DP Kit Essentials

[Eric Gesualdo]

What are some often overlooked but essential items that y'all professional DPs keep in your kit you take to set? No item is too small! 

[Chris Stiles]

Clean, brand-new eyepiece chamois. Nothing like dumping buckets of eye-sweat into a fresh chamois during these humid Southeast US summers. 

[Chance Shirley]

A good hat. I like a cowboy hat for summer, but anything to keep the sun off your face and ears will work. And I like a knit cap/toboggan for cold days.

 

[Satsuki Murashige]

17 hours ago, Chance Shirley said:

A good hat. I like a cowboy hat for summer, but anything to keep the sun off your face and ears will work. And I like a knit cap/toboggan for cold days.

Along the same lines, comfortable supportive shoes if indoors, and a pair of sturdy work boots outdoors in the dirt/mud.

When working outside every day and driving home after, it’s really nice to have a fresh pair of socks and comfortable shoes to slip into before driving home.

Large re-usable water bottle is a must for me. Have to stay hydrated. 

Chapstick, if you get dry lips. Miserable if you need it and don’t have one. 

Sunglasses or transitions lenses outside, if you wear glasses. If you’re operating through a viewfinder, keep a set of non-transitions lensed glasses or wear contacts so you don’t have to deal with a dark eyepiece. Note that transitions lenses can yellow over time, so if you’re making critical color decisions on set, then use with caution.

A neck gaiter is a must-have in dusty conditions.

A warm thin-shelled technical jacket or vest that can pack small for normal weather conditions. No AC wants to deal with the DP’s big heavy jacket. If it’s easy to pack, it’ll be easy to keep nearby.

Someplace to keep your copy of the day’s shot list or sides. A Gold Fold Wallet can work.

If you’ll be operating on your knees quite a bit, some foam knee pads are good to have. Even if you have a good key grip by your side who always has a furny pad ready for you, not a bad thing to have in your kit.

If you’ll be sitting on an apple box all day shooting long interviews, get a foam cushion for your seat. 

[Phil Rhodes]

Food! Clif bars, or the local equivalent.

(We didn't used to get Clif bars here, but now we do, so I don't have to stagger back through the green channel with a bulging backpack - "nothing to declare!")

[Abdul Rahman Jamous]

Recently when I  feel sleepy while being on set, instead of drinking coffee I drink a very spicy juice. It keeps me alarmed and it doesn't prevent me from sleeping once I come home.

Edited July 15, 2020 by Abdul Rahman Jamous

[AJ Young]

On 7/14/2020 at 2:45 PM, Satsuki Murashige said:

A Gold Fold Wallet can work.

I love using my Gold Fold. It's fantastic.

Here's a few overlooked items I think a DP should have:

• Robo-Cup: https://www.therobocup.com/
• Strong Laser Pointer (obviously, be careful with it)
• Grey Card
• Compass

[Jordan Beard]

Not a physical item for your kit, but the Sun Seeker app is super helpful https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sun-seeker-tracker-compass/id330247123

[Reggie A Brown]

Often over-looked, I keep a small flash light, a multitool, a small led light panel, and some lens wipes (a blower or micro cloth would suffice).

[Robin R Probyn]

Cocaine and an E type Jag ..

[Phil Rhodes]

I cleaned out my set box the other day and while I would not consider this list particularly definitive, as it changes over time, it contains:

Staedtler Lumocolor permanent markers, black (equivalent to sharpie)
Yellow wax pencils
Conventional pencils
Dry-erase markers and eraser
Ball point pens, various colours
A5 notepad
Adhesive tape, including double-sized, foam, electrical insulation, duct, camera, etc. (retained on a looped NAB ID badge neck lanyard.)
Velcro cable-retaining ties
Charts including Macbeth, DSC labs camalign, grey card, Siemens star, zone plate.
Riggers' gloves
Earplugs
Disposable latex gloves
Paracetamol
Sekonic L398 light meter
UPRTek CV600 colour meter
Replacement electrical fuses, various
Spare 18650, AA, AAA, PP3 and CR2032 batteries
Laser pointer
One small magic arm
Metal and plastic clips for retaining lighting filters
One wooden wedge (keep doors open, stop dolly rolling, etc)
Stanley knife (er, boxcutter)
Canned air
LCD or OLED display cleaning kit
A small mirror
Measuring tapes, semi-rigid and flexible
One white chocolate chip and macadamia nut clif bar
One chocolate chip clif bar, half-eaten, provenance dubious.
Needle-nosed pliers
Wire cutters
Adjustable spanner (er, wrench)
Terminal screwdriver
Spare 72mm pinch cap.
Flashlight

[Robin R Probyn]

3 hours ago, Phil Rhodes said:

I cleaned out my set box the other day and while I would not consider this list particularly definitive, as it changes over time, it contains:

Staedtler Lumocolor permanent markers, black (equivalent to sharpie)
Yellow wax pencils
Conventional pencils
Dry-erase markers and eraser
Ball point pens, various colours
A5 notepad
Adhesive tape, including double-sized, foam, electrical insulation, duct, camera, etc. (retained on a looped NAB ID badge neck lanyard.)
Velcro cable-retaining ties
Charts including Macbeth, DSC labs camalign, grey card, Siemens star, zone plate.
Riggers' gloves
Earplugs
Disposable latex gloves
Paracetamol
Sekonic L398 light meter
UPRTek CV600 colour meter
Replacement electrical fuses, various
Spare 18650, AA, AAA, PP3 and CR2032 batteries
Laser pointer
One small magic arm
Metal and plastic clips for retaining lighting filters
One wooden wedge (keep doors open, stop dolly rolling, etc)
Stanley knife (er, boxcutter)
Canned air
LCD or OLED display cleaning kit
A small mirror
Measuring tapes, semi-rigid and flexible
One white chocolate chip and macadamia nut clif bar
One chocolate chip clif bar, half-eaten, provenance dubious.
Needle-nosed pliers
Wire cutters
Adjustable spanner (er, wrench)
Terminal screwdriver
Spare 72mm pinch cap.
Flashlight

I hope the old bill never stops you on the way home late at night with this box sir..  mention my name if bail is refused .. 

Edited July 20, 2020 by Robin R Probyn
spelling

[Phil Rhodes]

1 hour ago, Robin R Probyn said:

I hope the old bill never stops you on the way home late at night with this box sir..  mention my name if bail is refused .. 

The grim reality is that the plod don't even need that much of an excuse in the UK anymore (click for my unfiltered opinion). When was the last time you took a camera out on the streets of London?

P

[Robin R Probyn]

Good point .. yes it was probably about 10 years ago for London.. in the UK about 5 years .. the mean streets of Cambridge .. but I did live in Hackney in the 80,s for many years.. so yes, Im not a huge fan of the Peelers 

[Sune Bang Ingemann]

Surprised no one mentioned 'Blue Ring Gaffer's Glass' for keeping an eye on the sun when shooting outside.

[Karim D. Ghantous]

On 7/16/2020 at 9:38 AM, Abdul Rahman Jamous said:

Recently when I  feel sleepy while being on set, instead of drinking coffee I drink a very spicy juice. It keeps me alarmed and it doesn't prevent me from sleeping once I come home.

This sounds interesting. What's the brand?

On 7/17/2020 at 12:04 AM, AJ Young said:

I love using my Gold Fold. It's fantastic.

Here's a few overlooked items I think a DP should have:

• Robo-Cup: https://www.therobocup.com/
• Strong Laser Pointer (obviously, be careful with it)
• Grey Card
• Compass

Just curious: do you consider a white balance card as useful as a grey card? Would you say they're different enough to warrant having both?

On 7/20/2020 at 5:18 PM, Phil Rhodes said:

I cleaned out my set box the other day and while I would not consider this list particularly definitive, as it changes over time, it contains:

Staedtler Lumocolor permanent markers, black (equivalent to sharpie)
Yellow wax pencils
Conventional pencils
Dry-erase markers and eraser
Ball point pens, various colours
A5 notepad
Adhesive tape, including double-sized, foam, electrical insulation, duct, camera, etc. (retained on a looped NAB ID badge neck lanyard.)
Velcro cable-retaining ties
Charts including Macbeth, DSC labs camalign, grey card, Siemens star, zone plate.
Riggers' gloves
Earplugs
Disposable latex gloves
Paracetamol
Sekonic L398 light meter
UPRTek CV600 colour meter
Replacement electrical fuses, various
Spare 18650, AA, AAA, PP3 and CR2032 batteries
Laser pointer
One small magic arm
Metal and plastic clips for retaining lighting filters
One wooden wedge (keep doors open, stop dolly rolling, etc)
Stanley knife (er, boxcutter)
Canned air
LCD or OLED display cleaning kit
A small mirror
Measuring tapes, semi-rigid and flexible
One white chocolate chip and macadamia nut clif bar
One chocolate chip clif bar, half-eaten, provenance dubious.
Needle-nosed pliers
Wire cutters
Adjustable spanner (er, wrench)
Terminal screwdriver
Spare 72mm pinch cap.
Flashlight

Not sure how much of that I can fit in a man bag.

?  

[AJ Young]

11 hours ago, Karim D. Ghantous said:

Just curious: do you consider a white balance card as useful as a grey card? Would you say they're different enough to warrant having both?

I'd say it's justified to have both, but a color chart (like the datacolor SpyderCheckr) is better for correcting any white balance issues in post.

Honestly, a white balance card could just be a white piece of paper. Not that one is better than the other, I prefer to use a grey card for white balance because it's a neutral color at proper exposure rather than the top end of the exposure (white). If RGB values are correct at proper exposure, then I believe it's a more accurate white balance. BUT, we're splitting hairs. A white piece of paper for white balance is just as good as a grey card...and it's cheaper haha

Of course, in the narrative world, I seldom use auto-white balance on the camera. ?

[Karim D. Ghantous]

On 8/4/2020 at 2:53 AM, AJ Young said:

I'd say it's justified to have both, but a color chart (like the datacolor SpyderCheckr) is better for correcting any white balance issues in post.

Honestly, a white balance card could just be a white piece of paper.

Okay, the chart makes a lot of sense, as you are neutralising primaries and secondaries very specifically (I assume that a WB card can't do all that?). And of course charts let you set black and white points.

But I'm not sure if a piece of paper is wise as paper stocks usually have some kind of cast to them, although I've only tested this with light going through them, not light bouncing off them.

[Karim D. Ghantous]

I was wondering, what about a zoom compact like a recent model Sony RX100? This would be as a replacement for a director's viewfinder, as well as useful for location scouting and planning focal lengths. You could even use it as a light meter. The 8x zoom includes pretty much every focal length you're going to use.

[AJ Young]

1 hour ago, Karim D. Ghantous said:

Okay, the chart makes a lot of sense, as you are neutralising primaries and secondaries very specifically (I assume that a WB card can't do all that?). And of course charts let you set black and white points.

But I'm not sure if a piece of paper is wise as paper stocks usually have some kind of cast to them, although I've only tested this with light going through them, not light bouncing off them.

It's personal preference, but we both agree that a color chart is the more exact way. ?

[Robin R Probyn]

2 hours ago, Karim D. Ghantous said:

Okay, the chart makes a lot of sense, as you are neutralising primaries and secondaries very specifically (I assume that a WB card can't do all that?). And of course charts let you set black and white points.

But I'm not sure if a piece of paper is wise as paper stocks usually have some kind of cast to them, although I've only tested this with light going through them, not light bouncing off them.

I wouldn't be doing WBs for every shot either ..  better to stick with presets most of the time .. 

[Satsuki Murashige]

17 hours ago, Karim D. Ghantous said:

Okay, the chart makes a lot of sense, as you are neutralising primaries and secondaries very specifically (I assume that a WB card can't do all that?). And of course charts let you set black and white points.

The color chart is basically a visual reference for any matching issues that may arise. With all the color patches, it’s relatively easy to see when there might be a problem with a light source or a particular lens. For example, you might have a switched from a tungsten key to an LED on set, and suddenly the actress’s purple top looks blue. The color chart would help you track down the source of the color shift, otherwise someone in post might blame the costume department for switching out her top when in fact it was the lighting causing the problem.