Online gear sharing service KitSplit, who you might remember from its recent purchase of CameraLends, is officially launching its service in Los Angeles this week. While it might not seem like news that a "web service" is launching in a new market (since the web is, you know, everywhere), it's important to remember that launching a service in a new city isn't always easy. Uber famously approached each new market as a fresh challenge, spending months on the ground recruiting drivers before launching in a new city. Having inventory matters.
The first time a new camera renter opens KitSplit for a region, that customer expects to see a lot of inventory available. If filmmakers open the app and see no inventory, they are unlikely to return. For a platform to say it serves an area and put a big push behind it signals the company feels it has enough inventory to support that area properly, which is exactly what KitSplit is doing with this announcement.
Credit: KitSplit
For example, a quick search for Atomos on KitSplit in LA turns up 35 options, including the popular Shogun Inferno, and the new Sumo, which is a great start. This expansion is especially tricky since KitSplit, which is based out of New York, is well known for its customer service. The company will now have to support that level of customer interaction in LA as well.
Many users fear moving to an online platform for rentals because they might not get the support that a traditional rental company offers, from technical advice to assembling a gear list for a job. KitSplit focuses heavily on that level of service to make the transition to online rentals painless.
Launching in the major North American media creation market is a bold move, considering not just that this is the home of competitor ShareGrid, but also that many of the major traditional rental houses have their homes in LA. KitSplit has already announced that it will be doing community events and workshops in LA to build awareness for its services in the region. While details about these events haven't been announced yet, if they are of the quality of KitSplit's camera demo on the Phantom earlier this spring, they'll be a valuable addition to the LA filmmaking community.
Looking to rent gear for your next LA shoot? For a limited time, KitSplit is offering free concierge service site-wide. Send your gear request to KitSplit, and the company's concierge service will find the gear you need at the best prices available and make sure the gear is delivered when you need it. Check out KitSplit to see what's available now.
