On the Road Again…Getting There With Gear
Hollywood has long been considered “The Entertainment Capitol of the World,” but with international economics and financial incentives to Producers, much of the production that was once done in my hometown of Los Angeles has moved to off shore locations, and more recently to other US states. If I want to keep working, I have to be willing to frequently be on the road. However, traveling with gear is nothing new for me; in fact the name of my business, Migrant FilmWorkers was chosen to suggest this specialty. We came up with that moniker while working on a documentary in the 1970′s covering a group of Farmworkers as they migrated up and down the coast of California picking fruit. I have dragged production gear all over the world on features, documentaries, and TV series assignments, usually lasting anywhere from a few days to a few months, and at one time had the pleasure of shooting in Ireland for the better part of a year. However, with the security concerns raised after the 9/11 attacks, and the airlines now trying to squeeze every penny by charging for checked baggage, traveling with gear is not nearly as much fun as it used to be.
I’ll be leaving soon on assignment to Eastern Europe with two REDs and a small lighting package, and it got me thinking about all the challenges ahead and the best ways to deal with them. How can we make traveling with gear as physically and economically painless as possible with the least amount of stress? My goal in this article is to explore the best ways to handle baggage, shipping, customs, varying world power standards, and getting through security as easily as possible.
Carry It On:
Because local labor is generally less expensive or rebated as part of an incentive package, and also to avoid the expense of lodging and per diem, Producers are naturally trying to save money by hiring as much crew locally as possible. Even top DPs have shared their frustration with me at not being able to bring any but their most key collaborators with them to distant locations. In most cases, I don’t have much help while in transit, so I have to be smart in how I pack to keep it manageable. I’ve had gear go missing for up to a week as lost baggage, and I’ve also had the experience of sitting on a plane watching as my bags were recklessly tossed around below by grumpy baggage handlers. It’s nice to carry the most expensive and delicate gear on the plane with you as you travel by air, and to know that when you arrive you’ll have the bare essentials to start shooting. However, with the Airlines being so strapped financially, they are trying to squeeze ancillary income from anywhere they can. Not only do you now have to buy snacks and meals that were once included in the price of a ticket, there is also now a charge to check baggage, and severe extra charges if the baggage is “over weight.” To avoid these charges, other passengers are increasingly trying to cram all their luggage into the overhead storage bins on planes, which has severely eaten into the space we would have had for our production gear. Not everyone’s baggage can be accommodated, and inevitably some bags will have to be collected by the flight attendants and “gate checked.” My solution is to carefully pack a hard case that is specifically designed to be the maximum allowable in most airline overhead bins. I’ll get a camera body, battery, lens, and a minimal amount of media to fit snug with a little padding, (ideally this will be a few pieces of essential clothing in case my checked bags are delayed.) This way, if I do have the unfortunate need to gate check, the gear will be somewhat protected. Getting through the airport and onto the aircraft can also be a challenge, so I’m careful to also pick a case with wheels and telescoping pull handle, such as the Pelican Storm i2500.
For smaller cameras, Petrol makes the Cambio, which is perfect for carry on, holds a complete small format camera package, (including a fluid head,) and has the added ability to turn into a shooting platform once you get to the location. The pull handle column extends to accept a 75mm leveling ball head, the wheel axles pull out to become outriggers, and a rear leg snaps out of the back to complete the tripod. I know it must be hard to picture, but if you want to get a better idea of what I’m talking about, check out our NAB streaming coverage for Petrol. In fact, they loaned us a prototype for our shooting this year to get some feedback, and it was perfectly suited to our needs. We captured 55 separate presentations spread all over the massive NAB show floor, and I don’t think we could have done it without the Cambio. We rolled up to an Exhibitors booth with everything we needed for camera and sound in one small trolly, and in another a battery powered 1‘x1′ Lightpanel Bi-color LED. We were ready to start shooting in less than a minute, and the only problem was all the people coming up and asking us where we got this stuff, since the Cambio was just premiering at that show. We were probably maxing it out with our Canon XLH1, but the Cambio is ideal for anything up to that weight, and probably perfect for the DSLR. The Petrol interview also includes a testimonial from our own Simon Sommerfeld, the Cinematographer for this year’s coverage.
Checking Your Gear as Baggage:
It used to be that the Skycaps’ eyes would light up when they saw tripod cases, which they immediately associated with lucrative tips for handling motion picture gear. A couple of dollars cash per checked bag at the curb would usually insure that there were no charges for overweight or extra bags. Tighter security now precludes such activities and we are left to try to negotiate with clerks at the ticket counter. Gone too, are the special rates most airlines used to extend for “media.” Now a tripod costs as much as a set of golf clubs, and anything over 50lbs is considered overweight. This is especially tough considering that some of the heavy duty metal rimmed cases approach this before you even start to pack; and anything over 100lbs is absolutely not accepted as checked baggage. So the trick here is to go with lighter weight cases and gear. I’m a big fan of Litepanels LEDs, especially if you’re on the road; they are lightweight, have great output, are dimmable, and the color temperature can even be adjusted with the turn of a dial on the Bi-Color; plus they can run off of just about any AC power you feed them. This means that I only have to add a plug adaptor instead of carrying bulky transformers, or having to change out the globes as I go between different voltage standards, and I don’t have to worry about flicker. I can easily run off camera batteries like the Anton Bauer Hytron 140, which will run a 1′x1′ Litepanel for about an hour; and the weight of the battery hanging on the legs of the stand serves to replace a sandbag. With the 1′x1‘ heads weighing in at only 3lbs each, I can fit a formidable documentary lighting package with stands and accessories in their nicely padded Four-Lite rolling Carrying Case, and still come in under 50lbs. to avoid any extra baggage charges.
Shipping Your Gear Ahead:
As long as you have a little extra time available for the gear to travel as cargo, it can take a lot of the stress out of hauling everything on the plane with you, and with the ever-increasing airline baggage fees, the cost is getting more comparable. For smaller packages, you might consider a service like FedEx, but for a large amount of gear, you probably want to go to a Shipper/Customs Broker, who will handle it in coordination with a Carnet, (more on that to follow.)
Traveling With Batteries:
As of January 1, 2009, lithium ion batteries over 100Wh have been classified as Class 9 Dangerous Goods. This is not good news for RED owners such as myself, since the RED BRICK batteries are 140Wh. Much care must be taken in order to comply with the applicable US and international rules pertaining to documentation, shipping, and handling procedures. Even the RED Digital Cinema company adds a RED BRICK shipping and handling surcharge on orders including RED BRICKS. For air travel, you cannot check-in any spare “L-Ion” batteries as baggage regardless of the battery watt hour (Wh) rating. (The exception is only if the battery is less than 160Wh and is physically installed or attached to a camera or equipment.) Less than 100Wh is not a problem to check or carry-on provided you take precautions by covering any exposed terminals with tape or put them in an insulated plastic bag. However, with Lithium Ion Batteries between 100Wh and less than 160Wh, (RED and smaller Anton Bauer Dionics,) you are limited to carrying on-board a maximum of two spare batteries, taking safety precautions as noted above, along with one extra battery if it is physically installed or attached to a camera or other equipment. Carry-on of any spare battery over 160Wh is not allowed under any circumstances, and you cannot carry-on or check this size battery, even if it is attached or installed in a camera. To transport a Lithium Ion battery over 160Wh, you have to ship it as separate cargo and classify it as Class 9 – Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods.
Although they may be a little heavier, many popular batteries, such as Anton Bauer Hytrons are not of this chemistry and there are no special travel restrictions. While I’ve long been an Anton Bauer user, I haven’t previously felt comfortable using them with my RED camera because the batteries were not able to communicate their status to the camera. As opposed to the RED BRICKS which give a constant indicator of remaining charge, and do a safe shut down should the battery reach a critically low level, other brands could shut down unexpectedly and cause a loss of data on the drives. However, I understand that RED will now be cooperating with Anton Bauer to allow for such status info sharing. I also like the fact that I can use one battery on a variety of HD and Digital Cinema Cameras including the new ARRI Alexa. And whereas other batteries have been known to fly off the camera with a small jolt, I’ve never had that problem with the robust lock on the Anton Bauer Gold Mount. As previously mentioned, they also work great to power the Litepanels, so that will be my chosen power solution on my upcoming trip.
Customs and Carnets:
Aside from keeping dangerous and illegal goods, such as illicit drugs from crossing the border, Customs is all about collecting import/export taxes, and Carnets can be thought of as a “Merchandise Passport.” These are documents that simplify customs procedures for the temporary importation of commercial samples and professional equipment. They facilitate international business by avoiding extensive customs procedures and eliminating payment of duties and value-added taxes (minimum 20% in Europe, 27% in China.) Carnets allow a temporary exporter to use a single document for all customs transactions, make arrangements in advance at a predetermined cost, and register the goods with the home country’s Customs service for ease of re-entry. Carnets can be procured through registered Customs/Shipping agents by providing them a detailed list with ownership documentation, such as purchase receipts, and the physical equipment in advance for inspection as necessary by the home country Customs service. There is a fee, which includes a bond to insure that any duties will be paid should the merchandise be sold abroad, but given the alternative of having your gear hung up indefinitely in customs, or having to pay huge duties, it can be a good value. Every time you cross an international border, you need to have the Carnet stamped in and out by Customs, but for the countries that subscribe to this system, (most of the industrialized world,) it is just routine. The Carnet is good for a year, after which it needs to be surrendered with the necessary stamps so the bond can be released.
For those third world countries that don’t use Carnets, it is still a good idea to prepare a detailed inventory of the gear you are traveling with, and have it signed off by a Customs official in the country of origin before departure. This will at least assure that you’ll be able to bring it back home without paying duty; but going to countries that don’t honor the Carnet can be a no-man’s land with tricky border negotiations and corrupt border agents often looking to extort cash for themselves.
The “Fixer”:
When traveling to such countries, it is especially advisable to have a “Fixer;” a local who speaks the language, knows native customs, systems, and is familiar with your type of needs. They can help keep you safe and steer you through local negotiations as smoothly as possible. News organizations have their trusted favorite Fixers all over the world, and I found them a good source of referrals. Local film commissions and tourism offices can also be very helpful.
Cosmic Rays and CCD Cameras:
There is one problem traveling by air with digital cameras that I want to make you aware of, but for which I really don’t have a good practical solution. It seems that exposing the camera’s CCD sensors to gamma radiation, “cosmic rays” via air travel can cause permanent damage in the form of “lit” or “blown” pixels. Cosmic rays are all around us, but you’ll find more at higher altitudes, and that is ultimately why your camera is more susceptible to such an effect while traveling by airplane. Because photodiodes in CCD imagers use voltage to convey information, they can be susceptible to such high-energy particles. When a cosmic ray punches your photodiode, the energy stream is so great that the diode gets stuck, creating a permanently lit pixel.
However, there is absolutely nothing one can do to prevent cosmic ray damage. Wrapping the camera in lead or any other substance will not provide protection, as the particles will simply pass right through. The best protection is to ship your equipment on the ground, rather than in the air, but of course this is not usually practical for overseas travel. If you need something to worry about, more information can be found in an article written by Juliet Verni of Abel Cine Tech, which she has allowed us to reprint on our DCS Tech Tips page. Many cameras have special circuitry to mask lit pixels, usually when black balancing, and since I can’t really do anything about it, I will choose to concern myself with other matters. I’ll be busy enough trying to get myself and my camera package safely there and back again; it isn’t as easy as it used to be. And, I sure wish RED would have chosen another name for their new EVF other than…BOMB.
Posted in Filmmaking, Gear, On-Location, Production - 1 Comment »
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This article is really helpful for me. I’m preparing to ship off to Europe to do some documentaries, and I was worried on how to get my cameras over there without paying Europe’s insane VAT. I use a backpack that is designed to carry my camera and a laptop. I check in the tri-pod, and ship a lot of other items ahead of time.