When Paul Kenyon started Absolute Locations three years ago, his vision was for a comprehensive location library that would be available on the Internet.

Lin Gibson, Absolute’s director, development and operations, explains how the idea evolved. "Once [Kenyon] realized what a black hole it was pouring money into developing the software and the staffing, it became just impossible to continue [the online service] without some other kind of support. So what he did was wisely stop concentrating on that for a year or so, and just opened a small rental company. And what happened is that that rental company has been extraordinarily successful."

This delay in the online venture caused Absolute to become "kind of a hybrid," providing rental equipment "that relates specifically to being on location, like pylons, chairs, heaters and air conditioners – all the way from garbage cans to portable toilets.

We also provide a prep service where we’ll go to a film location and make sure that the walls and the floor and the furniture aren’t damaged. We will send in a crew with all the appropriate materials: green boards, bubble wrap – whatever’s needed. We protect all those surfaces," says Gibson.

"We also have a scouting service and that falls into several areas. We have here on staff location scouts that people can and do book for their jobs, usually commercials, but not exclusively. We book freelance location managers onto jobs as well. Again, usually commercials."

The unexpected growth of Absolute’s support business has allowed the company to undertake several changes – changes that will likely be in full effect by April.

First of all, the success of the rental business has allowed Kenyon to pursue his original dream of an online location library.

"We have a very extensive photo library here of 5,000 to 6,000 location files," says Gibson. "We have been, over the last year-and-a-half in particular, digitizing much of that library. I can’t tell you how difficult and complex it has been.

"We do have and have always had a website that will tell you about Absolute. But the actual locations have not been on the Internet, so that’s what will be new. Throughout the month of March we’re inviting people to come down and take a look. Concurrent with that, we’re putting an e-commerce component into place so that people will be able to purchase some sort of a subscription or, in some way, access that from their remote location," she explains.

According to Gibson, Absolute’s location library will stand out from the "hundreds" of other libraries out there. "None of them are like ours," she says. "It is designed in a very practical way for the film industry. Most of the others I’ve looked at look like they were put together by a tourist board. They have limited value because they’ve basically taken the pretty shots. [Many productions require] rather ordinary locations. That’s what goes into making a film – not just the stuff that looks attractive or appealing."

Also, in most location libraries, she says, "you might get a shot of a very beautiful house on a street. In ours, you get the whole house, the interior of the house – the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, the bedrooms. You get the name, phone number, fax number and e-mail address of the person to whom you need to speak. You get the nearest intersection.

"So it’s much less geared towards just letting people know about Toronto and far more geared towards being very specific to the [producer’s] needs."

The e-commerce component will also allow people to order from the rental house, online.

At Absolute, the second major change is the development of two "two-person production support teams" in an attempt to streamline customer service. Gibson explains the need for the new division.

"As we grew, it became apparent that [the old] system wasn’t meeting our needs. There are three other companies operating out of here that we administer: It’s My Potty [portable potty rentals], Wee Bee Expendables [expendable sales, i.e. gels, filters, etc.] and Elly and Violet [vehicle rentals]." Elly and Violet are the names of two commercial production vehicles that are customized to provide dressing rooms, washrooms, a small hair and makeup area and a small client lounge, mostly for commercial production.

"Now, when you’re starting a new job, you are assigned or can request one of two teams. And all you have to do is talk to them. They’ll look after making all your changes. They co-ordinate it with our warehouse, with the potties, with the vehicles and with the expendables.

"It’s quite significant to our customers because now, no matter what you need, you just deal with your rep. What used to happen is that, depending on what you needed [you would have to talk to 20 people]," Gibson continues.

With all the change and the return to the company’s original vision (amidst the successful additional services), Gibson says Absolute’s goal is "to balance things out."

"It’s all very dependent on each other," she says.

-www.absolute.to