HAMILTON FILM STUDIOS INC.

What HAMILTON FILM STUDIOS INC. does

Hamilton Film Studios Inc. (HFS) is a privately held Canadian film production support company founded in December 2018 by Zach Zohr and Ken Woychesko in Hamilton, Ontario. The company provides film and television production companies operating in Hamilton and the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) with a bundled offering of film studio rental, production and location equipment rental, expendables and gear retail, and an e-commerce platform (HFShop) for self-serve purchasing. The core technology is an Odoo-based e-commerce website with integrated shop, live chat, and roughly 1,000 SKUs of expendables and retail gear from brands including Rosco, CineBags, Nanuk, Filmsticks, and Movie Paint; no proprietary technology or platform IP is evident. The business model is a hybrid of usage-based equipment rental (daily/weekly rates with multi-day discounts), one-time retail sales of expendables, and a consignment program that splits rental revenue 75/25 with equipment owners. In February 2024, HFS relocated from a 6,500 sq ft facility at 400 Wellington Street North to a smaller storefront at 34 Lincoln Street and ceased self-operated studio space, now referring studio customers to other Hamilton studios while retaining its rental and retail operations and expanding delivery across the GTHA.

Name

HAMILTON FILM STUDIOS INC.

Legal name

Hamilton Film Studios Inc.

Website

https://hamiltonfilmstudios.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hamilton Film Studios is a privately held Hamilton, Ontario-based film production support company providing equipment rentals, expendables retail, and an e-commerce shop (HFShop) to television and film productions filming in Hamilton and the GTHA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Production Services

NAICS

Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (3343)

SIC

Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Camera, Grip & Lighting Equipment Rental (MPADAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lighting & Studio Equipment Retail (Flash, Continuous, Modifiers, Backdrops) (CRACAHAF), Set Operations & Facilities Support (Power, Generators, Site Services) (MPADAFAF)

Keywords

• Film equipment rentals
• Production gear rentals
• Expendables retail
• Film studio rentals
• Television production supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamilton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Film Equipment Rental: Rental of production and location equipment including cameras, lenses, lighting, grip gear, art department supplies, and artwork. Daily and weekly rates with pricing based on one, two, or three-day weeks depending on shoot length. Consignment program available where equipment owners receive 75% and HFS retains 25%.
2. Expendables & Gear Retail: Retail sale of expendables (tape, gels, filters, boards, paper, fabric, set supplies) and retail gear (cases, bags, clothing, tools). Nearly 1,000 products stocked in-store with online shopping available. Brands include Rosco, CineBags, Nanuk, Filmsticks, Movie Paint.
3. Film Studio Rental: Studio rental services. Note: In February 2024, HFS relocated to 34 Lincoln Street and no longer operates their own studio space, but continues to refer customers to other Hamilton studios.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hamilton Film Studios rents film production and location equipment (cameras, lenses, grip, lighting, hazers, foggers, sound gear, dollies, jibs, artwork props) on daily and weekly rates to film and television production companies. The company also operates a retail store stocking nearly 1,000 expendables and gear products (tape, gels, filters, boards, paper, fabric, cases, bags, tools) from brands including Rosco, CineBags, Nanuk, Filmsticks, and Movie Paint. Since February 2024, the company no longer operates its own studio space but refers customers to other Hamilton studios.

Product overview

Hamilton Film Studios Inc. is a one-stop-shop for film and television production needs in Hamilton, Ontario. The company operates a multi-product portfolio consisting of Film Studio Rental (though they no longer operate their own studio as of February 2024), Film Equipment Rental (production and location equipment), Expendables & Gear Retail (consumable supplies and branded merchandise), and an HFShop online platform. The business model centers on serving production companies filming in Hamilton and the Greater Toronto/Hamilton Area (GTHA) by providing bundled access to studio space, equipment rentals, and expendables from a single source.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Film Equipment Rental Rental of production and location equipment including cameras, lenses, grip equipment, lighting, hazers, foggers, fans, location sound gear, camera support (dollies, jibs), tents, director's chairs, generators, AC cords, apple boxes, sandbags, HEPA filters, portable sinks, folding tables/chairs, and artwork props for film and television productions. Available on daily and weekly rates with pricing based on one, two, or three-day weeks depending on shoot length. Insurance required (minimum $1,000,000 Commercial General Liability).
• Expendables & Gear Retail Retail store offering consumable film production supplies including tape (gaffer, paper, cloth, specialty), gels/diffusion, boards/paper products, fabric, set supplies, and retail gear such as cases, bags, and clothing. Nearly 1,000 products stocked in-store. Brands include Rosco, CineBags, Nanuk, Filmsticks, and Movie Paint. Items available at unit pricing such as Traffic Cones ($0.75), Safety Vests ($3.50), Sandbags ($3.00), Apple Boxes ($4.50), and specialty items like Rosco V-Hazer Kits ($90.00) and HEPA Filter Kits ($250.00).
• HFShop (Online Store) E-commerce platform for online purchasing of rental equipment and expendables with in-store pickup or arranged delivery. Customers can browse, add to cart, and purchase expendables and retail gear directly.

Quantifiable outcome

• Can traverse Hamilton entirely in 30 minutes or less
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record.

• Picture Perfect PackageOthersLocal supplier of high quality grip & lighting gear. Contact: Matt Watts. Part of Hamilton film support ecosystem.
• Hamilton Scenic SpecialtyOthersSupport company actively supporting the Hamilton Film Community.
• Motion St. FleetOthersSupport company actively supporting the Hamilton Film Community.
• DroneboyOthersDrone operator supporting Hamilton film productions.
• Cabinet of CuriositiesOthersSupport company actively supporting the Hamilton Film Community.
• Hamilton Health Sciences Medical Movie PropsOthersMedical movie props supplier supporting Hamilton film productions.
• Theatrix Costume HouseOthersCostume house supporting Hamilton film productions.
• Hamilton Film FestivalOthersFilm festival organization in Hamilton. Industry group supporting local film community.
• Lights Camera HamiltonOthersFacebook group community for Hamilton film professionals. Industry group connecting local creatives.
• Hamilton Film OfficeOthersCity of Hamilton department supporting film productions. Helps with film permits and navigating local requirements.
• Ontario CreatesOthersProvincial film and media development organization providing tax incentives and support.
• Aeon Bayfront StudiosOthersFellow film studio in Hamilton. HFS refers customers to other Hamilton studios since relocating in February 2024.
• Evil Empire Studios & CoworkingOthersFellow film studio in Hamilton offering creative coworking space.
• Studio EtherealOthersFellow film studio in Hamilton.
• Green Door StudiosOthersFellow film studio in Hamilton.
• Millworks CreativeOthersFellow film studio in Hamilton.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• William F. White International (Comweb): Canada's largest film and television equipment rental company. Directly comparable as a film equipment rental house serving Canadian productions, though WFW is a much larger, full-service incumbent that also offers studio and logistical support nationwide.
• Panavision Canada: Global leader in camera systems and production equipment rentals for film and television. Comparable as a high-end production equipment provider, though Panavision operates on a far larger scale and is the dominant North American player in camera packages.
• ARRI Rental Americas: Global rental arm of ARRI, providing professional cameras, lenses, lighting, and grip equipment to film productions. Comparable as a high-end production equipment rental provider, though focused on premium ARRI camera systems and global in scale.

Direct peers

• Keslow Camera: Major North American camera, lens, and lighting rental house serving film and television productions. Comparable in providing high-end production equipment rentals to film crews, with deeper inventory and a broader geographic footprint than HFS.
• Sim Video International (Sim Digital): Canadian provider of camera, lighting, grip, and production equipment rentals to the film and television industry. Directly comparable as a production equipment rental house serving Canadian productions, with offices in major Canadian cities.
• GENERAL EQUIPMENT RENTALS (GER) / Cinequipt: Independent Canadian film equipment rental houses serving production crews. Comparable as production equipment rental peers to HFS, with London-based Cinequipt operating in the Ontario market on the same customer base.

Regional players

• Hand-Held Films / Hot Set Rentals: Regional film equipment rental and expendables supplier serving Toronto and Ontario productions. Comparable as a production rental and expendables retailer, with overlap in serving GTHA-based productions similar to HFS.
• Aeon Bayfront Studios: Fellow film studio in Hamilton, Ontario, to whom HFS now refers customers after its February 2024 relocation. Adjacent in the Hamilton film production ecosystem, though focused on studio space rather than equipment rental.
• Studio Ethereal Hamilton: Independent film studio in Hamilton, Ontario, part of the local ecosystem where HFS refers customers. Comparable as a Hamilton-based production facility serving film productions, though Studio Ethereal focuses on studio rentals rather than equipment or expendables.

Others

• Rosco Canada (Expendables Supplier): Manufacturer of professional lighting gels, filters, fog/haze fluids, and expendables used by film productions. HFS carries Rosco products (HEPA filter kit, V-Hazer kit, V-Hazer fluid, trace paper); Rosco is more of a supplier to HFS than a peer, but adjacent in the film expendables ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hamiltonfilmstudios
• Instagraminstagram.com/hamiltonfilmstudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hamiltonfilmstudios

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HAMILTON FILM STUDIOS INC.