PERG News: June 2018

| PERG News: June 2018 | 

Dear PERG Members and Associates,

In this issue:

• Call for PERG Council Nominations
• Case Study: RFID
• Major Studio Interested in Reducing Redlining
• PERG Rental House Breakfast at Cine Gear 2018
• Venerated Police Detective Retires-- PERG Among the Well-wishers

Harry Box

Manager of the ESTA Production Equipment Rental Group (PERG)

Call for Nominations to PERG Council

| PERG News: June 2018 |

Do you want to help guide and inform PERG’s future? Would you like to join the Council or do you know someone you’d like to nominate to the Council? 

Deadline for Nominations: August 1st, 2018 

Why Join the Council?

• Because you are interested in playing a greater role in the industry; 
• Because you want to be a part of an organization dedicated to the concerns of rental companies;
• Because you believe by working together we can help focus attention on issues that affect everyone;
• Because the networking that inherently comes with being a Council member is good for your business and your career;
• And because the Council is a great group of people—diverse, professional, informed, constructive, supportive, and positive. 

About the PERG Council 

• The PERG Council is the executive body responsible for proposing and guiding initiatives, events, and communications, for the Production Equipment Rental Group.
• It is a volunteer group made up of principals from professional lighting and camera rental companies and also includes representation from manufacturers and insurance. 
• The Council consists of anywhere from 9 to 17 members; currently there are 13. 
• Council members serve a three-year term and can be re-appointed for additional terms.
• The Council meets four times a year. 
• PERG Council members pay for their own travel, so meetings are generally arranged in conjunction with trade shows or PERG events. If unable to attend, Council members can join meetings by conference call.
• The PERG Council is provided administrative and marketing support by the PERG manager and ESTA staff. 

Nominations 

• You may nominate yourself or another individual to be appointed to the Council.
• Council members must work for a company that is a member of ESTA/PERG in good standing.
• Candidates must hold decision-making authority within their organizations and be able to express opinions and vote in Council meetings without higher authorization.
• The PERG Council currently maintains a good balance between camera, lighting, and non-rental companies, however the Northwestern US and Canada are under-represented. However, we welcome and encourage nominations from all places. 
• PERG also tries to maintain diversity. There are currently fewer women on the council than men.
• Appointment is by vote of a simple majority of the Council. 

PERG’s mission is to shine a light on the challenges and opportunities faced by professional rental companies and focus the collective expertise of its members to shape solutions that best serve us all. PERG strives to be the voice of the motion picture equipment rental industry and set a standard of operations and ethical behavior. PERG is a special interest group within ESTA. The ESTA Board, and its elections, are separate and apart from the nominations to the PERG Council. Over the past several years PERG has benefitted by one of the PERG Council members also serving on the ESTA board. 

If you have someone you’d like to nominate for the PERG Council, please contact the PERG manager.

Case Study: RFID

| PERG News: June 2018 |

PERG has reported in the past about the challenges of implementing RFID in camera and lighting rental. For a company with potentially hundreds of thousands of items to track, the initial cost may well be prohibitive. However, I recently toured the facility of a young company that has been successful in gaining significant time savings using RFID.

Dynamic Rentals is a Los Angeles-based camera and lens rental company with a unique business model. They do not rent their gear to production companies; they only sub-rent to other rental houses. Brandon Zachary, formerly of Abel Cine, founded the company in 2017 with the mission of providing back-up for rental companies, to help them complete their orders without having to call all over town, and they do so without also being their competitor. As a brand-new company, Zachary had the unique opportunity to start from scratch with everything, including establishing a state of the art inventory control system using a blend of RFID and standard barcode readers.

Dynamic Rentals chose RentalWorks (by Database Works) for the inventory tracking and asset management software. An iPod touch, loaded with the QuickScan mobile app, sits on top of an RFID scanner (which can also function as a standard barcode reader) providing wireless integration with RentalWorks.

The larger items in the inventory—cases and camera bodies—are fitted with 1.5 x 0.5-in. RFID adhesive tags. Smaller items like lenses, cables, and accessories take 1 x ¼-in. tags. The tags are also printed with the barcode and company name. At check-out and check-in the technician opens the case, waves the bar-code scanner over the items, and all items with RFID tags are automatically identified and counted in a couple seconds. The operator may still need to read the barcode on some items that are hard to tag, like rods and brackets. Nevertheless, Zachary reports a significant time savings. For example, an ARRI WCU-4 unit (wireless three-axis lens control unit) has about 50 separate parts. It might normally take 15 minutes to process. The RFID system gets that down to a couple minutes, enabling Dynamic to respond very quickly if items are missing on return. The app shows the technician which items should be in the case and which ones have not yet been scanned. Although the tech still needs to make a visual inspection for damage, Zachary says using RFID makes more productive use of his employees’ time. As an additional benefit, Dynamic’s Business Development Manager, Austin Rios, says the scanner can be used to find a needle in a haystack. For example, if a particular grad filter could be in any one of several cases, you just tell the scanner the ID code for the item you want to find and wave the scanner over each case. If the item is in the case, the scanner beeps.

Dynamic Rentals keeps RFID tags at the ready for new inventory. RFID tags have to be ordered well in advance because they have to be encoded, requiring about a six-week lead time.

As systems evolve, and PERG members embrace new technologies and systems, PERG will keep reporting out the progress. If you have a story that might be of interest to other rental companies, we’d love to hear about it. Contact the PERG manager.

Major Studio Interested in Reduce Redlining

| PERG News: June 2018 |

Earlier this year, a representative from Sony Pictures expressed interest in working with PERG to establish a sample Terms & Conditions document for the purpose of minimizing redlining of rental contracts. Using the AICP/ESTA Sample Terms and Conditions as a starting point, PERG established a committee to work with Sony that includes representatives from AbelCine, ARRI Rental, Camtec, Handheld Films, High Output, Illumination Dynamics, SIM Digital, Taylor and Taylor, and TCS. ESTA’s legal counsel is also participating in the process. Participants are hopeful that a Sony/ESTA sample document could pave the way for reducing redlining more widely in feature and television production where it is arguably the most burdensome. 

PERG’s original sample T&C was developed in 2011 when PERG formed a joint committee with the AICP to create what is now the AICP/ESTA Sample T&C. The initiative came about as a result of a moderated discussion, organized by PERG in June of that year, in which seven top commercial production companies discussed issues with PERG members. At the conclusion of that meeting participants resolved to work together to reduce redlining. A committee was formed and worked tirelessly for three months to draft the document. It was at times a contentious and difficult process, but the committee was able to build trust over time, aided in part by involvement from insurance representatives who acted as neutral arbiters. Both sides were able to explain the practical effect of certain provisions, which may not have been understood by the other side.

The committee was comprised of representatives from four AICP member companies, a business manager from the AICP, management from two camera rental companies and two lighting and grip rental companies, a senior claims representative from an entertainment underwriter, an entertainment insurance broker and an ESTA business representative. The end result, vetted by attorneys on both sides, was a terms and conditions that reflected how business is done, that addressed issues concerning the use of digital technology, and opened lines of communication between producers and PERG. 

Historically, a rental contract is drafted by the rental company to be one hundred percent protective of its own interests. However, this often invites redlining, which can leave the rental house unprotected in key areas. A sample T&C, for the first time, made verbiage available that was protective of both the interests of the production company and the rental company. The document created a sense of fairness and predictability as to how claims regarding rentals will be settled. The document is, by its nature, a compromise for both sides, and each side could certainly identify places where they might wish it were stronger, but the process produces a sound document that eliminates or greatly reduces redlining. 

A Sony/ESTA Sample T&C would be a big win for all parties. First and foremost, it helps avoid the last-minute redlining of terms and conditions as the equipment is about to go out the door. The committee hopes having this agreement will encourage other major studios to see the benefits and request we work with them to create a sample document. You may want to share the Sony document, once it is released, with your contacts at other studios. If they are interested, please have them contact Harry Box, PERG manager, or Lori Rubinstein, ESTA’s Executive Director.

PERG Rental House Breakfast at Cine Gear 2018

| PERG News: June 2018 |

PERG welcomed over 130 members and guests to its annual breakfast event held on Saturday June 2nd, the second day of the Cine Gear show. Tony Brown, of MBA leasing commented “I thought the Cine Gear Event went extremely well. Attendance was great and everyone seemed appreciative of the effort.” At this year’s event tables were set up in the shade of the trees on the front lawn of the Paramount Theater. Guests enjoyed a full breakfast and were able to find easy parking and avoid long lines by attending the event, which started at 9 am, an hour before Cine Gear opened. 

 Cine Gear reports this year’s Cine Gear Expo was 10% larger than last year with more attendees and exhibitors. The show has increasingly been preferred by feature and television crews and production companies because of its cinema-style flavor. Compared to other major industry trade shows, Cine Gear offers a more focused selection of exhibitors. The location, on Paramount’s historic backlot, provides a fitting backdrop for this event. 

Sadly, Cine Gear has announced that this may be the last year Paramount hosts the trade show and they are now looking for a new venue. The Universal backlot and LA Convention Center are reportedly under consideration for 2019. Cine Gear announced earlier this year that the expo will be held for the first time in Atlanta on October 6th and 7th, 2018. The event is to be hosted at Pinewood Studios. The studio complex is located in Fayetteville, GA, about 22 miles south of downtown Atlanta. 

Venerated Police Detective Retires—ESTA/PERG Among the Well-Wishers

| PERG News: June 2018 |

Detective Anthony Diaz has retired from the New York Police Department. Lori Rubinstein, ESTA’s Executive Director, and PERG Council member Scott Taylor and Bridget Hickey of Taylor & Taylor Associates were among the guests at the retirement party held by the Major Case Squad on June 15th. Diaz is a 30-year veteran of the force, with 14 years in Major Case. At the event he was presented with various honors and gifts. Rubinstein presented a plaque expressing the gratitude of the motion picture industry, saying “You were the first law enforcement officer to pay serious attention to the tremendous amount of fraud and theft plaguing our industry - and to do something about it! A healthy film and TV production industry brings enormous economic benefits to our city and the fact that the NYPD is working closely with our industry to prevent theft and recover equipment is playing a large part in keeping it that way. Your efforts have led to greater cooperation with law enforcement around the country and to PERG taking a very active role in fighting fraud and theft. Thank you for all your efforts on behalf of the members of ESTA and our Production Equipment Rental Group.” PERG members, including Panavision, ARRI Rental and AbleCine Tech, contributed swag to the send-off, a gesture greatly appreciated by Diaz and the Major Case Squad. 

We are delighted to have had this opportunity to convey the gratitude of PERG members, meet many of Diaz’s fellow officers in the squad, and impress upon those in the chain of command what a difference officers like Diaz have made. The retirement of dedicated law enforcement officers like Diaz points out the ongoing need for PERG and its members to maintain relationships with law enforcement.

Cine Gear 2018

| PERG News: Cine Gear 2018 |

This special edition PERG Newsletter features announcements from PERG’s Cine Gear Sponsors regarding featured products you don’t want to miss:

• Abel Cine
• ARRI
• Core SWX
• Fujinon
• MBA
• Panasonic
• Panavision
• PC&E
• Taylor & Taylor, Inc.
• Tiger
• Vitec

AbelCine

| PERG News: Cine Gear 2018 |

Support for Every Production 

AbelCine’s facilities in NY & LA are designed for maximum comfort and efficiency. We are accustomed to working with productions and budgets of all sizes. Need a complete camera system specifically tailored to your needs or a few accessories to complete your kit? We’ve got you covered. All our gear is meticulously maintained by our on-site technicians, and we treat all jobs with the highest degree of care and attention to detail. 

Come see us at Cine Gear, Booth S217, Stage 18.

ARRI

| PERG News: Cine Gear 2018 |

www.ARRI.com

Core SWX

| PERG News: Cine Gear 2018 |

CORE SWX Batteries Increase Cycle Ratings to 2,000 

Core SWX announces the cycle ratings of its Nano98, Hypercore Slim 98 and Hypercore 9 Mini battery packs have all doubled, allowing for 2,000 cycles. Core is the only battery manufacturer in today’s market delivering results of this scale.

Battery cells naturally age, which results in a gradual reduction in capacity overtime. Core SWX’s proprietary battery management firmware assures the cells employed are always balanced and at an optimal state to withstand continuous operation for extended periods of time while maintaining service life. With an increased cycle rating, Core SWX is providing its customers with a greater return on investment.

“Every time we design a new battery or series, the cells are tested thoroughly for six months to a year, prior to release, to ensure exemplary quality and performance,” says Ross Kanarek, CEO, Core SWX. “After a year in the market, these pack series are delivering results to gives us the confidence to increase this rating.”

Along with a high cycle rating, Core battery packs are some of the few available in the industry that keep cycle count for better inventory management and to better track the life cycle of the battery. Cycle count is calculated based on the use of all the battery’s power. By tracking this information, Core products allow production and rental companies, broadcast stations and owner/operators to more closely monitor the battery usage and ROI. 

“The goal is to provide our client base with the best user experience and the highest return on investment, consistent with the finest packs in the industry.” says Kanarek.

This cycle rating is inclusive to battery packs purchased within the past year.

Get a chance to check out these battery packs along with other advanced Core SWX power solutions at Cine Gear Expo, Booth 32.

Fujinon

| PERG News: Cine Gear 2018 |

Fujinon/Fujifilm can be found at the 2018 Cinegear Expo at Paramount Studios on Stage 18, Booth S206. The all new booth design this year will showcase both the Fujinon line of zoom lenses as well as the Fujifilm mirrorless X-Series and GFX Medium format camera systems.

The full family of Fujinon Premier, Cabrio and MK zooms will be available to touch and try on set as well as in the Fujinon’s Lens Projection Optics Learning Center In addition to the Zoom lenses, accessories from the likes of Duclos Lenses, Chrosziel, Heden, Optica Magnus, SLR Magic, MTF, Lindsey Optics and others will be featured showing added versatility and functionality available to users of Fujifilm cameras and Fujinon lenses in a variety of production environments.

Watch for the soon to be released schedule of featured Rental House lens technicians explaining how they test and evaluate lenses in the Fujinon’s Lens Projection Optics Learning Center throughout the show.

The full family of Fujifilm Mirrorless X-Series and GFX Cameras featuring the new X-H1 will also be on set to touch and try as well as an opportunity to drop off your Fujifilm X-Series/GFX products for a Staff Fujifilm technician to "Check and Clean " your Fuji Mirrorless Camera products in the booth at the show.

There will be expert staff on hand from both the Fujinon Cinema lens team as well as the Fujifilm mirrorless camera team to help answer all of your Fuji related questions.

MBA

| PERG News: Cine Gear 2018 |

For almost 40 years, MBA has been helping Production Professionals get the new and used gear they need to grow their businesses. We take pride in being family owned and operated, affording us the ability to provide an unparalleled level of speed and service to our customers.

Panasonic

| PERG News: Cine Gear 2018 |

At Cine Gear 2018, Panasonic will be showcasing its new CineLive feature for the VariCam LT cinema camera. The VariCam LT’s free firmware upgrade (Ver. 6.0) was released in February of this year and enables live and “near live” multi-cam use for concerts, events, television shows, and corporate productions. For live events, CineLive shooters can use a new shading mode, as well as tally and return video management. Full control of the cameras is possible by using Panasonic’s AK-HRP1000 remote control panel. “Everyone marvels at the VariCam LT’s beautiful cinematic look,” said Mitch Gross, PMEC Cinema Product Manager. “Now with the Version 6 firmware, the Super-35, wide dynamic range, high sensitivity image with those great VariCam colors can be seamlessly brought to live and near-live multi camera applications such as episodic TV, concerts, corporate events, and studio installations. The VariCam LT’s imaging capabilities can improve the look of any multi camera shoot while lowering costs. It’s a double-win.” So why use CineLive? Using a VariCam LT cinema camera offers many advantages over smaller sensor broadcast cameras such as cinematic depth of field, 14+ stops of dynamic range, VariCam image quality and color science, and the ability to capture low light shots using VariCam’s Dual Native 800/5000 ISO feature. Also, the 5000 ISO function can compensate stop loss when using optical adaptors for 2/3” lenses or slower long zooms. If you’re attending Cine Gear 2018, please stop by our booth in Stage 18 (Booth S2111) to receive a demo. Panasonic will also be hosting a number of informative seminars and presentations at the show. For more information, visit www.panasonic.com/varicam.

Panavision

| PERG News: Cine Gear 2018 |

For over 60 years, Panavision has been the foremost designer and manufacturer of high-precision lenses, advanced digital and film camera systems, and unique, modular accessories for the motion picture and television industries. Panavision’s post production solutions, from on set to color management and deliverables, bring complete workflow resources under one roof. Renowned for its global service and support, Panavision systems are rented through its domestic and internationally owned-and-operated facilities and distributor network. Panavision is also a leading supplier of lighting, grip and crane equipment for use by productions around the globe. 

Visit Panavision, Light Iron and Lee Filters @ Cine Gear Expo 2018, Stage 17, Booth S102

For more information, visit www.panavision.com. Follow Panavision on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo, YouTube and LinkedIn.

PC&E

| PERG News: Cine Gear 2018 |

PC&E, an employee owned company celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2018, is your one stop shop for camera, lighting and grip, soundstages, and sales and expendables in Georgia. From our 60,000 square foot building in Atlanta’s bustling westside we service the film community nationwide with a wide variety of equipment and customer service that sets the standard. 

The PC&E Camera Department offers the latest in cameras and lens rentals with an onsite lens technician to ensure every rental meets the high standards of our customers and our employee owners. From feature films to commercials to the customer walking in off the street for their first job, each and every rental is provided the same exceptional level of service. If you’re looking for a hard to find specialty item, give us a call.

The PC&E Lighting and Grip Department houses the latest in lighting and a wide assortment of both JL Fisher and Chapman Leonard Dollies. Our fleet of trucks from One Ton to Ten Ton can support the needs of our customers regardless of the size of the job.

The PC&E Sales and Expendables Department, a fully operational store within the PC&E Warehouse, supplies our truck and stage customers as well as offering our full line of expendables to customers across the country through our website www.shoppce.com.

The PC&E Stage Department manages three purpose-built soundstages designed for commercial production. From 1600 to 9600 square feet, the PC&E soundstages offer cyc walls and support areas designed for the comfort of crew and client. 

The employee owners of PC&E take the satisfaction of our customers very seriously and stand behind each and every rental. We are your one stop shop.

Taylor & Taylor Associates, Inc.

| PERG News: Cine Gear 2018 |

Taylor & Taylor Ltd. provides insurance solutions specifically designed to meet the insurance needs of motion picture and television production companies as well as the individuals and business that supply these companies with equipment, goods and services. 

We pride ourselves on always doing what is best for you whether you are a long-standing customer or perhaps are about to become one. Our agency has years of experience with Entertainment, Photographic & Communications related businesses. The result of our years of experience is the development of insurance protection that reliably addresses the risks that are unique to these businesses.

Tiger

| PERG News: Cine Gear 2018 |

www.tigergroup.com

Vitec

| PERG News: Cine Gear 2018 |

At Cine Gear Expo 2018, Anton/Bauer will build on its rich legacy with the launch of Dionic XT, the newest generation of the highly popular Dionic battery series for broadcast and 14.4V cinema applications. Available in V-Mount and Gold Mount, the high-performing and compact Dionic XT is available in both 90-watt-hour and 150-watt-hour models, with a 14V Li-Ion battery capable of delivering up to 12 amps of continuous power for cinematographers, broadcasters, rental houses, and other customers for whom battery performance and reliability are essential. 

As a mobile power leader for the broadcast, film, and video industries, Anton/Bauer has excelled in the design, manufacturing, and testing of batteries and power accessories for more than 40 years. The rugged systems can be adapted to just about any situation in which reliable mobile power makes a difference. Offering the best ROI and lowest management overhead the Dionic XT is engineered to be recharged more times extending its cycle life compared to the other battery systems.

A replacement for the popular CINE and Dionic HC battery ranges — both of which are industry standards in the U.S — Dionic XT sets a new benchmark in on-board battery management systems, performance and reliability and is available in two models — the Dionic XT90 and the Dionic XT150 — the series features ultra-high-strength ABS and rubber construction that cushions and protects the battery even in the most demanding conditions, including extreme heat, humidity, and cold.

Furthermore, Dionic XT batteries all feature USB (5V 2A) and P-Tap connectors for powering accessories such as portable LED lighting — keeping fixtures running with steady, reliable output that can be monitored with the easy-to-read LCD display to keep track of run time and capacity and they save valuable travel space with a smaller form.