Category: Production Tips

What Kind of Insurance Protects Rental Filmmaking Equipment in Florida?

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

You’re preparing to produce a film. You know you’ve got a great script and a talented cast. You’ve got the crew and the locations to pull it off.  You’re set up to rent filmmaking equipment. Plus, you know that you’ll need insurance to protect the production if any equipment is lost, stolen, or damaged. But what you may not know is the kind of coverage you’ll need to do that.

1) GENERAL LIABILITY
The most basic of all premiums, getting general liability coverage, is always the first step in protecting your production and a must-have …

Why you Need Insurance for Film Equipment in Florida

Posted on by Oriana Chacon
[caption id="attachment_2557" align="alignright" width="225"] Insurance saved this south Florida production when thieves stole rented gear from this car.[/caption]

Just like competent assistants know what their bosses need before they need it, good producers know how to solve problems with their film equipment rental before they arise. And when it comes to film production, issues always occur no matter the size of the budget nor the proficiency of the crew. And while there’s nothing you can do to prevent them from happening, there are things y …

How To Easily Solve Your Pre-Production Problems

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

Most film equipment rental houses only rent equipment, and call it a day. But when it comes to film pre-production, there’s a myriad of things from location scouting to crew sourcing that can create problems and add to your load. Especially if you’re taking your production to another state, where you aren’t familiar with the ropes… all of a sudden everything seems more complicated.

Luckily, there’s a new model of film equipment rental house: the rental house that solves your problems by going above and beyond regular duties.

Emerging from p …

The Guide to Sustainable Practices On Set!

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

The sheer amount of waste we experience daily on Florida film productions is shocking. Huge volumes of wood thrown into dumpsters after a day’s use. Food from catering disposed of rather than sent to food banks. Hundreds of plastic water bottles, many barely consumed, end up in large plastic bags never to be recycled.

NBCUniversal is taking the lead to change all that! Green is Universal is NBC Universal’s ongoing sustainability initiative dedicated to raising environmental awareness and helping to nurture a healthy planet.
Film and televisi …

The Legal Ins and Outs of Filming in Florida

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

One of the most consistent requests we get from filmmakers is about all the legal ins and outs of shooting a film or video production in Florida. We always start our reply by talking about the most essential piece of paper you may need: the location permit.
Film permitting process
Every location-based shoot, even for professional still photography, requires a shooting permit to be legit. A permit is merely a document from local, city, or federal governments, giving you permission to be shooting in public places. The permitting process can admit …

The Art of Being a Producer: Balancing Creativity and Business

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

Generally speaking, no matter the size of your production, every person on a film set has a job that falls squarely in one of two different camps.

The first group is the creative team – the writers, directors, actors, etc. These are the dreamers — the people primarily responsible for coming up with the compelling ideas that will excite the audience. The second group is the technical team.  The people who use their skills, expertise, and tools to support the people in the first category.  These being the cinematographers, camera assistants, …

The Ultimate Guide to Pre-production for Producers

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

The first day of shooting is always an exciting time for cast and crew. But it wouldn’t be possible without the months of pre-production that brought everyone to the set.

You’re probably familiar with Edison’s quote about genius being 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Think of production as 1% realization and 99% preparation.

From 30-minute spots to feature films, pre-production is the process of discovering, researching sourcing, and bringing everything together to successfully execute the client and/or director’s vision.

This gu …

Cinematography Tips You May Not Have Tried

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

There are dozens, if not hundreds of cinematography techniques available to help you become a better storyteller. From pre-visualization to thinking—and shooting—like an editor, we wrote about some of them in a recent post.

In this post we’ll cover some techniques that might help you start to think even more outside the box of your comfort zone.
Iconic cinematography techniques
Have you ever heard a brief clip of unfamiliar music and immediately knew who composed it? Or seen a work of art (think Banksy) and known instantly who created it …

How MPR’s Florida Film Production Services Save You Time & Money

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

Whether you need a DP for one day, a sound mixer for a month, or a full-time producer, Moving Picture Rental can help you solve one of the biggest challenges many South Florida productions face: easily finding and hiring experienced, qualified professionals.
Your South Florida Film and Video Production Partner
Owned and run by filmmakers, MPR has been a one-stop shop for Florida film production services since 1987. Our experience as filmmakers ourselves means we truly understand how difficult it can be to quickly find reliable, qualified crew m …

Why Should You Consider Renting [and not buying] Film Equipment?

Posted on by Oriana Chacon

It’s the eternal question: is it better to buy the motion picture equipment you need or rent it on a production-by-production basis? In most cases, the answer’s pretty straightforward: renting is the way to go. Why? Simple:
Even Owned Film Equipment Comes at a Cost
When you own your own equipment, you have to maintain it. And if it breaks down on set, there’s no rental house on standby who will provide you with a replacement.

Most importantly, not all cameras, lights, and other tools of the trade are created equal. Entry-level cameras are …