High Design Meets High Tech In The 2011 Mansions and Millionaires Designers' Showcase Featuring ELAN g!

From September 10 to October 30, 2011, two separate ELAN® g! Entertainment and Control System installations will be on display in the 2011 Mansions and Millionaires® Designers Showcase® at Chestnut Manor in Upper Brookville, New York.

Exhibiting interior designers Katharine Posillico of Katharine Jessica Interior Design and Angela Leva and Suzan Visconti of Leva & Visconti Designs enlisted the help of Melville, New York-based custom electronics distributor Royal Systems to design the ELAN g! Control Systems for their rooms at Chestnut Manor. These seasoned professionals who designed the Pool Room and the Music Room, respectively, may have differing styles, but they all both agree on one thing.

“Technology is ingrained in everyday life, so I don’t plan any space without some sort of audio/video system,” said Posillico. “Mozart Multimedia installed an ELAN system designed by Gregg Feldman and Dave Silkin of Royal Systems in my home a couple years ago. It is such an amazing supplement to the house and to my life that I now strongly advise my clients to work with Royal Systems to incorporate a full ELAN g! Control System. The second-floor Pool Room at Chestnut Manor is the ultimate lounge and game room, so naturally I included a large projection TV and a full audio system.”

Visconti had Hauppauge, New York-based Audio Design Consultants install an ELAN Control System in her home nine years ago, and now she advocates that technology not be an afterthought, but instead be integral to the function and layout of the rooms she designs. She notes, however, that many homeowners still aren’t aware of the possibilities with control systems.

“A lot of people don’t know that when they are on vacation they can touch their iPhone and set up their heating, air conditioning and lighting so it’s ready when they get home, saving them energy and money,” said Visconti. “I think that as more people learn how this technology can affect their homes and their lives, and actually raise the home’s value, there will be a lot more houses with home control systems.

“In our design for the Music Room at Chestnut Manor, my partner Angela and I wanted to project a relaxing and rejuvenating ambience and create a place for the homeowner to get away from it all—watch whatever shows and listen to whatever music he wants or jam on his guitar. We incorporated the highest level of technology to make the room sophisticated and at the same time functional and simple to control.”

The Music Room’s A/V system was designed by Dave Silkin of Royal Systems and Bob Portolano of Audio Design Consultants, and features an ELAN HC6 as the system’s brain, an ELAN M86 for audio distribution and an ELAN TS7 seven-inch in-wall touch screen for simple user control. It even has a camera aimed at the door so anyone entering the room instantly sees themselves on the TS7 located next to the doorway. It includes a wall-mounted 42” Samsung 1080p Plasma HDTV and uses two Induction Dynamics SolidDrives to turn the room’s walls into speakers.

The Pool Room’s A/V System was designed by Royal Systems and installed by Mozart Multimedia of East Islip, New York. It features an ELAN HC4, ELAN M86 and ELAN TS2 with the VL2 Valet option, as well as a Severtson 120” front-projection screen and three Sound Tube ceiling-mounted speakers throughout. The room’s use of natural light helps to ensure the projector’s image isn’t overpowered or washed out.

“The Mansions and Millionaires Designers’ Showcase is a great way to show how technology is influencing designers, builders and homeowners,” said Dave Silkin of Royal Systems. “But the great thing about the ELAN g! Control System is it’s not just for millionaires. In fact, the system is so affordable that any homeowner can install a multi-room A/V system, and then expand it to control lighting, security, heating and air conditioning, and pool and spa systems.”

From September 10 to October 30, 2011, more than 30 New York City Metropolitan Area interior designers will showcase their work for the general public at the 97-year-old Chestnut Manor. All proceeds will benefit Mill Neck Manor School For The Deaf. To learn more about the Mansions and Millionaires® Designers’ Showcase®, visit designersshowcaseny.com.

To see more designs from Katharine Jessica Interior Designs, visit kj-id.com. For more information about Leva & Visconti Designs, visit levaviscontidesigns.com. For more information about Royal Systems visit royalsystems.com.

Technology Rental Company HD House Stays The Course After Theft of $255,000 of Equipment Thanks to Specialized Insurance from Take1

Sometimes when a company does everything right, following all the correct protocols and procedures and taking all the necessary precautions, unforeseen situations still arise. For Miami-based HD House, a rental company that specializes in very high-end HD film production equipment, this was a hard lesson to learn—but thankfully one with a happy ending. In January of 2011, HD House experienced a rental company’s worst nightmare: a new customer, whom they fully vetted and researched, stole $255,000 worth of their equipment in a single day.

“We checked his background, ran a credit check, read through the company’s entire Web site, and we even called the company’s insurer to confirm they held an active policy,” said Tony Perez, CEO of HD House. “We’re in the business of loaning top-of-the-line cameras, lenses, computers and accessories that can be worth up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, so we take the security of our inventory very seriously. We were shocked when we learned that this customer had stolen the identity of a reputable UK film producer, going so far as producing false identification and taking out a real insurance policy in order to commit fraud.”

When HD House filed a claim with the client’s insurer, the claim was denied because the policy was purchased with the intent to commit fraud. But this is where the happy ending comes in.

Less than 90 days before the fraud occurred, HD House had signed on with Take1 Insurance, which has specialized in insuring the live and non-live entertainment industries for more than 25 years. HD House’s new policy with Take1 didn’t save them money compared to their prior insurer, but they liked that it had been custom-tailored to the specific needs of an equipment rental company. Point in case: within hours of filing this claim with Take1, the wheels were turning on what ended up being a full payment of $255,000.

“As we were evaluating the risk profile of HD House, it quickly became clear they had outgrown their prior insurer “ said HD House’s insurance broker, Matt Kleinjan of the Jules Berlin Agency. “One of our key concerns was the collusion risk—i.e., how do we make certain their equipment is properly covered while it is out in the Care, Custody and Control (CCC) of a customer. We never like to rely entirely on the customer’s insurance, as it is often inadequate. In the case of fraud, the customer’s insurance is completely moot. HD House recognized this risk and fortunately made the decision to move their insurance program to Take1.”

“This was a highly sophisticated fraud,” said Scott Carroll, executive vice president of Take1. “The criminal stole the identity of a producer from the UK who had a solid credit history and a reputable industry background, then he took out a fraudulent insurance policy for the real company, making it extremely difficult to detect he was an imposter. HD House did its due diligence and followed very rigorous vetting procedures before agreeing to loan the equipment to this new customer.”

According to Carroll, “Take1’s inland marine policy is broader than most of our competitors concerning fraud or misrepresentation, often times referred to as collusion coverage. Most insurance companies severely limit coverage in this area, especially with regard to fraud or collusion committed against the insured. In our opinion,” Carroll said, “this broad language and the excellent claims handling capabilities of our primary carrier gives our insureds an added advantage when fraud is committed against them.”

HD House’s previous insurance company would have only been obligated to cover $140,000 of the loss as a maximum, and may have even tried to deny the claim completely, according to Carroll. “Luckily for HD House, they had Take1 on their side.”

Take1’s specialty program has designed inland marine coverage, among other specialty coverages for the entertainment industry, that automatically applies everywhere in the world, without the need for additional riders or endorsements. It eliminates co-insurance, thus protecting 100 percent of the insured value of the equipment covered; provides automatic replacement cost valuation; allows for separate limits in key individual coverage areas like owned equipment, equipment rented from others, equipment in the insured’s Care Custody and Control (CCC), and equipment in transit; flood coverage for equipment in transit; and blanket limits that eliminate the need for clients’ to itemize each and every piece of equipment, cable, LED panel, etc. being covered.

Founded in 2008 by two industry natives, HD House is a high definition and digital cinema rental house and solutions provider serving the film and television community in South Florida and beyond. In addition to providing high-end equipment rental packages and talented technicians, the company recently celebrated the grand opening of their new three-wall hard cyclorama studio in Miami. With this state-of-the-art addition, HD House continues to provide an unprecedented level of technical and personal support to ensure every client achieves the highest level of production value on each and every shoot. 

About U.S. Risk Insurance Group

U. S. Risk Insurance Group, Inc. is a specialty lines underwriting manager and wholesale broker headquartered in Dallas. Operating 12 domestic and international branches, it offers a broad range of products and services through its affiliate companies, which include U.S. Risk Underwriters, U.S. Risk Brokers, Lighthouse Underwriters, LLC, Professional Claims Managers, Omnisure Consulting Group, Oxford Insurance Brokers, Ltd. (London), Goss Reinsurance Brokers, LLC, and NovaPro Risk Solutions, LP.  Its entertainment division, Take1, has served as the official endorsed insurance provider for the last 15 years INFOCOMM, the leading association of A/V communications industry professionals.

 

Take1 Insurance Reintroduces Customized Coverage For Independent Filmmakers - At A Time When They Need It Most

At a time when major studio feature film production schedules are nearing capacity, Take1 Insurance, the entertainment industry insurance division of U.S. Risk, Inc., today reintroduced for independent feature film producers an insurance program that provides the same insurance protection provided to most major film studios.

Take1’s reintroduced Specialty Film Production Program has designed coverage for production companies. This coverage applies anywhere in the world. The program offers Cast Coverage; Props, Sets & Wardrobe coverage; Negative film and Faulty stock coverage; Third Party Property Damage and coverage for most animals used in filming. The program contemplates stunts, multi-location shoots and multiple days of principal photography.

“The film production industry is cyclical,” said Take1 Insurance Program Director Scott Carroll. “For long periods of time the studios are the only ones doing film production on any significant scale. Often, when their schedules become full, the only way an independent filmmaker can get their project off the ground is to produce it him or herself.

Carroll reminded the vast world of independent film producers that there are options for them to get their movies properly insured. Through a major entertainment insurance carrier, Take1 Insurance offers full feature film production insurance for budgets starting at $1 million. Through this program, the independent filmmaker can feel free to focus on their primary task at hand, which is to create memorable feature films that people want to buy and see.

“The bottom line is this,” Carroll emphasized. “Any independent feature film or content creator who thinks that they cannot afford to protect their product, on their own, the way the studios do when they buy a project, is just dead wrong. It is time that this misplaced perception disappear and we’re doing our best to make this community understand that. Already this year, Take1 has quoted policies for several independent feature film projects since December, each with an average production budget of $16 million, and there are many more in the pipeline. That’s up from one project quoted all of last year.”

One of the key strengths offered by Take1 Insurance, Carroll emphasized, is access to the same coverage for the independent filmmaker usually reserved only for the major studios. This affords a level of expertise in the unique world of production insurance, at an affordable price, for the independents. This insurance is offered nationwide, “So if you are a filmmaker in Walla Walla, Washington or Tallahassee, Florida, we are here for you.”

Sunfire® Debuts Its Smallest, Most Powerful Subwoofer

Sunfire®, a specialist in the design, manufacture and marketing of luxury home theater products for the worldwide custom specialist and retail markets, today debuted its Atmos™ subwoofer, the smallest, most powerful subwoofer in its class.

The Atmos features a custom designed 6.5” woofer paired with a unique new asymmetrical cardiod surround, allowing over 1.5” of excursion. Resembling the variable thickness of the human heart, the surround provides superior control of the 6.5” driver, reducing distortion and increasing fidelity and reliability. The Atmos outperforms many 10” and 12” models.

Quietly containing the monstrous, cool running 1400W amplifier using Sunfire’s exclusive Tracking Downconverter technology required space-age engineering, which is why Sunfire used FEA (Finite Element Analysis) to design the Atmos, including the aluminum cabinet and the drivers as well as redesigning the Tracking Downconverter amplifier. This patient attention to detail gave the Atmos unequalled fidelity and high output, all out of an impossibly small aluminum extruded cabinet.

“The Atmos sets a new bar for small, powerful, accurate subwoofers. It is relevant for today’s consumers who demand high performance and reliability out of a small cabinet,” said Sunfire General Manager Mark Weisenberg. “Our engineers started from scratch and developed a incredibly tough aluminum enclosure that accommodates the tremendous air pressure generated by the woofer.”

Sunfire knows that every room is different, which is why the Atmos features an auto-room equalizer circuit that automatically adjusts the sub’s response to best suit the room acoustics for maximum bass quality and performance.

Thanks to the Atmos’ newly designed foot, which was inspired by the tire industry, the subwoofer will remain in place even at mind-numbing volumes. And measuring just 8.5” x 8.9” x 10.1”, the Atmos fits anywhere. For those thrill-seekers requiring even more bass, two Atmos subwoofers can be paired with just one wire through its conveniently located master/slave connectors.

The Atmos will begin shipping in Q2 2011 on a limited availability basis.

Take 1 Raises The Bar For Insurance Protection With Automatic Global Coverage On All Inland Marine Policies

Strengthening its position as the entertainment and production industry’s leading insurance provider, Take 1, U.S. Risk Insurance Group’s entertainment division, today reaffirmed its commitment to provide worldwide coverage on all of its inland marine policies.

“Our clients’ equipment can and does go anywhere in the world, and, regardless of where it goes it is automatically covered,” explained Scott Carroll, Vice President & Program Director of the Take 1 Program. “We like to tell our customers that they can send their equipment up in the Space Shuttle and it will still be covered,” Carroll explained. “Other insurance companies can do this but may have to add a rider or endorsement to ‘extend’ the coverage territory or they choose to limit coverage to within the United States and Canada. Take 1 clients’ inland marine policies clearly state that ‘this policy applies anywhere in the world.’ It cannot be made any clearer than that,” Carroll stated. “Our clients don’t have to wonder if their equipment is protected when it leaves their location. It is automatically protected, all of the time.”

What’s more, according to Carroll, Take 1 has taken a number of other steps to ensure that its policies offer the most comprehensive protection without clauses, conditions or additional charges. Take 1’s inland marine coverage eliminates co-insurance, thus protecting 100 percent of the insured value of the equipment covered; provides automatic replacement cost valuation; allows for separate limits in key individual coverage areas like owned equipment, equipment rented from others, equipment in his insured’s Care Custody and Control (CCC), and equipment in transit; unlimited capacity, flood coverage for equipment in transit; and blanket limits that eliminate the need for clients’ to itemize each and every piece of equipment, cable, LED panel, etc. being covered.

“Our objective is to make insurance easy to afford and even easier to understand,” Carroll emphasized today. “We appreciate that our clients have better things to focus on and worry about. When they insure their equipment with Take 1, they can rest assured that we’ve taken every step to minimize and hopefully eliminate any surprises in the event of an emergency.”

According to Carroll, it is precisely the company’s complete and unwavering commitment to no-nonsense full coverage protection at a fair price that has made Take 1 the endorsed insurance provider of INFOCOMM for the last 15 years.

Since its founding in 1995 to meet the needs of film and television production companies, Take 1 has expanded significantly to meet the needs of audio-video and communications industry clients as well. The company’s experience includes underwriting film and television production companies, DICE (Documentary, Infomercial, Commercial, Educational) producers, touring entertainers, concert/playhouse venues, concert promoters, video game developers, and specialty rental operations focused on audio, visual, lighting, sound, grip, and production.

What’s more, Take 1’s comprehensive underwriting authority is so complete that it allows them to rate, quote, bind and issue every line of insurance coverage their customers need, from basic general liability to worker’s compensation, property, including inland marine, auto and umbrella protection, according to Carroll.