Department of Film

Department Handbook: Film

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Purpose
Hours of Operation
Contact Information
Approved Users, Equipment Availability & Priorities
Access Procedures
User Responsibilities, Liabilities & Insurance

I. Purpose

The York University Department of Film owns and administers an inventory of filmmaking and video production, post-production and classroom presentation equipment. This equipment is available to students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate production classes in the Department of Film who require equipment to complete assignments and thesis projects as required by their course instructors and advisors. Equipment is reserved and signed out from the Equipment Room (CFT 136) by the methods outlined within this document.

The Department maintains equipment for production in various different formats -- Super 8mm film, 16mm film, RED ONE, DVC PROPO HD, DV-CAM, HDV. Film Production students may reserve appropriate equipment for their course assignments from the Equipment Room after passing proficiency tests. Please note that access to the equipment is restricted to those students whose project work has been approved by the course director and the Production Committee; and that only those pieces of equipment which have been allocated to a particular course will be available to its members.

II. Hours of Operation

Equipment Room Hours are from:
September 1 – October 1
Monday to Friday
9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
October 1 – April 15
Monday to Wednesday
9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Thursday – Friday
9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (closed for supper hour as posted on CFT 120A)
April 15- September 1
By appointment

III. Contact Information

Bill Byers
Studio Manager
Office # CFT 233
416 736 2100 ext. 22197
Email: bbyers@yorku.ca

Jon Hedley
Post Production Co-coordinator
Office # CFT 120B
416 736 2100 ext. 22162
Email: jhedley@yorku.ca

Claudius Pinto
Systems Installation and Maintenance Technician
Office # CFT 132
416 736 2100 ext. 22152
Email: cpinto@yorku.ca

Gilbert Kwong (October 1 – April 18th)
Film Technician
Office # CFT 120A
416 736 2100 ext. 22163
Email: gkwong@yorku.ca

Marcos Arriaga (August 1 – April 18th)
Film Technician
Office # CFT 120A
416 736 2100 ext. 22163
Email: marriaga@yorku.ca

Stephanie Adamson (September 1 – June 30th)
Equipment Allocation Coordinator
Office # CFT 136
416 736 2100 ext. 22154
Email: sadamson@yorku.ca

IV. Approved Users, Equipment Availability & Priorities

Equipment is loaned to production students in the Department of Film who:

are currently enrolled in a production class and require equipment to complete an assignment (as printed in the course outline which the student receives at the beginning of the term).
require equipment to complete an approved 1st or 2nd year undergraduate production (a list of approved productions from FILM: 1020, 2010 will be supplied to the Studio Manager by the course directors at the beginning of each term).
require equipment to complete an approved undergraduate production (a list of approved productions from FILM: 1020, 2010, 3001, 4001, 3002/4002, 3003/4003 will be supplied to the Studio Manager by the course directors at the beginning of each term).
require equipment to complete a thesis project (with approval of thesis supervisor).
have passed a proficiency test on the use of the requested equipment**, attended an approved workshop or are enrolled in a specialty course specific to the equipment required. (Sound or Cine)

PRIORITY FOR THE ARRI SR2 SUPER 16MM AND RED ONE CAMERAS
Fiction 2 - September 1 to December 31
Fiction I - January 1 to April 1
Graduate thesis productions - April 1 to September 1

V. Access Procedures - Reservations

Reservations:
- For most other production classes, reservations for equipment may be made directly at the Equipment Room, CFT 136, during regular operating hours. Reservations must be made three days prior to the pick-up date.
- Students working on authorized group projects must delegate one team member to be in charge of reserving, picking up and returning equipment. Equipment will only be signed out to the team member under whose name appears on the original reservation lists.
- Please note that students who are not York University Department of Film students may not hold major key crew positions on Department of Film Productions.

PLEASE NOTE: The Equipment Room will not accept equipment reservations over the phone.

VI. User Responsibilities – Damage/Theft, Insurance, Location Permits, Equipment: Inspection, Storage, Return, Location Transfer

Insurance
Equipment that is the property of the Department of Film is covered by York University's property insurance policy; however there is a $5,000 deductible in cases of loss or damage or theft of this equipment. It is the responsibility of the borrower to pay for this deductible.

York University's property insurance does not cover equipment rentals from external companies. Students will be required to provide their own proof of insurance to external rental companies.

In the case of lost, damaged or stolen rental equipment, the renting party is required to pay for the full replacement cost of the missing/damaged/stolen equipment. For this reason, while not mandatory, we strongly recommend that the renter carry enough personal insurance to cover the full replacement value of all the equipment.

In certain cases, depending on the value of the equipment, you may be required to provide documented proof of adequate insurance. The Studio Manager may refuse to allow equipment to be signed out if this proof is not provided.

In the case of stolen York University equipment, you are required to file a police report with the proper law enforcement agency within 24 hours of the theft. You must immediately submit a copy of that report to the Studio Manager.

In the case of damaged equipment, staff technicians will determine if the damage is a result of normal wear and tear and if the item can be repaired. If they determine that the damage was the result of abuse, you will be responsible for the full cost of the repair, or the full cost of replacement if the item cannot be repaired.

In the case of lost equipment, you will be given 48 hours to locate lost or missing pieces of equipment or accessories. If after 48 hours, you are unable to produce the missing items you will be responsible for the full replacement cost of the missing item.
Upon receiving any of these notifications, (damage, loss, theft) the Studio Manager will prepare an invoice for the full replacement cost of the stolen items. You will be responsible for full payment of this bill within 14 days. Payment can be made by cheque, or money order made payable to York University. If payment is not received within 14 calendar days or by the last class day of the semester, whichever is sooner, your access to all Department of Film, production, post–production and screening facilities will be suspended and the outstanding amounts owed will be billed directly to your student account. Until your student account is paid in full you will not be able to obtain official transcripts or graduate etc. In certain special cases, the Studio Manager may authorize the borrower to provide a substitute for the missing or stolen equipment with an item of equivalent function and value. Please note that refunds of payment for lost or missing items cannot be given once your cheque has been cashed even if the item is subsequently found.

Failure to pay for losses or damages will result in loss of access to all Deptartment of Film production and post-production facilities.
Location Permits
York U. Property:
Permission to film on campus should be obtained from Student Affairs. Application forms can be downloaded from http://www.studentaffairs.yorku.ca/life/clubs.htm.
Off-campus:
Written permission should be secured to film from the "owner" of the premises for film shoots that are conducted off-campus. This may be privately owned, publicly owned or city/province property. A filming permit is required for the use of City of Toronto streets and roads. Applications can be made online at http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/tfto/index.htm.

Equipment Inspection before Check Out
When checking out equipment, the Equipment Room staff will make every effort to verify that the items are fully operational and that all accessories, as listed on the requisition form, are included. The Equipment Room can be extremely busy at peak hours therefore we highly recommend the borrower double-checks the equipment to ensure it is in proper working order and that all the accessories listed are provided before signing the reservation form and leaving the Equipment Room area. It is the user’s responsibility to report to the Equipment Room staff any missing parts, visible damage, defective items and operating problems at the time of checkout or as soon as possible after noticing the problem. If equipment is broken or found to be missing upon return, the user could be deemed responsible for repair or replacement. This rule applies to everyone, including Faculty or TAs checking out equipment for class or labs.
The user acknowledges that the equipment is on loan without warranty or guarantee of any kind expressed or implied and that the Department of Film assumes no responsibility, implied in fact or law, for the performance or non-performance of said equipment.

Equipment Storage
The user assumes responsibility for the safe transport, use and storage of the equipment from the time it is checked out until it is checked back in to the Equipment Room. The user assumes all responsibility for loss and/or damage to the equipment while it is in the user’s possession. The Equipment Room strongly advises against storing equipment in a vehicle. If you must store your equipment in a vehicle – it must be locked in the trunk.

Equipment Return
You are expected to pick-up and return your equipment at the date and time specified. You are expected to be present during your checkout as well as your check-in. With advance notice, you may delegate a third party to pick-up or return your equipment with the understanding that you are still responsible for any missing items and/or damages to the equipment. Equipment must be returned to the Equipment Room on time. Late returns will not be tolerated. First-time offenders will receive a warning. Second time offenders risk temporary or permanent suspension of their borrowing privileges. Please note that your professor will be notified if your borrowing privileges have been suspended due to repeated late returns. This will have an effect on your final marks. If you wish to inquire about the possibility of extending your current reservation, you must immediately contact the Equipment Room during regular operating hours. If the Equipment Room cannot extend your reservation, you must return your equipment at the originally scheduled date and time. If there are unforeseen circumstances (i.e. emergencies) which prevent a student from returning equipment at the designated time, they shall inform the Studio Manager or the Equipment Allocation Coordinator by phone or e-mail before 4:00pm on regular business days. The Equipment Room reserves the right to set a deadline for the pick-up of equipment and to re-assign the equipment to other users if the original user fails to show up before the deadline. Students failing to pick-up their equipment without notifying the Equipment Room forfeit their equipment and are listed as a "NO SHOW". All upcoming reservations are cancelled and the student must submit new reservation requests. The next "no-show" will be grounds for suspension of borrowing privileges. Assuming for some reason that the Equipment Room is still open beyond normal closing time, students showing up for a checkout after this time have no guarantee of obtaining their equipment.

Out-of-Province Production
The Equipment Room must be advised any time equipment will be taken outside the province of Ontario. Special permission must be granted and an additional form has to be filled out for this purpose.

Location Transfers
The Equipment Room does not permit unauthorized transfers of equipment from one user to another. The Equipment Room, however, will allow two or more authorized borrowers to transfer equipment between each other as long as the users understand the following conditions:
- The Equipment Room must have on record, the names and contact information of all the users.
- The borrower who originally signs for the equipment is the one responsible for ensuring that the equipment is returned on time, complete and in good condition and is the one who will be held responsible for repair or replacement, even if the equipment was used by or is returned by subsequent users. For this reason, the Equipment Room does not recommend this practice.
Keep Equipment Room Informed

Users who borrow equipment from the Equipment Room must notify the staff of any change in address, telephone number, e-mail address and student status. This applies to all users but more particularly to those benefiting from "long-term" loans, which can extend over many months. The Equipment Room staff must be able to get in touch with you at all times. This applies to everyone, including Faculty or TAs checking out equipment for class or labs. Faculty members are asked to provide the Studio Manager with up-to-date class lists and to notify the Studio Manager when students withdraw from production courses.

Lastly but most important:
- Put you and your crew’s personal safety first.
- No one needs to risk personal injury trying to rescue equipment from dangerous situations.