Every assistant camera person needs the right tools. David E. Elkins, SOC lists the must-have tools and accessories for a camera assistant’s ditty bag.
There are many jobs that require specialized tools and equipment, and the job of an assistant cameraman is no different. Without the basic tools you will not be able to perform your job properly and as a result may not get hired for future jobs. Many of the tools used are basic everyday hand tools such as screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, scissors, tape measures, etc. But there are quite a few specialized items that are unique to the film industry, and if you are an assistant cameraperson, you are expected to have these as part of your tool kit or as we often call it, our ditty bag.
You should start out with some type of tool bag or case so that you can keep everything neat and organized and so that it can be transported easily if traveling to jobs. You can pick up some very nice tool bags or tool cases at your local home center, or you may purchase a bag or case from a company specializing in tools, equipment and accessories for the film industry. Many of these tool bags contain different size compartments for the storage of your tools and equipment. As you work more, and gain more experience, you will eventually have more than one bag or case to keep your tools protected. Some assistants prefer soft-side cases and some prefer hard side cases. The choice is yours, and there is no right or wrong, simply what works best for your situation.
Once you have your bag or case, you should start outfitting it with the items you feel you will use most often. As you continue to work you will discover other tools and items that may be useful, and you will add them as necessary. The important thing is to have the basics to do the job so that you will be hired back for that next job and referred to as someone who is a professional and comes prepared to work. Having the right tools and equipment to do the job, along with the right attitude, will take you a long way in your career.
One of the most important items that most assistants own is a rolling cart or dolly in order to move camera equipment around on the set. Once you start working you will discover that even the most basic camera package consists of many cases. There are cases for the camera body, lenses, magazines, filters, accessories, and more. Having a rolling dolly or cart will make it easier to move things around from shot to shot.
The following list contains a basic set of tools and accessories, and it is by no means complete. Your situation will dictate what tools or equipment you should have to do the job.
- Ditty Bag or Tool Case
- Screwdrivers (Slotted and Phillips)
- Jewelers Screwdrivers
- Adjustable Wrench
- Pliers (Regular and Needle nose)
- Allen
wrenches (American and Metric)
- Razor Knife
- Scissors
- Tape Measures (Cloth and Metal)
- Extension Cord, Electrical Adapters and Electrical Cube Taps
- Flashlight
- Lighted Magnifier
The following are some specialized items that are unique to the film industry and especially to the camera assistant.
- Slates (Sync and Insert)
- Changing Bag or Tent
- Color Chart and Gray Scale
- Depth of Field Calculator
- Space Blanket
- French Flag with Arm
- Small Grip Clamps
In addition to the basic tools, you should also have some of the basic expendable items in your bag so that you can properly do the job. Many of these items are unique to the film industry but there are some very basic items as well.
- 1-Inch Wide Cloth Camera Tape (Red, Yellow, Black, White)
- 2-Inch Wide Cloth Gaffer Tape (Gray, Black)
- ½-Inch or 1-Inch Wide Paper Tape
(Red, Green, Blue, Orange, Yellow)
- Lens Tissue
- Lens Cleaner
- Orangewood Sticks: to clean emulsion buildup from the gate
- Permanent Felt Tip Markers (Red, Black, Blue)
- Ballpoint Pens
- Dry Erase Markers (Red, Black, Blue)
- Camera Wedges
- Compressed Air with Nozzle
- Cotton Swabs or Foam-Tip Swabs (Q- Tips)
- Batteries (AAA, AA, C, D, 9-volt)
- Trash Bags
And finally, be sure to have the basic supplies needed for loading and unloading film, labeling film cans and keeping an accurate inventory of film. This includes the following:
- Spare Cores and Daylight Spools
- Extra Boxes, Film Cans and Black Bags (100’, 400′ & 1000′)
- Camera Reports and Inventory Forms
The above is only a very small and basic listing of the items you should have to start working. I have many specialized items that I have only used once or twice but many of those items were worth it because without them we may not have been able to get certain shots without a great deal of time and money spent. You never know when you may have exactly the right item that enables the production to do a shot that it otherwise would not have been able to do.
As you gain more experience as an assistant, you will find other tools and accessories that you will keep in the ditty bag or AKS case. An AKS case is any case that contains a wide variety of tools, equipment, and supplies. Its literal translation is All Kinds of Stuff. David E. Elkins, SOC is a Camera Operator and First Assistant Cameraman with over 20 years experience, and more than 125 production credits on feature films, television series, commercials, music videos, and educational films. His credits include the television series, The Wonder Years; Star Trek, The Next Generation; Gabriel’s Fire; Dream On; and Tales from the Darkside. He is the author of “The Camera Assistant’s Manual” and “Camera Terms and Concepts.”
Keep learning filmmaking
Want more lessons like this? Join StudentFilmmakers free for live webinars with working pros, and stream on-demand filmmaking classes in cinematography, directing, screenwriting, sound and post.
