Gear management question for a documentary

[drew_town]

I'll be shooting a series of documentaries this month. I'd like to get some suggestions as to how to manage the equipment. I'll be shooting with a PD170. I have to have tapes, batteries, wide-angle lens, wireless lav, and a wireless shotgun mic with pistol grip with me at all times and ready to use. A lot of the shoots will be in a really narrow mobile health care unit. Space will be really cramped. I'd like to find something that I could wear or some camera accessory where I could store all or some of that equipment. I'd need to be able to work freely with the gear too. I'd like to fit the two wireless receivers on the camera if I could without making it cumbersome. They're big units and have roughly 10 inch antennas. There can't be any wired mics. It'll be too hectic for cord management. Anyone have any suggestions on how to manage and work with this stuff? The doc is one of those that you don't stop rolling all day so trips to the production van are out. I won't have a grip. There'll be only one other production person and he'll be outfitted the same way. Thanks.

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

I suggest you go to the nearest outdoor-pursuits type place and peruse their selection of field clothing, whcih tends include multipocketed vests and, with any luck, one of those customisable waist-pack systems where you can hang a variety of things off a belt. Photography stores may also be able to help, but both can be expensive. Most film equipment companies seem to have a line of this kind of stuff named after them - a black beltpack with "PANAVISION" written on it seems to be de rigeur - but they're probably almost as expensive as Porta-Brace, who are of course the kings of this field. I don't know where you are, but you should be able to pick any of this stuff up over the counter in most major cities.

 

Ten inches sounds very long for a radio mic antenna. I suspect you'd risk damage, carrying them about on a small camera. Is there an alternate rubber-duck style antenna you could use? They don't work quite so well, but if you're just inside a vehicle it should be more than adequate.

 

Phil

[Mark Sasahara]

Porta Brace make several things. Lightware make a really great belt and pouch system that I use and I've turned a few AC friends onto it, it's called the Grip Strip. Lowe Pro, Domke, Filmtools, Lindcraft, ACG... Pretty much all of the different mfr's pouches fit on all of the different mfr's belts.

 

The red webbing on Lightware belts has a snap lock buckle on it so you can quickly add, or remove pouches. Handy if the pouches don't have velcro loops. The belt is also a decent back support for lifting. Check out Lightware's other stuff too, they're good. I don't work for them, but I really like their gear.

 

Also Eagle Creek makes belt pouches, available at EMS. Try EMS, Campmor and other outdoor places.

 

Lightware

http://www.lightwareinc.com/site/index.cfm

 

Grip strip. Click on the items on the left to see the pic.

http://www.lightwareinc.com/site/index.cfm..._Name=GripStrip

 

Filmtools

http://www.filmtools.com/

 

Lindcraft

http://www.lindcraft.com/

 

Setwear

http://www.setwear.com/

 

Domke

http://www.tiffen.com/domkecat09.htm

 

Lowe Pro belts & harnesses

http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Belts_and_Harnesses/belt/

 

Lowe belt pouches also fit on the Lightware belts and most others, too.

http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Accessories/sliplock_cases/

 

I also love my ACG Assis Belt Pouch. It holds a lot of stuff and I wear it, or clip it to the tripod.

http://www.sourceshop.com/acg.html