American Cinematographer - January 2013 - 96

New Products & Services
Hurlbuts Unveil Revolution Cinema Rentals By Jon D. Witmer Hurlbut Visuals DSLR Cinema Rentals has been rebranded as Revolution Cinema Rentals and has moved to a new facility in the San Fernando Valley. Founded by ASC member Shane Hurlbut, Mike Svitak and Lydia Hurlbut (who serves as CEO), RCR grew out of the experiences gained on the feature Act of Valor (AC Feb. ’12) and other projects that employed multiple DSLR cameras in run-and-gun configurations and with other camera systems. The company has continued to refine its camera rigs and workflows and offer expertise on commercials, features and other projects. “We’re saying, ‘Come here, take our cameras, let’s do a test together and see what you want to put on your set,” says “Q” Edwards, RCR’s vice president of marketing and operations. “It’s a very collaborative environment,” adds Lydia Hurlbut. “We take the time to have a customized experience with everyone who comes through the door.” At the root of RCR’s approach is a multiple-camera paradigm in which different types of cameras, each designated for a particular purpose (such as handheld, Steadicam or high speed), stands ready to roll throughout the shooting day, enabling a small crew to move quickly. “Even before we had digital, we would carry a sound camera, a lightweight handheld camera and a high-speed camera,” says Shane Hurlbut. He notes that productions have also traditionally employed different film stocks for different shooting scenarios. In the digital realm, he says, he treats each camera as “its own ‘emulsion.’ I try to use the best of what each camera does. “We want to be the go-to place if these Canon cameras are going to be your emulsion,” he continues, noting that RCR is a “Canon-centric” facility, specializing in the 7D, 5D Mark II and III, 1D Mark IV, 1D C, and C300 and C500. “We take these bodies with many buttons, load in our customized settings and picture styles, and turn them into a camera system that looks and feels like a motion-picture camera — with a variety of accessories and supports that are familiar to filmmakers.”
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RCR sees itself as a complement to rental houses where filmmakers might go for a film or digital camera for use on the same production. “Rather than a one-stop-shop paradigm, it can be two stops now,” says Shane. “We can pack up our gear and deliver it to Panavision, Otto Nemenz, Clairmont, wherever the customer wants so they can prep their entire package at once.” For the cameras’ back end, RCR offers Convergent Design Gemini 4:4:4 and Codex Digital Onboard S and Vault recording options. On the front end, the company is investing in what it calls its Vintage Glass Department. “When you use an older piece of glass with lower contrast, it takes away the [digital image’s] hypercrisp quality, and it starts to look a lot more like film,” says Shane. “We’ve taken Leica R mounts and engineered them to have EOS mounts; we have old Cooke Panchros; and we’ve re-housed Kowas so a camera assistant can work with them on a C300, C500 or 1D C.” RCR has been working with Duclos Lenses and other fabricators to re-house and cine-modify many of these vintage lenses for use with digital systems in a configuration that will be familiar to camera assistants. Edwards enthuses, “We’re taking old glass that has been sitting in warehouses, giving it a breath of new life and repurposing it for a new market.” RCR’s new facility also affords ample space for educational events. “We’re trying to educate cinematographers and their crews on how to use this hybrid multi-camera approach,” says Shane. Part of the trick, notes Edwards, is “removing all the time you would otherwise spend flipping a camera body from a studio to a Steadicam configuration, for example. Take all that time out of the day by having multiple cameras in multiple configurations always ready to go, and you can start adding setups.” Through RCR’s educational initiatives, Edwards continues, “we’re building a team of camera assistants and other filmmakers who are out there working and are not afraid of rapidly evolving technology. We’re constantly encountering people who have been let down by DSLRs on other jobs, and they’re afraid to use one again. So they come here to be educated in an immersive environment.” RCR has also launched an internship program. Participants work behind the scenes and on the prep floor in the rental house, learning to set up and care for the cameras and accessories and gaining practical experience for working on set. Additionally, interns are involved with test shoots and taken out on actual productions. “Our interns are hungry,” says Edwards. “They’re sponges. They’re motivated. They want to learn. What better environment for them to learn in?” Revolution Cinema Rentals, 1102 Arroyo St., San Fernando, Calif., 91340. For more information, visit the company’s website, www.revolutioncinemarentals.com.

American Cinematographer

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American Cinematographer - January 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - January 2013