Joren Clark What's in my Grip Tote?

The concept for this came to me because I’m always curious what tools other micro budget filmmakers use to make movies. I really like tools. I have one big (dirty) tote where I put all my miscellaneous filmmaking gear. This actually carries much more than just grip equipment. I'm curious what tool tricks and tips you have. Email me with what’s in your filmmaking tool bag.

Gaffer's Tape: Similar to ducting tape, this cloth backed tape tears easily, sticks well, doesn't peel paint, and won't leave that sticky residue when it's removed. I stock white and black.
Rope: It's great for securing things down, especially my scrim frame when I stand it vertically.
Large Tent Steaks: These are to use in conjunction with the rope for securing things.
Aluminum Foil: This can turn a piece of cardboard (or anything) into a reflector.
Spray Adhesive: Good for anything that needs to stick to anything else. Especially good for gluing aluminum foil to cardboard.
Black Wrap: This is the opposite of aluminum foil. It absorbs light. It's great for controlling lights or making flags to block lens flares. Although it costs 30 bucks for a regular (aluminum foil sized) box, it is invaluable. This is bought at film/theater supply stores.
Parchment Paper: It's like wax paper but more resistant to heat. I use it to bake cookies ... and as a diffuser in front of lights.
Wooden Clothes Pins: These attach diffusers and gels to lights.
Spare Halogen Bulb: I use a lot of Lowel Tota lights so I keep extra color correct bulbs on hand. By the way, color corrected 500 watt Tota bulbs work in Home Depot style 500 watt work lights!
Color Balanced Incandecent Bulbs: Replace the bulbs in the practical fixtures so they don't look orange. Also for the rare occation I use a Chinese lantern.
Monofilament line: Same as fishing line. This attaches things without being seen. Pretty neat!
Oversized Gel Swatch Book: I got this for free (from Lee, I think), but I use it to warm white balance, as aux neutral density filters, or if I need to gel smaller light sources.
Red Gels: I got about 30 8"x8" red gels for free from a theatre. Someday I'll have a use for them.
Canned Compressed Air: Keep the camera and lens clean!
Lens Solvent and Tissue: Keep the lens and filters clean!
Cookin-P Filter System: This is a cheap square filter setup. I bought a 58mm ring and the universal adapter (for wide-angle lenses) with lens hoods and a 3-slot filter housing for about forty bucks. The filters are large enough to work on 72mm ring sized lenses.
Neutral Density Filters: These reduce the light coming into the camera. I have a two and three stop ND filter (most camcorders I use have a built-in one stop ND fiter).
Circular Polarizing Filter: Great for making the sky very blue or reducing reflections.
Tiffen Ultra-Con .6: This is a contrast-reducing filter. It lifts the blacks a little for a lower contrast.
Circular Polarizing Filter: This doesn't work with the Cookin-P setup. Just a regular old screw-on ring filter.
UV Filter: Same as above.
Cedar Shims: Originally, these were bought to level dolly tracks. Now I use them for a variety of things. Hardware stores have these.
Pillowcases: I bought two pillowcases from a thrift store. Fill with dirt, rock, or sand to work as sand bags. They also work well as steady-bags when stuffed with a sweatshirt or something soft.
Batteries: My phantom power unit sucks up 9v batteries. I also keep AAs for my shotgun mic.
Zip-ties: Great as a last minute fastener.
Portable Video Monitor: It's a 5.25 inch lcd monitor that is battery powered.
Assorted RCA connectors: I keep an assortment of connectors and cables so I can plug any camera into any monitor or tv I come across. Especially handy are the RCA female barrel connectors to connect two RCA cables together.
Headphones: For monitoring audio.
Mini-Tripod: It's about six inches long, sold for about five dollars at a camera store, and is great for low angle shots.
Power Strip: These add outlets and often will trip before the house's circuit breaker does.
3-Prong Adapter: These are great when working in older homes. Use them carefully or you'll harm equipment or electrocute yourself.
Voltage Tester: It just lets me know if an outlet is 'hot' or not. –that's kindof like this website.
Multi-pliers tool: I use a Leatherman Wave.
Mini-Maglight: Good when the circuit breaker trips or when shooting through magic hour.
Large Adjustable Wrenches: I keep two around. They're used mainly for assembling the jib arm.
Shop Towels: Tape to the bottom of tripods or C-stands so they don't scratch or dirty flooring.
Industrial Glass Cleaner: Clean windows are very important to good movies. Anytime I ever shoot in or around a car, the windows get cleaned.
Paper Towels: To clean windows and mop up spills.
Dulling Spray: Remove unwanted glares on cars and windows.
Torpedo Level: Hanging a picture or poster? Leveling a dolly? This helps.
Tape Measure: To measure things.
Work Gloves: For handling hot lights.
Disposable Camera: Just in case there's an awesome shot to use for publicity later.

Allen Key Set: Used to tighten my dolly track couplers.
Hammer: For banging things (like tent steaks).
Weights: Regular old second hand free weights, great for putting on my tripod's spreaders to make it that much sturdier and to lower the center of gravity of the dolly.
Vice Grips: One of the best tools to own.
"C" Clamps: Great to clamp something (like a tripod) to something else (like the rafters in a house) for unusual shots (like a birds eye shot).




				STEADICAM \|\|SCRIM/BUTTERFLY \|\| LIGHITING \|\| MY GRIP TOTE FILM LOOK FX \|\| CAMERA JIB ARM \|\| DOLLY \|\| SOUND


				What's in my Grip Tote? The concept for this came to me because I’m always curious what tools other micro budget filmmakers use to make movies. I really like tools. I have one big (dirty) tote where I put all my miscellaneous filmmaking gear. This actually carries much more than just grip equipment. I'm curious what tool tricks and tips you have. Email me with what’s in your filmmaking tool bag. So, here it is. This is what’s in my grip tote: Gaffer's Tape Similar to ducting tape, this cloth backed tape tears easily, sticks well, doesn't peel paint, and won't leave that sticky residue when it's removed. I stock white and black. Rope It's great for securing things down, especially my scrim frame when I stand it vertically. Large Tent Steaks These are to use in conjunction with the rope for securing things. Aluminum Foil This can turn a piece of cardboard (or anything) into a reflector. Spray Adhesive Good for anything that needs to stick to anything else. Especially good for gluing aluminum foil to cardboard. Black Wrap This is the opposite of aluminum foil. It absorbs light. It's great for controlling lights or making flags to block lens flares. Although it costs 30 bucks for a regular (aluminum foil sized) box, it is invaluable. This is bought at film/theater supply stores. Parchment Paper It's like wax paper but more resistant to heat. I use it to bake cookies ... and as a diffuser in front of lights. Wooden Clothes Pins These attach diffusers and gels to lights. Spare Halogen Bulb I use a lot of Lowel Tota lights so I keep extra color correct bulbs on hand. By the way, color corrected 500 watt Tota bulbs work in Home Depot style 500 watt work lights! Color Balanced Incandecent Bulbs Replace the bulbs in the practical fixtures so they don't look orange. Also for the rare occation I use a Chinese lantern. Monofilament line Same as fishing line. This attaches things without being seen. Pretty neat! Oversized Gel Swatch Book I got this for free (from Lee, I think), but I use it to warm white balance, as aux neutral density filters, or if I need to gel smaller light sources. Red Gels I got about 30 8"x8" red gels for free from a theatre. Someday I'll have a use for them. Canned Compressed Air Keep the camera and lens clean! Lens Solvent and Tissue Keep the lens and filters clean! Cookin-P Filter System This is a cheap square filter setup. I bought a 58mm ring and the universal adapter (for wide-angle lenses) with lens hoods and a 3-slot filter housing for about forty bucks. The filters are large enough to work on 72mm ring sized lenses. Neutral Density Filters These reduce the light coming into the camera. I have a two and three stop ND filter (most camcorders I use have a built-in one stop ND fiter). Circular Polarizing Filter Great for making the sky very blue or reducing reflections. Tiffen Ultra-Con .6 This is a contrast-reducing filter. It lifts the blacks a little for a lower contrast. Circular Polarizing Filter This doesn't work with the Cookin-P setup. Just a regular old screw-on ring filter. UV Filter Same as above. Cedar Shims Originally, these were bought to level dolly tracks. Now I use them for a variety of things. Hardware stores have these. Pillowcases I bought two pillowcases from a thrift store. Fill with dirt, rock, or sand to work as sand bags. They also work well as steady-bags when stuffed with a sweatshirt or something soft. Batteries My phantom power unit sucks up 9v batteries. I also keep AAs for my shotgun mic. Zip-ties Great as a last minute fastener. Portable Video Monitor It's a 5.25 inch lcd monitor that is battery powered. Assorted RCA connectors I keep an assortment of connectors and cables so I can plug any camera into any monitor or tv I come across. Especially handy are the RCA female barrel connectors to connect two RCA cables together. Headphones For monitoring audio. Mini-Tripod It's about six inches long, sold for about five dollars at a camera store, and is great for low angle shots. Power Strip These add outlets and often will trip before the house's circuit breaker does. 3-Prong Adapter These are great when working in older homes. Use them carefully or you'll harm equipment or electrocute yourself. Voltage Tester It just lets me know if an outlet is 'hot' or not. –that's kindof like this website. Multi-pliers tool I use a Leatherman Wave. Mini-Maglight Good when the circuit breaker trips or when shooting through magic hour. Large Adjustable Wrenches I keep two around. They're used mainly for assembling the jib arm. Shop Towels Tape to the bottom of tripods or C-stands so they don't scratch or dirty flooring. Industrial Glass Cleaner Clean windows are very important to good movies. Anytime I ever shoot in or around a car, the windows get cleaned. Paper Towels To clean windows and mop up spills. Dulling Spray Remove unwanted glares on cars and windows. Torpedo Level Hanging a picture or poster? Leveling a dolly? This helps. Tape Measure To measure things. Work Gloves For handling hot lights. Disposable Camera Just in case there's an awesome shot to use for publicity later. Allen Key Set Used to tighten my dolly track couplers. Hammer For banging things (like tent steaks). Weights Regular old second hand free weights, great for putting on my tripod's spreaders to make it that much sturdier and to lower the center of gravity of the dolly. Vice Grips One of the best tools to own. "C" Clamps Great to clamp something (like a tripod) to something else (like the rafters in a house) for unusual shots (like a birds eye shot). Questions? Let me know! Copyright 2004 Joren Clark \| contact webmaster

What's in my Grip Tote?

Copyright 2004 Joren Clark | contact webmaster