Code of Conduct

Equipment policy: When I sign the code of conduct I agree to the folowing policy.

When a producer reserves equipment, they are the primary point of responsibility during that reservation window. If you are operating a camera, holding a boom, or packing a light, you are accountable for how you treat it. Equipment may only be used for approved StudioU projects. It may not be lent to non-members under any circumstances or Use for personal commercial work or unapproved third-party productions. 

Before checkout, leadership will inspect equipment in advance. We ask that you do a quick visual check when receiving gear and notify us immediately if something seems off. When equipment is returned, leadership will also review it. The goal is to identify clear new damage or missing items.

Equipment abuse refers to deliberate actions that put equipment at risk. Examples include running with an unsecured camera, throwing equipment, using gear in water without protection, failing to secure a light to a stand properly, or attempting unsafe setups like trying a light to a tree. Abuse also includes continuing to misuse equipment after being directed to stop. 

Negligence stems from a lack of care or attention. This could include leaving equipment unattended in public, improper storage, failing to clean equipment after use, or allowing unsafe handling by crew members that a producer reasonably should have corrected. For example, if a crew member damages equipment in a preventable way and the producer could have caught it with proper oversight, that may be considered negligence. If a producer had 3 cases of negligence on the same topic or 5 in total, the negligence would be considered equipment abuse.

On the other hand, genuine accidents, situations where no one present could reasonably have anticipated or prevented that damage, are not treated that same way. In those cases, leadership will evaluate the context, discuss what happened, and use it as a learning opportunity to better inform future members.

Minor issues such as poorly wrapped cables, improperly packed kits, smudged lenses do not automatically result in financial penalties. They will typically result in a warning or strike. Repeated patterns may result in fees or temporary suspension of checkout privileges.

More serious damages, such as drops, broken components, water damage, theft due to negligence, or missing major items, may result in financial responsibility depending on the circumstances and degree of fault. Intent and communication matter. If something happens, report it immediately and honestly to a leadership member. 

Regarding later returns, equipment should be returned at the agreed time. If you communicated ahead of time and it does not interfere with another scheduled shoot, flexibility is possible.