Camera Corps Appoints Polecam As Worldwide Master Distributor

Camera Corps, one of Europe's leading specialists in remote camera control, has announced a distribution partnership with Polecam. The agreement assigns full international distribution rights for Camera Corps products to Polecam and its worldwide network of resellers. Polecam will also represent Camera Corps at major television industry exhibitions in Africa, America, Asia, Australasia, Europe and the Middle East.
"Our main business activity to date has centred on designing and producing camera control services and product rental for outside broadcasts and mainstream productions such as commercials, music, wildlife, drama and reality television," said Camera Corps Managing Director Laurie Frost.
"Many of the systems we have developed complement Polecam's own-manufacture and third-party products. They will now available for programme producers and production facilities to purchase outright," he said.
Polecam was established in 1998 by extreme sports cameraman/director Steffan Hewitt. While directing a series of windsurfing kit commercials in Hawaii, he needed to obtain close wide-angle front shots of a windsurfer in action, shot from a tracking boat or jet ski. He improvised a rig comprising a miniature camera on a microphone pole.
Returning to Britain, he developed a lightweight go-anywhere rig with a remote joystick-controlling a high precision pan and tilt head. Polecam now sells successfully around the world from its base near Bedford.
Camera Corps has long experience in providing high-volume support services to major sports events including the Commonwealth Games, summer and winter Olympics, and World Cup football.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics alone, Camera Corps will be fielding and managing over 250 high definition camera systems, 18 motorised tracking systems, plus remote heads and large camera cranes, on behalf of the host broadcaster.
Camera Corps has achieved a pre-eminent reputation for its ability to acquire exciting and unusual television content from exceptionally challenging environments. Its ever-growing arsenal includes high-level cranes, motorised tracking cameras, underwater cameras, bullseye-mounted archery target cameras and fire-proofed high temperature cameras.
The Camera Corps team expands during large-scale events from eight full-time staff based at Shepperton Studios to as many as 200 specialists, including highly-skilled rock climbers able to establish camera positions in almost any location.
(DS)