![]() Pliers are used in many different applications and not always in the way they were intended. ![]() The reason many of the same tools we use to repair toilets get used to repair cameras is their practicality. Not every tool used in home repair proves useful in filmmaking, but the most basic ones end up coming in handy. ![]() Chances are you already have a significant portion of a toolkit built up lying around in your garage or closet. Tools are tools and a lot of the same instruments you use to fix a desk are used to fix a camera. Part of the reason for that is because, like I said above, you’ll be able to piggy back on some of the first AC’s tools to supplement your own. If, however, you think you’ll be working as a 2nd AC or lower within the camera department, you can build your kit more slowly. So if you plan to build a kit for potential 1st AC jobs, make sure it is at least 90% complete with the essentials. And the last thing you want is to desperately need a certain tool to fix the camera when you’re under pressure from production. Oftentimes when you get hired on one-day jobs or small commercials, you will be the only AC. On my very first gig as a 2nd AC, I used all of the first AC’s tools and was lucky he had such a complete kit.īut there’s another reason you’re expected to have a full kit as well. They won’t know what to bring to set let alone what they find useful and essential to buy. You will run into this problem quite a bit when training new 2nd ACs who have little to no experience. There is one caveat, however, to building out a 1st AC toolkit: you’re pretty much expected to have everything - even for the 2nd AC. This might mean you buy a solid tape measure before you ever invest in a slate. If, for instance, your first job happens to be as a 1st assistant camera (AC) on a small student film, then you will prioritize 1st AC tools before you need 2nd AC tools. 2nd Assistant Camera Kitĭepending on which position in the camera department you plan to take, you’ll build out your kit differently. If a film gig comes up, you can always purchase the tools necessary when it does, but your toolkit should be built around a certain assumption of what you’ll be doing to begin with. There is no right answer and the answer you do come up with will largely depend on the job market you’re entering or within. Remember, this isn’t going to lock you in, you’re just trying to save money. So, before you make a windfall purchase on FilmTools that includes HDMI adapters for shooting on DSLR or RED, ask yourself it that is the kind of work you will be expecting. On the flipside, many of the basic tools I have work in both types of gigs. Many of the tools I had acquired to work with the RED don’t have functions while shooting with a DSLR. Nowadays I have been working a lot on commercials that use DSLR’s. As such, my initial toolbag purchase was catered towards that kind of work. digital is an easy delineation for me to make, it goes even deeper with the types of digital or film cameras and even types of work like commercial or features.įor me, I started out working heavily with the RED One on feature films. Do you plan to mostly work on commercials with HD cameras? Do you plan to help local art students shoot on 16mm film? Or are you absolutely crazy about shooting with the RED camera? It is important when first building a kit to cater to a general base of tools, but it is also important to question what kind of productions you will be working on. No matter how it is sliced, these two styles of shooting demand different styles of maintenance. ![]() One has a gate to check, one has a sensor to clean. One has many moving parts on the inside, the other remains mostly static. In the most basic sense, this comes down to digital versus film cameras. Just as a carpenter would use different saws for different types of wood, different cameras require different tools to maintain them. So after dozens of emails and questions about it, I’m going to show you what I have in my toolkit today and also give you advice on what I think you should have in yours. You know that part of your success in the industry depends on obtaining the right tools to do the job and you aren’t sure where to even begin.Īnd that’s why these questions get asked a lot.īut here’s the rub: every camera assistant will have different tools depending on how they work. That’s why it’s important to peak into what other camera assistants have to offer. If you are just starting out within the camera department, these are crucial questions. “What should I have in my kit?” “What are the essential tools?” “Do I need to bring gear to set?”
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