It has been just over a year since UK Camera equipment supplier '24-7 Drama' merged operations with 'Visual Impact' here in Ireland, and it has been a busy one, according to Manager John Leahy.
Not only have they provided equipment and services for season three of the Emmy and IFTA winning rural Irish comedy ‘Moone Boy’, both seasons of Sky Atlantic hit show ‘Penny Dreadful' and series two of Belfast-set drama ‘The Fall’ to name a few but they are currently shopping around for bigger premises which they hope to move into this coming July.
'24-7 Drama' and 'Visual Impact Ireland' merged in 2014 with John Leahy coming on board as Business Development Manager and the whole process was a very natural progression, according to Leahy.
‘As a result, we merged a short term and long term rental sector together in one place. So rather than having separate divisions for specific fields such as TV, documentaries, short films, TV dramas, Features, Commercials – we now supply all of these from the one company. This makes sense these days as the formats for all sectors have moved closer with them nearly all being Digital and large format so having it all under one roof makes everything easier for the clients who work in all sectors.’
Camera technology changes quickly these days and 24-7 Drama boasts the most up to date equipment available for their clients. On the higher end Digital, the group currently stock ARRI 'Alexa XT', ARRI 'Amira', RED EPIC Dragon and more recently the Panasonic Varicam 35 Cameras. Moving down the scale, they also stock Canon C300, Black magic 4K (PL), Sony 500, Sony PMW 200, Go Pro's and a full range of Lenses, Accessories, Monitors, Filters, Playback and Grip equipment. 24-7 Drama also handle Equipment sales as well as supply of Consumables / Stores.
With offices in Dublin, Manchester and London, the 24-7 Drama group offers bespoke Camera packages in all formats, for all projects and to suit all budgets and is backed up by a global network in over 10 countries.
Speaking more on this, Leahy said: ‘I see 24-7 Drama very much at the forefront of bespoke packaging for productions in Ireland. We have an experienced team within the group and we all work very closely with each other and the clients and crew to ensure each production gets the right equipment package while keeping budget in mind as well. We try and operate on what suits the Production and crew we are working with and build packages to suit.’
Leahy continues: ‘We are constantly updating ourselves within the marketplace, new equipment and developments. We are always bringing in new equipment, seeing how it can work in the current environment as well as adapting equipment too. Due to the variation of Cameras and production requirements these days, you have to have what people want.’
24-7 Drama have just wrapped Series 2 of 'Penny Dreadful', are currently providing Camera and Grip equipment for ITV's ‘The Frankenstein Chronicles’ shooting in Northern Ireland as well as Telegael’s ‘Country Woman’ with Seamus Deasy ISC working as DOP on the latter.
‘I am very happy with our first year. We have worked with great Productions and Crew at all levels. We are looking forward to our new premises, getting in even more equipment and working on some exciting projects in the coming year.’
For more information on 24-7 Drama visit their website at: http://24-7drama.com.
