ACCESS POLICY
Independent projects are works initiated and created by an independent artist, where he/she is the driving force behind the project and maintains complete creative and editorial control over the work.
Commercial projects are works created for industries of commercial new media, radio or television broadcasting. Commercial projects are differentiated from independent projects where the project is either created on contract for, or produced by, a government agency, private company, or corporation.
EMMEDIA’s equipment rates are heavily subsidized for the independent artist/producer or non-profit organization that retains artistic and copyright control. Priority is given to projects in this category. These heavily subsidized equipment rates are not available for work with ‘Commercial intent’. EMMEDIA does not support projects that are discriminatory in nature. Normally, equipment is available to properly trained Producer Members only. However, a non-member may contract a Producer Member to assist in the creation of their work with sole responsibility of the Producer Member for booking, picking up, handling, and returning the gear. Members are required to disclose the nature and intent of the equipment use before renting through filling the Production Support Data Form.
“Member in Good Standing” means that all appropriate membership fees and any outstanding debts to the Society have been paid.
Producer Members in good standing are entitled to 24-hour access to EMMEDIA’s facilities. Members (only) can arrange to borrow a set of keys by providing a cash or cheque deposit ($40 for the Edit Suites and $50 for the Screening Room), signing the agreement, and setting the dates for which they need the keys. For sake of security of the facility, keys are only assigned for a short period of time, normally maximum of one week, which is set by EMMEDIA staff while assigning the keys. If members require the keys for a longer period, they should repeat the booking process. They are expected to return the keys as soon as they are finished with them. Members assume full responsibility for the use of the keys and are not permitted to duplicate them. Their responsibility includes proper locking of ALL doors (including the Screening Room) and windows, shutting down equipment and setting the alarm. Failure to comply or leaving any mess behind in the facility may result in a loss of the deposit. Please refer to the “READ ME” sheet posted above the alarm for further instruction.
To rent equipment, you must be a Producer Member in good standing. The Member must demonstrate a sufficient level of competency, or they must have taken the relevant workshops and training at EMMEDIA or other facilities.
The Producer shall not allow any person (other than EMMEDIA Producer Members in good standing) to operate any of the equipment. The Member who rents the equipment is responsible for any damage incurred while in their possession.
An After Hours Equipment Pass can be arranged between two Members by making prior arrangements with the Production Coordinator. Both parties are equally responsible for checking equipment thoroughly and making sure all items are accounted for.
Members must NEVER, EVER leave equipment in their car or in a public area unsupervised or they could be very unhappy producers. See information below regarding insurance and liability. The Producer is responsible for any damaged or lost equipment. In cases where a member is showing uncaring attitude toward the EMMEDIA facility, equipment, regulations, or staff, EMMEDIA staff may consider a suspension or probation period for that member.
It is important to report any equipment damage or malfunction in order to facilitate repair or replacement. Members must not attempt to take apart or repair equipment as it may void the warranty or insurance coverage.
Members must inform staff if they intend to take the equipment out of province to be approved. Out of province rentals are typically not allowed. Out of Canada rentals are not permitted, unless a special production committee approval is granted at least 15 days prior to equipment pickup. Members wishing to transport equipment by air must consult with the Production Coordinator to make necessary shipping arrangements prior to booking equipment.
Members must allow 20 minutes for equipment pickup and 20 minutes for the equipment return when they come to EMMEDIA’s office in order to monitor and document the equipment condition, etc. On checkout, members have to sign out their equipment-booking sheet acknowledging that all is in order. Upon return, members must sign off after staff has checked in the equipment. Members may be asked to sign out and sign in the individual checklists for equipment packages to keep track of the items and conditions. Equipment pick-up and drop-off times are between 10AM – 4:30PM.
Equipment that is returned late (see “Cancellation & Late Return Policy” below), out of order (for example battery or tripod mounting plate left on the camera, cables not wrapped up properly), not cleaned up properly (for example tape residue or dirt on the cables, tripod, light equipment, etc), or not prepared properly (for example charging video camera batteries) may be subject to extra billing. The amount depends on the inconvenience caused for the staff and for the next member using the gear. The staff will evaluate the situation during returning the gear and charge appropriately. EMMEDIA does not provide batteries for equipment (AA, 9 Volt, etc.). Members must supply their own batteries, except the rechargeable batteries that come with the cameras.
Do not leave the viewfinder of any of the cameras turned upward allowing exposure to the sun. Damage occurs in the form of burnout on the LCD. Do not allow bright light, either sunlight or studio lights, to shine into the lens of the cameras for extended periods.
Members wishing to rent the Sony Pro Camera and/or the HD camera must be an experienced cameraperson or employ a qualified EMMEDIA Producer Member. Training sessions are available for $35/hour, or through regular Production Workshops. The Production Coordinator will make the final judgment on whether the Member will be put on the user’s list. The operator must sign the rental contract and be present during pick-up.
A Member may cancel a booking two full working days prior to the booking date without charge. Cancellations made one full working day before the booking will be charged half, and cancellations made on the day of the booking and no-shows will be charged the full rate.
No shows for equipment rentals will be warned once, then suspended on second violation. No Shows for edit suite bookings will be warned once then billed for unused bookings.
If equipment is returned late and the late delay does not overlap another member’s booking, there is a 15% additional rental fee for each hour delay for the first three hours and additional full-day rental fees afterwards. If the equipment is booked back to back, member will be notified at least one day before the return date. Any delay in returning the gear that is booked back to back, or if the late return overlaps another member’s booking will result in one full day additional rental fee. Also the member may loose their rental privileges if the late returns persist.
EMMEDIA’s edit suites are reconfigured on a per project basis. Members must specify deck requirements when booking the room, otherwise there is no guarantee the required decks will be available. It is mandatory that the Edit Suite users sign in and sign out the log sheet located at the entrance of the suites.
When starting a new Project in any editing suite, members must include their name in the Project file name. For example: “Jane Smith – Documentary Project”. This way, their name is attached to their media on the hard-drives, making it easier to identify, and reducing the chances of it being
accidentally erased from the computer hard drive. Members are responsible for backing up their project files. Also it is mandatory that members who use Final Cut Pro to set the path for scratch disk, etc to their project folder before starting the work, so that their assets don’t mix up with others. EMMEDIA is not responsible for loss of the media assets or project files.
Due to hard-drive space restrictions, it is essential that the Production Coordinator is aware of whose media is on the computer and how long they need it to be there. It is the member’s responsibility to back up their files to disk or personal portable hard-drives. Projects that are inactive for 14 days will be automatically deleted off the system to clear up needed hard-drive space. Members are strongly encouraged to supply their own external hard-drives for their media storage.
If Members expect that their project will require an extended period of time to complete, staff must be aware of their plans. Options are dependent on demand for the room and available hard drive space. Members are not allowed to reconfigure the hardware, wirings, menu settings in the deck or video monitor, or preference of the applications. If there is a change required in these areas, it has to be arranged with the Production Coordinator. Members are required to remove their personal belongings from the Edit Suite after their use, and clean up after themselves.
» Log your time editing in the log sheets. If you do not log your time, you will be charged for the entire day you have the suite booked, not the time you used.
» No food or drink in the suites.
» Only save files to your folder with name and project name. Other folders will be deleted. Back up your files to your personal disk.
» Do not re-patch cables or change system settings.
» Power down computer, speakers and hardware when finished.
» Do not connect to the internet. If you want access to email/internet, member computers are available in main office area.
» Disorderly suites will be charged for clean-up time.
Production equipment can be used in Post-Production suites at no charge but may not be booked in advance. If you wish to book equipment in advance, regular rates will apply.
We ask that large projects be rendered overnight, to prevent interference with other members access to the room. Overnight compression and render time is free of charge.
Members are responsible to ensure that EMMEDIA receives credit on their work, copies of any promotional material, and data support information such as running time, synopsis etc. Members must provide the EMMEDIA archive with a high quality format final copy of all projects produced with EMMEDIA’s resources.
Our archives are proof to our funders that we are fulfilling our mandate. Up-to-date archives insure future funding to the organization. Having copies of tapes produced at EMMEDIA is very important to us and to the members at large. EMMEDIA will not screen archive tapes (excluding in-house workshops) without the artist’s consent. EMMEDIA pays CARFAC rates for public screenings.
Members are expected to inform staff when they are finished their project. Together, they will review their booking sheets, edit suite sign-in sheet and tape stock book so that accurate invoicing can take place. Members maintain full copyright and creative control of their work at all times.
Members are not permitted to install software into any of EMMEDIA’s computers without consulting the staff. Conflicts can arise that cause serious problems with the hard drives.
Producer Members have access to the screening room for non-commercial rehearsals, auditions, productions or meetings. The room can also be booked for private screenings. In order to book the room, the producer must be a member in good standing. Members are asked to clean up after themselves, take all props with them and remove gaffer tape from the floor. Members wishing to install sets for more than one day must obtain confirmation from EMMEDIA and Quickdraw Animation Society staff.
Screening Room is heavily used by our Producer Members. Interested members are urged to contact EMMEDIA and book the facility well in advance. The member has to arrange with the Production coord to drop by the office and sign the screening room agreement. Proposals for commerical events must be made and approved by the Production Coordinator, and be made maximum 3 weeks prior.
There is a flat fee of $25/day for the room rental. Commercial events that charge admission and/or non-media arts related, are charged $75/day. All after-hour events are charged a $50 deposit (cash or cheque) for keys and a $200 (cash only) security deposit for the room.
This should take place one working day (Monday to Saturday) prior to the event before 4PM. Keys can only be picked up by a producer member with good standing. A ten-minute walk-through and proper security demo is required for members picking up the keys.
The 50-dollar key deposit will not be returned to the member if the keys are not returned on stated date.
Space must be left clean and organized. Meaning all furniture in the lobby returned to their prior arrangement, kitchen area cleaned if used and bathroom and kitchen garbage’s emptied. The 200-dollar security deposit will not be returned to the member if the space is left in a state of disorder.
The main entrance doors to EMMEDIA Gallery & Production Society are closed after 5pm. If a member wishes to hold an event in which multiple people are attending, they will need to have a person by the door, or make use of the intercom system. Propping of the doors is considered a violation of the space rental agreement and membership privileges can be suspended.
Any technical considerations for use of the screening room equipment must be addressed three days prior to the event. Prior arrangement must be made for technical requirements and not on the day of the booking. A $35/hr technician fee will be charged if prior arrangements have not been made.
If the event includes using liquor, the member responsible for the event must obtain an Alberta Event Liquor License. Liquor may be stored in the fridge three hours prior to event and all unused liquor must be removed from EMMEDIA immediately after the event. The member is responsible for cleaning up the space and arranging removal of any empty bottles. Failure to clean up and abide to the liquor regulations will result in losing the $200 security deposit.
Production and post-production workshops include practice time. A free afternoon or evening camera rental is available for production workshops participants. Eight hours of practice time at the reduced rate of $5 per hour (50% discount) is available with a Post-Production Workshop. Members must take advantage of this offer within one month of taking the workshop.
Work Exchange is available by making prior arrangements with the Production Coordinator.
EMMEDIA requires payment in full upon return of rented equipment. Members in Good Standing can pay 50% on return and the remaining amount within 30 days. EMMEDIA reserves the right to withhold equipment rentals to members with outstanding bills. Interest will be charged on overdue accounts NET 30 days at a rate of 2% per month. Equipment Access privileges will be suspended for members with derelict accounts.
EMMEDIA insures all equipment for vandalism, theft or fire on-site, off-site and in transit, with a $500.00 deductible, which the Producer agrees to assume in the case of an insurance claim. Willful or accidental damage is not covered and the Producer is responsible for the total cost of repair or replacement in such a situation. The Members understand that equipment rentals and Facility access are subject to Media’s objectives and by-laws.
