Established in 1979, VMI have rapidly become one of London's most established HD Camera rental companies, specialising in documentaries, dramas and international co-productions and over the past 4 years, VMI have also supplied equipment on approaching 50 HD feature films.
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There are many myths about lighting for HD cameras: let’s see if we can substantiate or dispel some of them.
You need less light - Producers would love to believe this, but unfortunately in 98% of cases this simply is not true - sorry Mr Producer!
Any decent DoP knows that they put in a lighting order, as often as not, based on a “Given”. By given I mean practical lights that already exist in the location, a window, shop lights at night etc. etc. The majority of digital cameras have an equivalent film speed of between 320 and 400 ISO (International Standards Organisation - it comes out at exactly the same figure as the old ASA). So HD cameras, in the main, are as sensitive as what we would currently think of as a medium-speed photographic negative. I rest my case.
You need less or no fill light - Probably true. In the early days of video the perceived wisdom was that you needed more fill. Things have changed. The chips are very different: there are more pixels and this does change the apparent sensitivity in the shadows, and we have got used to lighting to a monitor. I find the last factor significant. I will admit that when lighting with a meter for film I err on the safe side and give just a little bit more exposure in the deep shadow areas: I can always darken them later in grading. With HD I am usually lighting to a well set-up monitor so I don’t need to be brave, I have my rushes on the set. So I am braver, and frequently use less or no fill.
You have to white-balance - The only time I white-balance is if I am shooting under fluorescent light or I intentionally want to put a “signature” colour on the scene. I will then use pastel cards to white-balance to. These days’ cameras are so stable and so many directors are asking us to make the pictures more like film. I can’t white-balance a film camera, so why would I want to do something the audience is unused to in a film? If you want it to look like film - shoot it the way you would have to shoot film. Simple, isn’t it?
BAFTA nominee Paul Wheeler was one of the BBC‚s 6 Senior Film Cameramen. A respected author, he lectures at VMI’s HD seminars.
Introduction to VMI Broadcast Rental
VMI HD camera training and RED DIT Training Courses for 1Acs, Camera Operators and DoPs in Soho.
Established in 1979, VMI are one of the success stories of the new generation of Digital facilities companies in the UK specialising in quality HD Camcorder hire for drama, Hi Def Camera hire for feature and Hidef camera hire for documentary productions. We support every HD format for camera rental including HDCAM SR, HDCAM, RED, DVCPRo & Varicam, XDCam HD, XDCAM EX, P2, AVC Intra and SD formats and also supply VTR hire as well.
VMI specialise in supplying quality HD Camera hire and broadcast hire plus grip equipment for drama, feature and documentary productions. We support every HD format for camera rental including HDCAM SR, HDCAM, Varicam, XDCam HD, P2 and SD formats and also supply VTR hire as well.
VMI operate out of 3 London offices: the North London office is the main equipment prep area which includes camera test rooms; HD post production is located at West Digital in Shepherds Bush and the Soho office includes a 16 seat HD screening room and client hospitality area.
VMI also has a specialist HD film unit specifically set to provide support for feature films. This department includes assessing film finance subsidies to part defer charges for camera hire, post production and screening facilities. Over the last 3 years, VMI have been involved in the production of approaching 50 feature films supplying HD hire on these projects and has taken investments in many of them.
VMI have been recognised for excellence winning many awards including Hire Company of the year, Broadcast Camera Hire Company of the year and also the Natwest Business award for good business practise; VMI is a recognised Investors in People company in for its training and staff development.
To ensure that clients are equipped to cope with the rapid advance of technological progress, VMI also run seminars and camera courses on High Definition production - Over 100 DoPs have attended VMI courses to shoot on HD, all of which are now shooting HD features, dramas and documentaries.
With such vast HD experience, VMI has made the conversion to HD both painless and enjoyable. We encourage face to face meetings with clients to discuss the choice of HD equipment and project-manage the programme migration, oversee post-production route and advise on such technical issues such as format, frame rate and delivery.
Our staff are well trained in HD and this ensures that we can advise clients well. VMI offer free camera testing facilities for the crew and viewing facilities for the production company and every HD production receives a free screening in our HD screening room- all of which explains why VMI is number 1 for HD Camcorder hire.
