Need Advice!!! Legit Situation

[Michael Tiemann]

Marketing 101: there are customers who care about service and customers who care about price. Within those two different universes, there are customers who are looking for more of an all-in-one solution (simplicity) vs. best-of-breed (performance). If the folks you know best are very price sensitive and just want a simple package that will work, building around Zeiss CP.2 might make a ton of sense, because neither they, nor you, can afford the really big guns. If the folks you know would rent from three different vendors just to get the lowest price for a given piece of glass, maybe there's money to be made offering the two lowest-price Master Primes in your neighborhood. If the folks you know want not only equipment, but some help here or there, the glass is just a gateway to a larger (and much more profitable) job. In that case, pick the glass that you would like to work with and build the case that you plus that glass is the best value in town.

Zooms vs. Primes, EF vs. PL, Angi vs. ARRI, etc., are also helpful ways to try to segment the customers you plan to serve. But unless and until you can really identify a dozen people who would rent from you based on a specific value proposition, I wouldn't waste time trying to figure out the best kit. There is no "best" for a customer you cannot clearly identify and do business with. And really know whether your market is willing to rent from somebody who may have a great price on a great lens, but not a more comprehensive system or value proposition beyond that.

 

[todd k]

Im new to this but in a similar situation. Would love to hear more about subrenting. Do you need your own insurance or does it fall under their coverage? Are there time requirements for subrenting and they do inspection and maintenance?

 

[Steve Das]

Im new to this but in a similar situation. Would love to hear more about subrenting. Do you need your own insurance or does it fall under their coverage? Are there time requirements for subrenting and they do inspection and maintenance?

Usually a 50/50 split these days. You do not need your own insurance as long as it is in the hands of the rental house or one of their clients.
Of course once you take it outside the rental house it is not insured the minute it leaves the rental house in your hands...unless you have your
own personal insurance on it.

Inspection and maintenance are usually handled by the rental house I believe.

 

[Stefan Viklund]

My personal shooting style for narrative would be challenged by not having anything between 24 and 50mm when doing traditional coverage, particularly in a compact location.

Maybe I'm missing something… but between 24 and 50 you have:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1005140-REG/canon_9139b001_cn_e35mm_t1_5_l_f.html

 

[todd k]

Usually a 50/50 split these days. You do not need your own insurance as long as it is in the hands of the rental house or one of their clients.
Of course once you take it outside the rental house it is not insured the minute it leaves the rental house in your hands...unless you have your
own personal insurance on it.

Inspection and maintenance are usually handled by the rental house I

Thanks for the info. Are rental frequencies high? Looking around at the rental houses around Chicago I don't see many carrying arri master anamorphic, would they be a good bet for consistent rentals or would something more universal but also more common like ultra primes be wiser?

 

[Satsuki Murashige]

You need to view the rental house you will be parking your gear at as a business partner. Even with all their financial resources, they can't buy everything. They know what they need to add to their inventory to compete with their local rivals, and they know their own market. So when in doubt ask them what they would like to have, then provide that.

The thing to remember is that your personal preference or taste in gear is secondary to your customers' needs. If you do your own research and can figure out what's missing from your market before everyone else, you'll make decent money.

 

[Satsuki Murashige]

Also, you'll have to negotiate a contract with the rental house for sub-rentals. The terms will differ greatly depending on how badly they want your gear and how rare and in demand it is. I park a lens set where my split is 70/30 and I provide insurance for all circumstances except when the gear is out of the shop on a job. I also pay for servicing at Duclos as needed, though the rental house provides regular in house maintenance like checking and adjusting the flange focal distance. But every deal is different.

 

[todd k]

Thanks for the help. It's much appreciated.

 

[Elan Gunos]

Check out the Schneider Xenar IIIs
http://www.abelcine.com/store/Schneider-Cine-Xenar-III-6-Lens-Set/
~$48K

Pretty awesome price for what they can do.

 

[Blair S. Paulsen]

Maybe I'm missing something… but between 24 and 50 you have:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1005140-REG/canon_9139b001_cn_e35mm_t1_5_l_f.html

Indeed, one can purchase additional focal lengths not included in the particular set I noted (with the commensurate increase in cost).

I liked the Canon CN-Es more than I expected to. Nice corner to corner performance; even field illumination, good geometry, better flare control than the stills equivalents.

More to the point, I think they'd be brilliant for executing particular looks that leverage their many strengths.

From a business perspective, knowing what consistently rents in your market is how I would create a short list of sets to get. Then, you can pick the set you would most like to use for your own projects and still have a reasonable chance to come out OK financially. Best of luck.

Cheers - #19

 

[Jarek Zabczynski]

Cause sometimes when people hit me up to use my epic they ask if i have a lens set and I'm all like "yeeeea...kind of" lol i have 3 ZE Zeiss lenses and 2 rokinons(not cine). Just want a more professional package.

It's less about gear you have and more about what you can do with it. Then again I typically sell myself more than my gear. But I've always felt you should be selling by the work you've done and showing what you can do with your stuff.

Heck, I've had a RED for almost 3 years and I still book most of my jobs based on work I did years ago on 1/3rd chip HD cameras and lens adapters.