Cine Photo Tech
1240 Oakleigh Dr. Atlanta, GA 30344 P:404-684-7100 www.cinephototech.com
For 36 years Cine Photo Tech, Inc. (CPT) has been recognized as Atlanta's premier motion picture equipment rental company providing feature films, commercials, TV programming and music videos with film cameras from ARRI, Moviecam, Aaton and Photosonics as well as the latest in HD camera technology from Sony and Panasonic.
New owners Brian McGraw and Frank Battaglia, who acquired CPT last August, bring in excess of 30 years experience to their roles as heads of the company. They have made significant investments of time and money to rebuild and rebrand CPT, positioning Cine Photo Tech as a leader in digital cinema equipment in the region while remaining true to its roots in the film industry.
"No other equipment rental house in the Southeast has the depth and breadth of offerings that CPT has in film and digital cinema equipment," says McGraw. "It's a balancing act to keep up with new digital gear and innovations in film equipment, too. The key is knowing what to get, what customers really want to use."
CPT's four Sony F35 digital cinema camera packages are in high demand and have become "the standard camera for TV drama" today, he reports. In fact, requests for F35 camera packages have expanded CPT's market "dramatically" with cameras currently working in Chicago, LA and Hawaii as well as Atlanta. The feature film "Stomp The Yard 2" shot in Atlanta with a CPT F35 package as did the pilot for "Teen Wolf" and portions of "Vampire Diaries."
"We love the new digital cameras because they're equipped to use film accessories, and that means our inventory is working harder than ever," says McGraw. He and Battaglia have already ordered ARRI's ALEXA digital camera due out in June. "Both the Sony F35 and ALEXA use 35mm-size imagers and accept cine lenses and accessories," he reports. "NAB will be a big research trip for us to gauge what the next big things will be."
CPT continues to invest in film equipment, too, including ARRICAM Studio and ARRICAM LT cameras and a wide array of Cooke, Angenieux and Zeiss lenses.
In addition to its extensive inventory, CPT offers exceptional 24/7 service and maintenance and is one of the few rental houses outside LA with its own machine shop for on-site customization. As hands-on owners, McGraw and Battaglia provide extensive support themselves. "When you call, you get us," says McGraw.
HB Group, Inc.
60 Dodge Avenue North Haven, CT 06473 P:800-331-1804 203-239-4882 www.hbgroupinc.com
Connecticut-based HB Group, Inc. is the area's industry leader in providing professional video, audio, and audio-visual equipment and services. Located in between New York City and Boston, HB Group has been serving the greater Northeast's needs for broadcast and professional video, live and on-demand streaming solutions, large presentation video displays, native High Definition projection, and large-venue sound reinforcement. HB Group's diverse inventory is supported by a staff of highly-trained service professionals.
HB Group's equipment inventory for 2010 includes an expansion of their Sony HXC-100 High Definition triax and Sony PMW-EX3 XDCAM camera systems. As part of HB Group's expansion of ENG packages, they have invested in various models of Panasonic P2 and AVHDS camcorders. The Panasonic AV-HS400A multi-standard production switcher remains the production switcher of choice, along with the latest Panasonic High Definition LCD monitors and displays to complete their multi-camera system solutions.
High Definition conversion has become a specialty service provided by HB Group, with the Teranex VC-100 dual-channel multi-standard format converter and the AJA-FS1 multi-standard format converter paving the way. "Ever since High Definition has become the norm, accessibility to various High Definition formats and frame rates is increasing. With our expertise in High Definition standards conversion equipment, we can offer producers the tools to maintain their projects' overall vision while not having to worry about technical compatibility issues," notes Mitul Patel, HB Group's director of engineering.
"File-based camcorders are becoming the norm and HB Group has camcorders that record onto P2, SxS or AVCHD. Managing the media has gotten easier using the software from Sony, Panasonic, Apple and Avid. The cost of media per gigabyte has also gone down. Clients are opting for solid state-media camcorders compared to tape-based," notes Patel.
Live webcasting is another specialty of HB Group. Along with their wide variety of High Definition equipment and services, HB Group utilizes a variety of encoding systems ranging in size and capabilities from single laptop computers to fully redundant, enterprise-class streaming fly pack systems. Options for live streaming include incorporation of synchronized PowerPoint slides, moderated questioning and answering, various security features, customized 'skin' creation, and archiving services. Between HB Group's robust inventory of video, audio and encoding equipment, HB Group has all the tools necessary to produce professional, flawless live events.
"In challenging economic times, these technologies are being embraced as solutions for corporations looking for new and creative ways to conduct their business, without breaking their tightening budgets," explains HB Group account executive Evan Bernstein. "Webcasting applications can offer companies more affordable means of conducting meetings, mass marketing, and exposure to the public. Along with webcasting comes the utilization of some of the latest video production equipment. Both webcasting and video production are rising together under the same tide of necessity."
