On this page
How to use it
- Change the items and quantities to your kit, and add rows for anything missing.
- Write the ID or serial of every item, especially rentals.
- Download the CSV or print the list the day before the shoot.
- Tick Packed at load out and Back in at wrap, before anyone leaves.
Why two ticks
Packing is half the job. The tick that saves money is Back in: a lens left on a dock or a rented battery packed in the wrong case costs more than the shoot's lunch. Check everything back in against this list at wrap, before anyone drives away, and again when rentals go back.
| Moment | Who | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| The day before | Camera assistant or shooter | Batteries charged, cards formatted, sensor clean |
| Load out | Everyone | Every row ticked Packed |
| Wrap | Camera assistant | Every row ticked Back in, cards in the media case |
| Return day | Producer | Rented rows returned, with the rental house's receipt |
Rentals and insurance
Write the serial number of everything rented on the list. If a lens is lost or damaged, your insurer and the rental house will ask for it. Many rental houses also ask for a certificate of insurance before they release gear, so request it from your insurer a few days ahead.
How much media to bring
Bring enough cards for the whole day without wiping one, plus a spare. A 10-hour shoot with about 2 hours of recorded footage in ProRes 422 HQ at UHD 24p is roughly 640 GB, and the video storage calculator works it out for your codec and camera count. Then bring shuttle drives for two copies of everything before the cards are reused.
How Cutvey does this
In Cutvey gear is its own module: items, kits and places, labels with QR codes you scan with a keyboard scanner, the Cutvey app or, in browsers that support it, the camera, and check-outs as bookings with clash flags and due reminders. A project's gear list says what goes to the shoot, and a check-in scan at wrap shows what has not come back. Studios on Pro and up can rent gear out with quotes and a signed agreement. Run the business shows the gear room.
Frequently asked
Should I list consumables?
Yes, the ones that stop a shoot: gaffer tape, batteries for lavs, diffusion and a spare card. Leave out the ones that do not.
How do I keep the list short?
Use kits. "Lav kit A" on one row stands for the transmitter, receiver, mic, clip and cable, as long as the kit's case has its own list inside the lid.
Goes with this stage of a job: Plan the shoot. More free paperwork on the templates page, and free tools that work in your browser.