Tips for Packing Smart and Getting to Work Faster

Packing your equipment for airline travel can be stressful. How do I not only make sure it all arrives, but arrives safely? And once I land, how do I re-pack all the gear to be able to ditch some of the bulky cases I needed for travel?
This video will look at tips for packing your equipment safely to handle the abuses of airline travel, ways of prepping for the worst-case scenario, and how to re-pack everything with production in mind without bringing along a ton of extra stuff.
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💥📞 NEED MORE ADVICE THAN A KZbin VIDEO CAN OFFER? SCHEDULE A ONE-ON-ONE CALL TO GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED 📞💥
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🔗 VIDEO LINKS 🔗
Think Tank Video 18 Transport: SADLY IT'S BEEN DISCONTINUED...
Here is the closest I can find to the Soft-Sided Camera Bag: bhpho.to/3SK3Oag
Think Tank Backpack: bhpho.to/48WgMHJ
Pelican 1510 Case: bhpho.to/49fOEPp
Pelican 1610 Case: bhpho.to/4906Wo7
Think Tank Video Tripod Manager 44: bhpho.to/49hZKU0
Tenba Messenger Bag: bhpho.to/49aWkTH
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📖 CHAPTERS 📖
0:00 Intro
1:04 Packing the Camera
4:48 Traveling with Batteries
6:23 Lenses
7:40 Camera Accessories
10:08 Tripod
11:27 Extra Bulky Items
13:14 Traveling with the Camera on Location
13:40 Converting the Camera Bag
14:15 Traveling with the Tripod on Location
14:36 Director's Monitor
15:04 Power Run Bag
15:48 DIT Bag
16:10 Conclusion
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🎥🎧💥 MY EQUIPMENT PACKAGE FOR THE FILMS I SHOOT 💥🎧🎥
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A CAM bhpho.to/3LWIafd
B CAM bhpho.to/3Fi9lgU
PRIMARY ZOOMS bhpho.to/46J9oO8
PRIMARY PRIMES bhpho.to/48Tpypn
LIGHTWEIGHT ZOOM bhpho.to/46RzZJd
TRIPOD bhpho.to/48v7HFx
Want to see how I configure my handheld rig? • Handheld Camera Build
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CAMERA MIC bhpho.to/3QgAgzO
WIRELESS TX/RX bhpho.to/3FgTMG5
LAVALIER bhpho.to/3Fdddjb
Want to see my audio configuration when doing my own sound? • Camera Audio Configura...
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KEY LIGHT bhpho.to/3SMcQnK
FILL LIGHT bhpho.to/3ZWC3gB
ACCENT LIGHTS bhpho.to/40Ebm0F
PRACTICAL LIGHTS bhpho.to/46hJlgs
MINIATURE LIGHTS bhpho.to/41f3Iu2
Want to see my full lighting package and how I use it? • Doc Interview Lighting...
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DISCLAIMERS
This video is not sponsored by any brand, and most of the gear discussed in the video is equipment I personally bought and own. On occasion, however, videos may feature equipment that has been provided by outside brands, which I will always point out. My review of these products are always without bias and are only shown because I would personally recommend their use.
Many of the external links to products in my videos are affiliate links. There is no additional cost to you if purchases are made using these links and those purchases help me continue to provide free content on this channel.

[@bobbypitts]

Thank you! Love this breakdown from a next level filmmaker like you. Regarding luggage, I am always shocked how many filmmakers are not using a media pass with their airline costs.

[@matt-porwoll]

It is strange people wouldn’t use media rates! I know some airlines make it harder than others, but at least with Delta, traveling with gear really isn’t that difficult.

[@thiagoalvesvm]

Another class! Thank you for the tips.

[@matt-porwoll]

My pleasure!

[@Creativemonkey64]

Great content as always. I do a great deal of domestic/international travel. Safe packing is always a hassle. Thankfully in thirty years of filming no damage or theft. Matt, have you considered the Pelican Air cases? They've become my go to for airline travel. Keep up the great work. The channel is fantastic.

[@matt-porwoll]

Thanks for your comment! I’ve looked at the Pelican Air cases, but haven’t invested since I already have some many original cases. It’s nice to save the weight, but otherwise capacity is equivalent so I’ve figured out how to make it work for me. And with media rates for gear, I wouldn’t want to take a case over 100lbs anyways!!

[@TheDavidlezcano]

Great content dealing with a lot of this. Would love to see what gear you would travel with if you were needing to provide your own lights and grip.

[@matt-porwoll]

Check out my video on my interview lighting package. If I need to bring it all with me, this is basically what comes with! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIHYpYxnhbhojqcsi=wAoFY79LoVkcDScc

[@rdstudios-production]

Good stuff Matt. Your shoulder go bag is a great tip. When jumping from place to place its great to have a catch all. I use one of those "big mouth" tool bags. Some fold flat and I can hang it from a stand or a fence with a hero clip. I'm always trying to find news ways to stay organized and streamlined. Thanks for sharing.

[@rdstudios-production]

So, this is a scenario where a PA is traveling as well if you have no cart? 2 carry on, 4 checked? If not, that's a long train of piggy-backed bags to the shuttle/rental place.

[@matt-porwoll]

Actually, no PA flying with or at my departure city. I do have someone pick me up at the airport when I land, but can fit everything on an airport luggage cart, or get a Skycap if not parking at the terminal.

[@davidmorefield]

Thanks for sharing your best practices! How often do you use one of the EZ’s over the other?

[@matt-porwoll]

I use both regularly, but if I need to rely on one over another, I’ll choose the wider one, but with the FF back. That turns it into a 22-60 T3, and can shoot wide to med tight, but by switching between S35 & FF on the camera.

[@robinprobyn1971]

I recently got a 2 channel USB charger , and its a great insurance pack, very small size ,also found out my Fxlion batts can be charged off my MacBook Pro charger too , even more insurance. Back in the day had a charger not work in rural China , all the best gear but couldn't shoot if no charged batts and no rental . had to take it apart and luckily was fixed , but lesson learnt , don't reply on one charger if your in the middle of no where .

[@matt-porwoll]

This is great. Especially when you’re traveling to remote areas, you have to be sure to have work arounds for anything issues that might come up. Love the USB charging, as well as bringing a few AC D-Tap chargers. These have saved me as well for charging single batteries if the larger chargers die. Backups are a necessity, especially for the items that have a high-failure rate. Hence my bag of backup cables I always bring!

[@moviewryter1985]

Great video. Thank you for sharing. Curious what size camera saddle do you travel with?

[@matt-porwoll]

Thanks! I have the full-sized CineSaddle.

[@scotey]

Such a great and useful video, Matt. Thank you. Any insights into insurance? Who do you use? And what are the primary considerations there?

[@matt-porwoll]

Thanks! When it comes to equipment insurance, it's very dependent on what you're looking for. The main thing is getting an Inland Marine policy that covers your items beyond a typical rider to your homeowner's insurance. Things to look for are international coverage, theft from cars, third-party locations (storage, production offices, set location, etc). Policies that focus on film equipment specifically can have nice add ons like issuing certificates of insurance for short-term rentals, rental coverage in the event of theft / damage, coverage for renting your gear through sites like Sharegrid (requires special insurance coverage!), General Liability, Workers Comp, etc. If you're looking for a solid, legit policy for camera equipment, I would look no further than Taylor & Taylor or TCP. They can be pricey, but you are very well taken care. Hope that helps!

[@scotey]

@@matt-porwoll What a thoroughly helpful answer, Matt. Thank you! I'll check out those companies for sure.

[@danabeldp]

Great video, curios if you have ever checked a Rockn Roller cart? I am traveling with more pelicans than usual in a few weeks and was thinking of just rolling into the airport with everything on my usual Rockn Roller to keep things easier on myself. I’d assume I could check the cart when folded up with the rest of my kit.

[@matt-porwoll]

You can certainly check a Rockn Roller and I know people that have, but I'd be worried about it arriving safely - unless you get it wrapped in plastic at the airport. Even then I've heard stories or damaged carts. I honestly feel like it's best to just pay for a Skycap at the departure airport and then have someone pick you up when you land. If you need a cart for the actual shoot, then just rent one locally. This is where the Innovative carts are nice, in that they pack into themselves, keeping them protected, but they aren't cheap...

[@DANAMIONLINE]

Cool. I was surprised to learn you travel with a limited number of 100+ watt batteries.

[@matt-porwoll]

Yeah, it’s annoying they limit them… I would love to take more so I can travel with less!

[@robinprobyn1971]

You're safe with 98WH, as pretty much every security checker knows that law at least , a lot of them don't know the 150WH rule and will want to take them off you. I changed to all 98WH because of that , and it is a lot less stressful .

[@matt-porwoll]

I would also add: print and laminate the rules from the TSA website and put it in your battery bag. If they question it, you have the answer on the ready. If they give you trouble, ask for their supervisor. It’s happened to me, but I’ve always walked away with my batts (as long as I adhere to the rules).

[@adamfrench2337]

Hey Matt, curious if you use sliders? I'm looking into a motorized slider for b-cam interviews. I'm mostly a one-person-band shooting documentary content. Because of this, I'd love something portable and that could be set up in a jiff. Something like the Kessler Cineslider seems ideal, but I've used it before and there are just too many things to set up that I often don't have a ton of time for. Curious if you use any, and what you might recommend, or recommend that I steer clear from. Thanks so much!

[@matt-porwoll]

Hey, this is a solid question. Sadly, I've found that portable and quick-to-set-up rarely go hand in hand. I've never found a motorized dolly that fits that bill and delivers the kind of movement I want, especially un-monitored. Whenever I have a slider for an interview, it's always a Dana Dolly with an operator. I know its not the answer you're looking for, but sometimes when speed and limited crew is the directive, easier is better.

[@GeorgeAtanassov]

I hope this is not the amount of gear you guys had for Cartel Land 😅

[@matt-porwoll]

Definitely not :)

[@GeorgeAtanassov]

Forgot to say thanks for sharing this. Some interesting points came along that I haven't really but too much in practise myself yet.@@matt-porwoll

[@matt-porwoll]

@GeorgeAtanassov thanks so much! Glad there some helpful tips in there!