By checking out equipment from the Cage, you agree to use the equipment in direct accordance to the policies and procedures as dictated by º£½ÇÉçÇø and the Student Production Handbook.
If you are an authorized student seeking to reserve equipment please review the policies below and then visit our Equipment and Room Reservations Page to make an online reservation request.
Any equipment abuse or neglect will result in your full financial responsibility for any and all replacement or repair costs, and may result in disciplinary action that could lead to the loss of some or all of your equipment privileges. You are strongly encouraged to purchase an to cover accidental damage or theft of equipment in your direct charge and care. A policy with a $3,000 incident cap should cover most single equipment checkout period scenarios. Depending on the deductible amount chosen, the cost ranges from $69-$87 for a year-long policy. You can also choose to cancel the policy at the semester's end, which will pro-rate its cost to the corresponding fraction of the annual rate (minimum charge of $45). The great thing about this policy is that it also covers your own personal property. Please review the link above and talk to your faculty member or Manager of Digital Production Diana Keeler with any questions.
It is forbidden for you to utilize Media Arts and Culture equipment for any production work not assigned in an official Media Arts and Culture course without prior faculty permission. Doing so will result in loss of equipment privileges and disciplinary action. Any such usage is not covered under Occidental insurance policies and places all equipment value and other potential liabilities squarely on the students in question.
Equipment (cameras, lights, tripods, etc.) may be borrowed for two days at a time (Monday-Wednesday, Wednesday-Friday, or Friday-Monday) from The Cage (Weingart 9). Equipment must be reserved in advance to be checked out, and reservations may be placed no more than one week in advance. Seniors working on their Comp Project may reserve two weeks in advance.
Students must fill out a reservation form online. Equipment will get assigned to students in the order in which the reservation is received, prioritized by class-level. In the event that the equipment that you are requesting has already been reserved, you will have the option of selecting a similar piece of equipment. By making your reservation at least 24 hours in advance, you will help our Cage workers have time to process your request and notify you if your selection is unavailable.
It is your responsibility to make sure that the equipment is in good condition when it is checked out. Our Cage workers will verify with you that all the pieces in the kit are present and in working order before it is checked out. Therefore, it is very important that you leave yourself enough time during check-out to go through this process. If a kit is returned with missing pieces that were not noted during check-out, it will be your responsibility to replace them. Think twice about sharing equipment. If you allow someone to borrow a camera, for example, and they drop it and damage the lens, you are financially responsible for the repair or replacement of the damaged item— not, in this case, the person who damaged it. Do not leave equipment unattended, as our kits are very expensive, and you will be held financially responsible for replacing anything lost. Any student caught stealing or intentionally or recklessly handling equipment will result in that student immediately losing all equipment loan privileges.
The schedule for Check-in and Check-out periods is as follows:
Check-in: MWF 11:30-1:30
Check-out: MWF 3:00-5:00
Students who have made a reservation and fail to pick up equipment by 5:00 p.m. will forfeit their reservation.
Penalties for not picking up equipment or returning it on time are as follows:
1st offense: A warning is issued.
2nd offense: The student loses equipment privileges for a week.
3rd offense: The student loses equipment privileges for a month.
4th offense: The student loses equipment privileges for the semester.
We understand that sometimes scheduling conflicts occur. If you know you will be late picking up or returning equipment, you must notify The Cage at least 24 hours in advance. E-mail excuses the day your equipment is due will not be accepted and you will incur a late-equipment penalty. Please be respectful towards your classmates: when you return your equipment late, you keep another student waiting.
Rules Regarding Equipment Rentals from Outside Vendors
Only senior comps students have the option to rent non-º£½ÇÉçÇø equipment. If a senior comps student wishes to rent and utilize equipment from an outside vendor, he/she must turn in an official proposal and obtain written instructor permission in advance.
Students do not have insurance coverage for rental property under the college’s insurance. If you rent equipment, sometimes Equipment Houses will offer additional insurance for their property – we strongly encourage students to purchase this when available. It may save you a lot of money down the road.
A list of vetted rental houses can be found on the Vendors page. These represent vendors who offer supplemental insurance, who are willing to rent to students, or who provide student discounts.
Equipment Use During the Summer and Study Abroad Programs
Use of department equipment for independent studies or college-funded travel is limited, due to our high insurance deductible and the oversight demands such projects place upon individual faculty members. Any Media Arts and Culture major applying for travel grants or summer research that may necessitate equipment access will need to begin consultation with department faculty and staff at the application stage of the process.
Any approved use of department equipment will require the purchase of costly travel insurance from a third-party vendor, so it may be less expensive for students to simply budget for the purchase of their own equipment. Students who go abroad who wish to take º£½ÇÉçÇø equipment will have to purchase their own insurance. One good place to do so is:
Truman Van Dyke co.
6767 Forest Lawn Dr. Ste 301
Los Angeles, CA 90068
Phone: (323) 883-0012