All Roads Lead to CVP

Business magazines brim with advice on how retail stores can increase traffic by offering a “unique customer experience.” And so we have Apple Stores, NikeLabs, Leica Galleries and places with great service where customers can “play.”

In some ways, this article can be considered a mini business case study on one company’s approach to outfitting, supplying and servicing professional camera equipment. That company is CVP. A word that comes to mind is bespoke–as in bespoke tailoring on Savile Row a few minutes away. In many ways, CVP is like a bespoke outfitter to camera crews.

CVP has been doing business for 30 years in the United Kingdom and Europe. Now they have opened a veritable playground for camera crews in a unique showroom in Newman Street, London. Their CVP Fitzrovia townhouse is called CVP Creative Experience and has five floors of production equipment from major manufacturers, including Sony, Canon, ARRI, RED, ZEISS, Panasonic, Blackmagic and many more.

The CVP Creative Experience currently houses:

Canon floor with a selection of their professional and consumer cameras, C700 FF, EOS R, third-party accessories, and a separate room with Canon monitors.
Sony floor with VENICE, Alpha series mirrorless, pro and consumer cameras, along with third-party accessories.
Europe’s largest display of ZEISS lenses. You can bring your own camera to test the lenses or use CVP’s.
Cameras from ARRI, RED, Panasonic and Blackmagic.
Blackmagic suite with DaVinci Resolve grading and editing and other Blackmagic converters, recorders and adapters.
Lenses from Angenieux, Cooke, Canon, Fujinon, Leica, Panasonic, Sigma, Sony, ZEISS, etc.
Gimbals and accessories from DJI, Freefly, Cinemilled, etc.
Camera accessories from Wooden Camera, Bright Tangerine Vocas, SHAPE, 16×9 Inc, Sachtler, Ronford Baker, OConnor, Manfrotto, Anton/Bauer, Tiffen, Tilta, Easyrig…

The Motion Room is filled with gimbals and there’s a Monitor Wall with the latest displays on display, synced together via a video router to compare the same feed. Visitors can plug in any camera and the same image will be displayed across all 20 or more on-board monitors at the same time.

Test Areas are available to obsess over lenses, cameras and filters.

Jon Fry, Sales Director of CVP (above), said, “The concept behind the Newman Street facility is to provide visitors with an engaging experience in an environment designed to connect creativity and technology. This permanent display of equipment is a playground where people can come to see, handle and test every single bit of kit required to bring their project to life. From an HDMI cable to large format cameras and everything else in between, this creative space gives everyone in the industry a place to learn new skills and get hands-on with all the latest equipment, all year round.”

The CVP Creative Experience also welcomes crews, manufacturers and industry professionals to their event space for lectures, seminars and screenings.

cvp.com 27 Newman St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1PN, UK

CVP & ARRI Creative Space

It’s a short walk from Newman Street to the CVP & ARRI Creative Space in a nearby Fitzrovia townhouse on Charlotte Street.

The facility was set up in April 2018 and is run by CVP. Here, the latest ARRI cameras, ALEXA LF, ARRI Signature Primes, lenses and accessories are on display in the showroom. Support equipment is supplied by Codex, OConnor, Ronford-Baker and more.

81 Charlotte Street, London, W1T 4PP, UK.

CVP Pro Authorized Service

CVP Pro Repairs is a respected, authorized service center for cameras, tripods, monitors and lenses from major manufacturers, including ARRI, RED, Sony, Panasonic, OConnor, Sachtler, Vinten, Litepanels, Cartoni, SmallHD, Angenieux, Canon, Fujinon and Cooke. The facility handles repairs from all of Europe.

CVP’s team of more than a dozen factory-trained, skilled in-house engineers are there to offer expertise, support and service with short turnaround times. The newly developed “track and trace” system lets customers follow their equipment throughout the process and lets them know when their job has been completed.

CVP is now authorized to do repairs on any Sony VENICE camera– no matter whether it was purchased through CVP or not.

CVP has ordered more than £40,000 of VENICE spare parts. This will save valuable time on repairs and expedite the repaired camera’s swift return.

CVP’s unique online tracking system can be viewed here.

23 Shield Dr, Brentford TW8 9EX, UK

cvp.com/services/professional_repairs

RED Authorized Service

CVP is not only a RED Authorized Dealer for the UK but also a RED exclusive Certified Service Center in the UK and Europe.

Staff from RED have joined the team of CVP engineers based at CVP’s Brentford facility to increase the size of the service and support group.

“When you have a product issue, you want to be able to speak to a human being who fully understands the problem and can offer efficient solutions,” said Jon Fry. “Our service capabilities, built on many years of industry experience, enable us to offer RED customers a more in-depth level of service, excellent product expertise and faster turnaround times. We’re proud to be one of a handful of RED Certified Service Centers around the world.”

CVP took on service, top-tier support and repairs for RED’s cameras and accessories beginning October 17, 2018. Customers can schedule service inquiries and in-house repairs in the new Service Center at CVP Brentford.

RED’s new facility in Gresse Street, London, together with the Creative Experience on Newman Street and the CVP & ARRI Creative Space on Charlotte Street creates a “Camera Triangle” where film and television creatives can gain a wealth of hands-on experience and technical advice, all within a few minutes’ walk of each other, in the center of London.

cvp.com/services/professional_repairs

CVP at BSC Expo

With NAB 2019 approaching, it’s good to review CVP’s impressive showing at BSC Expo 2019. Their exhibit serves as a model for many expos to come.

CVP’s presence echoed the thinking behind their Newman Street and Charlotte Street creative facilities in London, which are designed to provide visitors with the time, space and impartial expert advice to explore a wide range of leading production equipment and find the right combination for each project.

The BSC Expo space was thoughtfully laid out–with lots of space and room to move. There was a lens bar, Macro area with little live creatures, studio setup area on tripods and heads, handheld arena, gimbal and drone park, monitor wall, and an enormous bar and lounge area.

bscexpo.com