Anti-Theft
Protecting your equipment and crew doesn't start and stop on set, it's a full time objective that deserves the utmost attention. Safely and securely storing your equipment, transportation to and from set, and diligence on location, safety and security are a top priority. There are a few main areas to focus on when it comes to protecting your equipment and personal property from theft.
First, how secure is your equipment at your home/office/studio? Do you have a gear cage, are the cases locked, how inconspicuous is your setup? Cages are not cheap, for sure, but there are some steps you can take to protect your items if that setup won't work for you. Padlocks and zip ties on gear won't necessarily stop the item from being taken, but it may deter a potential thief from knowing what you have. From our experience (unfortunately), not every thief knows the value of that Sennheiser MKH416 shotgun microphone, or that that Sigma Cinema lens is more expensive than the Sony a7S. Instead, they'll go for headphones, laptops, things they recognize. This can be a good thing if they make off with something relatively inexpensive and easy to replace, but being robbed is always a horrible experience. Being inconspicuous has real value, what can you do to make it as difficult as possible to see/recognize your equipment? What can you do to conceal your items going in and our of their storage place? Work harder than the thief would. Think like a thief. Have people you trust look at your setup and make sure you're not missing something.
Gear in your car. Here's a difficult one. You've got to get it to location somehow, and sometimes you need to leave your equipment in your vehicle while you grab food, get gas, etc. One thing you should never, ever do, is leave gear in your car overnight. At very least, take cameras, lenses, microphones, computers, all the really good stuff that thieves will recognize, and bring them with you. A couple extra cases lugged into your hotel or even into Chipotle is worth not getting broken into and robbed. Thieves work quick! You may think you're just having a 20 minute meal, but it only takes a couple minutes for someone to walk by your vehicle, notice that laptop bag on your passenger seat, and smash and grab.
Lastly for now, gear on set. Just because you've made it on set, does't mean you're safe. Do you know everyone on set? Are there additional staff, people around who may have an opportunity to grab something? It's one thing for someone to walk by your vehicle and know what they're looking it, it's a whole different story once all your amazing equipment is out in the open. If you're in a room at the L.V. Convention Center, the Sands Expo, or a suite at Mandalay Bay, make sure that you know your gear is watched over before you run off to grab a coffee or leave for the evening.
In conclusion. You don't want to live paranoid, but you also don't want to have your expensive and wonderful equipment stolen. Be diligent, invest in insurance, and be smart. A lot of this is simply premeditated steps you can do to ensure that you're operating using good habits. Best of luck, and see you on set!
Keep Your Package Wrapped #Cinebags
Here at F11 Rentals, we always use protection (no one likes a burner), that's why we're no fools, and we wrap our tools with Cinebags High Rollers, Skinny (not ours) Jimmies, and the always ergonomic and eccentric lap top bag that loves to hold on tight to the high roller. All of our camera packages and rental accessories are packaged nice and tight in Cinebags. The best video production rentals should be delivered in the best production bags. Get your very own bag here.
Our new camera bags - The High Roller
We decided on purchasing the Cinebags High Roller for all of our C300 and PMW-300 Camera Packages. The Lens Smuggler has been a great accessory to transport our lenses and additional gear as a carry on. The quality is what you would expect from a high end manufacturer. The Zippers and stitching are built to withstand heavy use. I personally love that there is a little more depth to the main compartment over the previous version the Camera Daddy. Because of the added space we can now store the C300 camera with the top handle as well as the 24-70 lens on the camera. This allows for quicker setups and I think the less we can take the lens on and off the body the better. Oh almost forgot... These new bags have a telescoping handle and wheels. No more lugging a 30lb. Camera bag on my shoulder running from plane to plane. Also, while we are on the topic of traveling. I have to mention the lens smuggler allows us to bring a variety of lenses and stash them under the seat very comfortably. It is slightly thicker than the laptop case but not one airline worker has given it a second look. A highroller and the lens smuggler are a great combination. One carry on and one personal item. We are very glad to have these new bags and I expect them to be a valuable tool for us for the life of our cameras.
Camera bag for the Canon C300
With our new camera in hand we wanted to find the right case to transport it. For our day to day shoot we opted for the Cinebags camera daddy. The bag holds comfortably the camera body and 4 lenses and accesories. We considered the Pelican 1660 case, I loved the build quality and protection it offered but we would have needed another case just for lenses. I'm sure we will pickup one of these cases for when we travel.