Film school equipment checkout software: cameras, lenses and kits out and back.
vFound Equipment is equipment checkout software for film schools and media departments: students reserve the equipment they need ahead, the desk hands out a whole kit with one scan, and each item comes back with its condition on the record.
A film or media equipment cage hands out cameras, lenses, tripods, lights, microphones and recorders to students for a shoot, often as a kit, and needs every piece back, working, before the next crew collects it.
Updated
See a checkout from label to return in one short film.
See everything in vFound EquipmentThe equipment cage problem
A spreadsheet can say a camera is out, but not that its battery charger stayed behind, that two crews booked the same lens for Friday, or that the tripod came back with a broken plate. At the end of term, someone walks the shelves trying to work out what is missing.
Kits that leave together
Save a kit, such as a camera body, two lenses, batteries, a charger and a shoulder rig, and hand the whole kit out in one checkout. If any item in it is unavailable, nothing leaves, so a crew never walks off with half a kit. The borrower gets one receipt listing everything and its due time.
Read more
- Each item has its own QR label, and scanning it, typing its code or searching an asset tag finds it at once.
- Things handed out together can be returned together and are recorded all or nothing, with one return receipt.
- Borrowers get a reminder before anything out for six hours or more is due, and up to three overdue reminders a day apart.
Reservations before the shoot
Students request any available item in one category from My vFound, such as any 4K camera. Staff can reserve an exact item or any one from a category, and the time is held for them. Require approval for categories that need a tutor’s say-so, and the borrower gets a ready reminder and a calendar file. At pickup, the reservation becomes the checkout.
Read more
- Category rules limit how many items a person can have and can block new checkouts while they have anything overdue.
- A due time that falls outside the cage’s opening hours moves to the next opening.
- From their private My vFound page, a borrower can ask for more time, report a problem with an item or reserve a category item, without a staff account.
Condition, repairs and serial numbers
Every return records the item’s condition. Damaged or incomplete items are set aside for repair unless staff decide otherwise, and a problem a borrower reports is checked before the item goes out again. Each item can hold its serial number, purchase and warranty details, replacement value and up to ten custom fields, with a maintenance log and a next service date. Scan the shelves for a stocktake and see what is missing.
What vFound does not do
Plan around these before you buy, so the trial tests the cage you actually run.
Read more
- It does not track training or certification before someone can take a camera out. Use approval on the categories that need a check by staff.
- It takes no payments, deposits or late fees from borrowers.
- It does not control lockers or cabinets, and uses printed QR labels rather than RFID tags.
- There is no connector to student information or timetabling systems. Keep borrowers current with a CSV file, a CSV link, SCIM or the vFound API.
Count the cage at the end of term
At the end of term, someone walks the shelves trying to work out what is missing. In vFound, start a stocktake and scan each label, asset tag or serial number as you go. The count shows how many items have been scanned out of the total, and finishing it lists what was not scanned.
At the end of term, scan the shelves and see what is missing.
Read more
An earlier count stays on the page with its list of missing items, so you can compare one term with the next.
Rehearse a shoot in the trial
In the 14-day trial, save a camera kit, hand it out in one checkout, take one item back damaged and then run a stocktake. A valid card is required.
How vFound Equipment works
From reservation to return in three clear steps.
- 1
Build the equipment record.
Import a CSV or add photos, serial numbers, values, warranties and custom fields. Print a QR label for every item.
- 2
Reserve or hand out a whole kit.
Book a specific item or category. At pickup, scan one item or a complete kit and record the borrower and signature.
- 3
Keep returns, service and stock in sight.
Automatic reminders chase due items. Scan returns, log maintenance and run a stock-take to see what is missing.
A complete equipment desk, without per-user pricing.
- Reservations and approvalsBook an item or category, approve requests and pick up from the reservation.
- Kits and multi-item checkoutHand out a laptop, charger and bag together, with one checkout record.
- Borrower rulesSet item limits, stop new checkouts for overdue borrowers, and snap due times to opening hours.
- Self-checkout kioskBorrowers scan an exact email or ID, equipment labels and their signature.
- Assets and maintenanceTrack serials, values, warranties, custom fields and service reminders.
- Stock-takes and importsImport Snipe-IT, Sortly or Cheqroom files, then scan to find gaps.
See everything in vFound Equipment
Reserve equipment, hand out complete kits, track every asset and let borrowers self-check out, with reminders built in.
Its own page has the film, the use cases, each screen and the answers to common questions.
See everything in vFound EquipmentOne workspace for everything your desk looks after.
Frequently asked questions
How much does vFound Equipment cost for a film school?+
US$58/month per venue, billed yearly at US$696, after a 14-day free trial that requires a valid card; cancel before day 14 to avoid the yearly charge. Items, borrowers and team members are unlimited, so adding another camera package costs nothing extra.
Can a camera kit be checked out in one go?+
Yes. Save the kit once, then hand out every item in it with one checkout. If one piece is already out or in repair, the checkout stops and nothing leaves, and the borrower gets a single receipt for the whole kit. Staff can also reserve the whole kit ahead as one booking; the standard category form on My vFound requests one category at a time.
Can we see what condition a lens came back in?+
Yes. Staff record the condition of each item at return, and a damaged or incomplete item is set aside for repair unless staff choose otherwise. The maintenance log stays with the item, and each finished checkout, with its condition on return, is kept for 13 months.
Can we stop a student booking cameras while kit is overdue?+
Yes. A borrower rule can block new checkouts while a person has anything overdue and limit how many items they hold at once. A reservation a borrower makes from their own My vFound page follows the same item limit and overdue rule.
Can we use it as camera equipment checkout software outside a school?+
Yes. A production company, newsroom or media centre that hands cameras and sound kit to its own crew works the same way: QR labels, kits, reservations, due times and condition on return. vFound does not rent equipment to the public or take payments.
Can we bring our current inventory across?+
Yes. Import a CSV file of items, with a preview before anything is saved. The import reads the column names in Snipe-IT’s sample import file and Cheqroom’s documented item fields, as well as Sortly exports.
Every camera, lens and cable back on the shelf.
Start your 14-day free trial. A valid card is required; cancel before day 14 to avoid the yearly charge.
Start your 14-day free trial