

#FILEMAKER PRO TEMPLATES BUSINESS SOFTWARE#
Gulf Camera is just one of the many rental businesses eXcelisys has assisted with custom software development in recent years. “On check-in you know immediately - instead of weeks later - if something is missing.”įileMaker Pro Takes Lead Role in eXclusive Rental-Tracking App “One of the keys to making this business work is making sure all the pieces come back,” said Norton. “In the heat of production, it’s not uncommon for a piece of equipment to go missing,” said Norton, given the long days, late nights and working conditions the crew may face over the course of a shoot. He no longer has to hand-check each item in every return. Norton finds the barcodes especially helpful at check-in. This system ensures that all items from the “pick list” have been pulled and nothing is missing from the order. With barcoding, Norton scans an item and it goes on the ticket. This was time-consuming because some products come with 30 or 40 pieces - all separate from the basic product itself but necessary for the use of the product.įor example, when customers rent a camera body, they also need a viewfinder, cables, extension rods, filters, batteries and so forth. Before barcodes, Norton had to check out - and check in - large orders by hand. As Norton panned for options, he came across eXcelisys.Īvailability calendar prevents double-bookingīarcoding for rapid check-in/check-out: The new system uses barcodes - something Gulf Camera had not previously utilized. Gulf’s spreadsheet/word processor/pen-and-paper method was inefficient and inadequate. Five years in, Norton knew he needed to reframe how Gulf Camera handled its inventory and invoicing.

Norton has worked on more than 40 feature film sets, operating cameras and steadicams for Tim Burton, Philippe Rousellot and Denzel Washington.īut working in Hollywood and managing the Florida-based rental business became a struggle. Meanwhile, Norton and Degen stayed active in the industry. Gulf Camera’s ALEXAS were in high demand.
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The ALEXA shot quickly to movie star fame as production companies dove into the digital revolution. The duo couldn’t have written a better script. “We opened our rental business based on that technology.” “We could see this was the first time there was a digital camera suitable and with high enough quality to use in theatrical motion pictures,” said Norton. He partnered with cinematographer Alan Degen to found Gulf Camera and the two began stockpiling the groundbreaking ALEXA. The year was 2010 and the German-made Arri ALEXA had just hit the market, providing a viable digital alternative to celluloid film. During Hollywood’s rapid fade-out of 35-millimeter film, camera operator Neal Norton saw an opportunity to make money in the digital retooling of the industry.
