Rule Broadcast Systems
Rule Camera is a New England-based professional cinema and broadcast equipment rental house offering cameras, lenses, lighting, grip, and motion-control gear to film, television, and content production clients on short- and long-term rental agreements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersNewton, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rule Broadcast Systems does
Rule Broadcast Systems, Inc., doing business as Rule Camera, is a professional film, television, and digital cinema equipment rental company headquartered at 320 Nevada St, Newton, Massachusetts. The company traces its origins to the 1982 founding of Boston Camera Rental Company and the 1990 launch of Rule Broadcast Systems, which merged in 2008 under the Rule Camera brand. It serves cinematographers, directors, producers, and production companies in the New England region with both short-term and long-term rentals of digital cinema cameras (ARRI Alexa 35, Sony Venice 2, Canon C400, RED Komodo X), film cameras (Kodak Super 8), anamorphic and full-frame cinema prime and zoom lenses (Cooke, Zeiss, ARRI, NiSi, Atlas, Laowa), professional monitors (SmallHD), lighting (Aputure), grip equipment, motion-control systems (Camerabotics), wireless video (Teradek), lens control (Preston), teleprompters, audio, and production accessories. The company claims the largest rental inventory in New England and supports it with in-house engineering and quality-control departments that verify equipment between rentals.
Rule Broadcast Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rule Broadcast Systems
- Legal name
- Rule Broadcast Systems, Inc.
- Website
- https://rule.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Rule Camera is a New England-based professional cinema and broadcast equipment rental house offering cameras, lenses, lighting, grip, and motion-control gear to film, television, and content production clients on short- and long-term rental agreements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rule Broadcast Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Cinema & Broadcast Equipment Rental
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)
- SIC
- Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Camera, Grip & Lighting Equipment Rental (MPADAFAB)
Keywords
Where Rule Broadcast Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rule Broadcast Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Short-term Equipment Rentals: Short-term rental of professional cinema cameras, lenses, lighting, grip, and production equipment to film, video, and media makers. Customers rent for specific production projects with daily or weekly rates.
- Long-term Equipment Rentals: Extended rental arrangements for productions requiring equipment over longer durations, providing ongoing revenue from established client relationships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard rental rates with insurance waiver option |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Rule Broadcast Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rule Broadcast Systems, operating as Rule Camera, rents professional film, video, and digital cinema production equipment on a short-term and long-term basis to New England-based film, television, and content production clients. The inventory spans digital cinema and film cameras, cinema prime and zoom lenses, lighting, grip, monitors, motion control, lens control, wireless video, audio, and production accessories from manufacturers such as ARRI, Sony, Canon, Cooke, Zeiss, Angenieux, Aputure, SmallHD, and Teradek. Customers request quotes, register an account, and pick up equipment from the Newton, MA headquarters, with every rental supported by an in-house engineering and quality control department.
Product overview
Rule Camera operates as a professional equipment rental company offering short-term and long-term rentals of professional film, video, and digital cinema equipment. The company (originally Boston Camera Rental Company, est. 1982) merged with Rule Broadcast Systems (est. 1990) in 2008. Their rental inventory spans digital cinema cameras (ARRI, Sony, Canon, RED), film cameras (Kodak Super 8), anamorphic and cinema prime/zoom lenses (Cooke, Zeiss, ARRI, NiSi, Atlas, Laowa), professional monitors (SmallHD), lighting (Aputure), grip equipment, motion control systems (Camerabotics robotics), lens control (Preston), wireless video (Teradek Bolt), teleprompters, audio equipment, and production gear. They claim the largest rental inventory in New England with world-class customer service.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Digital Cinema Cameras Rental Short-term and long-term rental of professional digital cinema cameras including ARRI Alexa 35, Sony Venice 2, Sony Burano, Canon C400, Canon C80, and RED Komodo X for film, broadcast, and documentary production.
- Film Cameras Rental Rental of analog/photochemical film cameras including the Kodak Super 8 for filmmakers seeking traditional celluloid capture.
- DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras Rental Rental of compact high-quality video mirrorless and DSLR cameras including Sony Alpha a7S III and Canon R5C for narrative, documentary, and run-and-gun production.
- Anamorphic Lenses Rental Rental of 2x and 1.5x squeeze anamorphic prime lenses including ARRI Master Anamorphic, Cooke Full Frame Plus Special Flare, Atlas Mercury, and Atlas Orion for cinematic widescreen imagery.
- Full Frame Cinema Prime Lenses Rental Rental of full-frame cinema prime lenses including NiSi Aureus Primes, Cooke SP3, Canon FD-TLS, Dulens APO Mini, Zeiss Supreme, Canon V35, and Sigma Cine PL.
- Full Frame Cinema Zoom Lenses Rental Rental of full-frame cinema zoom lenses including Laowa Ranger 28-75mm, Laowa Ranger 75-180mm, DZOFilm Catta Ace series, Cooke Varotal, and Angenieux EZ-1/2.
- S35 Cinema Prime Lenses Rental Rental of Super 35mm format cinema prime lenses including Super Baltars, Cooke S4, ARRI Ultra Prime, Leitz Summicron-C, and Zeiss Super Speed.
Companies that use Rule Broadcast Systems
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Rule Broadcast Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Rule Broadcast Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Rule Broadcast Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- RED Digital Cinema: Manufacturer of RED Komodo and other cinema cameras, with growing direct-to-customer sales programs that can disintermediate rental houses. Compares to Rule through overlapping customer base in digital cinema equipment.
- B&H Photo Video: Major photography and cinema equipment retailer and rental counter serving New York-based and nationwide productions. Provides an adjacent retail/counter-rental channel that competes at the lower end of professional rentals.
Direct peers
- Otto Nemenz International: Long-established Hollywood camera and lens rental house serving major motion picture productions. Competes in the same premium camera and cinema lens rental category as Rule.
- Procam: East Coast film and digital cinema equipment rental company providing cameras, lenses, and production gear to feature, episodic, and commercial clients. Direct comparable in regional cinema rental.
- Hot Rod Cameras: Cinema and broadcast camera rental company based in Los Angeles servicing feature and episodic productions. Competes for the same high-end digital cinema camera and lens jobs as Rule.
- Hand Held Films: New York-based cinema camera, lens, and accessory rental house serving East Coast feature, television, and commercial productions. Closest geographic direct competitor to Rule in the U.S. Northeast.
- Panavision: Largest global provider of cinema cameras, lenses, and lighting rental to feature film and television productions. Directly competes with Rule for premium Hollywood and East Coast feature/TV rentals.
- ARRI Rental: Specialized cinema equipment rental arm of ARRI, offering ARRI Alexa 35 and other high-end camera packages globally. Competes for the same productions and crews as Rule, particularly on ARRI-body-led jobs.
- Camera Service Center: New York-based cinema camera and lens rental house serving major feature and television productions. Directly comparable to Rule's rental portfolio and East Coast customer base.
- Keslow Camera: Premium cinema camera and lens rental house with locations on the West Coast and an East Coast presence. Direct competitor in digital cinema camera rentals to professional film and TV productions.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rule Broadcast Systems social profiles
Digital presenceRule Broadcast Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rule Broadcast Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Rule Broadcast Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rule Broadcast Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rule Broadcast Systems
What does Rule Broadcast Systems do?
Rule Broadcast Systems, operating as Rule Camera, rents professional film, video, and digital cinema production equipment on a short-term and long-term basis to New England-based film, television, and content production clients. The inventory spans digital cinema and film cameras, cinema prime and zoom lenses, lighting, grip, monitors, motion control, lens control, wireless video, audio, and production accessories from manufacturers such as ARRI, Sony, Canon, Cooke, Zeiss, Angenieux, Aputure, SmallHD, and Teradek. Customers request quotes, register an account, and pick up equipment from the Newton, MA headquarters, with every rental supported by an in-house engineering and quality control department.
Is Rule Broadcast Systems a public or private company?
Rule Broadcast Systems is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Rule Broadcast Systems founded?
Rule Broadcast Systems was founded in 1982. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Rule Broadcast Systems based?
Rule Broadcast Systems is headquartered in Newton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rule Broadcast Systems make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Short-term Equipment Rentals are the primary driver. The others are long-term Equipment Rentals.
Who are Rule Broadcast Systems's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are RED Digital Cinema and B&H Photo Video. Direct peers are Otto Nemenz International, Procam, Hot Rod Cameras, Hand Held Films, Panavision, ARRI Rental, Camera Service Center and Keslow Camera.
Does Rule Broadcast Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rule Broadcast Systems.
What industry is Rule Broadcast Systems in?
Rule Broadcast Systems's product category is Professional Cinema & Broadcast Equipment Rental. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAFAB, Camera, Grip & Lighting Equipment Rental. Its NAICS code is 5121 and its SIC code is 3861.