LightReading Newsletter
January 2022 // no. 02 www.cinelease.com
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Table of contents 02 04 06 08 12 14 20 22 24 28 30 32 34 36
A Message from Gannon Murphy Finish Strong! Latest News Introducing Quantum II The Merge of the Great Let’s Get Social New Properties + Explosive Growth Branch Spotlight: Pittsburgh Powered by Cinelease Cinelease Events Cinelease Employee Corner Celebrating 45 Years The King of Lighting Behind the Studios A Message from Chris Rogers
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A message from Gannon Murphy 2021 was a truly transformative year. We’ve seen our industry continue to transform from legacy dominated media and traditional linear delivery to an ever-growing number of app based streaming services and start up media companies. Our technology has continued to transform as well. From the roots of traditional lighting instruments and power distribution, each successive year has brought smarter and more versatile equipment that transforms both how our clients create the scene on set and how we track and maintain the evolving tools in the warehouse. Industry-wide, the spend on this transformation has been enormous. Scripted narrative has grown from a few million per episode to multiples of tens of millions to increase production value and alter the way we view, consume, and interact with content. Transformation is rarely an outside job. The most successful and impactful transformations come from within a company. They are the result of the hard to quantify and elusive mixture of culture and determination, willingness to adapt, and interest to learn new things along the way. Cinelease has seen transformation from within these last few years in a way that most companies would and should strive to emulate, and it is based on the energy and resilience of the team that calls Cinelease a family. The Cinelease legacy has pushed the industry forward, transforming from the mom-and-pop heritage of a regional lighting and grip equipment provider, to being a national division of Herc Rentals – a Fortune 1000 company. This new year will mark 45 years in business, and we would not be where we are today if it weren’t for our ability as a team and a family to modify and adapt to the evolving industry around us. With each iteration, Cinelease grows stronger. As many of you know, 2020 marked the launch of our Studio Management Division, and despite all the challenges the business and the world faced in the wake of the pandemic, our Cinelease Studios team was able to secure key contracts with a new variety of partners in diverse spaces such as real estate and capital investment. With 16 stages in four states, Cinelease Studios has already provided a home for over a dozen productions from Lionsgate, Paramount, and Viacom to Netflix and Apple, and we have wrapped clients out at end of production so satisfied that we have already started to see repeat business in our studios. We’re excited to share with you that Cinelease Studios is still transforming. Our studio portfolio now includes two purpose-built studio campuses – sound stages that were designed and constructed from the ground up with the sole objective of accommodating television and film clients that exclusively partner with Herc and Cinelease for their equipment rental needs. On August 6, 2021, Cinelease Studios hosted a ribbon cutting event presided by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, and November brought the announcement of the $72M expansion of Cinelease Studios in Georgia. Please dive into this issue of Light Reading and see what has been happening around the country in our Cinelease Studios managed properties. We are incredibly proud of what the team has accomplished in such a short amount of time, and we will continue to pour our heart and soul into the work we do. You will see, in these pages, why we continue to be an agent of positive change in our business, because we have something pushing our transformation that no one else has – YOU. With gratitude and appreciation,
G A N N O N M UR P HY
General Manager, Cinelease Studios gannon.murphy@cinelease.com
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2021 Finish STRONG
Latest news
GRAND OPENING OF CAVEN POINT What began as a quiet launch of a new studio, quickly became a trending news story. Our East Coast team successfully opened the first purpose-built studio in Jersey City, New Jersey. The ribbon cutting event (see page 24 for details) attracted members of the community, the press, and legislators, including New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy.
VARIETY ARTICLE Cinelease Studios - Caven Point was featured in Variety Magazine shortly after the grand opening. This is a major achievement for our Cinelease Studios division and this approach to launching studios will be replicated as we continue to expand.
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Introducing Quantum II Cinelease is excited to announce a joint partnership with Cineo Lighting to launch the all-new Quantum II. The Quantum II expands upon the feature set of the original Quantum 4x4, adding the new C2OS touchscreen control console. In addition to greatly expanded control features, the Quantum II output is nearly twice that of the original Quantum. The new Quantum II features advanced LED technology, improving the overall spectrum beyond the exceptional color quality of its predecessor. The Quantum II features full RGB capabilities, the ability to record, playback, and offload an infinite number of lighting effects. Additionally, Quantum II offers a full complement of remote control protocols including wired DMX/RDM, LumenRadio, and networking protocols including sACN and ArtNet. Learn more about this new fixture by visiting:
cinelease.com/quantum-2 7
Hes + cinelease Acquires dwight crane + lrx
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The merge of the great Herc Entertainment Services and Cinelease continue to grow, as emphasized by the recent acquisition of Canadian company, Dwight Crane Ltd. and its affiliate, LRX LLC. The company engineers lights and their rental fleet includes aerial lifts, remote controlled lighting, mounts, cranes, and other unique equipment. LRX also has a location in LA near Cinelease’s HQ. They have a rich 40 year history of serving the US and Canadian film industry, such as the iconic Titanic film. The acquisition allows us to expand our entertainment services across international borders. Dwight Crane’s expertise, innovation, and proven track record in Canada will be invaluable to our growth. We are looking forward to our clients benefitting from their innovative engineering and industry-leading technologies making sets safer.
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herc entertainment
Cinelease
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Quantum II
lrx
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dan basso bts setting up interviews for caven point marketing video
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LET’S GET SOCIAL
@cinelease Proud to be on set with @rstvisions & @kennethwales thanks for tagging us! #cineleaseonset #bts #lightingandgrip #lifeonset
@cineleasestudios “This [studio] is exactly the type of project we envisioned,” said Governor Murphy at the Cinelease Studios, Caven Point Ribbon Cutting event
@iatselocal728 Got to tag @jbarociojr rocking that condor duty!
@greg.patterson.900 John Buckley CLT Marc Wostak RCLT Mike Popovich key Grip Thanks for tagging us in your @dojacat video @jchema This looks amazing! We’re always happy to support you with lighting & grip and love seeing the final project come together so beautifully
@cineleasestudios Swipe to see our dreams get built.
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Cinelease studios New properties + Explosive growth
cinelease studios - three ring Media campus is busy with productions
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Cinelease Studios - Three Ring in Georgia Located just outside of Atlanta, our first purpose-built studio has been buzzing with activity since its opening just over a year ago. We’ll be breaking ground in 2022 for a Phase II expansion which will allow the number of annual productions to potentially triple, increase our onsite lighting and grip warehouse space, increase our number of stages to a whopping 14, and grow our local staffing by 20%.
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Cinelease Studios - Caven Point, Jersey City Despite opening just a few short months ago, plans are already underway to expand the purposebuilt property, creating a network of filmmaking properties in Jersey City. We have recently opened a warehouse for lighting and grip equipment, allowing Cinelease to better serve the region.
Cinelease studios Team at grand opening event
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Cinelease Opens a NEW warehouse expanding our footprint in NJ
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Cinelease Studios - Brooklyn Our Brooklyn studio opened in August 2019 and was a success from the opening day. When a neighboring tenant moved out, we had an opportunity to expand the number of stages, creating a total of 27,500 square feet of stage space and 23,000 square feet of new office and flex spaces. The expansion also included building an expansive lighting and grip warehouse on site. Productions including Dickinson and Russian Doll have called this space home.
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Branch spotlight PITTSBURGH
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CINELEASE STUDIOS - PITTSBURGH Located just north of downtown Pittsburgh, a city once coined the “center of the film industry,” this studio is busy with creative productions. With more than 260,000 square feet of rentable space and accessibility to the luxuries of the city, this studio location has been the home of popular Netflix shows and movies like Mindhunter, Sweet Girl, and I am Not Ok with This.
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Powered by Cinelease
What we’ve been working on With 11 lighting and grip locations, we serve hundreds of productions across the United States every year. Recent notable films and television shows include “1883” and “Wonder Woman 1984.” Since opening in 2020, our Brooklyn studio hosted the hit show “Russian Doll” and Cinelease Studios Three Ring was home to “First Ladies” which recently wrapped production.
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Cinelease Events
caven point ribbon cutting On August 6, 2021, Cinelease Studios opened its newest location, Caven Point! It features three sound stages, a workshop, flex space, and of course, access to Cinelease’s services and Herc Entertainment’s heavy equipment. Caven Point is the first purpose-built studio in New Jersey and is in a perfect position to draw in top industry talent from New York City. Its size and versatility make it a great option for productions of any size. Films and shows are already hard at work on set and we’re proud to announce that Caven Point is fully booked for the foreseeable future!
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Our own Gannon Murphy gave the opening speech at the ribbon cutting ceremony, and New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy also gave a speech that was live-streamed to a broad audience. The event was a grand success and the news got picked up by Variety Magazine!
Watch grand opening video here >>>
CINELEASE STUDIOS MANAGEMENT TEAM
GANNON MURPHY WELCOMING THE GOVERNOR TO THE STUDIO
NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY
MAJOR TELEVISION NETWORKS COVERED THE GRAND OPENING
CRITERION DEVELOPERS AND CINELEASE STUDIOS
GUEST SPEAKERS CLAPPING FOR THE GANNON’S OPENING STATEMENT
CINELEASE + HERC ENTERTAINMENT + CINELEASE STUDIOS + CRITERION GROUP POSE FOR A GROUP PHOTO
GOVERNOR MURPHY GETS A STUDIO TOUR
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Steve spalding company bbq What started out as casual plans for a simple summer backyard BBQ at Steve’s home quickly grew into an unofficial Cinelease Family reunion. The party drew in members of our out of state teams and their families, producers, our vendors, and industry friends. The party gave everyone a chance to let loose with some good ‘ol fashion fun. With laughter and giggles echoing across the grounds, parents got to fully relax and let their kids run free in the bounce house, taking guided horseback rides, and playing on the farm.
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We just had a blast getting together to celebrate our successes, eat together, and enjoy some quality Cinelease-family time” said Steve.
Making a Splash! A chance to soak Steve and others in the dunk tank raised over $3,000 in cash for Safety for Sarah!
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Employee Corner
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retirement Jose Quintanilla served as a warehouse man for 19 years and we appreciate his loyalty, hard work and dedication to Cinelease. His last day of work was October, 31st 2021.
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Celebrating 45 years
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Happy 45th Anniversary We’re heading into a very important year, one that marks the 45th anniversary of Cinelease! From our humble roots as a mom-and-pop shop in 1977, functioning out of a garage with only eight employees, Cinelease has seen decades of growth and success with a team of hundreds, servicing productions across the United States. Our team of dedicated, committed staff has worked tirelessly to become the film and entertainment industry gold standard for lighting and grip equipment. Special thanks to Steve Ortiz, Chris Rogers, Gary Paz, and Joe Ball who have significantly shaped Cinelease into what it is today.
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JOE BALL King of Lighting
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I want to thank you for all your help during our production. Your support was invaluable and I appreciate your knowledge and cooperation. It is always a pleasure working with you and I look forward to doing business with you in the future. Thanks again for a job well done.
UDI NEDIVI, PRODUCTION MANAGER OFFICE SPACE, 1998
Just a quick note of thanks for all you and your team have done for us on this show. You continually treat your customers like you really value and respect your relationship with them. In the “actions speak louder than words” category, you are leaders in making our industry the kind of place we all want to work...Thanks for all the support!
JIM BEHNKE, UNIT PRODUCTION MANAGER MICHELLE AXELROD, PRODUCTION COORDINATOR FREAKS AND GEEKS, 1999
It is with great joy that we received the Golden Globe last weekend for The Practice. Without the support of Cinelease, this recognition would have not been possible. Thanks for being part of the team.
GARY M. STRANGIS, PRODUCER THE PRACTICE, 1999
Thanks so much for getting our equipment delivered in time for the first shoot this morning. We had to fly one of our actors out right after lunch so every minute needed to be used to maximum benefit. Your efficiency and commitment to this production are greatly appreciated!
TOM ACKERMAN, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY BALLS OF FURY, 2006
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Behind the Studios
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Scenes from the studios around the country
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A message from Chris rogers Cinelease family, As we enter our 45th year anniversary, I want to take a moment and thank everyone for an incredible record breaking 2021. Each one of you have worked extremely hard, putting thought and care into your work that keeps smiles on our customers faces. It hasn’t been easy working through the pandemic - we have lost loved ones and friends, but we have leaned on each other and we will continue to get through it. What makes Cinelease so great after all these years, isn’t the equipment we rent or the shiny new trucks we have, it’s all of you that make our customers eager to come back. I am grateful to be part of such amazing organization and look forward to another banner year. Thank you,
C H R IS R O G E R S
Head of Marketing, Cinelease Christopher.W.Rogers@cinelease.com
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