Renting Your RED Camera?

JavaDog

JavaDog

Member
Those of you that are on the list to purchase, how many of you are planning on renting the camera out to make back the cost? Any ballpark guesses at what the going rate is going to be to rent this beastie?
 
someone mentioned that if your not a rental house, due to insurance, etc. that you may not be able to rent it out for profit, and that you will be able to make money only by using it yourself...(what do I know, I have never rented cameras before, though I know they require insurance, etc. the rental places)

peace

dalen
 
As long as they have insurance you approve of I think anyone can buy it and rent it out. Or you can DP and come with your camera. You've got to have to way to make money with it - even Jannard is trying to make money with it. :-)
 
I am going to rent one, just like I rent HVXs. Going rate depends on the lens choice. There has been no mention of specific mounts so it is hard to come up with a rental price right now.

I can tell you that I offer competitive rates though.
 
Hi everyone.

The first thing that occurred to me when I became aware of the RED concept was what a great rental or DP's camera this is going to be. With a couple of heads, a small set of lenses and some accessories you can offer a service to ANY client at ANY production and cost level. Its going to be a very efficient system and I can see RED specialists popping up everywhere in the next year. Its the sort of technology 'tipping point' that provides new opportunities for those with a little imagination.
 
Not forgetting that RED looks like it can take a lot of rental abuse when compared to conventional plastic-case cameras. Of course I don't want my RED taking any abuse, but it happens.
 
you post on your website or let it be known that you have a camera for rent and you tell the rentee that they must fax signed proof of insurance to rent it.

it's done all the time, just like you have to have insurance to get a film permit, or rent a car.

there's tons of these companies that offer insurance per shoot or if they are a film production or commercial production company then they may have it already on a yearly basis instead of project to project.
 
I wonder what the insurance would cost for an individual, might not be too bad...

When you are renting out a camera, do you put restrictions on what we (the rentee) can do with them?
 
red 103 will not be out for rent .. however friends will be able to use it for personal projects for whatever it cost them to insure it ...and maybe a smoothie or ice tea ...
 
i was the one who raised doubts about the renting thing in another thread. i spoke to a producer when i was considering buying an sdx900 (now they're about $14k) and renting it. he just shook his head. why would filmmakers with $1000s to blow on rental consider someone off the street, so to say, when there will be a plethora of legitimate rental houses with this camera? also, the insurance. also, what if the camera disapperas, etc. he said the only way to go would be to offer a package where you are the dp/editor/etc for a client, and this is quite different from our naive idea of simply buying and renting and becoming rich. if you are an established dp, whatever, it's a different story.

and for the comparisons between renting the hvx and the red...count on the red coming to around $22k minimum. minimum. you are comparing an hvx to a cam four times the price, and roughly the same multiple in rental cost.
do you really want to risk handing over something to someone costing as much as a cadillac and having them drive away with it?
it's a great fantasy, and i'd be the first to do it, but isn't it a bit to good to be true?
if there is anyone out there who has a $20,000+ camera and successfully rented it and made back the money, please advise.
 
Insurance is a neccesity in a situation like this. If the camera is insured for theft/loss/damage by the renter then it should be fine... Your own personal insurance for the camera would not cover it as a rental, which is why many believe its not possible to rent cameras out unless you've got a rental house business going.
 
I will be renting mine but with an operator. In the spirit of this camera, I will rent at a rate that is very reasonable and affordable for most shooters.
 
JavaDog said:
I wonder what the insurance would cost for an individual, might not be too bad...

When you are renting out a camera, do you put restrictions on what we (the rentee) can do with them?
Click to expand...

I know to cover about $10,000 of equipment for a month is around $800 to $1000.

Yes, rental houses do have restrictions. For example, you are not allowed to sublease it, take it out of country, etc.

It differs from place to place.
 
Don't forget that you have to buy a "back-up" camera body in case of emergency.

Don't want to look like a idiot if things go wrong and you dont have a B plan.

Thats why we rent camera kit at renting house, for the peace of the mind...
 
I think it only makes sense for indies to rent their one and only precious RED if they go with it. My DVX doesn't leave my locked closet unless it's on my hand or on the hand of someone I trust and see every day (so I know they're good for the money). Believe me, it is all too easy to get burned - I had a friend who got his toys broken on set, the guy still hasn't paid him for them. Without something signed, you've got no legal recourse - and on top of that, it gains you nothing to sue someone with no MONEY. Which is where insurance comes in.
All things considered, your best bet is to rent yourself out with the Red. If not as an operator, then as an on-site technician. Do you really think most DPs are going to learn to use this camera as well as its owners (hopefully) will? You'll make more money, get more film credits, get your name around, and be more useful to the shoot.
 
You know, I just thought of something - we of the RED-loving community should be called RED-heads. It's geeky and perfect.
 
I don't think buying a Red and putting up a sign saying "Red For Rent" is going to be too solid of a business plan.

There are lots of Varicam owner/operators out there who rent themselves along with their cameras, and that's the business model that seems to make more sense. Or as an owner/DIT. Of course every operator also considers him/herself a "cinematographer", so there's frequently some conflict over that (as everyone usually has their own cinematographer) but with a brand-new product like this, it's going to be rare (at least early on) that someone wanting to rent the Red will have any idea of how to run it. So if you offer a package of you & the cam, with you serving as owner/operator or as owner/DIT, then that may be a lot more appealing for both of you -- they'll have someone who knows how to run it available to them, and you'll have your eye on it the whole time.

But buying it and renting it to whoever comes in off the street? I dunno about that one...
 
finally....a pessimistic opinion of mine that is validated...and by none other than barry green:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)
 
Hmm, so it seems that there is quite a bit more to it than just renting a camera. I don't think it is all that different than the Rental Car business though. I can walk into a rental lot in LA, show a credit card and proof of insurance, hand over a security deposit - and rent a $50,000 car that will do 120mph on roads with other cars/trees/cliffs to crash it into. Yet, as stupid and risky of a business as that sounds on paper, it has made many people very rich. So, I don't know that I would discount those that say they will be renting their RED ONE out.

It seems however, that what I would want to use the camera for wouldn't really fit in with the whole rental thing to begin with.

Maybe RED could also spin off a side-business renting their cameras. They would have the supply and accessories to put together whatever rental package a client needed, and probably be able to handle the insurance issues too...
 
Don't forget about your potential liability if the equipment breaks down. If someone hires a crew, shuts down a city intersection, and spends hours setting up only to have the camera break, you'd damn well better have a backup camera. No, a backup EVERYTHING: storage device, monitor, whatever.
 
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