News
Why 1st ACs Swear By These 3 Organization Rules (And You Should Too)
We were shooting on a cliff overlooking the Pacific. Beautiful location. Terrible working conditions. Wind gusting at 30mph, sand everywhere, and a camera package worth half a million dollars spread across weathered wooden apple boxes.
How Disorganized Production Assistants Cost Shows Thousands in Overtime
The production assistant responsible for charging walkie batteries—let's call him Jake—hadn't charged them overnight. He'd meant to. He'd planned to. But he'd gotten distracted with other tasks, and by the time he remembered, it was 11 PM and he was exhausted.
The Wardrobe Department's Secret to Never Losing a Button (Or Anything Else) On Set
It was day 47 of a 60-day shoot. We were filming the climactic scene of a period drama—a ballroom sequence with 200 extras, full orchestra, and our lead actress in a custom-made gown that cost more than my first car.
Why Steadicam Ops Need Ultra-Compact Organization (And Can't Use Regular Bags)
I'll never forget the day I almost lost the best job of my career because I couldn't find a lens filter.
Why Owner-Operators Need Different Gear Organization Than Rental Houses
Rental houses organize for storage and transport. They need gear to survive shipping, sit on shelves, and get checked in and out by multiple people. Their organizational priority is protection and inventory control.
The Hidden Cost of Disorganized Grip and Electric Departments
Instead, it took 12 minutes of three people digging through gel rolls, opening random pouches, and checking multiple road cases. The entire crew stood around waiting. The director got impatient. The producer started calculating overtime costs.
How Film Students Can Organize Like Professionals on a Budget
I learned this the hard way during my first paid gig after graduation. I showed up with my kit in a backpack and a couple of random pouches from Amazon. The producer took one look at my setup and asked, "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
Why Sound Mixers Lose More Gear Than Any Other Department
It's not because sound mixers are careless. It's because the sound department deals with more small, critical items than anyone else on set—and most of those items look identical.
The $50,000 Mistake That Changed How I Organize Camera Gear
The production had to shut down for four hours while we scrambled to get replacement gear. Four hours of crew standing around. Four hours of location fees burning. Four hours of a very expensive director checking his watch.
