Baylor University - connect2

Open hours

Contact us

Room 108
Castellaw Communications
1212 S. 3rd St., Waco, TX 76706

Lauren A Woodruff
Equipment Manager

Jessica Bean
Studio Facilities Support and Production Technician

Bobby Frillou
Electronics/Technology Support Technician

Dan Beard
Production Supervisor

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Announcements

10.16.25 - Reminder: No check outs are allowed over Thanksgiving Break. 

10.15.25 - Training requirements for certain resources are changing. Resources with *T* in the name now require training. Check out the training options and start requesting those through this system. If you don't have access to book something that you used to, go ahead and put in the rest of your booking request and then email lauren_woodruff@baylor.edu and we will work it out. 

10.7.25 - FALL BREAK - Only 4000 Level Courses and Up can check out over Fall Break. All other requests will be cancelled. Be safe, have fun! 

10.3.25 - Seminar: Lighting Patterns, Fri Oct 17th 2:30PM, In the Castellaw Studio (room 114) Hosted by Stephen Green M.Ed. & FDM MFA Candidate

9.15.25 - Several Announcements:

• Batteries are no longer stored in any equipment. Don't forget to check out batteries if the equipment you're requesting needs them. Additionally, you are expected to remove any and all batteries from equipment before check in. 
• XLRs are now available by specific length!
• Stingers are now available by Gauge and Length! 
• Tarps, Coolers, Folding Tables and one large fan are now available for rental. Find them in the Production section. 
• Arri light kits now come with 2 pair of gloves in each kit. 
• Camera Test Charts now come in a kit. Separately the chart stands also come in a kit now. Find them both in the Camera section. 
• In an effort to go through fewer disposable batteries as a department, Zoom F4s and F8s no longer come with the AA battery sled. Each recorder comes with one Talent Cell battery pack. You can request additional Talent Cells (this could be limited by availability). You can make a case to use disposable batteries in addition to Talent Cells, but the reason will need to be compelling. 

7.2.25 - Policies & Penalty Fees have been updated. Please review these in the policy section below. 

Help

For first-time Connect2 users, please follow these steps to create your account:

1) Log in to Connect2 using 'Student Account' and your Bear ID and password. This creates your Connect2 account.

2) Email lauren_woodruff@baylor.edu with the production course(s) you are currently enrolled in. This allows class-specific equipment permissions to be made available to you.

Roles and permissions may take as much as 4 calendar days to be assigned. Please complete this registration process well in advance of any necessary bookings.

For any additional questions about Connect2, please email Jessica Bean (J_Bean@baylor.edu).

Policies

FDM equipment rental is complimentary to students enrolled in a production course, and limited to course specific equipment or equipment the individual has obtained specific training on and is only to be used for FDM class assignments. Rental requires an approved pre-production packet for every project which must be included on each booking request. The Moody Library HelpDesk and ELC have equipment available for more broad use by the Baylor community. 

EQUIPMENT RENTAL POLICIES:

Storage/Transportation/Financial Responsibility

• The responsibility of equipment safety falls to the renting student from the time of pick up, until the resources are back in the possession of FDM staff.
• All rented equipment must be responsibly stored and transported to avoid damage, lost and theft.
• Students may NEVER leave rented equipment unattended anywhere that others can access including on campus. Yes, you can store equipment in your own dorm room/apartment or a locked locker, so long as you are the only person with access to that space. You may not leave or store rented equipment in the Studio, Scene Shop, Castellaw labs, Castellaw common spaces, offices, or in/outside the equipment room.
• Students assume financial responsibility for replacement and/or repair of equipment returned in worse condition than when it was checked out to them.
• If you become aware of an issue with FDM equipment, it must be disclosed to FDM staff upon check in or sooner. This includes problems with unknown causes, damage, improper storage, missing items, etc.
• You are responsible for ensuring that your booking in Connect2 has a complete list of all equipment you’ll need. In some cases, FDM equipment is available for rental as a kit and in some cases, it is available individually. Please read resource descriptions and work with FDM staff to ensure that you book everything your project will need.

Glass/Batteries/Kit Integrity

• Lenses and Camera Sensors (or other equivalents) are the lifeblood of the visual aspect of filmmaking. As such, lens caps, back covers and camera sensor covers are to ALWAYS be in place during transport, storage, precarious situations and any other times that the device isn't actively in use.
• Batteries are fire hazards and/or corrosive – when they aren’t stored properly they can create expensive problems. Batteries are to ALWAYS be stored unconnected to equipment/devices. Remove all batteries during transport, storage and for check in.
• Kits are carefully curated/built/organized, and it is important that all equipment returns in the configuration/condition/storage that it is checked out in. 

Logistics/Communication

• Rentals must be picked up and checked in by the student whose name the booking is in. They can certainly have help from others, but that individual must be present.
• Pick up time for a specific rental is selected during the booking process. You are encouraged to arrive 5-10min before your scheduled check out time. The equipment room staff will strive to complete your check out and have you on your way within 45min of your scheduled check out time but your classmates are likely to be checking out around the time you are, so patience and understand are appreciated. Due to limited staff, space and time it is possible that check out could take an hour or more. Please plan accordingly and you can always inquire about the check in/out volume expected by FDM staff - we should have a general idea by 2-3 days prior to your scheduled rental. It is possible that FDM staff will work with you directly on an alternative time for your pick up during times of high rental volumes. Please keep an eye on your Baylor email. Over communication is always preferred to the alternative.
• Check in is expected 24 hours after check out and the specific time that works for you can be selected as part of your booking request. In most cases, check in is welcome anytime during the appropriate check in time window. There is a morning window and an afternoon window each day. For example, if check out occurred on a Thursday at 2PM, Connect2 will allow check in as late as 2PM the following day, Friday. The afternoon window of check in/out that Friday (1:00pm-4:30pm) would be the appropriate window to return those resources. It is possible that FDM staff will work with you directly on a more specific time for your check in during instances of high booking volumes. Please keep an eye on your Baylor email.
• CHECK OUT and CHECK IN are first come first serve. We make every effort to be reasonable, helpful and fair but FDM staff reserve the right to make exceptions as needed and patience is appreciated.
• Last second changes to rentals are not guaranteed to be filled and in most cases won’t be. Please make sure that your equipment list in Connect2 is complete at least 24hr prior to pick up.
• Studio spaces are kept deadbolted unless a booking has been made and approved at least 48hrs in advance.

Other

• Rental requires an approved pre-production packet for every project to be included on each booking.
• Resources are rented as a whole. You must take and keep track of the entire kit, it’s storage container and all the pieces. We don’t have anywhere to store incomplete resources. Most items in Connect2 should have details listed about what they include but if you have questions/concerns please contact equipment room staff.
• There are a number of resources categorized as specialty (dollies, sliders, focus pullers, easyrigs, gimbals, upper leave cameras and more) which require training before they can be rented. Please refer to the current training information and policies for details.
• Prop weapon rental requires additional steps and a separate form. See staff for details. 

There are penalty fees if policies aren't followed appropriately, if resources are damaged or lost and if equipment is turned in late. Please review the following specifics: 

Late Fees:

Up to 1 Hour Late: $25
More than 1 Hour Late on Same Calendar Day: $35
One Calendar Day Late: $55
Each Additional Day Late: $45

Other Penalty Fees:

Battery Non-Removal Fee: $25 after two warnings
Lens/Camera Improper Storage Fee: $50 after one warning 
Cleaning/Rebuild Fee: $5-$100
Repair/Replacement Fee: Current Market Value for Repair or Replacement 
Repair/Replacement Non-Disclosure Multiplier: Up to 2X Repair/Replacement Cost

Pro Tip: Take a photo during check out to help you remember and to plead your case if something came into your possession in bad condition.

FDM reserves the right to increase fees for habitual infractions and/or revoke check out privileges for habitual infractions at staff discretion.