Digital Film Service (DFS), located right next to its sister company, Media Film
Service in Sandton, is an equipment rental facility that prides itself on offering
production solutions to a wide variety of clients ranging from student films to
feature film productions.
DFS’s competitive pricing structure ensures that they are able to make their
services attractive across most budgets. One of the keys to DFS’ success is the fact
that it operates seven days a week between 8am and 6pm – which means its staff
is not merely on standby over weekends to assist as needed but they actually have
their doors open for normal operations on Saturdays and Sundays. In addition, the
technical team is always on call after hours for all the facility’s clients.
New premises and all the latest gear
In keeping with the expansive mood that prevails within the group, DFS will upgrade
its premises, fitting out with new, improved gear check bays and client service
areas and with direct access to Media’s studios.
In addition to placing an emphasis on service and client relationships, Digital Film
Service takes a strategic approach to its gear acquisitions to ensure that it is one
step ahead of its clients’ needs and that it can offer production crews the largest
range of gear possible. The staff strive to stay on top of the latest developments in
equipment and add new items to their stock proactively. Among its newest
acquisitions are a number of 3-axis gimbals, 4K cameras and a range of the latest
LED lights.
The industry is fast undergoing a transition to 4K content creation and acquisition.
For the most part, this is a costly exercise and not everyone can afford the bigger,
cinema-style 4K cameras currently on the market. With this in mind, DFS
concentrates on investing in 4K solutions that are affordable for medium to lower
budgets. For example, Sony’s FS7 camera which is currently all the rage particularly
among documentary makers.
International suppliers and ENG equipment
Digital Film Service, both through its own connections and those of Media Film
Service, is able to source equipment from suppliers abroad for special requirements
that can’t be met by the company’s local stock. Although this option covers all
aspects of production, it is particularly pertinent in an industry sector that DFS has
recently started moving into: ENG and multicam setups, and operatives in this area
should watch this space!
Supporting the local industry at competitive pricing
Although Digital Film Service has the capacity to cater to higher-end productions, it
is largely geared towards the independent and smaller budget producer. It supplies
and supports local dramas and reality shows of varying budgets and also
accommodates film school projects that have minimal funds to work with.
Archiving
DFS has offered transfer facilities from the day it first opened its doors, enabling
the conversion of materials on formats such as Betacam and U-matic to digital. The
company continues this offering and the equipment it holds for this purpose are
ideally suited to the increased need currently seen in the industry to archive
material in a digital format for current broadcast specs.
Alongside these developments, Digital Film Service recently launched its new
website, which contains comprehensive information about the gear on offer and its
rental rates. Visit the site at: www.digitalfilmservice.co.za.
