Renting My Camera?

Cryogenic Filmworks

Cryogenic Filmworks

Veteran
A DP I met on my friends last movie (this guy was not the DP on that movie but was helping out with lighting) called me about renting my DVX. Now I had talked to him during the shoot about helping him out with a doc he is trying to finish but this is for a different project, a feature he just got signed to DP on. The guy appears to be fairly reliable and standup but they are filming in San Antonio which is about 250 miles from me and I tend to be a bit shy of letting it out of my sight. They want to use it basically for the entire month of July, mainly weekends but it would be more convienient that they have the camera in DP posession durring whole month. The price they threw out is $500. If this happens I am going to put together a contract of course which will cover everything I can think of. Am I crazy to even consider this or am I just too protective?
 
500 seems a little low for a month of rental, the going rate for rental here is about 175 a day on a dvx.
 
yeah that sounds real cheap. Can I rent your camera? I live here in Seattle. I'd like to rent it out for 2 months. That price includes insurance right?
 
Eric Papa said:
sounds really sketch
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yeah especially you just met the guy. What if they return it thrashed and what not? $500 ain't gonna cover fixing your camera if it get broke. Word.
 
ian lucero said:
yeah especially you just met the guy. What if they return it thrashed and what not? $500 ain't gonna cover fixing your camera if it get broke. Word.
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I totally agree here and this would be the case.Well not actually broken I guess but will need small replacements.

If you want to rent it for a month, at least cover 70% of it's value but that's a generic approach I would never lent my equipment.
 
250 a day minimum for my gear. Of course weekly and monthly rental gets cheaper rates right. I thinks like rent for 4 get 3 days free. Personally I'd go no less than 2 grand. That might seem steep, but if the fuk something up who is going to cover the costs? Think about the fact that replacing the lens unit is a grand, as is the flip out screen, so 2 grand isnt really that much.
 
If you want to be a nice guy and let him have it for 500, then by all means. However you should charge him security so he doesnt have any ideas about running away with it - ie, the cost of the camera up front, to be refunded upon return of the camera in the same condition it was left. You would also do well to extensively document the existing condition of your cam so if he screws anything up, you've just sold it to him, and you can go pick up a nice new DVX for yourself.
 
MalcolmOng said:
If you want to be a nice guy and let him have it for 500, then by all means. However you should charge him security so he doesnt have any ideas about running away with it - ie, the cost of the camera up front, to be refunded upon return of the camera in the same condition it was left. You would also do well to extensively document the existing condition of your cam so if he screws anything up, you've just sold it to him, and you can go pick up a nice new DVX for yourself.
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This is exactly what I was going to say. But I also agree that the price is ridiculously low for the amount of time he is using it. And the more time he is using it the more likely something will happen. And a contract is only good if is well worded, if you have a family member or firend who works on contracts have them write it up.

Also, if you don't have the deposit and something goes wrong you will have to collect from him the value of the camera. Do you really want to take the chance that you will have to be following up with someone to get your money? Or have to sue them which will certainly cost more than the price of your camera?

I will only rent my camera if I am attached to it. But if I were to ever rent it, they would have to pay $200.00/day and give me a deposit for the NEW value of a camera because I would have to replace it with a new camera.

Alex
 
I decided against renting out my gear for a couple of reasons. First, even with a deposit, something could happen to the camera that might not surface until after you've handed back the deposit check. Second, as a videographer I need experience, and I can't exacly put on my resume that I rented out my gear to so-and-so. And that price they threw you was way too low. I would research rental places and find out what they quote for a month-long rental. I imagine it's slightly more than $500.
 
Hahaha...slightly??! Heck, the price they'd charge for a month would probably cost as much as buying a brand new dvx!
 
Already been talked about :P but yep $500 is way too low for a whole month. To be honest you should expect at least $1,000 with perhaps a $1000 deposit.
 
Don't do it, period, is my advice. I wouldn't rent my equipment to anyone. I'd volunteer to shoot for a friend or good cause before renting.

If this guy is serious about making films, why does he only have $500 budgeted for the camera in a feature film? He's obviously not taking his endeavors too seriously, so what makes you think he'll treat your valuable equipment seriously or responsibly? If you don't respect the value of your equipment others won't either.
 
dustino said:
If this guy is serious about making films, why does he only have $500 budgeted for the camera in a feature film? He's obviously not taking his endeavors too seriously, so what makes you think he'll treat your valuable equipment seriously or responsibly? If you don't respect the value of your equipment others won't either.
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Exactly what I was going to say. Why does he only have $500 dollars budgeted for the camera. Sounds like they met you, figured you were a nice guy and want to take advantage. Not they he is a bad guy...but anyone knows that $500.00 dollars does not NEARLY cover the costs if something should go wrong.

Moreover, he is not your friend. He doesn't know you. He will wind up treating that camera as rental equipment. Period.
 
don't do it. i'd maybe do it for 500 / week. that's if i knew the guy.
I see where you're coming from, this is one of those guys who seems like he may have all kinds of other projects coming down the line, and he'll remember you, for future work.
take your chances with finding your work on your own, not waiting for these guys to help you out...
 
i have never rented out my camera but i think that it'd be very easy to rent it out for a few days and make some extra cash towards my own projects. What contracts/security/ insurance should i be thinking about when renting out my dvx100b?
 
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