Removing barriers to growth

Surrey-based specialist film equipment firm Camera Revolution Limited is taking its final step to becoming a fully integrated design, manufacturing and rental business, thanks to support and investment from Made Smarter. 

The business operates as a specialist film equipment rental business and emerging manufacturer of proprietary camera support systems, motion control equipment and stabilisation rigs. The company supplies equipment to major film and television productions for globally recognised clients such as Netflix, Amazon MGM, Apple and Disney.

Innovation sits at the heart of Camera Revolution’s business model. The firm has invested heavily in developing an in-house engineering capability, creating a dedicated design and development function using SolidWorks and developing innovative products. The company frequently develops bespoke equipment for specific film productions, often with lead times measured in days rather than weeks. Directors and cinematographers regularly require unique solutions for individual scenes or camera movements, creating pressure to design, manufacture and deliver functional equipment within extremely short timescales.

A key challenge for growth has been the company’s reliance on external CNC machining suppliers for prototype production, limiting the speed at which new products and bespoke solutions can be developed, tested and refined.

Additionally, engineers spend valuable time managing supplier relationships, waiting for parts and dealing with external production schedules. This slows innovation and limits the number of projects that can be progressed simultaneously.

The limitation and reliance on external manufacturers has forced the business to decline opportunities or use costly expedited machining services, significantly reducing profitability.

Supporting the right solution

Thanks to the Made Smarter investment and support, Camera Revolution has been able to invest in a new Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printing system. This has enabled the production of high-quality components in-house, delivering durable, accurate and functionally tested parts within days rather than weeks.

Unlike traditional desktop printing technologies, SLS printing produces industrial-grade components suitable for both rapid prototyping and selected end-use applications.

What will the Made Smarter investment and support mean for the business?

By bringing this additive manufacturing functionality in-house, Camera Revolution has reduced prototype iteration times from between two and four weeks to less than 48 hours. This will allow engineers to test and refine concepts rapidly, significantly shortening product development cycles and accelerating the launch of new products.

Thanks to enabling much faster rounds of product development, and bringing components manufacturing in house, the technology significantly helps accelerate innovation within the business.

By removing reliance on external suppliers for early-stage development work, engineering resources can focus on innovation rather than administration and supplier management. This improves productivity, drives efficiency and supports continued growth of the engineering function.

The film production industry is highly time-sensitive. The ability to design and manufacture bespoke equipment in-house within days gives Camera Revolution a significant competitive advantage, enabling the company to respond more effectively to clients’ requirements and secure opportunities that would previously have been unattainable.

The business estimates that the technology could reduce external prototype machining expenditure by at least £40,000 annually while also improving engineering productivity and reducing lost revenue opportunities. Overall annual savings are forecast to be approximately £130,000, with a payback period of around five months.

Rowan Newbitt, Lead Design Engineer at Camera Revolution said:
“The Made Smarter grant has been a genuine enabler for us. We’ve spent three years building an engineering department from the ground up, and SLS printer is the piece of the puzzle that completes our ability to design, prototype and deliver in-house. For an industry where a client can call on a Tuesday needing something on set by Thursday, that capability isn’t just useful, it’s the difference between winning the job and turning it down.”

The future

This investment is about more than introducing a new piece of equipment. It represents the final step in Camera Revolution’s evolution into a fully integrated design, manufacturing and rental business.

Camera Revolution continues to develop innovative products for the film industry and intends to launch multiple new proprietary product lines and expand product sales globally. The investment has given the business the agility needed to compete at an international level. Faster development cycles, enhanced innovation capabilities and the ability to respond rapidly to customer requirements strengthens the company’s position with world-leading production companies, unlock new commercial opportunities and support future export growth.

Support for Surrey businesses

Made Smarter is a government-funded programme to help SME manufacturers and makers boost productivity and increase their competitive edge through the adoption of new industrial technologies and tools. Start your own journey to digitisation – register for a free personalised assessment today.

Looking for support to grow your Surrey business? Get in touch via our Business Support Form.

A Surrey farmer is bringing consumers closer to his produce – by setting up a meat vending machine at Ivelle Farm in Cranleigh. It’s been made possible thanks to funding from the Surrey Economic Growth Fund.

A decade ago, Alec Clouting spotted an unusual idea at a farming event – vending machines selling local produce. He realised it could be a way to diversify his family’s business and give the community direct access to farm-fresh meat. But with limited funds, the idea had to be put on hold. 

But Alec can now make his dream a reality with help from the Economic Growth Fund. The grant has helped to buy a shipping container, commercial freezer and vending machine. This allows him to sell frozen beef, lamb and pork, seven days a week. 

The meat vending machine selling at Ivelle Farm in Cranleigh is set to open this Spring. 

Are you a Surrey farmer or rural business looking for support to diversify? Or have an idea that will help your enterprise grow? Get in touch with our team of experts via our Business Support Form.

Bringing consumers closer to produce

Most meat from Ivelle Farm is sold wholesale to livestock markets and then re-sold to supermarkets. But selling the meat direct to consumers gives the farmers more control – and more of the profits. 

What’s more, it keeps people connected with food producers. Alec says: “I am a big believer of people being in touch with where their food comes from, for the local community to be able to come to the farm where it comes from and get it direct.” 

Alec is the fourth generation of farmers at Ivelle Farm. His father is currently at the helm. But he’s been working at other farms while looking for a way back into the family firm. 

He explains: “We’re finding there’s a lot of financial challenges with farming. It is a small farm and this will give me an opportunity to come back, have a place in the business and viably sell our produce direct to the consumer. It wouldn’t be happening without the funding.” 

And the impact extends beyond one family’s enterprise. The initiative supports a local butcher and abattoir, creating a network of rural businesses working together.

He says: “The benefits go further than just us, and it is about supporting other local businesses.” 

Alec’s vision doesn’t stop at meat. He said: “I am excited to adapt the farm to what the community consumes and what is in demand in the local area. Down the line I would like to expand so people can come and get all their basics.” 

As a proof of concept, the model could be replicated across other farms through a franchise approach, offering a blueprint for agricultural diversification in an era of farming uncertainty. 

Farming and the Economic Growth Fund

Ivelle Farm is one of several rural businesses to benefit from the Surrey Economic Growth Fund.

Alec said: “I’m very grateful for the opportunity the Economic Growth Fund has provided me with. And doubled up with the support from the team at Business Surrey, it’s really helped get the project off the ground and build a vision for the future.  

“Farming is a very difficult business to navigate with many layers of complexity. And with the recent added pressures of the farm inheritance tax, it’s becoming harder to make small family farms like ours financially viable.

“Many futures have been thrown into uncertainty. So having a futureproof way of selling my produce as profitably as I can will give me the best chance I could wish for!”  

Are you a Surrey farmer or rural business looking for support to diversify? Or have an idea that will help your enterprise grow? Get in touch with our team of experts via our Business Support Form.