Success Stories:
Engine Room: New Rule Client Up and Running
By Rule Broadcast SystemsEngine Room: New Rule Client Up and Running
By Erin Trahan
Rule Broadcast’s very own John Rule, and Don Packer, co-founder of Boston’s newest postproduction house, go back. Way back. Like 25 years back. So when Packer and co-founder Scott Knowlton decided to launch their new boutique edit shop, Engine Room, they of course thought of John and the team at Rule. “From the word go Rule was not there to sell us a system, but to see us succeed,” says Knowlton.
The approach sounds simple enough—when the clients succeed, Rule Broadcast succeeds. For years this meant getting flawless equipment in the hands of video professionals, and for the last four years, selling Sony gear. But another crucial expertise has emerged from Rule’s long-standing relationship with video technology: Rule knows integration and compatibility. So the Rule team started by figuring out exactly what Engine Room wanted from their system.
Packer and Knowlton wanted to edit in any format. They needed to edit in high definition and standard definition and knew what decks were needed for that. And they also knew the capabilities of their Avid and Flame, but the integration, that’s where Rule stepped in. Rule even told them a few things about decks that they didn’t know, which ended up being very critical to their workflow. Engine Room now has space to grow and their system works even more efficiently than they anticipated. “We don’t need to be big to do big work,” says Packer.
It helps that Rule knows its stuff backward and forward and has managed to keep guys like Tom Talbot around. Tom heads up sales for Rule but don’t let the title fool you. He does all kinds of problem solving and systems mapping. He’s an architect, of sorts. He uses another analogy, “quarterback,” then corrects himself. “No. We’re more like a general contractor. We bring together a lot of different elements to help clients get organized and get the job done,” he says. He and colleagues John Rule and Ian Tosh worked closely with Engine Room, designing and assembling the system at Rule, and delivering it on time for their first day of business.
But how does Rule know how to design integrated systems? Talbot explains that having an historic understanding of video technology and its multifaceted evolution enables Rule to step back and see how all the pieces fit together. He uses the example of a customer wanting a video camera. “It sounds like one single thing, but you have to choose from a variety of lenses, accessories, matteboxes, filters . . .” Then there is the tape format issue. Do you want Digi Betacam? DVCAM? HDCAM? VariCAM? “A camera needs power,” he adds. Well, there are chargers, batteries, and converters . . . he hasn’t even touched the issues of recording sound, lighting your shoot, or choosing a tripod. So the list goes on.
“Every piece of equipment we rent or sell has certain compatibilities and incompatibilities,” says Talbot. Digital is digital, right—it’s all the same? Wrong. Rule understands the importance of not only answering questions but also asking them. Are you shooting HD or SD? Widesceen? Letterboxed? 25, 50, or 100 Mbit? Tape or Optical? Video or Filmlook? The complexity of it all can be daunting, so Rule conducts ongoing research and development, often as a result of a customer’s call for advice. “We’ve been finding that more capable and complex equipment opens up the possibility for more mistakes and missteps,” says Talbot. But not to worry, Rule stays clear of potential problems by anticipating customers’ needs and building in what Talbot calls “intelligent redundancies,” especially when mapping integration for clients like Engine Room.
At Engine Room, Knowlton points out a few unexpected bonuses on the rack, “Right here, this is our fail safe.” He explains a system of manual patches that can be used in case a connection breaks down. “Rule gave us another way to do the same thing,” lauds Knowlton. This security allows Knowlton and Packer to focus their energy on the developing the business, which by the way, is going very well.
“So far so good,” says Packer, reclining comfortably in his office on Boylston Street. He’s happy to have the painting, floor sanding, and otherwise outfitting a new space behind him. Packer describes himself as a classically trained editor while Flame-artist Knowlton specializes in effects. Up-and-coming editor Matt Rogers and Cheryl McKeever round off the Engine Room team. McKeever is a producer and “way more” according to Knowlton. “She’s like the eyes in the back of our heads.”
“I like to say, we’re ready for anything,” says Packer. He admits, though, that he keeps Rule on speed dial, just in case. “But we haven’t called them yet!”
