RD Group has announced the acquisition of independent equipment rental house VMI.TV, aiming to protect access to its “exceptional” inventory of cameras, lenses, lighting and associated equipment.
Established nearly 50 years ago, VMI has one of the UK’s strongest camera arrays, which includes ARRI Alexa 35s, Sony VENICE 2s and Freefly Embers, alongside lenses such as Cooke Anamorphic/i, Tribe7 Blackwings, Kowa Anamorphics and Zeiss Supremes. The catalogue is complemented by what the company said represents a “substantial documentary and wildlife package” and a comprehensive range of grips and lighting. Combined with the equipment held by group company RD Rentals, the operation is able to support up to seven primetime dramas independently.
Ryan Dean, group CEO, commented, “This is a business that has served British broadcasting for nearly half a century, and the idea of letting it disappear was simply unthinkable. VMI isn’t just a rental house, it’s a piece of our industry’s infrastructure. We’re proud to be the ones bringing it back, and we intend to do it properly.”
The creative production group, which also includes RD Studios London and RD Content, aims to provide productions with a differentiated proposition, offering access to stages, cameras, lenses, lighting, grip and creative services from a single unified operation, minimising duplication and reducing transport movements and on-set emissions.
RD Group plans to widen its regional footprint, serving the drama, documentary and wildlife markets alongside the commercials industry, while building a deeper presence and stronger crew relationships across the UK.
At the same time, the group announced the launch of a new programme to support ten emerging directors of photography over the next year, providing access to equipment for short films and personal projects.
“Our industry runs on the talent coming through behind us,” said Dean. “If we want the next generation of great British DOPs to keep emerging, we need to put the tools in their hands to prove what they can do. This is our contribution.”
