We constantly strive to be at the forefront of the broadcast industry and this investment has allowed us to significantly increase our service offering across several key areas.

Our drama department has been a significant growth area for Picture Canning North following several new account wins. This has led to us investing in an Arri Alexa camera – the only one available in the North East. This piece of equipment is normally only accessible to companies shooting high-end commercials, dramas and features so we are delighted to be the first to offer this to our client base.

We have also purchased a set of Ultra Prime Lenses, again the only set in the North East, both of which are available for hire now.

In addition we have invested in the new O’Connor 2065 Ultimate Tripod Head. The latest product on the market, the tripod offers pan and tilt brakes which are conveniently located on the left side, as well as a platform equipped with dual scales – one on each side – and four handle rosettes to allow operation from either side of the head, as well as front or back mounting.

Adding to our Broadcast Camera Inventory is the Sony PMW500, two Canon XF305 cameras, GoPro Camera’s LCD BacPac and additional mounts. These cameras are a favourite with the major broadcast companies when shooting documentaries. The Sony PMW-500 has recently been nominated as the camera of choice for the BBC’s factual department so we’re confident they will both be popular additions.

We’ve also purchased a VW Crafter camera facilities van, fitted with a 240v power outlet and a dedicated data wrangler / camera workstation.

We have for the past six months with support from Pinewood-based Alpha Grip 2 x Pee Wee Mk III, plus dolly and track.

Two days after receiving the new Arri Alexa in early June, it was on its way to London on dry hire. Once there, it was used for the filming of three commercials and a ten-week drama. Arriving back in the North East in late September, it was straight back out on hire for the filming of a commercial that was being shot in the region.

The RED Camera has recently been used for a handful national commercials, in addition to being used as the second unit on the popular children’s drama Tracy Beaker Returns.

The new Canon XF305’s have spent some time out at sea, filming a documentary about the lifeboat teams who work out of The Port of Blyth. They were chosen for their quality and ability to withstand harsh conditions and the elements. We look forward to watching the documentary once it airs on Channel 4.

We have also supplied wet hire to a range of large production companies. One of these projects was in the Lake District for Talkback Thames’ Grand Designs. Others included the hire of kit and crew to film VT promos and titles for MTV / Lime Pictures’ Geordie Shore and several projects to film behind the scenes for locally shot feature films.

The evening consisted of demos of the latest, cutting edge kit from leading companies Arri and Tiffin, followed by an open Q+A and one-to-one sessions.

Among those who attended were Mark Dollery of Arri Cameras, Mark Carnell of Arri Lighting and Carey Duffy of The London Filter Company.

We had an amazing turnout and have received some fantastic feedback following the event. We’d like to say a big thank you to all who attended.

We’re looking to run some similar events in the future so please contact us if you’d like to be notified about these in advance.

You can now follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with all of our latest news and information.

You can also view more information about us via our new LinkedIn page.

We look forward to connecting with you!

This features full information about Picture Canning North, the services we offer and the equipment we hire. There are also several client testimonials on the site, in addition to our full contact details. We’re very proud of it and hope you find it informative. Please do contact us if there’s anything you’d like us to add to the site.

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