Terminus & Cinder: What’s Changing
What is going to happen to Terminus?
The equipment rentals have officially been moved to Cinder’s warehouse where our pre-existing support system and larger logistics network can better support photo rentals.
295 Margaret St SE Unit 1
Atlanta, GA 30315
With the operation moving out of the Allene Ave location, The Terminus Studio will close on May 15th.
Will Jamaal still be involved?
Of course!
Jamaal McKnight will continue leading the photo department at Cinder. With more than 10 years of experience working first for Morel Studio Support and then Terminus Production Support, he’ll still be focused on making sure photo rentals are done right in Atlanta.
Can I still call and email the same way I always have?
Yes!
You can still call the same phone number and email the same address you are used to.
Phone: (404) 664-6948
Email: orders@terminusatl.com
What’s happening?
In short: Terminus Production Support is now under new ownership and has fully merged with Cinder Lighting & Grip.
Terminus’ full photography inventory is now available alongside Cinder's extensive catalog of motion lighting & grip equipment. We have also merged Terminus’ smaller production selection into our larger production supplies inventory.
This will not only allow customers to continue their specialized photography rentals with Terminus, but also give customers renting photo gear access to even more resources, a larger team and a stronger operational system.
Who is Cinder?
We are a community-based rental house in South Atlanta dedicated to helping everyone from large corporate clientele producing multimillion-dollar projects to low-budget indie creators who have a story to share. Cinder started off as just two student filmmakers with a vision that rental houses should be accurate, responsive, and easy to work with. The business evolved organically over 10 years from a two-car garage full of gear into the 20,000 square-foot operation that is Cinder today. We may have grown, but our values stayed the same. We believe in strong customer service throughout the entire process while providing well-maintained gear to each and every person we work with.
What is changing about business hours?
For photography rentals we are now separating office hours from warehousing / delivery hours.
Office Hours
Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
This is the best time to reach Jamaal and the rental agents to build orders, make changes, ask questions, and get things lined up.
Warehousing / Delivery Hours
Monday – Friday, 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Weekend pickups / drop-offs by appointment only
While all the planning should happen during office hours, the actual execution can still happen earlier, later, or over the weekend when needed.
What if I need help after hours?
There is now a 24/7 after-hours / emergency line.
If you have an emergency, like needing more gear or troubleshooting/replacing something that’s broken, someone can be reached at any time. Calling the main phone number and following the prompts will connect you with whomever is the after-hours contact for that day.
If you are placing a new order or making additions through the emergency line, additional charges may apply. If the issue is with our gear on an active rental, emergency support is provided at no additional cost.
What’s changing on pricing?
Specialized photo gear pricing is remaining the same.
Some other categories are actually getting cheaper. Prices on most expendables are going down because Cinder can buy in larger volume than Terminus has in the past. Most grip gear will also see a price drop now that the combined inventory gives us more availability to work with.
Are Schmidli backdrops still available?
Yes. Schmidli backdrops are still part of the offering, same as usual.
What gets better as a result of this change?
To start, Cinder has more trucks and employees available in every department. This means we can take on more deliveries and pickups with faster turnarounds on both preps and wraps. Gear needs can be sorted out easier and faster with more hands and minds available to problem solve and prep orders, even if your usual point of contact is not available.
Since Cinder is a larger company with more capital, we can not only accelerate investment into new gear, but also devote more resources to keeping the older inventory maintained properly.
Cinder brings a high-tech process to the operation. Cinder is known for being reliable, flexible, and accurate. A lot of that stems from a system that reduces common mistakes and requires each order to be double checked before it ever leaves the building, assuring clients that what they ordered is what they receive.
Are there changes to Terminus’s delivery policy?
Yes, but free delivery is still possible. Photography gear orders totaling over $1,000 qualify for free curbside delivery and pickup within the perimeter, as long as it happens during normal warehousing hours.
Additional charges would apply for longer distances, off-hours service, or jobs that require more time from our driver than a standard curbside drop-off or pickup. When building your order, feel free to share details about your logistics needs and we’ll get that priced out.
We’re Excited for What’s Next
Our goal with this transition is to maintain a dedicated photo department led by someone who knows the gear and customers, while making the operation stronger behind the scenes.
At Cinder, we’re excited to meet more of Atlanta’s photo community, support the people already trusting Terminus with their rentals, and keep building a photo department that is responsive, well-stocked, and easy to work with.
