Set life is absolutely 100% bonkers. There are people zipping all over the place, you've got voices flooding the walkie, and there you are struggling to stay on top of the bazillion tasks you were entrusted to complete. To help you manage the pandemonium, Robbie Janney of Shutterstock lists three things that you can bring with you on set that will make your day of shooting a whole lot easier. Check out the video below:


The list of things that could help make set life easier is endless. With so many different tasks that have to get done in a day, every filmmaker could benefit from having comfy shoes, Sharpies, and other seemingly random supplies lying around somewhere. However, the items on Janney's list go after some bigger fish, the most common stress-inducing issues that are infamous on a film set, like transporting gear, unpreparedness, and organizing your shoot.

So, here are the three things Janney says can help make your life on set easier:

  • An equipment cart:  Lugging around your equipment is not fun; it's horrible. Having an equipment cart around will allow you to organize your gear, store it all in one, accessible place, and transport it easily if necessary. Janney uses the $245 Rock 'n' Roller R12 multicart, but if you don't quite have the budget for one of those, you can always try your hand at making your own.
  • An assembled camera setup: Showing up prepared is always better than showing up unprepared, and one small thing you can bring on set that will help you be ready and raring to go right when you show up is your assembled camera setup. Clean your lens, mount your accessories, select your settings—do everything you can to make your camera as ready as possible so you don't have to waste shoot time setting up.
  • A shot list:  This is the big one, buddies, because a shot list can save your friggin' job one day. Before you show up on set, go through the script and write out a list of all the shots you need to get that day so as the day progresses, you know what you've shot and what you haven't. That way, the chances of missing an important shot decreases while the chances of you being a cinematic rockstar increases.

What are some other things you can bring to a set that will make your life easier? Let us know down in the comments.

Source: Shutterstock