What's better? Renting or buying?

[harmonica44]

I was shopping around and was about to buy some cameras and sound equipment, till one guy who made his own film told me to rent from a certain shop in town. I can rent a cam for $10 for four days as long as it's over the weekend. I can rent a sound recorder for $8 and a shotgun mic for $7. Those are pretty good prices. I was already to rent them and had them booked to rent for myself to film two weeks from now.

I went down to look at some more stuff and there was a different person working there. He told me that I cannot rent the equipment because I have no degree or experience in using it. I told him I was renting it for my cameraman and soundman and I am the director. He said they are not allowed to rent out their stuff, unless it's too people who have learned to use the equipment, and he was unaware that the guy I talked to before, signed me up without informing me of such. So I was able to get my crewman to go down there a few days later to sign in, just so I could rent it out. But because they didn't sign in before, the equipment could not be held for me, so I cannot get it in time for the shoot date either way.

So now my shoot date is ruined because of an unclear technicality that was not explained. I am seriously thinking of buying now because otherwise I will have to postpone the shoot date which I worked so hard to get, and get everyone to be able to be available and what not. Here's the thing. Is renting going to cause these problems and there are going to be hidden exemptions and technicalities? In which case I should buy? But other moviemakers have rented from the same store and were able to finish their films in only a few months time, without having to be delayed weeks. What's their secret?

How do they get what they want, when they want it, with whatever hidden ambushes await? I am close to buying just to keep the same shoot date, but I haven't already started and already I have to go a few thousand more over budget just to keep the shoot date. How do I avoid problems like this? Thanks.

 

[Utopia]

What camera, mic and recorder were you going to rent?

If you are going to be doing this full-time and using the equipment every day, I think you should just buy.

There is also a saying in the audio industry that if you're going to rent it more than 5 times, buy it. It will practically pay for itself at that point.

I would buy it and drill with it so I know how to use it by the shooting day. You don't want to rent a camera you have never used before the day of the shoot and look like a dweeb figuring out how to set up the white-balance while the actors are standing around eating your hard-earned Krispy Kreme doghnuts.

Plus, rental equipment is always sus.

The last live show I mixed we rented a DiGiCo SD7 mixboard which had 2 blown outputs which caused a ruckus during the setups of the show. I always check my board and equipment beforehand so a show is never ruined, but the fact that this rental had some blown outputs makes me never want to rent equipment again.

 

[harmonica44]

Well my friend and DP knows how to use that stuff and he said he would be able to figure it out if I rent it over a weekend for him to look over. So it's worth buying over renting even if the camera and mic cost no more than $10 to rent?

 

[PaulGriffith]

Most hollywood productions rent equipment. It costs less when you're just shooting X amount of consecutive days and then not touching a camera again for months or years til your next feature. It also keeps you from being stuck with obsolete equipment that you only use once a year.

If you're a beginner, you should buy some entry level gear and shoot every spare moment with it to learn the craft.

As far as equipment not being available, you need to book and have a signed renters agreement as far as possible in advance. If the company you want to use is all rented out, take your business elsewhere. There's online rental places that ship to you and generally cost less if there's no where else in your city.

It's all based on situation whether renting or buying is right.

 

[directorik]

The answer depends on the company or individual. There is no
“better”.

As you have discovered, when renting from a small outfit with
limited equipment for such a low rate the equipment can be in high
demand. That means you have to plan farther in advance than if you
own the equipment. In many ways renting for such low rates is
“better”.

Of course when you rent from a bigger rental house there will be
more equipment available. It’s “better” that way because your
shoot dates are not ruined. It worse because the rates are higher.
But it’s “better” because you don’t have to plan so far in
advance.

It sounds like you have an amazing deal with this rental place.
Renting a camera for four days for $10 is unheard of here in Los
Angeles. So what if you (or your DP) have to spend a little time
showing them you have the experience using it? So what if you have
to push back your shoot date because the equipment is already
booked?

There are and always will be compromises when making a movie.

Here’s how YOU can figure out if it’s “better” to rent or buy:

How many total shooting days? How much will that cost (total) for
the camera, recorder and mic?

How much will it cost you to buy the same camera, recorder and
mic?

Place those numbers side by side. Is the saving worth the
compromise? If not - buy. If it is - rent.

 

[harmonica44]

Well I want to make a short film first with my DP to see if I can do it. I also shoot some experimental action scenes as well. Thus getting ready to shoot a feature length script I wrote. So I thought about renting to see if I could do it and just test everything out, but I will get more time to play around with the equipment and learn it if I buy sooner. Another thing is, if I rent I could rent probably more better high end equipment, but it would probably be better to buy cheaper stuff and learn more than I would renting.