My Grip Kit, AKA, box of STUFF we all have

[Steven Digges]

We all have one of these, but you can’t buy one. Everyone of them is different. You don’t start out with it, you build it, and the building will never end. There is no model number for it, but you can’t live without it. It is that box of all important “stuff” that makes every gig work. It is indispensable, it goes on every gig, but no one talks about it, it can’t be defined. In my case my crew I and call this one my grip kit, but it goes beyond that. It is part of my lighting kit, but when you need something to solve a problem on set, chances are there might be something in there to solve a lot of problems. It is my box of junk I would not leave the office without, it is my grip kit.

I have so much crap in it I had to dump it out today to fit the stuff back in. So I took a few pictures for you guys. There is stuff that is not in the photos because it was in use. I have no doubt you will look at it and spot things I am missing. I am all ears. This is how it evolved. I have three Lowell Light kits. Yes, I still use them and love them. This grip kit is one of the reasons why I still use them, but it does not matter if you are all LED, I know you still have one. Years ago my grip kit grew too big for a small case. I found a cheap, used, empty Lowell light case on e-bay, now I am blowing the hinges off of it (damn it). The archaic case I found on e-bay has a hard divider on the lid, making it perfect for gels, flags, barn doors and all flat stuff. Building this kit will never stop, it will evolve, not end. I would like to hear about yours.

A tip: If you have ever used a Lowell light kit (I know they are not in favor anymore but I am not the only guy in the world still using them) you know the hardest part of using one is getting it all to fit back in the case that came from the factory too small. And I have three of them. I use nylon wire ties to color code every single piece of kit for each Lowell kit. That way, even a new assistant can strike my kits if I am meeting with the client or whatever. I need that help myself, if you pack them wrong it will not fit. I have a color coding system based on colored wire ties and Velcro cable ties for a lot of things. You can find a place to put a wire tie on anything. The case gets a wire tie on the handle and everything that goes in it gets the same color. It helps. No messy tape or labels, just a bomb proof colored band on everything that goes into a kit.

The grip kit stuff is not color banded, it is obvious where it lives. Two all important items not pictured are my Leatherman tool and Gaff tape!

I also have a separate “kit bag” like this for audio “stuff”.

Steve

[Mark Watson]

Originally Posted by Steven Digges

We all have one of these, but you can’t buy one. Everyone of them is different. You don’t start out with it, you build it, and the building will never end. There is no model number for it, but you can’t live without it. It is that box of all important “stuff” that makes every gig work. It is indispensable, it goes on every gig, but no one talks about it, it can’t be defined...Steve

"MacGyver" kit???
My stuff still fits in a shave kit, but I am inspired. You even have a pair of rawhide gloves. Impressive collection you have there, Steve.
Thanks for sharing this!

Mark

[Mike Watson]

Wow! Look at how it all fits back in there!

The one thing I was going to suggest was one of those little scissor clips that fits a baby pin onto t-bar for drop ceiling... but you already have a handful of those.

I have a fair amount of that crap (err, stuff), but i'll certainly be stealing a few ideas and thanks for the lighting porn!

[Seth Bloombaum]

Great kit! I'm with you, small is beautiful, I'd rather work out of my small pickup truck as much as possible, not a full grip truck!

My work must involve more rag backgrounds than yours; I have quite a few more spring clamps in my kit (aka A-frame clamps).

I see several tota flags with those bendy wands, but only 1 tota clamp? Maybe there are more clamps in your light kits? It's certainly a handy and light way to flag, but without more fastening devices you're limited to clicking the wands into lowell lights. I'd use a couple more tota clamps to throw on light stands to make a quick small flag away from the light.

But I went a different direction for flagging as I started to outgrow a single Lowel kit (yes, I still use it!).

Mathews makes a flag/net kit called http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/227712-REG/Matthews_350595_RoadRags_Kit_18.html. I was too cheap to buy it, but did get http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/838299-REG/Digital_Juice_DJ_FLAG_KIT_SMALL_Standard_Flag_Kit_18.html. It's got a couple 18x24 solids, a silk, and a couple nets in it, and the frames fold pretty darn small. I think I added additional solids, hard to remember now.

To that I added http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/227714-REG/Matthews_350598_Minigrip_Mounting_Kit.html. Not only does it give some booming action off of light stands, but it includes a couple mini-cardellini clamps, which are just the handiest thing for clamping to doors, shelves, and other home & office furniture. With that and a couple heavier light stands I'm no longer taking c-stands to most locations.

The reason I'm going on at such length is that I've found this little Flag/net/minigrip kit to be a really significant upgrade from the great little tota flags. Need to deal with a bald head, or a white shirt on a dark-skinned person? Single and double nets to the rescue! With plenty of mounting options...

BTW, although I let it go with one lowel kit, I've augmented the basic interview kit with 2 500w Rifas (love them!), and 2 additional Totas for use with big silks and card reflectors. A couple 3" fresnels for backlights build on what the Pro does. The balance are fluorescent Diva-style fixtures that can be bulbed tungsten or daylight - love that flexibility to work with whatever's existing at the location.

[Steven Digges]

Hey Guys,

McGeyver kit, funny, never thought of it that way but that is exactly what it is. I do a lot of two head, three camera shoots in whatever place a client sends me. We have to turn that space into an attractive "set". It my be a home or office, but quite often it is a working suite in a nice hotel someplace. I run around the hotels and gather as many props as I can get my hands on and not get kicked out for it. Like artwork if its not bolted down. Every hotel has fake ficus trees, I have placed more of those than I like to admit too. Anything to break up a plain wall. We rarely use cloth backgrounds because every video needs to have its own look. One time a client piled so much stuff in the room the only wall left to shoot towards had a Murphy bed built into it. To decorate that the hotel bolted the biggest whiteboard I have ever seen to the bottom of it. Try dressing up a wall with ugly wall paper border around a seven foot square SHINY white board in the middle of it. That is what that kit is all about, controlling light to dress up whatever we are given to work with.

Mark, in my shaving kit is a can of the cheapest, nastiest hair spray you can buy. I would never use it on my head! I do use it on shiny surfaces to break up reflections ;-)

Mike, I love those scissor clips for drop ceilings. I left a pro light hanging in the corner of a doctors office once. My assistant had puled the AC cord and left the fixture and pig tail up there. When I stupid checked our strike I did not look up. Pretty embarrassing when you get a call from a doctor an hour later "Hey there is something hanging in my office", Oh Crap!!!

Seth, I flag a ton of stuff. Often from a second stand. I have several reflectors for bounce or flags. But what you cant see in the lid is all of the plain old card board and cinefoil I have cut patterns in. Sometimes I add a party gel to a random pattern just to slash some color someplace. Being creative with light does not have to be expensive. I do have two of the Tota clamps (if you mean the A clamps with the stud mount sticking out). Love them, you can put a Pro Light anywhere for a kicker. There is also two Bigfoot bases in there to get up lights right down at floor level. Now silks......don't have any, but must get some! I knew this thread was going to cost me something. I have meant to add them to the kit for years, just never did it.

Thanks guys,

Steve

[Mike Watson]

Originally Posted by Steven Digges

I run around the hotels and gather as many props as I can get my hands on and not get kicked out for it. Like artwork if its not bolted down. Every hotel has fake ficus trees, I have placed more of those than I like to admit too. Anything to break up a plain wall.

I refer to this as "shopping". I do it in hotels, but also barren office buildings. Every conference room has gray walls and huge windows. I'm forever stealing anything that's not bolted down. I get the chairs for the talent set up, and then announce "let's go shopping!"