PERG News: May 2017

| PERG News: May 2017 |

DOWNLOAD PERG'S NEW DIGEST OF FRAUD AND THEFT PREVENTION MEASURES
At the General Membership Meeting at NAB, PERG announced the publication of the 2017 Digest of Fraud and Theft Prevision Measures. Read more…

REGISTER NOW FOR PERG RENTAL HOUSE BREAKFAST AT CINE GEAR
We are looking forward to hosting a breakfast at Cine Gear on June 3rd. This is a unique opportunity to get onto the Paramount lot early for Cine Gear—no lines, easy parking—and enjoy breakfast with colleagues. Read more…

ON DEMAND LEARNING PLATFORM TO BE LAUNCED
This is a brand new platform that has tremendous potential for PERG members. This spring, ESTA and USITT established a new, on-demand, online learning platform for the benefit of both organizations. Read more…

RENTAL GUARD 2.0
The second big announcement at PERG’s NAB meeting was that PERG is raising money for a major upgrade of RENTAL GUARD. RENTAL GUARD has surpassed all expectations as a tool for pushing back against theft. Read more…

VIRTUAL REALITY—WHAT IT COULD MEAN FOR RENTAL COMPANIES?
The main event for PERG’s General Membership Meeting at NAB was panel discussions that turned out to be fascinating and informative. The first panel was titled Virtual Reality/360 and What it Means for Rental Houses. Read more…

UPDATE: SHIPPING LITHIUM ION BATTERIES
Andrew Butler from Anton Bauer gave PERG’s NAB audience an update on shipping lithium ion batteries. Read more…

PANEL OF EXPERTS CONSIDERS LED LIGHTS AS A RENTAL ITEM
The final panel discussion at the PERG NAB meeting took on the question of how advances on technology are going to affect lighting rental houses. For this discussion PERG turned to four experts whose companies are leading the industry with their LED products. Read more…

AICP AND PERG COHOST THE LARGEST PRE-CINCO DE MAYO PARTY EVER
This year saw a record turnout for the AICP/PERG co-hosted pre-Cinco de Mayo party. The Culver City Hotel was packed to capacity with an estimated 300 guests in attendance including representatives from 52 production companies and ad agencies. Read more…

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE PERG COUNCIL
From time to time, members ask about how PERG is governed and how they can get involved. To keep our members informed, we offer the following Q&A about our fabulous PERG Council and how it works. Read more…

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Would other members of your staff benefit by receiving the PERG Newsletter? To join our mailing list, just shoot us an email. 
• Want to get involved in a PERG initiative? The PERG executive council and committees are what makes PERG tick. Our members are our greatest resource. 
• Sponsorship opportunities are available for PERG events. 
• Let people know you are a proud member, display the PERG Member logo and RENTAL GUARD shield on your website. Contact us to receive your link to download.
• Not a PERG member? Consider joining the only industry trade association committed to the health and future of professional rental companies.

PERG’s New Digest of Fraud and Theft Prevention Measures Now Available

| PERG News: May 2017 |

At the General Membership Meeting at NAB, PERG announced the publication of the 2017 Digest of Fraud and Theft Prevision Measures. Over the past three years PERG has gained significant insights through discussions with rental houses of all types and sizes, through our work with law enforcement, discussions with insurance experts, and others. We have collected data from 192 thefts reported to RENTAL GUARD. The Digest gathers together all this real-world, industry-specific knowledge and sets down the measures that have been found effective to address potential weaknesses in company procedures and physical security. It also addresses ways you can communicate with your customers to increase their awareness of theft.

Topics include:

• Assessment of new customers: tips and techniques
• The “Slow Down” strategy
• Red flags
• Insurance exemptions to watch for
• A layered strategy for physical security
• Alarms, camera systems, and notifications
• Vehicles and generators
• What to do if a theft occurs
• Buying used equipment
• Customer outreach
• RENTAL GUARD User Manual

Debby Miller, president of Midtown Video, said “This is a truly relevant and comprehensive document for PERG members and industry professionals.” 

Joe Fitzgerald, President, OneBeacon Entertainment, believes it is “As good a document as has ever been put together on the subject.” 

The Digest is 35 pages long, including its 4 appendixes. One of the appendixes is the User Manual for RENTAL GUARD. If ever you need to be reminded how something works in RG, you’ll have the manual. 

The digest is free for PERG members. A link has already been emailed to members. If you missed it, please let us know. The document is available for non-members with a contribution of $100 or more to support RENTAL GUARD 2.0 (see RENTAL GUARD 2.0 in this issue).

Register Now for PERG Rental House Breakfast at Cine Gear

| PERG News: May 2017 |

We are looking forward to hosting a breakfast at Cine Gear on June 3rd. This is a unique opportunity to get onto the Paramount lot early for Cine Gear—no lines, easy parking—and enjoy breakfast with colleagues. Your PERG Rental House Breakfast ticket gets you onto the lot early. 

By special arrangement, guests can park at the GOWER GARAGE and enter the lot at the GOWER GATE between 9 and 10am. Cine Gear Expo Badges for our guests will be at the Gower Gate (unless you pick up your badge on Friday). All guests must be pre-registered for the Cine Gear Expo.

Guests must present their event ticket to Paramount security, so be sure to print your PERG Rental House Breakfast ticket. 

The breakfast is located in a shaded picnic area in B-Tank (see map on RSVP site). There will be lots of comfortable seating, a full breakfast, eggs, sausage, bagels, pastries, fruit, espresso drinks—the works from 9-10am.

June 3rd, 9-10 am

B-Tank picnic area

Early bird tickets are $20 and are on sale through May 18.

Full price tickets are $30 after that.

RSVP for PERG BREAKFAST HERE 

PRE-REGISTER for CINE GEAR EXPO FREE HERE 

Guests must pre-register for Cine Gear. 

On Demand Learning Platform to be Launched

| PERG News: May 2017 |

This is a brand new platform that has tremendous potential for PERG members. This spring, ESTA and USITT will establish a new, on-demand, online learning platform for the benefit of both organizations. The PERG Council is considering what types of training would be of the broadest value to our members. There is opportunity to provide training that could save rental companies time and resources—topics such as rental tech training, sales training, rental software insights, insurance, theft prevention, in-depth training on new technologies and old ones. The site could even provide executive-level professional development sessions tailor made for our members. 

The platform also enables PERG to produce outward-facing free training/messaging aimed at educating production companies and young filmmakers about the value of having their production supported by a professional rental house and how to take care of the administrative steps needed to work efficiently with their rental partner. 

The goal is to deliver a very high standard of knowledge and expertise. ESTA is able to tap a deep knowledge base through long-time associations with industry experts via the Technical Standards Program and Entertainment Technician Certification Program as well as PERG’s many technical experts.

On-line training can take a variety of forms including in the shop how-to videos, more formal instructive videos, voice-over-PowerPoint presentations, and videos of live panels and events. PERG is looking for partners who may already have content of value to our members. If you have ideas for beneficial topics, we’d love to hear them. The platform supports fee-based training and free content. Trainers that contribute content can derive a royalty from it.

RENTAL GUARD v2.0

| PERG News: May 2017 |

The second big announcement at PERG’s NAB meeting was that PERG is raising money for a major upgrade of RENTAL GUARD. RENTAL GUARD has surpassed all expectations as a tool for pushing back against theft. We estimate that RENTAL GUARD has helped our members avoid roughly $1.5 million in attempted (fraud) thefts, and the system has played a role in more than $1.4 million in recovered equipment. 

The system is clearly working, but, we need to make some upgrades to help improve the user experience and make it more useful to law enforcement. The cost for the needed upgrades is $35,000. PERG has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise the money. To fund has already raised $4000, 11% of the way toward our goal. We are appealing to everyone who has ever used RENTAL GUARD, to our members and associates, to please make a donation in the name of your company.

Please Make a Donation

• There is no minimum contribution. 
• Anyone contributing $100 or more will receive, as our gift, a copy of the Digest of Fraud and Theft Prevention.
• Any company donating $1000 or more will have their name displayed on the Rental Guard home page. 
• Of course, the key to successfully crowd-sourcing a campaign is to engage social media resources. So, please go all out—share, like, post, tweet. 

The total cost of the RENTAL GUARD program to date and maintenance into the future has been sponsored by Allianz, Chubb, Hiscox, One Beacon, and ProSight. 

Why the Upgrade is Needed. The upgrade will improve the user experience, and increase utility, but perhaps most important, it will improve the system’s reporting capability. At the General Membership Meeting at NAB, Lori Rubinstein explained why this is so important to law enforcement. 

“I can tell you from personal experience how important these enhancements can be. Here are just two examples. I received a call one night from Detective Martin Pastor, who many of you met here last year. He had been alerted that a suspect was flying into Buenos Aries and the local police were willing to detain the suspect and search his luggage for stolen gear. Could I be on standby to help search the RENTAL GUARD data base? A few hours later Martin was passing on information. That’s when we really discovered the search limitations of the current system as we could not draw up the information we were looking for easily. 

One of the most important aspects of the upgrade but one that will not be visible to you is the enhanced reporting. On several occasions, Martin has called me and said “Can you give me a list of all thefts in a particular city right away?” The answer has been ‘I will need several hours to cobble a report together.’ This upgrade will make that kind of reporting available in minutes.”

RENTAL GUARD Successes. Mark Wofford, PERG Council Member and the General Manager at PC&E in Atlanta, underlined the significant effect of RENTAL GUARD when he updated the NAB audience regarding an attempted fraud that PC&E experienced two years ago. He was recently informed by London police that 12 individuals have been charged, ten of them are already in custody, and that he may be asked to testify (via Skype) at their trial next year. This crime ring was responsible for string of “thefts by rental.” PC&E avoided being robbed in 2014—a camera package valued at over $130,000—by posting a New Customer Inquiry on RENTAL GUARD. Within an hour, PC&E heard back from ARRI in the UK informing him that the same “customer” had stolen equipment from their affiliate in South Africa. At the time of the attempted theft, the courier, who was sent from England to pick up the equipment, was questioned by Atlanta police. This and other evidence has now enabled London police to bring a crime ring to trial.

Detective Martin Pastor of the New York Police Department’s Major Case Squad made the journey to join us in Las Vegas for the PERG meeting. He presented three Las Vegas police detectives with awards for their part in a sting that Detective Pastor orchestrated last year. Detectives Joe Herbert, Dave Williams and Gary Chaney arrested a suspect and recovered a reported $130,000 of equipment that had been stolen, via fraud, from a rental house in Burbank. The perpetrator, now in the custody of the New York Police, also has warrants in two other states for rental house thefts. Pastor pointed out, without RENTAL GUARD the information that enabled the sting would never have come to light. In the Burbank robbery, RENTAL GUARD enabled the Burbank Detectives to learn that the same thief was responsible for five other thefts (or attempts) across the country. The rental house owner that was robbed gained this key information because his Missing Equipment Alert prompted emails and phone calls from other rental companies in New York and Philadelphia. As we have reported in this Newsletters on many occasions, there are multiple ways that RENTAL GUARD helps push back against theft.

PLEASE SUPPORT RENTAL GUARD

Virtual Reality—What Could it Mean for Rental Companies?

| PERG News: May 2017 |

The main event for PERG’s General Membership Meeting at NAB was panel discussions that turned out to be fascinating and informative. The first panel was titled Virtual Reality/360 and What it Means for Rental Houses. VR was on prominent display at NAB with a growing number of rigs, post solutions, and sample content on exhibit. Like 3D a couple years ago, we are currently at that awkward stage where content is dependent on infrastructure and a distribution platform, and vice versa, and no one is sure yet how big this could be and whether it is here to stay. 

At the NAB show, guests had the opportunity to experience VR in the North Hall, where NAB hosted the VR Pavilion. VR goggles can be extremely cheap—less than $30 (without audio)—because they use a smartphone for the screen, and are powered by any number of free VR apps. For example, Samsung’s Galaxy S8 snaps into a Gear VR headset. Oculus is a leader in virtual reality technology and regularly debuts new experiences like Hulu shows, guided meditations, language tutorials in their VR store. There are an increasing number of VR channels available on YouTube and other websites.

PERG’s panelists were three of the people who probably know more about shooting VR from the technical side than anyone: Malachi Bierstein, the Head of Sales for Nokia’s new Ozo camera/VR system; Michael Mansouri, Co-Founder and Vice President of Radiant Images; and Kate Wurzbacher, Head of Camera at Here Be Dragons. The panel was moderated by PERG council member, Paul Royalty (LiteGear).  The three panelists gave the discussion a well-rounded perspective.

All three panelists attested that there has been rapidly expanding interest in VR and 360. Budgets for VR have grown from tens of thousands of dollars a couple years ago to budgets in the millions now. The medium, which puts the viewer in the center of a fully-immersive world where the viewer can look around them in all directions, has grabbed the attention of ad agencies who are aware of a certain saturation level with broadcast, and are looking to appeal to a generation hungry for something more authentic, experiential, interactive and new. 

Our panelists have seen VR grow beyond capturing live concerts, video games, and music videos to experimenting in narrative forms, and even dropping the viewer into the all-too-real experience of life for Syrian children in a Jordanian refugee camp. Here Be Dragons created the refugee story for the United Nations. The powerful, immersive and deeply moving experience inspired the UN to make other similar projects. Wurzbacher’s boss, Chris Milk, founder and creative director of Here be Dragons has given several insightful TED talks exploring the potential of VR to create empathy. 

Wurzbacher and Mansouri are both pioneers in RV live-action capture. Kate Wurzbacher has been on-location for over 30 shoots in locations spanning from Raja Ampat to Islamabad. She has helped prototype 360 stereo rigs and design unique on-set viewing solutions. Here Be Dragons was one of the first companies to utilize custom rigs and incorporate camera movement in 360 films. Michael Mansouri has a reputation as one of the industry’s most knowledgeable, inventive and passionate technicians in 2D, 3D, and virtual reality. Radiant Images is an LA-based rental house and hub of digital-cinema innovation focusing on capturing and delivering VR content. 

Wurbacher and Mansouri have used all kinds of cameras for VR. They have created rigs using six or more ARRI Mini or RED camera bodies, for very high resolution images using cinema style glass. They have also shot with multiple GoPros or other cameras creating rigs with as many as 24 cameras. The two described some of the challenges for on-set monitoring, data wrangling and other topics a rental house might want to consider if they want to get into the business of supporting VR shoots. 

Bierstein described the Nokia Ozo camera/VR system as a complete end-to-end solution designed to short cut the complex R&D needed for developing a multi-camera rig and postproduction process. It is the first Virtual Reality device to capture 360° spherical 3D video and 360x360 surround sound. The inputs from eight 2k x 2k sensors pointing in all directions, including up and down, are stitched together using Nokia’s Creator software. The image files integrate into existing workflows. Nokia is calling it the first professional all-in-one 360 capture system.

Both Mansouri and Wurbacher have used the Ozo camera to capture VR projects. The camera, which is essentially a 9-lb. sphere, similar in size to a human head, maintains a relatively low profile, which proved useful for documentary projects and on-stage concert filming. The inter-ocular distance of the camera’s four outward-looking lenses is very nearly the same as human eyes, giving the system natural 3D capability. Output can be either stereoscopic or monoscopic depending on how the images are processed in post.

Nokia has set up their distribution to support rental companies who buy the $40,000 Ozo camera. They report that in the major markets there is such strong demand that rental companies that purchase a couple of cameras soon find they need more. 

Whether supporting multi-camera shoots with custom VR rigs, or offering an all-in-one solution, VR offers a new market that is coming to fruition. It will be interesting to see how PERG members take this on over the next couple of years.

Update: Shipping Lithium Ion Batteries

| PERG News: May 2017 |

Andrew Butler from Anton Bauer gave PERG’s NAB audience an update on shipping lithium ion batteries. He reported that the new rules for shipping that were adopted last year have essentially not changed. Stand–alone lithium ion batteries are forbidden on passenger aircraft (under packing instructions 965, which applies to batteries that are not contained within equipment or shipped with equipment). Camera and lighting batteries, subject to 965 should be discharged to less than 30% charge before being shipped by air, and must be shipped via cargo carrier only.

The IATA guidance document and 2017 updates are available on PERG’s website at:

http://www.esta.org/PERG/Initiatives/lithium-ion_batteries.html

Butler reported that in 2016 the FAA imposed fines on a number of companies that did not ship batteries in compliance with the new regulations. Rental houses, camera assistants and lighting technicians need to stay fully informed on this issue. Rental houses are encouraged to help educate camera assistants about the shipping rules.

Anton Bauer and Core SWX are among the manufacturers that now integrate travel features into their chargers. The feature enables the user to safely discharge camera batteries to less than the regulatory maximum charge. Blueshape offers a shipping case pre-labeled with the required lithium ion battery shipping label. Blueshape chargers display the percentage state of charge.

Panel of Experts Considers LED Lights as a Rental Item

| PERG News: May 2017 |

The final panel discussion at the PERG NAB meeting took on the question of how advances on technology are going to affect lighting rental houses. For this discussion PERG turned to four experts whose companies are leading the industry with their LED products: Al DeMayo, CEO and President at LiteGear; Chuck Edwards, Chief Technology Officer at Cineo; Rich Rosen, Director of Engineering at Litepanels; and Michael Wagner, Senior Product Manager at ARRI. John Cini of High Output moderated the panel.

The panel answered probing questions about how manufacturers are promoting their products to distinguish them from lower cost knock-offs; how manufacturers are ensuring the longevity of their products, what that life cycle can be expected to look like, and the need for training along with these technological advances.

Surprisingly, ARRI has not seen the demand for their tungsten products diminish as LEDs have taken off. So far, ARRI sees their LED products as an addition, more than a replacement. All members of the panel admitted that they see their products used in all kinds of ways that they did not expect. The product engineers pointed out that cooling systems and careful control of the way the LED emitters are chosen and driven help product longevity. With all the products using a blend of colors to create adjustable white light, it is very important that all the emitters age at the same rate, otherwise some colors will start to fall off in brightness before others, skewing the color balance. That said, the manufacturers agreed that the first parts to burn out are going to be the power supplies, which should therefore be replaceable and user serviceable.

LiteGear’s Lite Ribbon, is a favorite with gaffers because it enables them to use the light engine in any number of gags that lighting technicians invent for themselves. DeMayo pointed out that the central benefit of these products is their light weight and adaptability. Sometimes having a light engine that can be mounted where no other fixture can be is more important than other features.

The panel discussion, which lasted about 25 minutes, enabled some in-depth discussion of the issues that face rental houses as they gear up with new LED products.  

AICP and PERG Co-host Largest Cinco de Mayo Party Ever

| PERG News: May 2017 |

This year saw a record turnout for the AICP/PERG co-hosted pre-Cinco de Mayo party. The Culver City Hotel was packed to capacity with an estimated 300 guests in attendance including representatives from 52 production companies and ad agencies including: @LArge Productions, Alldayeveryday, AMB Music, Aris, B-Reel, Backyard, Big Block Content LLC, Big Nest, Biscuit Filmworks, BrickTown Digital, Brothers International LLC, Bullitt, Cap Gun Collective, CMS Productions, Community Films, Cut+Run, Sanctuary, Derango Pictures, Domo X Publishing, Durable Goods, Endeavours, Eskimo, Farm League, Freehand LA, Good Planet Innovation, goodrebel, Greenlight Films, Henry Films, Hey Wonderful/RSA Films, Lookout Entertainment, MJZ, Moxie Pictures, Mssng Peces, NomadFC, Notorious 24:7, Now or Never, Nunchaku,  paydirt, Piel Morena Entertainment, Pony Show Ent, Press Kitchen, PRETTYBIRD, RadicalMedia LLC, Raucous Content, RESET Content, Revolution Entertainment Services, Smashbox Studios, Smuggler, SPECTACLE, Splendid & Co, Super Prime Films, Supply&Demand, The Cavalry Productions, The Corner Shop, The Institute, Tool Shed, WHAT CO. LLC, and Wondros.

To view more photos from the AICP/PERG pre-Cinco de Mayo party,
please visit our Events page.

What You Should Know About the PERG Council

| PERG News: May 2017 |

From time to time, members ask about how PERG is governed and how they can get involved. To keep our members informed, we offer the following Q&A about our fabulous PERG Council and how it works.

What does the Council do?
The PERG Council is the advisory body that decides the direction of the PERG group and represents PERG members’ concerns and desires in Council meetings. The PERG Council is responsible for developing our annual events, meetings, and parties; and our initiatives like RENTAL GUARD, the AICP/PERG sample T&C document, Data Security Best Practices documents, Lithium Ion Battery Shipping documents, industry surveys, and so on.

How is the PERG Council different than the ESTA Board of Directors?

The ESTA Board of Directors governs the overall international trade association and are elected to office by the entire ESTA voting membership. The PERG Council is only concerned with matters related uniquely to PERG members—the motion picture/TV/commercial rental companies—which is a special interest group within ESTA. Council members are appointed in accordance with PERG’s rules of governance.

What kind of people are on the Council?      

The Council is made up mainly of principals and owners of lighting and camera rental companies. The council also includes a limited number of representatives from manufacturing and professional service companies.

Do I have to be on the Council for my voice to be heard?
Every member has a voice in the organization. Any member who has suggestions, ideas, comments, and criticisms is encouraged to speak to a Council member or the PERG manager. The door is always open. Member involvement and feedback is one of the most important and appreciated driving forces of the organization. The PERG Council members act as representatives for the general membership.

Can I be more involved in PERG without having to be a Council member or sponsor anything?
The involvement of all PERG companies plays an important role in what we can accomplish. All members are invited to get involved in our events, initiatives, outreach efforts, and committees.

What is the intended makeup of the Council?

At any given time, there are at least 9, and as many as 17, Council members. PERG maintains guidelines for its governance that include criteria for the selection of Council members. To achieve a balance of individuals and interests committed to furthering the goals of PERG, the Council considers the following:

• Geographic diversity of members
• Representation of both camera and lighting companies
• Gender and age diversity
• Candidates must be committed to attending meetings and other PERG events
• Candidates must hold decision-making authority within their organizations. They must be able to express opinions and vote in Council meetings without higher authorization from someone in their company.
• Candidates must be willing to serve on a task group(s)

Who should I talk to if I’m interested in being on the Council?
If any PERG member is interested in serving on the Council, they should speak to a Council member or the PERG manager. New PERG Council members are appointed when positions become open. The Council announces the ideal criteria for candidates to fill openings via the PERG Newsletter.

What is the commitment for Council members?
The PERG Council are volunteers. The Council has four scheduled meeting annually to which Council Members travel at their own expense. The term of office for the Council is three years, with an option to continue after that time.

What is the benefit of serving on the PERG Council?

Give back. Make friends. Have a front row seat. Make a difference to the industry. Help spearhead action on issues that are important to everyone. Make a lot of new professional connections. Have fun!

Who are these wonderful people you call the PERG Council?

Carly Barber                        Illumination Dynamics                  Los Angeles

Terra Bliss                           Panavision                                    New York

John Cini                             High Output                                  Boston

Lawrence Daufenbach        Daufenbach Camera                    Chicago

Stosh Durbacz                     Fijinon                                          Toronto

Derek Hammer (Chair)        Hammer Lighting and Grip           Indianapolis

Debby Miller                        Midtown Video, Inc.                      Miami

Mardrie Mullen                    Clairmont Camera, Inc.                 Burbank

Alex Pakarian                      The Camera Division                    Los Angeles

JR Reid                               JR Lighting, Inc.                            Las Vegas

Paul Royalty                        LiteGear, Inc.                                Burbank

John Rule                            Rule/Boston Camera                    Boston

Scott Taylor                         Taylor & Taylor Associates           New York

Mark Tye                             Citation Support                           Nashville

Mark Wofford                       PC&E                                           Atlanta

Who are the ESTA staff I should know?

Lori Rubinstein              Executive Director of ESTA

                                      Executive Director of Behind the Scenes Foundation

Harry Box                      PERG Manager

Frances Thompson       Membership Manager

Judi Daitsman               Office Manager
Robert Mendoza           Graphic & Web Designer