PERG Newsletter: August 2024

      

| PERG News: August 2024 | 

In This Issue:

PERG Launches EWI Coffee-Break Series
The first two EWI Coffee Breaks are now available strictly for PERG members. Links were emailed to member companies last week. Read more...

New Member Spotlight – DFI Rentals
DFI Rentals started as a production company called “DFI Studio,” based in Downtown Los Angeles. Tony Huang started the company with a couple of friends while attending USC Film School. Read more...

Upcoming EWI Coffee Breaks
In this session, Sony Master Trainer and DP Katie Eleneke and award-winning Director of Photography Michael Pessah, ASC, present a practical orientation and demonstration of Sony digital cinema cameras. Read more...

PERG Rental Works User Group Meetings
PERG continues to host User Group meetings in which individuals who use Rental Works have an opportunity to discuss implementation of the software and how it dovetails with their sales and operations procedures. Read more...

Is Your Rental Company Hiring? Consider EWI
As more jobs come back online in late summer and early fall, we anticipate many rental companies will be thinking about increasing their staffing to pre-strike levels. Read more...

Sponsor: About the LiteGear Spectrum Loyalty Program
LiteGear is excited to offer our loyal Spectrum customers amazing deals on the 2nd generation LiteMat Spectrum, the LiteDimmer Spectrum AC/DC 200, and the LiteDimmer Spectrum AC/DC 400. Read more...

 

PERG Launches EWI Coffee-Break Series

| PERG News: August 2024 |

The first two EWI Coffee Breaks are now available strictly for PERG members. Links were emailed to member companies last week. Feel free to email perg@esta.org if you missed the email and want access. If you would like invitations for future sessions sent directly to your email address, please sign up HERE (exclusively for PERG members).

The sessions are part of PERG's Equitable Workforce Initiative, sponsored by Netflix. These unique virtual sessions are intended as a resource for mentoring rental employees and providing professional development opportunities. The first two sessions are under the title Running a Successful Rental Company. They provide a 360-degree perspective on what we do, and the vital role of your professional rental company in your community's production ecosystem.

In Part I, The Client Experience, EWI Coordinator, Alison Cupples, moderates a panel of veteran rental house principals to explore the seven phases of the client's experience from the initial request for a quote through the final invoicing stage. In Part II, The Equipment Life Cycle, the panel discuss the life cycle of the equipment from the purchasing decision to retirement or sale. The panelists were terrific—thorough and insightful. They include Michael Koerner (Koerner Camera Systems), Anna Mayo (MP&E), Sam Gordon and Ryan  Halsey (Serious Grippage & Light Co.) and Hans Gelpke (Lux Lighting). We are extremely grateful for their invaluable participation in the EWI Coffee Breaks. The sessions are one-of-a-kind inside look at the inner workings of a rental company. 

If I had to pick just two themes that emerge from the combined 150 minutes of discussion, they are 1) appreciating the critical role of professional rental companies within the production community, and 2) the challenge of managing expectations and sustaining positive relationships with clients through a process that riddled with potential opportunities for conflict. 

We are interested in your candid feedback and ideas and inspiration for future coffee breaks. Please reach out to perg@esta.org.

New Member Spotlight – DFI Rentals

 | PERG News: August 2024 |

DFI Rentals started as a production company called “DFI Studio,” based in Downtown Los Angeles. Tony Huang started the company with a couple of friends while attending USC Film School. “At the time, we owned a lot of equipment and found that a lot of our peers and other production companies asked us to rent our equipment for their shoots. As we started to get more and more requests, we decided to pivot into doing cinema equipment rentals.” The company is currently owned by Tony Huang and Connor Hu.

DFI primarily services small to mid-size productions including narrative shorts, indie features, commercials, music videos, documentaries, and events. The company also services foreign productions filming in Los Angeles. 

For Tony the thing that sets DFI apart is the customer experience they have created with the next generation of filmmakers in mind. “From the very beginning, we’ve asked ourselves — what are the instructions that everyone else follows, and how can we break free from them? This is the founding principle we’ve build our production company with, and it continues today into our production rentals service.”  

Tony and Connor sought to streamline the film equipment rental process, which they felt can be difficult, unapproachable, and extremely time consuming. “It doesn’t need to be this way. We chose not to follow the instructions; or in other words, the traditional difficulties of equipment rentals. We said goodbye to quotes/invoices/back & forth emails, empowering our users to manage their orders from start to finish online. 

Because we had a tight launch deadline for our new rental facility last year in June, we built our entire office in just under 16 days. The company is located in Downtown Los Angeles, about 5 minutes away from USC. DFI has five full prep bays, two checkout and returns stations, two state-of-the-art quality control bays, in a facility that is over 4500 square feet. DFI now has six staff members who are capable of handling everything from customer support, order fulfillment, accounting, quality control, and other technical roles. 

“Our goal is to rethink the future of equipment rentals, making the experience as seamless and simple for our customers as possible, while keeping the safeguards that are needed to ensure the quality and safety of our equipment.”

Instagram - @dfirentals
Website - dfirentals.com
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@DFIRentals
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/dfi-creative-solutions-corporation
Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@dfi.rentals

Upcoming EWI Coffee Breaks

| PERG News: August 2024 |

August 13, Top Things to Know about Sony Cinema Cameras.
On YouTube, search “PERG Coffee Breaks” to access the playlist. 

In this session, Sony Master Trainer and DP Katie Eleneke and award-winning Director of Photography Michael Pessah, ASC, present a practical orientation and demonstration of Sony digital cinema cameras. Eleneke will demonstrate Sony’s Cinema Line, while Pessah will provide practical examples of how he uses their features and his experiences. The presenters will also discuss the important role rental companies have in supporting productions and their crews.

This training is great for all levels of rental professionals – from entry level to professional and will enable a deeper understanding of why cameras have certain features, and how cinematographers and camera assistants harness camera functions to deliver stunning visuals.

September 9, The Role of the Lens Technician.
Matthew Duclos (Duclos Lenses) discusses the craft of the lens service technician. Our industry needs more trained lens technicians and there is no one better suited to tell us about that journey than Matt. Duclos Lenses is a preeminent independent lens service center in the US. 

PERG Rental Works User Group Meetings

| PERG News: August 2024 |

Next meeting: Tuesday August 20, 10 am PT, 11 am, MT, 12 pm CT, and 1 pm ET.

PERG continues to host User Group meetings in which individuals who use Rental Works have an opportunity to discuss implementation of the software and how it dovetails with their sales and operations procedures. Melissa Guzman, Implementation Manager at Rental Works, guides users, sharing the training sandbox so she can easily demonstrate the functions that are raised in discussion by the group. The sessions are well attended and have proved to be a great way to get questions answered, hear how other people deal with issues, hone your rental company processes, and even offer feedback to Rental Works.

Please note that this initiative is not an endorsement or promotion of any vendor by PERG. PERG facilitates the user groups in response to requests from PERG members. Each rental software has different existing support networks and user needs. Please contact the PERG Manager if you are interested in forming a user group for other rental software.

Is Your Rental Company Hiring? Consider EWI

| PERG News: August 2024 |

As more jobs come back online in late summer and early fall, we anticipate many rental companies will be thinking about increasing their staffing to pre-strike levels. PERG’s Equitable Workforce Initiative provides a grant that covers all costs for the first six months of employment—salary and benefits—for eligible entry-level new hires up to a cap. Rental companies who participate in the program will take on responsibility for providing trainees with a broad industry perspective, documented training, and mentorship intended to inspire long-term interest and spark a career. 

The Program is available to all PERG-member rental companies. There are five grants currently available that will be awarded on a first-come-first-served basis to five rental companies when they identify and hire an eligible applicant. Before you start the search for an employee, complete a simple application form with your job listing. You hire the employee who best suits your needs. Eligible job seekers also complete an application with EWI prior to hire. You are under no obligation prior to hiring the EWI trainee.

Find out more HERE, and contact program coordinator, Alison Cupples, at perg@esta.org.

Sponsor: About the LiteGear Spectrum Loyalty Program

| PERG News: August 2024 |

LiteGear is excited to offer our loyal Spectrum customers amazing deals on the 2nd generation LiteMat Spectrum, the LiteDimmer Spectrum AC/DC 200, and the LiteDimmer Spectrum AC/DC 400. Now through August 30, 2024, all verified owners of the 1st generation LiteMat Spectrum or the LiteDimmer Spectrum DC 200 will receive 20% off the purchase of the 2nd generation LiteMat Spectrum or LiteDimmer Spectrum. And this deal gets better... this is NOT a trade-in; you KEEP your 1st generation products. All you need to do is enter your products serial number and a proof of purchase/ownership of your 1st generation Spectrum LiteMat or LiteDimmer. Restrictions apply, be sure to review the terms and conditions section on this page. 

If you have any questions, call (818) 358-8542 or email info@litegear.com our customer experience department and thank you for being a loyal LiteGear customer.