TECHNICAL MANAGER | LONDON | JUNE 1992 to DEC 1994

 

A Film & TV equipment hire, sales, and manufacturing group, established by Tony Covell.

 

• Founding Contribution: Founding team member (Spring 1991), joined full-time in June 1992, contributing to average annual growth of 79% and revenues of £1.4M, financed by venture capital.

 

• Executive Projects: Supervised special projects for the CEO, including manufacturer liaison, legal testimony, equipment package design, inventory rationalisation, asset verification, and US-based purchases and disposals.

 

• Technical Operations & Client Support: Serviced broadcaster and production company projects, handling client queries, prepping and maintaining cameras, lenses, and grip equipment, specialising as a remote head technician, and providing out-of-hours technical support.

 

• Industry Representation: Represented VFG at trade shows, selling Focus Tracking Systems and Formatt filters (prior to their 1997 purchase).

 

• Marketing & Pricing Strategy: Led the conception and delivery of most marketing materials for VFG plc, and separately developed, implemented, and maintained the company’s rental brochure format from 1991 until 1998, including setting price structures.

 

• Enduring Relationship: My relationship with VFG continued to grow and evolve, both within the company and in parallel alongside it, over many years.

 

• Career Transition & Development: At the urging of CEO Tony Covell in December 1994, I stepped away from my formal role to relocate to Los Angeles and undertake an internship with Panavision. To facilitate this transition, I established The Lightweight Equipment Co. as a vehicle for my professional development and, on my return, to provide specialist services to VFG and its clients.

 

Selected Productions Supplied

 

• Bridget Jones's Diary • Animal Farm (Hallmark) • Walk with Lions • Treasure Island (1997) • Waking Ned • 51st State • Ballykissangel • Tenth Kingdom • Thief Takers • Hornblower • Harbour Lights • Merchant of Venice • Coronation Street • Brookside • Last of the Summer Wine • Peak Practice • Holby City • Hollyoaks • Band of Gold • The Knock • The Vice • City Central • Grafters • Space Island One and more...

 

Selected Clients

 

• BBC • Sky • CBC • CBS • Channel 4 • Fox TV • ITV (Border TV, Carlton, Tyne Tees, Ulster TV, Yorkshire TV, Granada TV, Grampian TV, HTV, LWT, Thames TV). • MTV • NBC • NHK • RAI TV • RTE • RTL • ZDF and more...

 

Equipment Supplied

 

• 16mm & 35mm Cameras • Aaton • ARRI • Moviecam • Sony Betacam Cameras • Angenieux • Canon • Cooke • Zeiss lenses • Chapman Peewee, Hybrid & Lenny Arm cranes • Fisher dollies • Egripment cranes • Hothead & Powerpod Remote Heads.

 

VFG - A Brief History of Operations & Businesses

 

• 1991: London Imex House • Manchester
• 1993: HTV Hire Cardiff
• 1995: London Alliance Court
• 1996: Ronford Ltd (Shepperton) • Bristol • VFG Sales

 

• 1997: Post IPO - VFG Finance • Formatt Filters (opening LA offices) • Isle of Man Studio • GP Film Services • VFG Insurance • Camera Associates (Pinewood) • Film Game • EBU Equipment Finance

 

• 1998: Michael Samuelson Lighting • Glasgow • Dublin • Belfast • New London HQ
• 1999: Electric Light Company • FSC Blanx
• 2000: VFG Australia • The Local Broadcast Group

 

• Kodak: VFG was also a leading re-seller of Kodak motion picture film stock.