An Introduction to Render Farm Rentals

Huge numbers of processor hours are needed to “render” the special effects and animations in the latest hit films and TV programs. For Monsters vs. Aliens, a total of 40 million hours of processing was required. Even a mostly-live-action movie like Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith included almost 7 million hours of rendering. The technology behind the process is pretty impressive, and you will find a tremendous amount of cross-platform research and cooperation. Even Microsoft studies ways to get PCs and Macintosh computers cooperating in a render farm setup, while some rendering solutions require third-party software and hardware.

A frame at a time

Rendering times differ according to the medium, the budget and the deadlines. Thus, one frame of TV special effects typically takes from 30 minutes to an hour, while many hours per frame is required for feature films. IMAX resolution – such as rendering the Devastator character in Transformers 2 – can take as much as 70 hours per frame. The solution to this immense computational challenge is a kind of distributed computing where entire banks of networked computers do nothing but render final frames. In a state-of-the-art setup like George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic the artists themselves have some 2000 cores in their workstations, connected to a render farm with almost 6000 processor cores (at the time of Transformers 2).

Even a small special effects firm with a half dozen animators will likely have 100+ processors working for them. The maker of the South Park cartoons, South Park Studios, now has a 120-processor render farm with over 30 Mac workstations (similar to Mac Pro rentals from CRE) along with some 10 terabytes of storage using the same technology CRE can provide, Xserve RAID rentals.

Do you need a render farm?

Compositing, motion graphics work, architectural visualization and digital audio recording can all be accomplished with render farms. If your firm is working in any of these areas, the answer to the question is, “Yes, you need one!” Small studios or companies that don’t have the money to buy the computers they need can use computer rentals for rendering.

In the “old days,” there were few options on connecting the devices that make up a render farm. Today, however, many of the leading 3D and compositing software programs include built-in networking/rendering functionality, and some even have a rendering controller. This means that the additional “nodes” (distributed PCs or Macs) can be managed right from your main workstation with a Virtual Network Computing (VNC) arrangement, meaning that you can run them as “headless systems” without a keyboard, monitor or mouse.

CRE is an expert in providing render farm rentals and setups to companies of all kinds and sizes. Our Account Executives are up to date on all the render farm specifics, and can get you on your way in no time if you need to set one up.  Simply call or e-mail, or complete the  Quick Rental Quote form -  we’re ready to render assistance.

Time was, if your company needed quality music – for a Web site, a presentation, a commercial – you would spend a lot of money on rights to commercial productions, or go to a recording studio and have the engineers put together a “package deal” for you. Paying for musicians, engineers, equipment and studio time adds up fast. A new generation of composition and soundtrack tools now brings the power of pro music to smaller businesses, and CRE has the equipment to help you produce music on any budget, all the way up to G5 with Kona card rentals that can handle any audio job you want to tackle.

For high-quality drum sounds the “old” way, you would have had to set up a drummer and his kit in a room with baffles, sound deflectors, etc. Now you can get digital samples, the actual sounds of real drums, in various sample kits from numerous manufacturers. These and other sounds – orchestra instruments, basses, guitars, all kinds of pianos, organs, synthesizers, and more – are also included in such “studio in a box” programs as Sonic Fire, Adobe Soundbooth, Band-in-a-Box and some members of the Cakewalk family. You can even cobble together music tracks with no outboard equipment whatsoever (or use analog mixing boards like CRE offers among its audio visual equipment rentals).

Adding analog

If you have more to accomplish than a self-contained program can offer, you can take the next step up with entry-level programs like Apple’s Garageband or Cakewalk’s Home Studio, which are based on “loops” that you put together like puzzle pieces. They are competent in the tracking arena, but fall somewhat short in terms of plug-ins and quality of effects (like reverb) that are essential to a project. Still, you can add a USB, Firewire or PCI-based audio interface allowing you to use microphones and electronic instruments to add real sounds to the real-sounding samples in your computer.

The pro level studios use one or more of the major Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software applications – Digidesign’s Pro Tools, Apple’s Logic, Cubase, Digital Performer (Mac only), Sonar (PC only) others – and you can also get “lite” versions like Logic Express, that will get you into the game and will run fine on mid-range PCs and  iMac rentals. Depending on the results you need to get, you can even get hold of a good sound professional and one of the Mac Pro rentals from CRE and still save a bundle over the alternatives.

Decisions, decisions

If you need to get some music tracks in a hurry without recording anything, you should choose “soundtrack” software that doesn’t require anything at all except a computer – no microphones, no interfaces, nothing. If you have more time (and expertise) then you move up one or two notches as described above. The more involved, the better the results, of course. Weigh your needs against your budget and capabilities, and then go for it. CRE can help in any way you need.

When you start a new project that’s a little different, you can count on CRE’s experienced Account Executives to inform you about all the options available. Call or send an e-mail, or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and we will get you set up however you need. When it’s time to get the job done and done right, you can count on CRE to support you with the right information, equipment and expertise, so that you can make the “sound” move.

Those of you who read Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, not to mention all the specialty TV-biz newsletters, know that the last six weeks or so have seen a lot of action on the TV pilot front. ABC gave the greenlight to two dramas and a comedy in one day, with Fox, NBC and CBS spreading out their action over a bit more calendar space. Fact is, though, that the pilot season is in full swing, which means companies great and small will be doing title sequences, post-processing, digital effects and other work for the producers of the shows. CRE, of course, specializes in supporting the entertainment industry with the best computers and other high-tech equipment.

It was not that long ago that it took a room full of computing power to produce a single four-minute cartoon. Now there are independent films being created on single Macintoshes. Even the 17-inch iMac, for example, has a Core 2 Duo processor and a gigabyte of RAM, an unthinkably powerful combination that would have seemed otherworldly in the 2001 TV season (remember The Lone Gunmen?). It is muscular enough for audio/video chores and provides a potent platform for Adobe’s Creative Suite, too.

Technology rentals for the  entertainment industry

Running hither and yon to meetings, day and night? If you take along one of the CRE laptop rentals, like the HP NX9010 with a 3GHz Pentium, you will power your way through them all. You will be in constant contact with its WiFi, and the 1GB of RAM will keep you multitasking with notes, video clips, audio addenda and everything else that is likely to come up. Staying put at your desk? Offload your extra work to your assistant or pilot-season temp, outfitted with an HP/Compaq D510, a desktop rentals star with a 2.4GHz Pentium 4. This rental package comes with a 17-inch LCD monitor, too.

CRE covers you no matter what your production needs. From 30″ Apple Cinema Display rental for a big-screen work window, to powerful video and post solutions like the PowerMac G5 with Kona card rentals, we have it all. No matter what you have to do, we have the equipment to help you get it done, and everything arrives to you tested, double-checked and ready to rock, every time. Even more, we can provide the office equipment rentals to tie everything together – whether it’s an HP 4000N B&W laser printer or an all-in-one printer/fax/scanner. CRE has got you covered.

Need some help configuring a system or figuring out a solution for your pilot season workload? Our Account Executives know what you need and have been helping entertainment industry professionals of all kinds for a long, long time. We know what you’re up against, and we know how to help. Contact us today, or fill out a Quick Rental Quote form if you already know what you need, and we will get on the job for you, right now. We do our best to help you do your best, which is the kind of win-win formula we like.

“Put your world at your fingertips,” say the ads for Sony’s VAIO L Series all-in-one touchscreen PC (now available from CRE Rentals!). A stylish computer with a crisp 24-inch multi-touch display, the L is being marketed as “the ultimate multimedia machine”. Its 2.7GHz Pentium E5400 processor is dual core, and is considered by “techsperts” to be a very good low-wattage processor, one of the reasons the VAIO L is “certified green.”

Potent computing experience with all-in-one computer rental

Its graphics processor  (GPU) is an NVIDIA GeForce G210M with 512MB of dedicated RAM, letting the CPU with its 4GB of RAM work with the 7200rpm, 320GB hard drive to bring forth a potent computing experience. The CPU is plenty fast enough for cruising the internet, playing the latest games, watching movies and more – all with various taps, swipes and one- and two-handed “multitouch” moves with your fingers.

The VAIO L All-In-One computer rental also includes a built-in webcam and microphone, and has a Blu-ray compatible optical drive for playing movies in stunning HD resolution (no Blu-ray recording, however). Finally, its Bluetooth wireless is the latest stereo version, so you can stream CD-quality sound to Bluetooth speakers, as well as connect to cell phones, cameras and other devices (like its keyboard and mouse, for starters). Add the right kind of outboard audio and video equipment rentals, and you’ve got a powerful center for controlling sights, sounds, lights and most everything else at your conference, seminar or shareholder meeting.

Superduper display

Like the standalone LCD monitor rentals from CRE, the 24-inch widescreen display uses LCD technology, and has “full HD specs” of 1920 x 1080 to create what the ad copywriters call “dazzling” colors and clarity – and, this time at least, they’re not exaggerating. The display is dramatic, and reviewers have admitted that the combination of its look and the feel of the touch commands is downright addictive. Many “creatives” will want to rent this PC computer with its CPU that can handle high-end media work (video editing, audio recording, post production, etc.).

The VAIO L could be used for presentations and “info capture”.  With simple software, the VAIO L can be loaded up with presentations, product FAQ sheets,  questionnaires and other push-button materials. This is a handy interactive tool when you’re exhibiting at a trade show or conference.

Talk to a CRE Account Executive for expert advice on how you can put this new VAIO all-in-one computer rental to work for you. Call or send an e-mail and we’ll be back to you swiftly, or take advantage of our Quick Rental Quote form. Whatever you do – whatever you need – we are ready to deliver the latest solutions.

The only thing constant is change, right? This past year proved that the computer industry still had product niches left to develop and exploit. The rise of the “netbook” – a low- to medium-power, small-format computer with a bright screen, built-in WiFi, and basic productivity software that will never be confused for a rootin’ tootin’ laptop, like the new MacBook rental – proves the computer companies are still thinking about their product lines (and bottom lines, of course).

The move to “pocket computers” follows the trend to smartphones, of which the iPhone and the new Google-powered Droid are prime examples. The phones are truly pocket-sized, can run tons of “apps” that are easily downloaded for low or no cost, and are great for quick messages as well as long talks. The netbooks, most with keyboards between 60-80% the size of a normal PC laptop, offer real e-mail interaction, a normal Web experience with a real browser, memory card slots, USB ports, Ethernet — wow, just like a real computer!

Critical mass for netbooks

Interestingly, it was the niche players — companies like Acer and Asus that were more business- than consumer-oriented, and also sold motherboards and other components — that drove the development of netbooks. Soon enough, major players like Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard which makes everything from netbooks to high-power desktops (available as a rental), were in the game.

You won’t be doing Vegas Video editing on a netbook, and forget Final Cut Pro as Apple, despite persistent rumors, has steadfastly refused to enter the fray with a “Mac netbook.” The processors, although Intel, aren’t quad-core, dual-core or even hard-core (like some tried-and-true Pentiums). More powerful CPUs will not be possible until better battery technology is available, and dissipating heat is always a problem in small spaces where fans don’t fit.

“Phone-replacement” computers?

Businesses may find a use for netbooks as smartphone replacements, but they are simply not fast enough, and the screens are too small, to be true laptop replacements. If you need a powerful HP or Mac laptop in your line of work, an Atom-powered HP Mini is just not going to cut it. In fact, if you need a few laptops for your department to stay in touch at a conference, take notes, send e-mails and browse prospects’ (or competitors’) sites, you’d be pushing a poor little netbook into a nervous breakdown.

As always,  get the right tool for the job. If you need help figuring out just what that is, call one of our expert Account Executives today. If you like, explain your situation in an e-mail or, if you know what you need, just send us a Quick Rental Quote form. We will make sure you have exactly what you need to do the job right.

2010 is upon us, and it’s likely you are considering yet another list of New Year’s Resolutions. These usually concern losing weight or changing careers, but smart computer users should resolve to keep their computers in good working order.

One step before basic

This may seem silly to you, but it really isn’t. You need to check your power cords, USB/FireWire cables and so forth. It’s possible for cables to “go bad,” particularly when they are bent into 90-degree angles or squished under heavy printers. With LCD monitor rentals, for example, you get the  cable in good shape and ready to work.

It is important to keep sufficient airflow around your high-tech equipment, so check out your “office ergonomics” to ensure enough room between devices. Layers of dust can build up on internal PC components, too, sometimes causing overheating, so have some canned air handy for a quick “spray” every month or so.

Backing up

You simply must back up your files. This means the system files, work files, everything. Your primary drive is likely internal, but if you save files to external or online storage, back those up, too. Windows Backup in Windows Vista and Windows 7 is a good tool. You can also clone your drives and make “disc images” with ImageX (free from Microsoft) and other applications.

Macintosh users also need to back up everything. The Mac OS boasts Time Machine, which automates the process in a lot of customizable ways. Naturally, when you use a Mac Pro rental you should save all your work to an external drive, which means that you should back it up to an online service, another hard drive or to DVDs.

Security

Always “okay” the Windows and Mac automated system updates. This will ensure you have the latest security fixes for your OS as well as updates for installed programs. On the Mac, Software Update can also be started from the Apple menu. The Windows Update application in Vista or Windows 7 can even recommend settings for folks short on time, expertise or both.

In addition to using your firewall, get a good anti-malware and anti-virus utility  – or two or three, since not all programs can defeat all types of malicious code. Since e-mail continues to be a primary method for spreading Trojan horses, viruses and other destructive malware, check that your antivirus program will scan your e-mail. Also use anti-spam software like MailWasher or a mail-checking service.

Other tips

Consult a more thorough article on maintenance if you need to, then create a schedule for taking care of things regularly. Actually, if you are doing a comprehensive backup for the first time, it may be a real time- and money-saver to rent a computer to act as “command central” for copying, duplicating, deleting and moving files around your network.

CRE employees know their way around technology, so we’re the ones to call when you need help. Send an e-mail, fill out the Quick Rental Quote form or use the phone. Whatever your business goals for the New Year, we’re here to help you achieve them. That’s our resolution, each and every year.

Several times this year, most recently at the end of October, Apple upgraded and updated its Macintosh product lines. It still has its top of line Mac Pro towers, last “refreshed” in Q1 2009, but now has faster iMacs with larger screens and a potent Mac mini. (Not that it will replace the Xserve line that CRE rents, but the mini can now be purchased with Mac OS X Server installed.) The new Mac laptops are pretty exciting, too; read the MacBook Pro laptops review.

Go with a Mac Pro

When the Mac Pro high-performance desktops like CRE rents get their next refreshing in early 2010, they may get Intel Xeon six-core processors, according to a recent unconfirmed rumor on the Web site, Hardmac. Reports from “an inside source at Apple” indicate that the firm wants the dual-socket, six-core “Gulftown” chip in its next Mac Pro.

The Core i9 chip will increase performance while decreasing power usage, or so the story goes. The Mac Pro might also have a modified motherboard with a 10 Gbit/second Ethernet port (a major increase) and support for 8 and 16 GB RAM modules (current maximum is 4GB). This allows a potential total of 128 GB of RAM.

A new iMac for you?

The iMac line has had two screen sizes in its modern (flat panel) version, now measuring 21.5 and 27 inches, but has new LED backlit displays with 16:9 widescreen ratio. A 21.5-inch imac rental has a high-resolution 1920 x 1080 pixel display. Movie lovers should note that the 27-inch model’s Mini DisplayPort supports bi-directional connections – just connect an HD source and your iMac is an HD monitor.

The iMacs now have 4 SO-DIMM slots supporting up to 16 GB of RAM, and four different Intel processors. The 21.5-inch models can be configured with 3.06 GHz or 3.33 GHz Intel Core2 Duo processors, but the “serious fun” starts with the 27-inch iMac. It is configurable with the aforementioned CPUs, a 2.66 Quad-Core i5 or a 2.8 GHZ Quad-Core i7 processor. The two Quad-Core options take the iMac to the level of performance first seen in the Mac Pro – very impressive!

Mini goes maxi

The Mac mini has two new configurations: one model featuring a 2.26 GHz Intel Core2 Duo, a 160 GB hard drive and 2 GB of RAM; the second has a 2.56 GHz Intel Core2 Duo processor and double the hard disk and RAM (320 and 4 GB, respectively). Both feature seriously upgraded graphics capabilities via an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M chipset. These minis are becoming very popular as “small-but-mighty” servers especially for small businesses or for off-site, temporary offices at a convention center.

Call one of our Account Executives today and find out how a Mac Pro rental  or iMac rentals can help increase productivity or solve those backlog problems. Give us a call or send an e-mail, or simply fill out a Quick Rental Quote form. We are Mac rental specialists and are here to help.

With the pace of technological change seeming to accelerate all the time, how can SMBs (Small and Medium-sized Businesses) hope to stay current? It’s not just a matter of getting the latest equipment. You also have to keep your employees updated, trained and equipped. It’s not easy, but online education of various kinds may help you.

There are companies that run well-structured, highly organized online schools, and you might want to look into these. However, there are also many low- and no-cost ways to keep your employees up to date. If you work in digital media, with audio and video applications like Final Cut or Vegas—on powerful quad- and eight-core desktop computers like the Mac Pro or an H-P XW 8400 workstation—then you already know how much time it takes to stay current.

For your other employees, perhaps working with continuously upgraded software like office applications and operating systems, you can save money by locating some free tutorials online. Get a Macintosh and/or PC desktop like CRE rents, set it up in a spare office or corner of the break room, and establish a training schedule. This way none of your regular workflow is interrupted and you can upgrade skills without downgrading your firm’s productivity.

Use it or lose it?

Remember, too, that the software packages you’ve invested in usually come with tutorials, online help files, sample documents and other training aids. It may be that you are well covered for software training without knowing it. In that case, extend your horizons a bit and you will discover that there is as much, or more, business and marketing training available to help you grow and expand your company.

It should go without saying that most companies need a strong, compelling and (hopefully) original Web presence or “online strategy” in this day and age. Check out these excellent online webinars and seminars featuring search engine marketing topics that will help your organization “conquer” search.

Low-cost training/research station

One of the lesser-advertised benefits of a computer rental is training and research. In SMBs, most computers (like their users) are dedicated to certain daily tasks that are interrupted at your peril. Renting a wifi-enabled tablet PC, laptop, or desktop from CRE will keep your own assets invested in ongoing work, and allow you to keep skills updated as you rotate your computer users through a new training workstation—outfitted with free lesson plans that you’ve just learned about.

Fill out our Quick Rental Quote form now and our expert Account Executives will help you set up whatever you need to keep you on the cutting edge. Let the training begin!

You’ve started a business and now you need everything from phones to office supplies. Plastic in hand, you run full steam ahead toward—debt! Instead of watching your dreams come true, you are watching dollars go out the door for credit card payments and interest. One day, thousands of dollars down the road, you may suddenly turn around and ask yourself, What happened?

For one thing, until you have your business plan worked out, it may be smarter to rent a Mac Pro from CRE Rentals than buy one. You won’t know that, of course, until you’ve crunched all the numbers, including the ones related to your company credit cards. Look into low APR’s (Annual Percentage Rates) and annual fees, and aim for the best deals on late charges and other penalties. Also look for a card that accrues points that you can use for travel, rebates on products or supplies, and other benefits of real value.

Simple rules

It is easier to borrow money on a credit card than it is to go get a bank loan—easier but costlier, of course. Do not risk your credit rating by getting caught up in a vicious circle of debt.  After you’ve had your cards for awhile and have been making payments on time, call the credit card companies and negotiate for lower interest rates (if current rates are high). Also be careful with introductory offers. Many cards offer interest-free periods to bait you, but once that period ends the rates may then rise to (or past) the 18.9% national average.

Just remember: Don’t mix business dollars with personal ones. And that goes for mixing your computers, fax machines and printers, too. If you don’t have the money to buy, keep your personal things personal (like the IRS wants you to) and rent your office equipment from CRE—along with whatever else you need.

Use it, don’t abuse it

Try to make the most of your credit card. If you qualify for a low-interest “rewards” card that earns cash back at the gas station, get it. Small businesses can save a lot of money by using their rewards correctly. It all adds up—if you are paying attention. If  you get an LCD monitor rental from CRE, you can use the ongoing rewards to offset some other expenses. Of course, if the items that you are considering are not necessities, then rent, pay by cash or go without. Remember, every time you swipe that card you are incurring debt, and debt can become a beast to maintain.

You cannot charge your way to success, or borrow your way into better revenues. Your credit cards, of course, can finance your good ideas and help you advance toward your goals, just like a computer rental from CRE. If you end up making bad decisions that get you financially stressed, remember the old saying: It’s a poor carpenter who blames his tools. Credit is a tool, so use it—don’t abuse it. If you need help crunching those numbers to see how renting can make sense until you can afford to buy, call one of our expert Account Executives toll free at (877) 266-7725, send an e-mail or fill out our Quick Rental Quote form. CRE is ready when you are.

In “Web Design Tips Part 1,” we talked about communicating clearly with both words and images, helping your site visitors find things and employing common sense. Those of you working in both print and Web publishing know the importance of getting the colors right, too, so CRE also has advanced color laser printers for rent. Don’t take your site online without getting good color proofs of your work, and learning how to calibrate your “device chain”—computer, monitor, printer—with “Web safe” colors.

Again, you can’t just push a button and get great art automatically (no, not even on a Macintosh). You will need to study up a bit or hire some professional help. You may not realize it, but many modern desktops and laptops support two monitors right out of the box, so you should really consider one of CRE’s LCD monitor rentals to get a large-format, color-accurate view of your site for you (or your professional assistant) to work with.

Part 1 had 10 tips. As promised, Part 2 has 15 more great tips (11 through 25) to help you create and host an effective Web site.

11. Blinking or “Times Square scrolling” text displays are completely passé, and hard to read, too.

12. Keep your navigation options easy to spot, right out in the open—and not hidden in a lot of drop-down menus.

13. Since it is faster and much more reliable, use text links for navigation.

14. Settle on a single, consistent navigation scheme. Keep it simple.

15. Don’t use “beginner” or “online interactive” Web site makers. They can be buggy, and won’t deliver consistent, standardized code. HTML is a “markup language,” after all, so the language should be understandable to all browsers…

16. …because your Web site needs to work with all popular browsers, on all platforms.

17. Always insert anchor text on links so visitors know where they’re headed, and so you get the SEO benefits.

18. If you “cloak” links and keep the user from seeing where they’re pointed, you (and your company and your site) can lose credibility.

19. Considering the spread of “popup blocking,” just forget the popup windows. Really.

20. If a link takes visitors to a PDF file, tell them so. Safari and a few other browsers will handle them internally, and well, but others will force Adobe Reader to launch.

21. Do not require people to register for your site unless it is absolutely necessary, such as for a company or legal purposes. People are hesitant to hassle with it.

22. Never—that’s “never, ever”—subscribe site visitors or e-mail correspondents without their consent. If they receive something they didn’t ask for, you’re a spammer.

23. Don’t make new browser windows open, or move or resize existing ones. Control should remain with users. That’s where it belongs.

24. Never link to blacklisted or questionable Web sites. Google, Yahoo, AOL and other large portals are getting very strict about this.

25. Ensure that visitors can search your whole Web site. Make it easy for people to find the information that they want.

Whatever business you are in, CRE has the technology you need to keep forging ahead, flattening out those bumps in the road and empowering you to meet all challenges. Whether you need our ”render farm toolbox” that includes the high-performance graphics capabilities of the 8-core Mac Pro rental, an additional 16 gig of RAM and 23″ Apple Cinema Display, or a dozen laptops for a marketing meeting, CRE has you covered. Our experience Account Executives know how to get you just the right solutions, so call, write an e-mail or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form right away for a swift, courteous reply.