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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Epic-W Rental Price

I'm pretty much the same.

I work in a post facility - with a recording studio. When clients want stuff filmed - that's next room over - and I can set up our package - and take it down - and shoot them some stuff - within 4 hours - without leaving - I charge a half day rate ;-)
 
Michael. I actually live in Miami, I work out here as well. the problem here is the lack of work. Hence people scrambling to lower rates. Honesty, a good half of those with reds in this city dont even know what the hell theyre doing. IMHO. The name sells itself to many people.

If were talking about just rentals, places like budget rentals rent their reds all the time, and you and I both know that theyre not cheap. (Funny david haylock calls it budget rentals). But then again they advertise and get all the out of towners.

Personally I wouldnt rent my camera solo, instead I only do dp/operator/dit/AC +camera packages, and that makes me a good living. This however will be the first red I own outright, so lets see how it goes.
 
Carlos - appreciate it! I'm actually 2 hours north - in PSL - so it's a bit tougher for me. I say Miami - because; when I day play as DIT or Producer - most jobs are down there - but I usually get Palm Beach.

I'm VERY familiar with Budget. A few national commercials I produced some years ago - asked me to NOT rent incidentals there anymore. LOL. Some of their "gear" (walkies - etc) - was questionable.

I'm glad to hear the RED's are rented out down there - but it kind of conflicts what I've been hearing. Same in NY. A DP I know had his Weapon with Abel Cine there - as a split deal - and it rarely (if ever rented) - so he took it back.

A general rule - I agree - is for me to go to set with camera - as an OP or DIT (I'm NOT a DP - nor do I claim to be - though; lighting green screen or 3 point set-ups/interviews is no problem). However; I have to bite the bullet here - and rent it out to productions with proper insurance certificates in order for me to work my day job (which is a salaried in house editor/shooter).

But I'll add - of course; my 1st stop for getting the camera work; will be reaching out to friends/co-workers who know all the going rates on the bigger jobs and that I trust with my gear. I know quite a few gaffers and DP's down south - and am hoping they can get it some work if I give them an incentive (and these are guys I trust with all my gear - some borrow my 2k's - dana dolly - etc - all the time - with no issue).

I appreciate the input! And - who knows - may run into you some town down your way!
 
Oh man and yeah. I totally agree. Dont know how many times the production rented from budget and then an item turns up missing from the package or broken. Definitely a last resort.

yeah you never know, maybe we run into eachother
 
LOL. A rental there is ALWAYS a last resort... maybe that's what they should change their name to!

Best!
 
Kenneth C Merrill said:
Dude, you do realize you're shooting yourself and everyone else out there in the foot, right? Your camera may go out a little more often, but it will go to cheaper productions with less experience and less care taken for your camera that has to work twice as many days just to pay off. Please rethink your strategy.

Also, you need to take into account that Borrow lenses essentially requires 3 rental days minimum because they charge you the day you receive it and the day you send it back. If they charge, say 1200 for three days (which would be the minimum), then you could easily charge 600/day because a lot of productions only need it for one or two days. And even if they need it for two days and it comes out to 1200 (same price as Borrow Lenses), then you have the upper hand because of sheer convenience. Convenience is worth something.



Don't undercut. It's just stupid.
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THIS. completely agree
 
Good business plan, I'm the same way. No undercutters will ever be hired by me. In fact, I will go out of my way to tell producers and filmmakers in my area to lookout.

Paul Watt said:
We'll rent a basic Epic-W package at $1750 CDN per day in Vancouver. Everything for pretty much any shoot, without lenses, filters, etc. A full package with Movi M15, Epic-W, Easyrig, Readyrig, power and media/ Bartech/Teradek 1000ft will run $2500 CDN/day. Operator is $1000/10. Secondary Op is $850/10. Everything based on 3 day weeks except for operators of course. Those are pretty standard rates, in Vancouver, and there's no way we'd undercut that unless you were a close friend. I also produce things, and I make a note of undercutters, and will never ever hire them.
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Not everyone who "undercuts" is out to steal business or get more rentals. I often discount according to how interested in the project I am. If someone has a great, creative project that I want to be a part of, I will discount the gear or even bring it along for free. I'm not talking about just cranking out reel material but actually supporting a project I like that might be underfunded. I suspect that many owner-ops do that. I would much rather stay busy than proud of my day rate. Blackballing someone because they violated your arbitrary minimum rental rate seems a bit harsh to me.
 
That's awesome to hear :-)

I live a few hours from the closest "film market" (really no local work here) - but; I 'm happy to say - the last 3 features I made - or worked on (locally) - all hit Showtime; The Movie Channel and Syfy - and I, as well as friends, cut price breaks to close friends to help them get done - including a 2nd unit cam free of charge when I was DIT. We're all proud of what we accomplished - editing from home and on 1/10th the budgets the films around us had. We took care of our crew - but could only do so much on gear. Some rental houses even helped out with long term items.

My wife and I certainly do not live in a high cost area like Miami; NY; and L.A. (our house is 1/7th the price of a property there or less - especially Manhattan) - and really; just - can't afford to charge their prices. We'd love to do so; believe me - but it's just not feasible.

When I see that in British Columbia - the price of a Camera Rental is the price of a week - with shipping - from US rental houses that are online - I think it goes to show - you can charge what the area will allow you to. Same for home prices.

And all of us have hefty payments to make on these puppies for many years.

I have no idea how renting a camera - for the same rate that others are paying online (after the shipping costs and other things are taken into account) - is undercutting. Still can't figure that out... But there are sure a lot of people writing threatening things on here - and I have no idea why.

Best!
 
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Reading all this stuff makes me super glad that my business plan does not include renting to people. I'll mention something that I haven't seen, though: I've had a few tremendously bad rental experiences (on the other side of the transaction- as a renter). It's why, when I rent now, I either rent my operator's personal camera I have used before and trust, or I go to a rental house that I trust and which can make it right if they fail somehow. Renting the lowest sharegrid option or whatever isn't something I'm willing to do to save $200. Or even $1,000. Because the overall production is burning a lot more money, and a reshoot is usually not happening.
I hope that datapoint helps you.
 
patrickortman said:
Reading all this stuff makes me super glad that my business plan does not include renting to people. I'll mention something that I haven't seen, though: I've had a few tremendously bad rental experiences (on the other side of the transaction- as a renter). It's why, when I rent now, I either rent my operator's personal camera I have used before and trust, or I go to a rental house that I trust and which can make it right if they fail somehow. Renting the lowest sharegrid option or whatever isn't something I'm willing to do to save $200. Or even $1,000. Because the overall production is burning a lot more money, and a reshoot is usually not happening.
I hope that datapoint helps you.
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This.

Most people who are using this level of production cameras are putting a lot into what they are shooting. From moments that wont happen again to production costs that cannot be re-couped. obviously it depends on the production but saving a few hundred and then finding out what you've worked so hard for has issues, is worthy of much consideration.
 
You know... funny thing is. I've rented cams from rental houses (I keep my insurance on file at a few locals) - and from shooter/owners - and I've never had a private camera go down.

In the middle of an expensive feature (for me) I was directing (under $500K) - and I had our B Cam and rented Bartek follow focus go down - that was from a rental house - and ended up having to import them from Boston (I'm in Florida) as the Varicam we were using was hard to locate locally. On the other wave of the shoot - the Bartek I rented from a steadicam op on the side - what wasn't using it - was flawless.

Guess I'm lucky... but down here - a LOT of the rental house gear is in much worse shape than renting from an owner/operator you know well :-)
 
Kenneth C Merrill said:
Agreed. $600/day would be the BARE MINIMUM for a very basic package.
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That's ridiculous. That's Scarlet pricing; the local rental houses around here rent Epic Dragon for $1250 per day (no cards or lenses included in that price), there's no way an Epic-W should rent for LESS than that.
 
Rakesh Malik said:
That's ridiculous. That's Scarlet pricing; the local rental houses around here rent Epic Dragon for $1250 per day (no cards or lenses included in that price), there's no way an Epic-W should rent for LESS than that.
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Well I'm fine pricing higher :)

I kinda got shouted out of this conversation though. So, I'll leave it be.
 
Realistically I'd say it'd have to be right around $600/day in LA if you're not an established rental house. Any more than that I can see producers wanting to get an Alexia mini which you can easily get a full package for 600 + insurance.
 
Jason Weary said:
Realistically I'd say it'd have to be right around $600/day in LA if you're not an established rental house. Any more than that I can see producers wanting to get an Alexia mini which you can easily get a full package for 600 + insurance.
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Wow. Really? I rent my FS7 for 500/day. You're saying you're only going to get a 100/day premium over an FS7 in LA? No way.
 
Kansas City might be a different market than LA :) you aren't likely to get 500/day very often for an FS7 in LA. Although 600 for a mini is pretty low unless you are doing a private rental or get a deal from a rental house.
 
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