Procam seals deal for US rental firm HotCam New York

Procam plans to mirror the range of services offered by its UK outfits, including kit and crew rental, project management, workflow consultancy and training. It will keep the Hotcam brand.

Procam chief executive John Brennan said: “American production companies have long been asking us to open a facility in New York, and we’ve looked to set up shop there for many years.

“The HotCam New York opportunity fulfils our clients’ demands for a Procam presence in the US, and means we can offer a more seamless and detailed level of service for UK clients shooting in the US.”

HotCam New York’s credits include The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, American Pickers and Teen Mom.

Brennan added: “Customer services – from kit logistics and carnet handling to technical assistance on the ground – will now be much easier.

“Additional group investment will see HotCam New York progress even further with a series of up-to-date enhancements and solutions, and this will also enable us to expand into supporting more high-end dramas and feature productions.”

Hotcam New York was established in December 2004 by sound mixer Trevor Hotz and partner Ali Grapes as an off-shoot of HotCam UK.

HotCam’s UK management said it was “business as usual” for the west London-based company and that the Procam deal would allow them to “focus solely on HotCam UK again”.

Procam has branches in London, Glasgow, Manchester and Edinburgh.

Its recent productions include Made In Chelsea and The Island With Bear Grylls. It also provided crew and equipment in the UK and US for Dynamo: Magician Impossible.

The company said that the HotCam deal was the latest aspect of its “ambitious” expansion plans. It follows Procam’s December purchase of Leicester-based lens service and manufacturing facility True Lens Services.

“When we look at acquisitions, we look for companies that share a similar philosophy to us, namely the very best service levels delivered with professionalism and attention to detail,” added Brennan.

“The gap between feature and television production has narrowed to the point where the production kit requirements are very similar to each other, with the same digital cinematography cameras increasingly commonplace across the board.

“HotCam New York is a mature company with a great reputation. It fits very well into what we are moving forward to achieve.”