Category: Production Tips

Producers need all the help we can get, right?!

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

Produzen is a relatively new online Slack* community that is really impressing producers.
The information on the channel is quite good—many webinars on COVID-19 compliance, resources, tips, tricks, and budgeting. You can ask the Produzen community (producers) for help on any production challenge and get a quick answer: crew referrals in other cities, advice on locations, budgeting for COVID-19, and a whole lot more!
*What is Slack? Slack is a free channel-based messaging platform used by fortune 500 companies. I’ve linked to a video below.
h …

Remote Directing Can Improve Your Production During Covid-19

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

The job of a Producer. Never an easy gig. Even when things run smoothly, there’s always a tight rope or two to traverse. With the global coronavirus pandemic, client, talent, and camera crews safety on location has increased the high-wire act for producers.

Yet life goes on– Executive messages, political interviews, new medical procedures, etc. still need to be filmed and distributed, with the added concern for the clients, talent and crew safety at the studio and on-site locations. Handling these film safety tightropes, so to speak, is now m …

How film production sets are changing during Covid-19

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

Covid-19 doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Production cos are now using their resourcefulness and creativity to get back to work safely. This short BTS video by Spears & Arrows demos their new production normal and reminds us all that we’re not in this alone. 
At Moving Picture Rental we’ve also been busy! We’re pivoting our company towards helping the production world to open back up safely. And so, we’ve partnered with CBI to provide on-site proactive Coronavirus cleaning services that promote client, crew and talent confidence …

Keep Your Film Location Safe by Taking Action on Coronavirus

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

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The current coronavirus pandemic is affecting our film and television industry in a multitude of ways. We all genuinely care about our cast, crews, and clients’ health and welfare while we’re on location. However, with many call sheets ranging from 10 to 50 people, our current ability to safely shoot in closed environments is a big issue. That’s why using an experienced environmental services company (vs. a typical “cleaning service”) to proactively administer coronavirus cleaning and disinfection on locations, studios, production offices, …

The Dos and Don’ts of Renting Film Equipment

Posted on by Oriana Chacon
[caption id="attachment_2799" align="alignleft" width="497"] Bill, pilot; Egon Stephan Jr.; David Wells; Carl Perkins on location in Miami.[/caption]

Going through my files recently I found this photo from the late ’80s with some of my fellow crewmates during the filming of a high-speed offshore powerboat race in Miami. Boy, we had a great time!  It reminds me of another story I recently heard about another crew person in the 80’s who once tried to get a helicopter shot flying under San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Remember, in the ’80s th …

Producers and Makers, Here’s a Sanity Hack!

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

Hey Producers and Makers, I never thought that writing for 5 minutes a day would elevate my mood, but I’m going on three years now with this GRATITUDE JOURNAL, and it’s had a profound effect on me (when I do it).
Gratefulness = power
I’m the last guy who likes to journal; I find it a real bore. However, I do like answering the questions that this 5-minute journal asks of me in the morning & sometimes in the evening (which I fail to do 90% of the time ).

I use my journal when times are tough and take breaks from it when life becomes easy.  …

My Sanity Hacks during Covid-19

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

 
And now for something completely different! I’ve curated a few of my favorite inspirations from living through this COVID-19 crisis in Florida, particularly our hard-hit Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, where we work and play. I hope these bring a new perspective. Be well, stay safe, and keep in touch!

Jack Kornfield has always been one of my favorites.  Jack is a trained Buddhist monk with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, and one of the top spiritual leaders in our country. This conversation with Tim Ferriss is full of comforting wisdom. And it …

The Essential Movie Equipment List for Getting Great Moving Shots on Your Next Project in Florida

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

Don’t wait until post-production to solve problems that should be addressed in pre-production. Hasty planning can often result in expensive reshoots. Making sure you have the right gear on-set can save you precious time and money. Of course, you’re going to put a lot of thought into the technical aspects of your production, like which camera, lighting kits, and sound equipment you’ll need. But when you’re planning your movie equipment rental, it’s essential to consider the accessories that will complement such gear. According to many …

Ten Things to Know About Insurance Before Renting Film Equipment in Florida

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

Before renting film equipment, you’ll need production insurance to protect it against loss, theft, or damage. Here are ten things you should know about that coverage.
1) Safety First
If anything goes wrong during production, there will be a whole lot of people pointing fingers at you, the producer. While there’s not much you can do about stormy weather or clashing egos, quality production insurance is one of the few ways you can protect yourself financially against incidentals that ultimately plague every set. So if you think you need it, g …

How to Get Insurance for Film Equipment Rental in Florida

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

As with many career paths, producing films is an endeavor where you’ll learn a lot more on the job than you will in a classroom. Still, there are certain aspects of the work that can be acquired as effectively by reading as they can be by doing. One of them is the different kinds of insurance you’ll need to cover your film equipment rental. Film equipment rental insurance will prove to be your best safety net in the event the equipment you rent is damaged or destroyed. The question is, how do you get that insurance?
STEP 1: The Basics
Firs …