Azule Finance Sponsors 4x4 Driving At GTC Open Day

The annual Guild Of Television Cameramen (GTC) Open Day and AGM was held in the Oxfordshire countryside on a sunny Sunday in mid May.

It's a while since I attended one, but the welcome was as warm and friendly as it always has been, writes Duncan Payne, Regional Director, Azule Finance.

Organisations like these must be incredibly useful for freelance camera operators, most of whom do not attend NAB, IBC or even BVE to see the new toys from the big manufacturers. Panasonic, RED, Polecam, Vinten and TVU were all there showing their wares, and to be honest you can learn so much more in these informal, smaller gatherings than you ever will in the huge halls of a convention centre.

The jostling for position at IBC, trying to get five minutes with a sales rep, bleary eyed from the excesses of Vegas / Amsterdam / insert name of dodgy East London pub here, can be frustrating and time-consuming.

And you can't drive 4x4s, shoot clays with lasers or practice falconry in the middle of Amsterdam. Not without getting in to a bit of bother with the Establishment anyway. Great event GTC, thank you.

June brings the inaugural Media Production Show to North London, and I'm curious to see how this works out.

It'll be much smaller than the well-established BVE February event, but seems to be well-supported with new bookings being reported daily and a growing list of guest speakers and seminars.

One issue high on the agenda at the upcoming Media Production Show might be the shortage of new kit rather than the excess of it.

Some of the principal Japanese manufacturers are reporting (or rather under-reporting) issues with supply of camera components following the recent earthquakes in Japan. So a word of warning... if you have a production coming up and your heart is set on a specific camera, I'd buy it early. It doesn't seem to be affecting all manufacturers, and your equipment dealer of choice will have current information, but don't be at all surprised if you're told that you're going to have to wait.

Good news for the hire companies, but they'll be getting booked up too. So book / buy your kit early. You have been warned!!

Image: Jack Camilatto from Azule up close and personal with the wildlife at the GTC event.

www.azule.co.uk

This article is also available to read at BFV online here, page 48.

(JP/MH)