Very cool. I've heard horror stories of loaning out retro gear to film and TV productions - when they don't take proper steps to protect it's condition. Have you have any bad experiences yet where something has returned damaged?
That's awesome! I watched some of that show. How does it work supplying vintage computers to a tv show? Do you ship them and provide loaded software depending on the use case?
Generally, a production's prop worker contacts us and discusses their needs. What they need, when they need it, whether it needs to operate, where the production is being filmed, and what is their budget. Then we get back to them with a detailed proposal. That includes the price, terms, items included, and transportation details. We always require that they provide proof of their insurance. We also require them to sign a rental contract and a separate materials handling contract (what they can/can't do with an artifact). One of the rules is that if anything needs to be turned on, then a representative from our group MUST be present. Under no circumstances do we allow a film crew to turn on anything without our supervision. We've never had a horror story because everything is done very professionally. Contracts, signatures, insurance, clear rules, etc. We don't accept every request that comes our way. We turn down anything that's too small-time (budget) and anything with unreasonable requests (if they want to rent something like a Straight-8, or if they have unreasonable timelines, etc.). There's a page on vcfed.org about it: http://vcfed.org/wp/services/props/.