For Hire
Exhibition, Film and TV- props hire & sales
For many years we have specialised in the hire and sale of vintage technology for Theatre, TV and Film production, as well as for exhibitions, art installations and advertising purposes. We have in stock practical and non-prac. domestic radios, TVs, gramophones and other items that are suitable for props. We can also source them from a wide range of contacts, or even make specialist props in our own workshop. Items can be hired or bought depending on production requirements. If you are a props buyer looking for something weird and wonderful, or just an everyday item that is accurately in period, contact us. We expect the unexpected, (although the impossible may take a little longer!)
We can supply or make many types of technical props for film & TV, stage and exhibition purposes.
Due to our experience in the broadcast TV industry, we understand about tight deadlines and budgets, the (ocassionally conflicting!) demands of directors and designers, and health & safety considerations.
We can also provide broadcast quality 'period' tube camera pictures for production use, providing all technical equipment and liasing with production, design or technical facilities as required. Need a 1980s TV news camera kit for a dramatic reconstruction? Working- with playback facilities? How about the ability to put the footage from original tape onto DVD for editing? No problem!
There are some glaring examples of anachronistic technical props in many prestigious period dramas. We know most viewers won't notice, and props buyers can't know everything, but why get it wrong when we can help you get it right, and make your life easier? Our experience includes:
- Practical TV sets for 'Life on Mars' (Series 1 and 2) (Kudos productions).
- Radio and TV sets for the visitor area exhibition in BBC Scotland's award winning Prince's Dock Television Centre.
- Radios and TVs for 'The Royal' (Yorkshire TV).
- TVs for Docu-Drama 'To Kidnap a Princess' (Granada TV).
- TV for 'The Grimleys' (Granada TV).
- Radios and record player for 'Hairspray' UK tour 2010.
- Gramophones for 'The Forsyte Saga' (Granada TV).
- Radios and TVs for 'This Morning' (Granada TV).
- Radios for display in the refurbished BBC office suites at Broadcasting House.
- 1930s radios for the National Theatre.
- 1940s wire recorder for a touring production of 'Death of a Salesman'.
- Practical vintage TV sets with playback facilities and operator for BBC3 drama series "Being Human".
- Supply and operation of 1970s/80s broadcast TV cameras (for authentic period picture characteristics) for a McDonalds TV commercial.
- A 1970s portable radio for a TV drama, which required three identical models- one practical, one to be smashed up in shot and another in reserve in case the stunt had to be repeated.
- A radio or TV set from each decade since the 1920s for a BBC promotional exhibition in Tokyo.
- A 1930s radio containing an operational remote control CD player for the gift shop at Blenheim Palace.
- 10 vintage televisions for an Art installation.
- A number of 1960s radios, TVs tape recorders and record players for a recreation of the music shop owned by Brian Epstein's father for a film on the Beatles.
- A period television set showing footage of the 80s miner's strike for a museum.
- 1960s TV cameras for a recreation of a TV studio for a music-based drama for S4C.
- All the equipment for a scene outside a courtroom involving a 1980s BBC news crew, for a film.
- Reel-to-Reel tape recorders for recording spiritual voices and 6 practical TVs for ' Most Haunted Live'. (Living TV.)
- 1950s TV sets for retail displays in Selfridges department store.
- A 'TV through the decades' TV display for a product launch for an international company.
- Practical 405 line TV set for 'The Road to Coronation Street' - ITV Granada
- TV sets, radios and gramophones for 'Eric and Ernie' made for BBC TV.
- Television cameras for a UK location scene for Hollywood film 'The Divided heart' (Dir. Luc Besson.)
- BBC Outside broadcast truck with practical cameras, operator to record 'period TV' clips for British film 'Theatre of Dreams' (Dir. David Scheinmann).
- Radio and TV sets for John Lewis advertising campaign.
- Practical 405 line TV with playback for ' The Queeen's Hidden Cousins' (Documentary) -Minnow Films for Ch.4.
- Stack of practical TV sets for an installation for Ray Ban product launch.
- Radios and gramophones for 'Dancing on the Edge' (Dir. Stephen Poliakoff) Ruby Films for BBC2.
- Outside broadcast and news cameras for film 'Rush' (Dir. Ron Howard- Biopic of Niki Lauda)
- 1960s/70s practical television sets for showing playbacks, for 'Turn back Time' (Wall to Wall productions for BBC)
- TVs for interiors of 'Union Jacks' restaurants, (Jamie Bianco Ltd)
- 1950s TV camera for 'Merrily We Roll Along' (Clwyd Theatre Cymru)
- Film cameras, projectors and equipment for 'The Quiet Ones' (Hammer Films)
- Practical TV sets with playback for 'Inspector George Gently' (ITV)
- Practical TV camera for BIBA 2015 exhibition at the Manchester Exhibition Centre
- Four working tube TV cameras with technical support for video playback on large screen installation at Topman fashion show in central London (Family Film)
- TV sets for the Science Museum - (for showing the Moon Landings in the new Cosmonauts Gallery).
- Provision of working 1970s tube cameras, with technical support for 're-creations' of classic footage for 'Bring the Noise' (Sky 1)
- Sourcing a period TV set for Jimi Hendrix's flat (National Trust)
- Practical TV for replays on camera for 'Hilda's last Ta-Ra '(ITV Coronation Street)
- Practical TV sets for TV series 'Endeavour' (ITV -several series)
- Recreation of a 1970s BBC Outside broadcast using original crew members for ADAPT- a unique historical project, (Royal Holloway University of London)
- 1950s TV cameras for a Marc Almond music video: youtube.com/watch (Film 24 Productions)
- TV Outside broadcast vehicle and camera for 'All the Money in the World' (Dir. Ridley Scott, Sony Pictures)
- TV Outside broadcast vehicle and practical TV equipment for 'Bohemian Rhapsody'- the story of Queen (20th Century Fox)
- TV studio cameras for a 1969 studio set for 'Endeavour', plus practical 1960s TV sets with playback (ITV)
- Studio set involving 15 TV sets, some practical, for 'Dym Byd Sbecial' ( Cwmni Dda for S4C)
- Studio sets of TV studios, outside broadcast cameras and technical support for practical vintage equipment for 'The Crown' (Netflix)
- TV studio set (1970) and location OB cameras with practical recording and playbacks for 'Misbehaviour' (Misbehaviour Productions)
- TV studio set with practical control gallery for 'Endeavour' 7 (Mammoth Screen for ITV)
- TV camera for recreation of first UK colour broadcastin 1967- Wimbledon 19 promo. Watch promo
- A 1990s TV studio set for 'Judy', the biopic of Judy Garland
- Outside broadcast units- BBC & 'ITN' for 'The Crown' Netflix
- 1960s TV studio for 'The Christine Keeler Story'
- Outside broadcast unit interior for 'Endeavour 8'
- Practical TV sets for TV shop interior and other equipment for a feature film shot in the UK 2021
- TV studio cameras and equipment for a major docu-drama series about the music industry-1970s (2021)
- Practical 1980s TV cameras for a studio scene in a Netflix drama series
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Ghost Annie (Lenora Crichlow) sees her mother on an old TV set- we provided playback of the pre-recorded footage onto the screen of a 1970s TV, the picture synchronised with the action when the set-top aerial is moved. |
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Pictures used in a TV commercial, (McDonalds) recorded from a 1980s tube camera to give an authentic 'archive' look to the shots used as part of a montage. We supplied and operated the camera and equipment for a London studio. |
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Studio camera and tripod in Clwyd Theatre Cymru's production of "Merrily We Roll Along"
1960s TV set with VT playback in 'Turn Back Time' (BBC) |
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Specially sourced radio for a key scene with John Goodman in 'Dancing On The Edge' (Ruby Films for BBC)
Working TV camera for BIBA 2015 exhibition at Manchester G-Mex |
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4 fully operational 1980s tube cameras supplied images for a video presentation by Trevor Jackson for Topman SS16 fashion show in central London. Cameras and technical support provided. (Family Film)
See video of the show HERE |
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DoP Ben Bee shooting a re-creation of Elton John and Kiki Dee's 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' with David Tennant and Ricky Wilson for 'Bring the Noise'
(Sky)
Cameras and technical support provided. (Twentysix03 productions) See video HERE |
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On location in London with Joel Dommett for 'Don't They Know it's Christmas' video for 'Bring the Noise'
(Sky)
Camera and technical support provided. (Twentysix03 productions)
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A completely authentic recreation (using original crew) of a 1970s BBC Outside Broadcast, and 2 fully practical 1980s tape edit suites for the ADAPT research project (Royal Holloway University). See it in action here
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'The story Continues'
A recreation of the first European scheduled colour TV broadcast by the BBC, live from Wimbledon in 1967. The camera was filmed with stop motion technique and used in a montage for the promo for Wimbledon 2019.
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BBC Outside Broadcast scanner 'North 3' with camera on location for 'All the Money in the World'. JP Getty (Kevin Spacey) walks away from the press having given his ultimatum to the kidnappers. This key scene was used in the first trailer but later edited out when Kevin Spacey was replaced by Christopher Plummer.
(Sony pictures- dir. Ridley Scott.) |
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Bohemian Rhapsody (The story of Queen)
Bob Geldof's famous broadcast appeal at Live Aid, filmed inside North 3 on location.
Part of the opening sequence followed an actor entering the truck in a complex crane shot.
(20th Century Fox) |
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A 1970 TV studio (BBC) for 'Misbehaviour', a film about the 1970 Miss World contest which was disrupted by protesters. This scene features a TV interview with the leader of the protesters (Keira Knightley).
3 period TV cameras were provided, plus 2 tube cameras which were used to record the scene for playback on TVs used in the scenes filmed later. (TV sets and playbacks also provided with technical support on several locations.)
(Pathe, BBC Films- Dir. Philippa Lowthorpe) |
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Contact us to see if we can solve your problem - it might be quicker (and cheaper) than you think.
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