Range Rover Looking Good at Every Angle
This shoot by Photographer Garry Simpson was produced by RoLo Productions.
Gripvan FAQS
What is Gripvan, or what does Gripvan do?
Gripvan is a comprehensive and mobile package of stands, grip, accessories and useful bits and pieces that to quote Dean Northcott, "makes shooting on location like being in a studio". We provide peace of mind to photographers, producers and photo assistants alike.
As for what we do? At our core Gripvan does Photo shoots - whether Advertising, Fashion, Editorial or Corporate. We also do Moving Image - Commercials, Documentaries, TV, Music Promos, and more. Of course, we do Gripvans, but we also offer general equipment rental and can dry hire you cameras, digi kit, lighting, styling, and production equipment.
We can help you with power and access requirements, and offer consultancy, alongside crewing and basic production.
In short Gripvan can get almost anything you need on your set to your set.
What's in the van?
Everything you could possibly think of, and a whole load of things you might have overlooked!
Our Standard Grip Package comes with a full complement of C Stands, Windups, Booms, frames, fabrics, flags, and all the usual grip, electrical and consumable items. All of this neatly packed in one of our custom LWB Renault Master vans.
The mini package is pretty similar, except we've condensed it down to fit in our Renault Trafic, perfect for smaller shoots or when your'e shooting somewhere with restricted headroom - planning a shoot in a multi-storey carpark? This is the one for you.
Why do I need one on my next shoot?
Gripvan solves your problems. It’s a mobile grip and lighting store, keeping kit dry and organised and saving space in your location. Gripvan makes sure all your kit is accessible, saves your crew time and impresses your clients.
Isn't it really expensive to hire?
In a word, no! Gripvan can save you money on your shoot. Just ask our producer clients who keep coming back because GV helps them work to ever tighter budgets. Typically Gripvan offers a saving of 50% over list hire prices, not to mention the savings on peace of mind.
Do I have to pay for anything else?
Just the driver / assistant, mileage (if you're shooting outside of London) and any consumables you use. Of course if your shoot takes the crew away overnight we'd expect you to put our driver up in a hotel too!
Who can drive the Gripvan
All our vans are driven by a driver-operator who, depending on your requirements, will also be an experienced lighting/camera assistant, dig-op, gaffer or grip. Our drivers all know the vans and equipment inside out.
Where is Gripvan based?
Gripvan is based in Battersea, ideally located for London and for shoots further afield. You're welcome to visit us during working hours, but please call ahead to check we have a van available to show you!
Where has Gripvan worked?
We spend most of our time in and around London but the vans are well travelled across the UK and further afield. We frequently work in Manchester, Liverpool and Scotland, as well as Bristol, Ireland, Wales and the South West. The vans have visited the continent a fair few times and we've sent kit as far as the Maldives and Butan.
If you're planning a shoot in Europe we can help with logistics, carnets and kit transport.
Who have Gripvan worked with?
We've had the pleasure of working with and alongside some incredible people, brands and organisations. Just a few of those are:
How long have you been going?
Gripvan was founded as an LLP back in 2011 by our Technical Director Andrew Howe and colleagues working in production and location management. With a career stretching back 20+ years, Andrew noticed a gap in the market to provide a full service grip package for stills and small video productions, based on a condensed version of feature film grip trucks. We became a limited company in 2012 and moved to our current premises in Battersea in 2014.
Can I work for Gripvan?
We're always looking for great freelance crew to work with, so if you know what you're doing on set, are 25 or over, with a clean licence and experience driving LWB vans, get in touch. Occasionally we have full or part time positions available. These will be advertised on our website as well as on the AOP job board and other job-hunt websites.
Gripvan are Hiring - General Manager
Job Opportunity - Gripvan Ltd: General Manager
The Company and the Role
Gripvan is unique within the photographic rental companies in the UK and Europe as it offers fully equipped tailor made vans for photographic shoots. Gripvan was set up in 2012 to fill this gap in the market and has been growing ever since. We are now looking for a General Manager to help move this exciting company forward.
Key Responsibilities:
- The day-to-day running of company operations and staff.
- Organising the diary and quoting jobs.
- To carry out administrative tasks and oversee the invoicing of jobs.
- Liaising with the bookkeeper and overseeing the PL figures.
- Responsible for maintaining existing client relationships and establishing new ones.
- Oversee marketing, social media and advertising.
Key Attributes:
You will be given a thorough induction and training for the role, but we require:
- A good knowledge of lighting and camera equipment currently used in the stills & TV industry.
- Have previous experience working within the photographic or TV rental industry.
- The ability to work both in a team and under own initiative.
- An understanding of OSX and Microsoft office.
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise a workload.
- Strong written and verbal skills with a friendly and confident telephone manner.
- Good attention to detail.
- To have the drive and initiative to take on and move this exciting company forward.
- To hold a full UK drivers license.
Job Details:
- Competitive salary dependant on experience including company performance related bonus.
- Based on a 40-hour week at the Gripvan office in Battersea, SW8.
- 21 paid days holiday plus public holidays.
To apply please email your CV and a covering letter to info@gripvan.com addressed ‘General Manager Application’. To arrive no later than 30th June 2016. Any questions, please email or call the office on 020 3002 9130.
New Kit: Dana Dolly
As photographers get asked more frequently to shoot video alongside their stills work, we at Gripvan get asked more and more for video equipment alongside the usual photographic equipment, lighting and grip.
The latest bit of video kit to be added to our rental stock is the incredibly versatile Dana Dolly. We stock the universal version of this dolly which means it's able to take any cylindrical tube between 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" in diameter. As a standard rental we offer the dolly with 1 1/2" aluminium alloy tube in 8' lengths and two lowboy combo stands.
The DanaDolly is perfect for travel since you're able to take just the dolly and mounting kit in their dedicated hard travel case and source rails locally. One DOP we spoke to mentioned using cheap PVC pipe for a plumbers' merchant to save on weight when carrying the kit across rough terrain.
Neatly packaged in its own dedicated case, the Dana Dolly is perfect for travelling film makers.
Adding to the versatile nature of this rail dolly, we supply it as standard with three bowls, 75mm, 100mm and 150mm. It can also be mounted to either baby spigots or stands with a junior receptor thanks to the universal mounting system.
If taken with one of our Standard Grip Packages, you'll already have everything you need to get the dolly set up. All that's needed is the camera rig and head of your choice.
Heavy Lifting
Alongside renting photographic equipment and grip packages, Gripvan also offer a wide range of services which producers in particular find useful. Recently we've acted as fixers for an American film crew shooting in the UK, sourced DOPs and Sound Recordists for viral shorts and delivered crash mats around the country for dropkicking-footballers.
Often it is GV03 with its multipurpose interior that is pressed in to service for prop and equipment transport. With its series of high-strength foldaway shelves, long wheelbase and high roof there is little it cannot do.
Earlier this year GV3 was called upon to carry around 100 feet of rubberised trackway from London to Brighton to facilitate access on to the beach for a beautiful Karmann Ghia convertible, along with the equally beautiful cast and crew. With equipment being provided by Gripvan in the form of GV2 in Standard Grip Package guise the whole process was seamless with no time wasted waiting for external companies to deliver the trackway before the shoot could begin. Shooting for Gumtree's latest billboard campaign Photographer David Harniman found using Gripvan "a real pleasure.... [and] nothing was too much trouble. Everything we possibly needed for the shoot was onboard and in great condition."
David Harriman for Gumtree
We've also brought GV3 in to service as a mobile wardrobe for styling and props departments, Jim at serious boy found that the adjustable shelving was great for storing accessories, making them easily visible and quickly accessible. He told us "Working out of this well lit and clean vehicle really helps me and my department to have smooth and efficient shoots."
GV3 is available for your project now, so whether you're carrying wardrobe like Serious Boy, carting a rubber road like David Harriman or moving delicate props, Gripvan can help.
No matter what you need, or where you need it, just give us a call.
On Reflection
On Reflection
For most of us using reflectors is such an integral part of the way we light our sets and subjects everyday that it becomes easy to disregard the possibilities for experimentation and innovation.
I’ve always liked the quality from bounced or reflected light, from buildings, glass, water and from vehicle bodywork and chrome (come back 1974) and I enjoy replicating it when lighting sets.
The progress of photographic sensor design and expansion of useable ISO range is ever opening new possibilities for photography and I’ve become very interested in a technique that Cinematographer Christian Berger has been developing since 1999. It’s a system for lighting films that utilises reflected light almost exclusively. Dubbed Cine Reflect Lighting System (CRLS) the technique involves reflecting beams from a light source that produces a parallel and concentrated beam of light as close as possible to the parallel light produced by the sun. The RLS 70, specially developed for this purpose, uses a 1200W HMI lamp and is manufactured by Pani Projection of Austria together with a range of reflectors also designed by Berger and creative partner Christian Bartenbach for the CRLS. In association, Dedolight have also created a Parallel beam lens attachment for their 200,400 and 1000 series of lampsmaking them more suitable for use with the CRLS range of reflectors. Competition comes from Kaczek Visuals with their KFLECT system.
I’ve yet to get my hands on any CRLS kit but I continue to use reflection a lot and at the moment it’s the ideal way to pick outsome black leather boots on a moodily lit set without spoilingthe contrast and feel of the overall picture.
Aside from the usual pop-up reflectors, California Sunbounce, Scrim Jim and mirror board options I often carry celotex insulation board (other brands are available) Lee Mirror Silver (No. 271) and Soft Silver Reflector (No. 273) both useful for making hard / soft reflectors of whatever size and shape you need. Mirror, or silver-backed acrylic can be cut to any size and I favour using small piecesfor still life sets adding accents of light when direct light doesn’t have the right feel or the set is just too crowded to squeeze another lamp in.
Adjusting the quality of light from a reflector is achievable with diffusion gels, I usually carry 1/16th white diff and Hampshire frost. When time allows applying dulling spray is a good way to make very fine adjustments. I also have a range of nets, both black and white, to soften the reflection from harder reflectors. These can be standard double or single nets as carried on all our Gripvans, but I’ve often found the local haberdashers a great place to pick up a wide range of different mesh, perfect for diffusing mirrorboards, household mirrors or any other hard reflector.
In the past I’ve custom mounted reflectors to armature wire or fixed them to baby pins to make it easier to Grip them, now I’m excited to explore the versatility that the magnet based systems offered by Pani and Kflect have to offer. Much as I’m looking forward to working with a full set of Paniflectors or K-flectors in the near future, I cant ever imagine not needing to improvise at some point. You can use so many materials as reflectors and often on set I’m scrounging mirrors from make-up artists or raiding location kitchens for shiny saucepans, silver trays or the old favourite bacofoil. I’ve used shaving mirrors, stainless steel plate, glass windows, aluminium of various finishes and the case of my Macbook Pro in the past and who knows what I’ll use in the future, I knew I kept those old CDs for good reason...
You can now rent the Dedo Lightbridge CRLS system, as well as the Lightstream CRLS Move / Drive kit and CRLS 100 kit from Gripvan alongside our grip packages or as part of a bespoke kit list.
Get in touch with our rental team to discuss your requirements and find out how Gripvan can support your film or photo shoot with everything from lighting and grip rental, through to crew and production equipment.
Fast as a Greyhound
We're handing over to Gripvan crew member Sam Benard for this account of a recent personal project shot on location with Gripvan.
Being born and bred in London, I’ve had the privilege of working for Gripvan since starting my assisting career 4 years ago. I’ve had the chance to work on some fantastic shoots, many of which have been massive productions, giving me first had experience of Gripvan’s potential. So it was amazing to finally have an opportunity to have a van on one of my own shoots.
I’ve always taken pictures, but it’s over the past year or two that I’ve been shooting in a more considered manner, slowly building my portfolio. The shoots I enjoy assisting on the most are sports advertising campaigns. The productions are huge and there’s always an interesting and different lighting set up to get my head around. If all goes to plan, sports advertising is hopefully the route I’ll be going down. That’s why I feel this test shoot was a huge step in the right direction. I’d been thinking about this shoot for such a long time, so I was delighted when It finally came together.
The concept behind this test shoot was a combination of producing some stunning images as well as a testing my technical skills. I also understand that there is a huge amount of controversy around the sport of greyhound racing. But I chose to put that to one side and not take on any political views when shooting this project. I simply wanted to show these beautiful animals in all their glory. Their power and elegance. On the technical side of things I wanted test myself and see if I could sync three cameras to shoot at exactly the same time, as well as freezing the motion of the dogs. Not an easy task on an animals that can hit 45mph and reaches full speed in only a couple strides.
The day proved to be much trickier than I could even had planned for. The initial plan was to use a laser trigger to fire cameras and flash at the same time, but there were some unforeseen technical issues with the trigger which meant I had to rethink my whole approach on the day. In addition to that, we had very heavy fog to deal with. This meant that it interfered with the remote flash transmissions and showed up heavily in shot for the head on angle, shot on a 600mm lens. Meaning we had to shoot at night time with no ambient light, so not to light up the fog. Trying to freeze the motion at that speed, meant pushing the cameras and Broncolor flash to their limits. We were given 6 dogs to work with, but with only a couple runs per dog, meaning there was very little room for error.
Having a Gripvan on the day was simply awesome. It proved to be the safety net it has been so many times before. This was the biggest production I’d done to date and I’d have been in stranded without it. We ended up using almost everything on the van in one way or another. The team at Gripvan were amazing in helping me put this shoot together, from locating specialised equipment like the laser trigger and 600mm lens, to giving valuable technical advice. If I could have a van on all my future shoots I’d be a very happy man.
This shoot was a fantastic yet trying experience and I can’t wait to do another... hopefully with another Gripvan on my kit list.
Shoot Spotlight: Aviva
Gripvan have been working with award winning Photographer and Director Sophie Ebrard since 2011. You may have seen the recent publication of her project “It’s just Love” in the Creative Review Annual . In the past we’ve scaled the Derbyshire peaks in Gale force winds, turned gloomy January Streatham into sunny Surburbia and chased Gabrielle Aplin round the Kent countryside, umbrellas balloons and all. This time GV's Andrew Howe headed to sunny Wales with Sophie and Shoot Logistics:
We were happy to be called on again to help Sophie with a campaign for Aviva insurance in December. The shoot was commissioned by Adam&Eve DDB to provide the stills content for their "Good Thinking Drive Challenge" campaign. Challenging was definitely the word for the conditions on the day with high winds and driving rain lashing the location at Tredegar House, Newport. Production from Jesse Stagg of Shoot Logistics was, as ever, seamless and crew and cast were kept warm and well-catered for despite the weather.
Sophie’s brief was to shoot real people in their own cars in her natural and unobtrusive style. The shots were a combination of stationary cars and tracking, shot from inside the cars. Faultless planning, diligent scouting and careful choice of location ensured that Shoot Logistics organized an ideal working environment to achieve some difficult objectives safely. Sophie also had to shoot a short moving image piece that Gripvan were involved in lighting.
Gripvan consulted on the lighting requirements for the shoot and supplied M series Arri HMIs and Litepanels Astra Led Panels. I use the Arri M series a lot these days. The M18 was the perfect lamp on this occasion for rigging on the low-loader for the Moving Image shoot but I particularly like the M40 for the flexibility it gives running from a single Honda EU65is while giving the sort of light output I could only have got from a 6K in the past. Similarly the Astra Led panels are surprisingly powerful for a lamp that can run from a V-Lok battery. The Astras were invaluable for lighting the car interiors on a wet and gloomy day in Wales.
Another area where Gripvan's expertise was called upon was camera rigging. The tight spaces demanded that Sophie position the camera on the dashboard of some of the cars for certain shots. Gripvan used limpet mounts and micro grip from Matthews and Filmtools to mount Sophie's Canon 1DX. I find the microgrip range useful for a lot of different applications: Rigging cameras, rigging lighting and building still life sets being the main ones. This ‘fly on the wall’ technique complimented Sophies candid directorial style perfectly.
Another great crew, Another successful shoot, looking forward to the next one.