Welcome to the MARPL Crew! The job you have taken on is a very important part of how the Production Area operates. The university is a large bureaucratic institution with a hierarchy of people in charge of various portions of the operations. It is not a perfect system, but it is far from the static entity that is a common misperception. Your diligent and thoughtful participation in your assigned job both helps refine your role and helps meet the needs of the clientele you serve.
For your efforts, you will receive an hourly wage, more hands on experience with production equipment, on the job experience working with a clientele of production students, faculty and in some cases, various members of the College of Fine Arts and community on collaborative projects. In addition you will have the opportunity for more access to the production equipment than is afforded to the general production student.

Those opportunities can be an exciting component of your educational experience. The priority of providing support for MAR classes is foremost, however, and all projects outside of your class assignments need to be cleared with the MARPL Coordinator to avoid conflicts in performing this first priority of supporting production class assignments. You must also understand that university rules concerning use of university property do not allow you to take on freelance projects for profit. Such activities are in direct violation of university policy and agreements made with the community not to compete with area professionals. Violations of university policy constraints are grounds for dismissal.

Your immediate supervisor (the person to whom you report all problems to) is the MARPL Coordinator. In some cases, you may be instructed to report to the Assistant Coordinator or one of the Post-Bac Technical Specialists, but the MARPL Coordinator is responsible for the entire MARPL operation and the person to whom you report illness, schedule conflicts, broken equipment, questions on procedure, and daily operations. If a conflict should arise between you and the MARPL Coordinator, you may contact the Director of Production Studies, the faculty member who supervises the entire production area. (Currently, Beverly Seckinger, Ph # 621-1239 or E-mail <bsecking@u.arizona.edu>

Your primary job responsibilities are checking out the production equipment used in the Media Arts program and maintaining building security. The high demands placed on the equipment require vigilance on your part to insure that the equipment is properly handled and maintained in good working order. To that end you need to make sure that the student clientele knows how to handle, and are responsible for examination of, any piece of gear checked out before leaving the premises. Whenever anything is checked in, you as the MARPL staff must examine it thoroughly for damages and functionality, noting discrepancies in the database and reporting broken equipment to the MARPL Coordinator on every item that is found faulty. Also it is part of your charge to hold students accountable for damages incurred. This may be something that you find difficult to enforce considering that many of the clientele will be your classmates. It is important that you understand that preferential treatment is not acceptable in your capacity as a MARPL Student Supervisor and that breaches in MARPL procedure can be grounds for dismissal.

MARPL Duties

Your direct duties include:
• Opening and closing MARPL FACILITIES
////a. Locking and Unlocking the various buildings of MARPL for student use.
////b. Checking on building security throughout the day to insure that doors are not left open in empty buildings or freely open during night editing.
////c. Locking down ADVANCED EQUIPMENT STORAGE, PRO TOOLS ROOM and ADVANCED EDITING SUITES when they are not immediately being used.
d. Making sure that only MAR Production Students are using the facility.
• Obtaining class rolls from Pat Varney, in the MAR offices.
• Handing out MARPL Contracts and filing the completed forms in the office files.
• Entering Student clientele records into the database with the Catcard.
• Performing equipment demos and certifying students on the use of the gear.
• Taking equipment and post-production reservations and entering them into the database.
• Checking out equipment.
• Checking in equipment.
• Troubleshooting equipment problems.
• Logging breakage in the Trouble Report area of the Database and labeling the piece of equipment with the findings of your Troubleshooting.
• Telling the Coordinator about Troubleshooting results that will require sending the equipment out for repair
• Helping student clientele learn how to handle and use the equipment
• Housekeeping chores:
a. Keeping MARPL Checkout facility neat and orderly
b. Cleaning equipment cases
c. Dusting shelves, equipment desks etc
d. Sweeping and dust-mopping floors in MARPL
e. Straightening desks and chairs in all MARPL buildings 1220, 1227, 1245 Fremont, and Studio C
• Providing technical support for Production students and faculty
• Providing technical support for Critical Studies projects as designated
• Providing the MARPL Coordinator with Class schedules in a timely manner to insure that shifts can be covered from one semester to another
• Should you take ill, it is up to you to find shift coverage. Last minute illnesses rarely occur and it is your responsibility to communicate any difficulty in finding a shift replacement to the Production Coord directly. Leaving a message on voicemail that you can’t make it to your shift on short notice is unacceptable unless there is an emergency.
• MARPL Workers should communicate to the Coord when problems occur in Checkout or on MARPL business. Special personalities can occasionally create problems in the workflow around MARPL . Checkout is a privilege not a right and extremely agitated individuals are bound by the U of A Student Code of Conduct. Shift workers are not to be verbally or physically abused and such individuals who insist on such behavior should be referred to the Production Coord.
• Taking various equipment to be repaired (BioMedical Communications located in the University Hospital on Campbell Avenue)
• Filling out all appropriate paperwork needed for your employment, including U of A student forms, Work Study forms, and Timesheets.

TIMESHEETS

1. Please understand that your timesheets are LEGAL DOCUMENTS that the U of A needs to be able to pay you. You expect to be paid for your work and you have a responsibility to complete timesheets in the correct way.

2. Tampering or inaccurately reporting time that you did not work is technically PAYROLL FRAUD. Tampering with the number of hours previously logged or changed in past pay periods may reflect the technically correct time (You might have gotten sick that day and had to leave earlier or not come in at all and left hours up on a Thursday or Friday you thought you were going to work, didn’t, then Accounting processed the Payroll before you notified.) however, discrepancies of this nature must be taken care of by the MARPL
COORDINATOR.
DO NOT "GO BACK" AND EITHER WRITE IN HOURS THAT YOU FORGOT LAST TIME OR CHANGE WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN RECORDED for previous Pay Periods. This is a fast way to piss off anyone doing Payroll Accounting.
If there is a discrepancy, you are to contact me and I will authorize the compensatory adjustment to your TIMESHEET. DO NOT do this yourself, because I will not sign off on the number IN THE LAST BOX of the PAYROLL LINE for any current pay period until the discrepancy is resolved.

3. The LAST BOX of the PAYROLL LINE is where your initials go to signify that you have reported your correct number of hours...It is also where my initials (or Dan’s in my absence) to signify that I have gone over the number of hours and they are verified correct. TIMESHEETS that do not have your initials will not be signed by the MARPL Coord and you will not be paid for that pay period.

4. ALL TIMESHEETS MUST BE SIGNED, DATED AND SAMPLE INITIALS EXHIBITED. As a LEGAL DOCUMENT your signature has legal implications and responsibilities. This is a critical portion of the document.

5. TIMESHEETS are to be completely filled out for the pay period by WEDNESDAY EVENING. This does mean that you must project your scheduled times on out for the rest of the week (thru the weekend) If something happens and you are suddenly ill and cannot come in on your shift for one of your scheduled days, CALL ME AND LET ME KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

6. DO NOT TOTAL YOUR HOURS (Coord will total) and WRITE ONLY HOURS YOU ARE SCHEDULED FOR. IF you are staying longer or coming in earlier by 15 minute increments speak with me about what is happening and I will make sure to reflect this in the MASTER SCHEDULE. If your hours are more because you covered for someone, please tell the MARPL COORDINATOR to authorize the changes. Changes that are not authorized will mean that your timesheet looks incorrect and the changes will not be reflected in your check.

7. SICKNESS Most of you know that you are responsible for covering your own scheduled shifts...that means YOU FIND SOMEONE TO WORK COVER YOUR SHIFT WHEN YOU CANNOT COME IN or want to do something else...anything else. Occasionally you may become sick later in the day or the night before your shift, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AS SOON AS YOU KNOW. If you should become violently ill later in the evening (Yes, even if it is 2 AM) call me at home AND the office AND leave a messages on both. If possible START TRYING TO FIND A SUB to cover your shift. If you can’t get someone to sub, I will help you. The more lead time we have the better.

8. BEING LATE for your shift is irresponsible as well as showing a complete lack of respect for the constituency MARPL serves as well as your MARPL colleagues.
When you are scheduled to OPEN (and now both MARPL shifts are technically OPENING SHIFTS with the new hours) I expect you to be ready to take clients at the POSTED TIMES unless we have made prior arrangements for you to arrive later.
Showing up 10-30 minutes late will merit a warning.
Twice, you will be written up.
The third time we will have a talk to figure out what the problem is and you will be on probation for 2-6 weeks during which time repeated tardiness will quite possibly result dismissal.

9. If you have questions about something that comes up and you are unsure of what to do, please ask the MARPL COORD.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHECK IN AND CHECK OUT:

1. ALL students taking production courses need to sign a new MARPL contract despite being in a Production class in a previous semester. All students will need to bring their CAT CARD IDs and be prepared to sign a MARPL Contract...essentially the contract makes the student responsible for loss or damage to the camera (replacement costs).
Also when having the student sign the contract please also give them a copy of the MARPL policy sheet that is located both in the hallway file slots and in the file drawer. It outlines MARPL policies.
This is so they can not come back to us and say "I didn’t know that equipment was due before 11 am."

2. All Senior Production crew members need to sign a new MARPL contract for the each new semester even when their production schedules exceed the scheduled semester. This is for insurance reasons.

3. The only students allowed to use the MARPL facilities are students currently enrolled in MAR Production Classes.
(MAR 210, 304, 314, 315, 498 etc.) Students in Critical Studies classes aren’t allowed to use the facilities, without special permission from the MARPL Coordinator, because they are not paying a course fee for the class.

4. The security camera is on and working. Should the alarm go off during your shift, contact the MARPL Coordinator or the Asst. immediately.

5. When you are scheduled time to work, you are expected to be here on time for it.

6. That means you need to have phone numbers and e-mail addresses available for all MARPL employees. Because the morning shifts involve opening the facility, it is imperative that they be covered and that MARPL open on time. Failure to follow the procedures for covering your shift can result in dismissal.

7. Reservations for camera may be made up to one week in advance. All reservations are to be made in person...no phone reservations will be taken.

8. MARPL is open for check out 11am-4pm MONDAY through FRIDAY. All equipment that is checked out is due back the next working day between 8am-11am. What this means is that students need to be prepared to do their shoots during the time that they have the camera...usually less than 24 hours.

9. Students should have most of their preproduction plans made before checking out the camera...i.e., Students who have class during the scheduled check-in times should be aware that they are still expected to return the equipment on time. So if one has class MWF 8am-11:45am, the logical conclusion would be that they not schedule their checkouts on T or Th...schedule conflicts should be discussed prior to checkouts.

10. Weekends—All equipment checked out on Friday (12-4pm) needs to be returned on Monday 8-11 am until Sunday hours (Noon-2pm) are started later into the semester

11. Only special permission and signature authorization may obtain exceptions to these checkout procedures by the class professor AND the MARPL Coordinator. Exceptions are granted only when the student can truly justify longer checkout periods. Unfortunately the ratio of number of students and number of cameras makes this policy necessary to insure that all class members will have the opportunity to complete the assignments.

12. Blatant disregard for checkout policies is not acceptable and may result in loss of MARPL checkout privileges.

13. Students who fail to return equipment on time are subject to grade penalties and cessation of MARPL checkout privileges.

14. Please advise all students using MARPL to be aware that being late can jeopardize other classmate’s shoots who are waiting on equipment to be returned. Advise students to call MARPL to alert staff that the late gear is on its way in to MARPL. (As opposed to just not coming in on time) That way if another student is waiting for the camera or gear they can be informed of the situation and make other arrangements for their shoot if
necessary.
NOTE: It is the responsibility of the student to check all appropriate functions on all pieces of equipment when they are checking them out to see if all is in working condition. However, it is the responsibility of you, the MARPL supervisor, to check for problems when it all comes back in. If anything comes back broken you must make a note of it in the computer, including who it was checked out to, and writing up a trouble report ticket to be placed on the piece of equipment.

CHECK IN PROCEDURES NOTE:

1. PLEASE, PLEASE, read the comment box in the DATABASE when checking people in. Too many times someone’s account showed that the student had AC cords, QUAD BOXES, DUVATEEN etc. The students are responsible for replacement of any item checked out to them. The MARPL Coordinator should be informed of any loss or damage to equipment

2. If something breaks examine it to determine what is wrong. Write up the trouble report detailing what is wrong so that the Coordinator can arrange and track repair needs. Then TAKE the piece of equipment out of circulation so reservations aren’t taken for it.

CAMERAS:

Bolex:
1. Conduct an initial visual inspection for signs of the camera being dropped.
2. Check to make sure the camera is wound down. If it is not, inform the student of this. It wears the motor out.
3. Take back cover off and make sure one daylight spool is in there.
4. Pull the loop lever down to close the loop and then release it.
5. Then wind the hand crank and run the camera.
6. Make sure the pressure plate remains intact and the two sprockets turn properly.
Put cover back on.
7. Check to see if filter holder is in the slot immediately behind the lens.
8. Check each lens for scratches, dents, dirt, etc.
9. Check to see if all knobs and functions are working. Make sure the side lever which controls continuous motion and stop frame photography works. Also check the function of the footage counter.
10. Look through the viewfinder and make sure the frame is lined up properly and the lens maintain their focus. On zoom lenses check for backfocus problems. Make sure the lens zooms in and out and stays in focus.

Cinema Products 16mm:
1. Make sure all appropriate components are in the case. This includes the camera, the dust guard, the magazines, the mag. belt, the lens & cover, the battery recharger, etc.
2. Put a battery in the camera, open up the side door and turn it on. Check to see if the sprockets are turning properly and the pressure plate remains intact.
3. Check the Angenieux lens for scratches, dents, dirt, etc.
4. Run the camera and look through the viewfinder. Make sure the lens zooms in and out and stays in focus.
5. Check to see if the camera was dropped.

Super 8:
1. Switch knob to 18 frames/sec., look through the camera and press the trigger for the Chinon and wind up the Kinoflex.
2. Make sure the lens zooms in and out and is in focus.
3. With the Kinoflex, make sure the light meter works on both automatic and manual settings, while the Chinon works in automatic.
4. Check all switches and buttons and make sure eye piece is there.
5. Check to see if the lens is scratched and if camera was dropped.
6. Make sure Kinoflex is fully unwound and light meter is in manual position before storing on the shelf.

Panasonic AG-456 S-VHS Camcorder:
1. Make sure all appropriate components are in the case. This includes the battery recharger, the AC power cable, the battery charger clip, and the headphone adapter.
2. Put battery in camera and turn it on.
3. Put a tape in the cartridge and press record.
4. Make sure the zoom functions work and the lens focuses in both manual and automatic settings.
5. Play back the tape and view it through viewfinder.
6. Check the lens for scratches, dents, dirt, etc.
7. Check to see if camera was dropped.

Sony DVCAM PD-100a Camcorder:
1. Make sure all appropriate components are in the case. This includes the AC power cable and adapter, the S-VHS cable, the 3-way mini-plug to 3 x RCA cable, the XLR hotshoe and clamp, the shotgun mic (SONY or SENNEHEISER), wide angle lens and cover, the memory chip and case, the SONY MDR-7506 Headphone w/vinyl bag (DVHEAD), Portabrace inner bag for mic, White card for white balancing, DVCAM MANUAL. Each camera is checked out with a small battery and a large battery
2. Put a battery on the camera and turn it on.
3. Put a tape in the camera and press record.
4. Zoom in and out.
5. Check thru viewfinder and the flip out LCD viewer. Do not clean the viewfinder with lens cleaner. Fingerprints and skin oil are removes with a very soft, slightly damp cloth…not your clothing and NEVER USE WINDEX! If you don’t have the appropriate cloth means to clean this, LEAVE IT DIRTY. Otherwise you will scratch the surface of the screen.
6. Visually inspect the camera lens for scratches, abrasions and the camera for dents, cracks or other
physical damage. Check to see if the camera may have been dropped.
7. Check for dirt, hair and other foreign matter on the camera and in the case. Equipment that shows signs of having been left in the dirt or out to collect pet hair, leaves and other debris are subject for giving the student’s account "A STRIKE."
8. Play back the DVCAM tape and check for sound and picture.

LIGHTS:

Omni, Tota & VP:
1. Make sure all the appropriate components are in the case. Check all corresponding power cords, screens, light bulbs, light stands, umbrellas, etc. Compare this with the list on the outside of the case.
2. Take the light out and open the barn doors. Make sure the barn doors open and close smoothly. That is, be sure they are not bent, broken or missing.
3. Check to see if the protective screen covers the bulb compartment (The VP’s have a glass covering).
4. Make sure the handle grip, umbrella attachment and light stand attachments are not broken, bent or missing.
5. Plug in the light, face it towards the floor, and turn it on to see if it works.
Do not close the barn doors and put back into case until fully cooled down.
6. If the bulb is broken, replace it and make sure there is at least one extra bulb in the case for each light.
7. Check each light stand and make sure the legs are not bent and the screws are not stripped.

TRIPODS:

Bogen, O’Connor
1. Make sure the tripod plate is on the head of the tripod!
2. Open tripod and check the legs for dents, breaks, bends, etc. Also, make sure all three feet are intact.
3. Raise the tripod up to its full height. Make sure all the knobs work properly ( That is, make sure they are not bent, stripped, or missing).
4. Check the pan and tilt functions. Again, make sure the knobs and arm work properly.
5. Wiggle the tripod head and make sure it is tight and does not drag. If it is loose, take off the tripod head and tighten the three screws at its base.
6. This all applies to the baby legs, hi hat, spider, and Western Dolly.

SOUND:

DAT, Nagra, Marantz:
1. Make sure all the appropriate components are in the case. For the DAT: the battery charger AC pack and adapter, DAT deck, and both portable batteries. For the Marantz: the Marantz deck, and the AC adapter.
2. Put a battery in the DAT deck, then put a DAT tape in.
3. Make sure the ff/rew/play work.
4. Plug in a pair of headphones and a mic and put the deck in rec/pause mode. Check the levels and record something. Play it back.
5. Repeat this same process with the Nagra (with 1/4" tape) and the Marantz but note: the Marantz deck needs to be checked with a cassette tape in the transport or you will break the transport buttons.

Shotgun, Lavalier, Dynamic Handheld:
1. Make sure all the appropriate components are in the case. For the Lavalier: the microphone, the power pack w/beltclip, tie clip, additional clip, a windscreen. For the Shotgun: the microphone, the windscreen, a battery.
2. With an XLR cable, plug the lavalier, shotgun, or dynamic mic. into a SVHS video camera or sound deck. With a pair of headphones, listen to the quality of the audio.
3. Check for electrical shorts in all wires and cables. This includes, the actual length of the cable, the immediate connection into the microphone, and all cable ends.
4. Check for sound damage coming from inside the microphone and/or headphones. This may include, sound cutting out, fuzziness, etc.
5. Check to see if any of the mics were dropped on the ground.
6. Check the fishpoles for any damage. Look for missing components (screws, nuts, mic attachments, grips, etc.) and bent poles.

Sound Transfers and Appointments:
Students can sign up one week in advance, but no LESS than one day in advance. (Days end @ NOON regular reservation time)
For example, if I wanted to transfer next Friday, I could sign up tomorrow, through NEXT Friday, but I could not make an appointment on Friday morning for later the same day...That way, the students in charge of helping with the Sound Transfers can at 12pm know if they have appointments.

The rules for MARPL Student Staff Equipment Check-out:
1. Student Staff do not check out their own equipment. You must have another employee do your check out and check in.
2. All equipment is checked out through the database. Discrepancies in condition or missing parts are made through the database. If something comes up missing, you are liable for the replacement costs.
3. If the equipment is to be used for any other purpose than a MAR Production Class assignment, you must have special permission to check out the gear. You will need to submit a project proposal to the MARPL Coordinator in advance to the project.
All special permission is to go through the MARPL Coord. If the MARPL Coord is not available, the Asst. Coord. If for some reason neither the Coordinator nor the Asst. is available, Michael Mulcahy, Dir. of Production Studies would need to sign off on the project. Keep in mind that the Media Arts Production classes have priority on all gear and if you choose to do an independent project, you would do well to keep the "peak production" schedules of those MAR classes in mind.
4. If you check gear out, you are responsible for getting it back within general check in times, unless other arrangements have been made. As a MARPL employee you need to make sure that violations of the checkout rules are adhered to.
5. MARPL gear is NOT available for use in independent profit making ventures by any student by U of A policy without special permission by the Media Arts Department. MARPL Student Staff are not exempt from this policy.

GOLF CART USE

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THIS INFORMATION TO ALL SMALL VEHICLE USERS
The use of golf carts and similar small vehicles has increased dramatically on campus in the past year. Concurrent with this increase, Risk Management & Safety has received complaints about near-misses, discourteous driving, and other unsafe use of these vehicles. To improve safety, supervisors are asked to review the guidelines below with all small vehicle users in their unit, and stress the importance of courtesy and safety at all times.

Safety Requirements and Guidelines for Electric Carts and Small Motorized Vehicles
• University owned vehicles must be licensed and marked with a vehicle number and appropriate University markings. Contact the UA Motorpool for assistance.
• The number of passengers in a small vehicle must not exceed the vehicle seating capacity. If seat belts are installed, they must be used while the vehicle is in motion.
• Small vehicles must comply with posted speed limits, stop signs, and other traffic control regulations. On campus streets, the speed limit is 15 mph unless otherwise marked.
• Small vehicles may be operated on sidewalks, plazas, and bike paths only if absolutely necessary and no regular street route is available. The recommended maximum speed limit for vehicles in these areas is 5 mph. When moving through congested areas, it is recommended that vehicle speed be no faster than pedestrians walking in the same area.
Exercise extreme caution at blind corners and areas of crossing pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
• Small vehicles may not be driven in traffic along Speedway, Sixth Street, Campbell, or Euclid. Additionally, when these streets must be crossed, this must be done at signal controlled intersections only. When crossing intersections, small vehicle drivers need to take extra care to ensure they are seen by other traffic before proceeding. Small vehicles are authorized for use in the Speedway underpasses with extra caution as described above.
• Drivers need to remember that electric vehicles such as golf carts are very quiet. When approaching bicycles or pedestrians from behind, or from any area of limited visibility, drivers need to be prepared to reduce speed or stop until they are sure others are aware of their presence. Speed in congested areas must be controlled as described above.
• Small vehicles must not be parked where they block regular traffic paths, building exits, fire department connections, wheelchair ramps or curb cuts, or any other location that may present a hazard. Contact Parking and Transportation Services at 621-3550 for guidance about parking small vehicles on campus.

These rules and guidelines are important for the safe operation of small vehicles and the prevention of accidents and injuries. If you or a member of your staff observes any U of A vehicle being operated in an unsafe manner, please report this to Risk Management & Safety at 621- 1790. Please include the vehicle type and number, time, location, and driver description.