Cinematographers, videographers, and photographers must balance keeping themselves – and their gear – cool during hot summer shoots.

On the East Coast, in particular, temperatures have exceeded 100 degrees on multiple occasions this year, and there are still several – potentially sweltering – weeks of summer left to go.

For filmmakers, proper hydration is critical to remaining safe and healthy while on site. Sticking close to the shade when not shooting, wearing appropriate clothing, and making liberal use of sunscreen are all good tips for working cameramen and women.

But your gear is susceptible to the hot summer sun, as well, and it doesn’t take much of a heatwave to sideline your equipment for days – and possibly even longer.

Here are five ways to keep your camera and gear cool and working properly during a hot summer shoot.

1. Store your camera properly. If you’re not using your camera, it should be stored safely in your camera bag. This simple solution can cut down on a multitude of heat-related issues.
2. Avoid condensation. Moisture can be a big hurdle during the dog days of summer, when humidity can create damaging condensation after moving gear from an air-conditioned vehicle to an outdoor environment. Condensation can wreak all kinds of havoc on a film set, from forming inside your lens and fogging up your image or leaving ugly, watermarks, to shorting out the innards of your camera. For the most part, these damages are considered user error, and are not covered under warranty. When possible, allow your equipment to warm up prior to use – or consider sealing in an airtight, sealable plastic bag with some packets of silica gel.
3. Wrap equipment in a towel. Heat absorption is a big issue when shooting in the oppressive heat. Wrapping your camera or other gear in a towel can help to mitigate these effects. Integrate with a cold gel pack for optimal protection, just be sure they do not leak or become wet. When you’re finally shooting, your towel can be used as a viewfinder hood on bright days or as a makeshift cape when you feel particularly heroic.
4. Keep an eye on your camera’s internal functions. Cameras, particularly SLRs that have advanced functionality including HD and Live View modes, can get toasty quick depending on how they are being used. Be sure to disable functions you do not need. Consider implementing external monitors and battery packs so your camera does not have to draw energy from its LCD screen and internal power source, respectively. Using faster memory cards can also aid in keeping your camera cool. Faster cards mean your camera does not have to work as hard to write to memory.
5. Rotate your cameras. Whenever possible, always bring a backup. Rotating your primary camera with one or two standby units ensures you won’t have to worry about overheating at the worst possible time.

Since 1988, Maslow Media Group has provided broadcasters with exemplary video services, from camera crews and equipment to a host of script-to-screen solutions. We can help you assemble a team of professionals with top-of-the-line gear to support your creative production needs, from documentaries to live events, and more. Call us today at 202-965-1100.

The post 5 Ways to Keep Your Camera and Gear Cool During Hot Summer Shoots appeared first on Maslow Media.

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Hiring an Employer of Record for your small business allows you to manage, onboard, and pay employees through a single provider.

An Employer of Record typically tackles the following tasks:

• Processing payroll
• Filing taxes
• Issuing forms
• Handling workers comp
• Human Resources
• Risk management

Here are just five ways outsourcing can help your team maximize efficiency and make the best use of your resources.

1. Save time, money, and space. Salaries, benefits, training, and equipment for your accounting and Human Resource teams can send a company’s overhead through the roof. These teams require significant real estate in any workplace. Forging fully functioning accounting and HR departments is incredibly costly but attempting to cut corners and do things with inadequate resources can be debilitating for your company. Hiring an Employer of Record eliminates this burden, allowing you to free up resources and use them to foster growth.
2. Optimize onboarding practices. Put employees on the fast track to productivity, while reducing the assorted costs and time commitments associated with bringing a new hire up to speed.
3. Remain compliant. Employment laws in multiple states, and even in foreign markets are continuously moving targets. Varying Federal and state regulations regarding sick leave, ACA, and more carry hefty fines and penalties for those who are noncompliant and can make a considerable dent in a company’s previously stellar reputation. As a small business owner, chances are you’re too busy putting out the next fire to be concerned with learning multiple tax laws while striving to remain compliant. Your Employer of Record can bare the brunt, and ensure all I’s are dotted and all T’s are crossed at the end of the day.
4. Better rates for benefits. Hiring an Employer of Record gives small businesses better buying and negotiation power for group insurance rates, workers’ compensation coverage, and much more.
5. Prevent misclassification: Misclassifying independent contractors remains a tremendous problem facing business owners nationwide.  Hiring an Employer of Record can help companies avoid severe penalties and litigation, while strengthening your workforce overall.

As your Employer of Record, Maslow Media Group can provide comprehensive solutions and a compliance safety net for your small business. We take full responsibility for employment, compliance, and tax laws and your employees continue to work for you. Call us today at 202-965-1100.

The post 5 Key Benefits of Hiring an Employer of Record for Your Small Business appeared first on Maslow Media.

To view our Partner blog, click here

Harassment in the workplace is a sensitive subject. Victims unsure of what qualifies as harassment in the workplace suffer in silence, unwilling to “rock the boat” with employers and report discomforting or even offensive situations.

The #MeToo movement has shone a critical light onto the subject. By and large, standards and policies nationwide are being changed, strengthened, and reinforced.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines harassment as unwelcome verbal or physical behavior that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender/gender identity, nationality, age (40 or older), physical or mental disability, or genetic information.

These situations become unlawful when enduring them is used as a condition for continued employment, or when they become so pervasive that the workplace is deemed abusive, threatening, or hostile – in a word, toxic.

But one thing is abundantly clear. Harassment can be perpetrated by anyone – your boss, supervisor, coworker, an employee from another office, a customer, a client, a contractor, or a guest. Victimization, too, is not limited to the individual who is directly harassed – but anyone within their proximity who is impacted, affected, troubled, and disturbed by the behavior. Many states are also encouraging Bystander Intervention training to set the tone for what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable behavior, and in many ways, diffusing a situation from escalating or preventing it altogether.

For these reasons, many states have made sexual harassment training mandatory by law. The laws regulating such training differ from state to state and include specific requirements such as:

• Which employers must provide training (some employers are exempt based on size)
• When a new hire should receive training (immediately, after 30 days, etc.)
• Length of the training and how often it must be delivered (1 hour annually, 2 hours every 2 years, etc.)
• How the training must be conducted to be compliant (in person or webinars)
• Which elements must be included in the training
• Who to report harassment to (within the company and/or the state)
• Supervisors may have separate training requirements

Legislation continues to change, and various jurisdictions will continue to add and expand requirements throughout 2019 and beyond. It is imperative employers review their state or local laws carefully to determine what is required of their companies.

Along with the increased requirements comes potential financial exposure and liability related to harassment in the workplace. Employers should consider hiring an outsourced workforce management company who can help them adopt and adapt to newly enacted legislation. Contact Maslow Media Group today.  Our team can help your company stay compliant and can help you take the necessary steps to reduce the risk of legal entanglement.

The post What Qualifies as Harassment in the Workplace? appeared first on Maslow Media.

To view our Partner blog, click here

Hiring an Employer of Record for your small business allows you to manage, onboard, and pay employees through a single provider.

An Employer of Record typically tackles the following tasks:

• Processing payroll
• Filing taxes
• Issuing forms
• Handling workers comp
• Human Resources
• Risk management

Here are just five ways outsourcing can help your team maximize efficiency and make the best use of your resources.

1. Save time, money, and space. Salaries, benefits, training, and equipment for your accounting and Human Resource teams can send a company’s overhead through the roof. These teams require significant real estate in any workplace. Forging fully functioning accounting and HR departments is incredibly costly but attempting to cut corners and do things with inadequate resources can be debilitating for your company. Hiring an Employer of Record eliminates this burden, allowing you to free up resources and use them to foster growth.
2. Optimize onboarding practices. Put employees on the fast track to productivity, while reducing the assorted costs and time commitments associated with bringing a new hire up to speed.
3. Remain compliant. Employment laws in multiple states, and even in foreign markets are continuously moving targets. Varying Federal and state regulations regarding sick leave, ACA, and more carry hefty fines and penalties for those who are noncompliant and can make a considerable dent in a company’s previously stellar reputation. As a small business owner, chances are you’re too busy putting out the next fire to be concerned with learning multiple tax laws while striving to remain compliant. Your Employer of Record can bare the brunt, and ensure all I’s are dotted and all T’s are crossed at the end of the day.
4. Better rates for benefits. Hiring an Employer of Record gives small businesses better buying and negotiation power for group insurance rates, workers’ compensation coverage, and much more.
5. Prevent misclassification: Misclassifying independent contractors remains a tremendous problem facing business owners nationwide.  Hiring an Employer of Record can help companies avoid severe penalties and litigation, while strengthening your workforce overall.

As your Employer of Record, Maslow Media Group can provide comprehensive solutions and a compliance safety net for your small business. We take full responsibility for employment, compliance, and tax laws and your employees continue to work for you. Call us today at 202-965-1100.

The post 5 Key Benefits of Hiring an Employer of Record for Your Small Business appeared first on Maslow Media .

To view our Partner blog, click here

Harassment in the workplace is a sensitive subject. Victims unsure of what qualifies as harassment in the workplace suffer in silence, unwilling to “rock the boat” with employers and report discomforting or even offensive situations.

The #MeToo movement has shone a critical light onto the subject. By and large, standards and policies nationwide are being changed, strengthened, and reinforced.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines harassment as unwelcome verbal or physical behavior that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender/gender identity, nationality, age (40 or older), physical or mental disability, or genetic information.

These situations become unlawful when enduring them is used as a condition for continued employment, or when they become so pervasive that the workplace is deemed abusive, threatening, or hostile – in a word, toxic.

But one thing is abundantly clear. Harassment can be perpetrated by anyone – your boss, supervisor, coworker, an employee from another office, a customer, a client, a contractor, or a guest. Victimization, too, is not limited to the individual who is directly harassed – but anyone within their proximity who is impacted, affected, troubled, and disturbed by the behavior. Many states are also encouraging Bystander Intervention training to set the tone for what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable behavior, and in many ways, diffusing a situation from escalating or preventing it altogether.

For these reasons, many states have made sexual harassment training mandatory by law. The laws regulating such training differ from state to state and include specific requirements such as:

• Which employers must provide training (some employers are exempt based on size)
• When a new hire should receive training (immediately, after 30 days, etc.)
• Length of the training and how often it must be delivered (1 hour annually, 2 hours every 2 years, etc.)
• How the training must be conducted to be compliant (in person or webinars)
• Which elements must be included in the training
• Who to report harassment to (within the company and/or the state)
• Supervisors may have separate training requirements

Legislation continues to change, and various jurisdictions will continue to add and expand requirements throughout 2019 and beyond. It is imperative employers review their state or local laws carefully to determine what is required of their companies.

Along with the increased requirements comes potential financial exposure and liability related to harassment in the workplace. Employers should consider hiring an outsourced workforce management company who can help them adopt and adapt to newly enacted legislation. Contact Maslow Media Group today.  Our team can help your company stay compliant and can help you take the necessary steps to reduce the risk of legal entanglement.

The post What Qualifies as Harassment in the Workplace? appeared first on Maslow Media .

To view our Partner blog, click here