematography A short summary of the big IBC dilemma: adopt 4K now or wait for 8K (AKA UHD-1 or UHD-2).
4K delivers a virtual reality for Google Large Sensor Cinematography A flagship event held at a top London venue for Google executives and guests is no typical night out on the town. VIPs drawn from across Europe Middle East and … Read more
In Fear revives the thriller Large Sensor Cinematography A couple are lost on a deserted, maze-like country road. Surrounded by thick woods and with night closing in, the scene of terror is set. In Fear, funded by Studio … Read more
How Infrared light affects Cinematography Cinematography Infrared cinematography opens up a whole new spectrum of light not visible to the unaided eye. This has the potential to give otherwise ordinary scenes a surreal and dream-like appearance … Read more
Nothing says opulence like a Bentley Large Sensor Cinematography Buyers of the Bentley prestige marque benefit from a personal experience that guarantees that the car is tailored to their exacting specification. Creating a promotional film that communicates the vehicle’s … Read more
UNCOATED lenses – what you need to know Cinematography, Lenses This article seeks to explore the effects that removing the lens coatings can have on an image. ‘uncoated lenses’
Make way for the film crew (as long as it uses Alexa!) – Primark Large Sensor Cinematography “The fashion shoot used to be for the stills guys. If there was a video crew, they’d be up second and have to fit around the photographers.” Bemoans producer, Andy … Read more
Shooting with B4 mount Video lenses on large sensor cameras. Cinematography A short article to explain how to shoot with B4 (traditional HD) lenses on large sensor cameras.
Improve Phantom VEO 4K workflow by using 10Gbit network port Media, DIT and Streaming, Super Slow Motion This is an article about configuring and using the built-in 10Gbit ethernet interface of the Phantom VEO 4K to take advantage of the most efficient and fastest workflows from internal RAM to hard drive, which can be even more efficient than the workflow of the Phantom FLEX 4K.
12 bit RAW capture ARRI, Panasonic, Sony, Canon and other cameras using Odyssey 7Q/7Q+ RAW Recorder Media, DIT and Streaming, Technology This article explains how 12 bit RAW capture of ARRI, Panasonic, Sony, Canon and other cameras is possible using the Odyssey 7Q/7Q+ RAW Recorder.
The Job Lot, ITV1. Arri Alexa Large Sensor Cinematography VMI supplied equipment for Big Talk’s series The Job Lot for ITV1, a 6 x 30 minute situation comedy from Big Talk Productions for ITV; about life, love and long-term unemployment. … Read more
Shoot the best quality 200fps available using Odyssey 7Q and Sony FS 700/C500 Media, DIT and Streaming The Convergent Odyssey 7Q is a new off board 4K recorder with 8” OLED screen that offers outstanding slow motion capability at very high image quality when used in conjunction … Read more
LENS COVERAGE AND CAMERA COMPARISON TOOL Cinematography, Lenses This is an excellent application written and designed by Sam Measure of CVP. Every day customers ask us a variation on this question: “Will this lens cover that sensor?” … Read more
Some Girls 2, BBC3, Arri Alexa Large Sensor Cinematography VMI have supplied equipment on Hat Trick’s second series of “Some Girls” for BBC3. Shot in London over 6 weeks by Greg Duffield, DOP, the series was shot using a … Read more
Film-making with Flare Large Sensor Cinematography “Since the days of Alien, Bladerunner and the early Star Trek features, science fiction has become CG-dominated. There are notable exceptions, such as Moon but largely the green screen has … Read more
Our Girl, BBC1. Arri Alexa Large Sensor Cinematography Little is beyond today’s large sensor cameras. But making Leighton Buzzard look like Afghanistan proved quite a challenge for the Arri Alexa and Canon C300PL with Zeiss UltraPrimes hired from … Read more
Poirot Series 13, ITV. Arri Alexa Large Sensor Cinematography VMI supplied a double Alexa Package with Cooke S4i Primes and Optimo zooms for the 13th and last series of Poirot staring David Suchet for ITV’s flagship Period Drama. VMI … Read more
Delicious, The Film. Arri Alexa Large Sensor Cinematography “Over the past two years, everything has changed. Now we find ourselves using the same cameras and lenses whether we’re producing a TV comedy or an independent feature film. And … Read more
Shallow DoF for Streaming Media, DIT and Streaming A shallow Depth of Field can reduce the bandwidth requirement of video, which is good for the internet.We wanted to test this theory and this article explores this idea and concludes that you can save around 10% bandwidth by shooting with a large sensor camera compared with a small sensor camera, as the shallow depth of field means that you capture only the bits that you want in fine detail and as background is defocused.
VMI help to set up UK’s first Apprenticeship Standard for Camera Technicians About 18 months ago, VMI Managing Director, Barry Bassett, first contacted the TV Industry body, ScreenSkills in order to investigate whether it might be possible to set up a formal … Read more
Employee Assistance Programme Set Up All of our staff and their families can access confidential one-on-one advice on any subject, from mortgages to mental health, for which they need support.
Albert Sustainable Supplier We’ve been recognised by Bafta’s albert initiative as a supplier going the extra mile to be green and support the production industry. By signing this declaration, we endeavour to work alongside … Read more
VMI Is Recruiting Link: https://vmi.tv/about/careers We have 2 posts that we are looking to fill immediately both on the rental desk and camera floor. Do you have what it takes to join the busy VMI team … Read more
2019 VMI Annual Client Survey – Best Ever Results The latest annual VMI client survey had the best results of all time achieving a client satisfaction score of 4.7 out of 5 for the 5th year in a row, … Read more
VMI is a finalist in two categories of West London Business Awards VMI is a finalist in two categories of the 7th annual West London Business Awards, for “Creative/Media Business of the Year” and also the “Responsible Workplace award”. The awards celebrate business excellence, … Read more
VMI’s Green Credentials in the news VMI takes its social responsibility very seriously and has initiated many strategies to reduce its impact on the environment and even won awards for it too, so it is really … Read more
VMI Sponsors First Prize of Cine Circle Film Festival VMI sponsored the 2019 Cine Circle Film Festival, a relatively new film festival designed to encourage recognition for new film makers. Founder, Zbigniew Siwek, describes Cine Circles aims are “to connect, … Read more
We did it! Superheroes raised over £60K in past 3 years to make world landmine-free 8 riders calling themselves, “The Superheroes” raised £27,000 for MAG International to help make the world landmine-free by 2025 by riding from London to Bristol and London to Amsterdam in 2019 for the 3rd year … Read more
VMI receives accreditation of Living Wage Employer Status Link: https://www.livingwage.org.uk VMI has received formal recognition of its status as a fully accredited Living Wage Employer. This is the only UK wage rate based on living costs of £10.55 per hour … Read more
VMI Bans Single-use Plastic Link: https://vmi.tv/about/environment VMI has taken great strides to reduce its impact on the environment and continues to do so, going forward, wherever and whenever possible with a new initiative to ban single-use … Read more
VMI runs successful Phantom Workshops VMI ran a series of 6 Phantom Super Slow Motion workshops in London in late May to teach Cinematographers and Operators how to shoot in super slow motion with the … Read more
Jay Beats Cancer We are so pleased that Jay Patel, who has worked with the driving team of VMI for almost 15 years, has managed to totally beat Pancreatic Cancer against the odds. … Read more
Account of VMI Anamorphic and Large Sensor Event in January VMI hosted an Anamorphic and Large Sensor event in late January at the newly opened CVP Creative Space in Newman Street Fitzrovia, an elegant new showroom over four floors. The three-day event was well … Read more
VMI was a finalist for the 6th annual West London Business Awards Link: https://www.westlondon.com/west-london-business-awards-2019-shortlist-announced/ VMI was a finalist for the 6th annual West London Business Awards, for the category of Creative/Media Business of the Year at the 2019 West London Business Awards. The award celebrated business excellence, and showcases … Read more
We’ve been super busy-busy VMI has been busy-busy over the past 12 months and have supplied camera equipment for 17 drama series, 5 x Natural History Series, plus several features, promos, commercials,corporates and feature films. … Read more
Benchmark Year for Carbon Reduction This is our benchmark year for carbon reduction. We audited our emissions and discovered we created 123,725KG of CO2e emissions in 2019. We measured Scopes 1 and 2 along with … Read more
VMI 2018 Customer Survey Results are in Link: https://vmi.tv/about/client-satisfaction-survey In December 2018, we held our 10th annual client satisfaction survey, asking all VMI clients who had hired from us in the previous 12 months exactly what they thought about … Read more
VMI is voted finalist for West London Business Awards 2019 VMI has was a finalist for the 6th annual West London Business Awards, for the category of Creative/Media Business of the Year at the 2019 West London Business Awards. The award celebrated business excellence, … Read more
VMEDIA Invests in Camera Power Range Link: https://vmedia.digital/equipment/213/power VMEDIA, VMIs camera storage rental division has increased its rental range to now also stock camera batteries for hire. VMEDIA , better known for its rental stock of large CFAST and … Read more
Monthly Wellness Day We offer a monthly ‘wellness day’ to staff, working with Lulabelle Wellness, giving staff an individual 15 minute gentle massage with a trained masseuse. This has been incredibly popular and … Read more
VMI to give a talk on Super Low Light Production at the Wildscreen Festival on Tue 16 October. Link: http://sched.co/GK36 Barry Bassett, VMI’s Managing Director, will be giving a talk on Super Low Light Production at the Wildscreen Festival on Tuesday 16th October at 9.30-10.30am. The talk called, “A Shot … Read more
Cloud-based Company We archive all documents electronically, to save printing and storage and set up a cloud-based HR system, where staff can access all company procedures and staff manuals. This ensures all … Read more
Film for Future, BECTU We are proud to be founding members and continuing contributors of Bectu’s Film for Future. To promote best sustainable practices within the department, the Camera Branch’s Sustainability working group, has … Read more
Biodegradable Plastic Packaging We switched to EPI biodegradable plastic to seal filters. We tested this plastic ourselves to see how it degrades and found that it didn’t perform as well as we had hoped and plan to change to potato starch based tubing later in 2022. You might be interested to note that this change was inspired by client feedback in our annual customer questionnaire survey.
Paper Labels to Seal Cables We switched to paper adhesive labels to seal cables. These give us and clients a visible indication of whether cables require testing or not. The labels are recycled paper for … Read more
Our Superheroes Ride raises £20K in Year Two Year two of our superheroes fundraising bike ride from London to Bristol and we doubled our fundraising to £20,000! The money raised all goes to MAG International to make the … Read more
Our First Electric Vehicle VMI’s media rental arm, VMEDIA, offers the first solely electric delivery service from a camera/media company. This means 100% of our VMedia deliveries will be electric! As a low-carbon service, … Read more
HDR reality and monitoring – a DOP’s Perspective Cinematography THESE ARE SOME EXCERPTS OF A CML THREAD ABOUT HDR AND MONITORING HDR, WHICH I HAVE REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION FROM GEOFF BOYLE AND ART ADAMS. IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING AND IS ABOUT HDR FROM THE DOP’S PERSPECTIVE.
Free Fruit We buy unlimited free fruit for staff to munch on. This really simple and popular decision has continued and encourages great eating and is much more healthy than the free … Read more
Recycled Paper Only We only use recycled paper and we recycle all paper and cardboard waste that it produces. Faxes and emails are received and filed electronically, avoiding all printing of them.
Superheroes Bike Ride raises £10K for Landmine Charity Superhero bicycle rides begin! In our first year, riding from London to Amsterdam, we beat our fundraising target of £10,000. It’s our goal that the world is free of landmines … Read more
Major Project saves 30,000KWH per year Ealing Council has praised VMI’s environmental efforts by awarding VMI with an environmental award to recognise its effort to save energy in a new IT initiative. The project managed to … Read more
Energy Usage Reduced Over a 4-year period, VMI cut its energy use in Acton by 8% annually through smart energy-reducing measures. Having smart meters really helped us to monitor the effects of these … Read more
Conscious cooling We have fan-assisted heat extraction which requires no refrigeration gases to cool our building. Overnight, the fans expel hot air collected in the ceiling space. However, as we are seeing … Read more
Satisfied Customers We monitor the score that you give us for customer service every year and hope to always improve on this. We still read every comment that clients make on our … Read more
Water Meters Installed We’ve installed water meters to monitor our usage with a goal of lowering our water and energy usage.
Home Working Introduced Created a home-working provision to reduce commuting emissions and improve our staff’s work/life balance. This is available to all employees whose jobs aren’t dependent on being in the warehouse. [VMI … Read more
The Case for and against 4K Cinematography An essay arguing the case for and against 4K, written in 2014.
Water Coolers Eradicated We eradicated bottled water deliveries, installing a mains-fed water cooler instead at our Acton base. This supplies ground-cooled filtered tap water fountain cutting transport emissions, plastic-creation and electricity consumption.
Eco flooring The floors of the warehouse are installed with Ecotiles, insulating the space. Made from recycled Tetrapaks, Ecotiles are 100% recyclable after their lifespan of 20 years, contain no toxic materials, … Read more
LED Lighting Installed We installed LED lights through our London facility. These offer a better quality of light, are less tiring to staff than fluorescent, as well as reducing electricity by approximately 90% … Read more
Towel Waste Eradicated We eradicated towel waste, having installed Dyson Blade hand driers in toilets in both VMI buildings. Hand dryers reduce our carbon emissions compared to paper towels by up to 70%. … Read more
Eradicated Using Canned Air We installed a compressor to distribute pumped, filtered air around the building. Before this, we were buying around 200 cans of pressurised air annually. We stopped this and installed compressors … Read more
Paid Internships Introduced We introduced a paid three-month internship programme which provided significant camera training and a route into the TV industry for those with little or some experience. Over half of our … Read more
Introduce Cycle to Work Scheme The Cycle to Work scheme allows staff to buy decent bikes without the large upfront pay out. We’re proud to be a part of it. Three of our London team … Read more
Introduce No-cost Flexible Deliveries We introduce free-of charge non time-specific deliveries in order to create more multiple drop trips significantly reducing in our transport-created emissions.
Commenced Client Surveys Client Satisfaction Surveys – Your opinion is so important to us we introduced sending clients annual client satisfaction surveys, publishing these on our website. We read all feedback (good and … Read more
Web Guides Enhanced Film technology changes fast. We offer free, continued professional development videos and guides to the industry. There’s a wealth of knowledge on our Learn & Help page and we’ve made … Read more
Began Producing Web Guides We began producing web guides covering the transition to HD and then extended this to lighting, cinematography and other subjects in order to spread good practice and technological developments within … Read more
Noise Disturbance Minimised We have always worked towards minimising noise disturbance caused by our business to neighbours. As we transition to electric vehicles this will improve even further.
Set up Screening Theatre for Presentations Amazingly, we even set up our own 19 seat screening theatre at our 19 D’Arblay Street Soho office, so that we could present our ‘HD for Producers’ seminar every week. … Read more
Began Running Workshops We began running workshops to promote solid state production workflows to the industry. [Solid-state workflow course given in Soho, circa 2004]
Began using Tapeless Technology We began promoting the environmental merits of tape-less technology reducing stock waste to begin early migration from tape-based production. This included producing internet guides and also running workshops to help … Read more
Recycling of Old Batteries All our batteries are retired from service and sent back to the manufacturer, either Anton/Bauer or Hawk-Woods for recycling. Anton/Bauer has partnered with Call 2 Recycle to recycle their batteries. … Read more