The Lens That Went Out on Saturday
Three crews leave on the same weekend and the gear cupboard empties. On Monday a lens is missing, and four people each remember somebody else taking it.
Issued to a shoot, not to a person in general
Bodies, lenses, lights, gimbals and batteries go out against a shoot. The crew lead who signed for them is the crew lead who brings them back. It takes a minute at the cupboard and it settles every Monday argument.
What the record holds
The items and the shoot
Which body, which lens, how many batteries, against which function on which date.
The person who took them
One name. Gear passes through three hands at a wedding, and only one person is answerable for it.
Checked back in
Returned on a date, and counted. A missing item is known on Monday morning rather than on the next Saturday morning.
Damage, noted at return
A dented hood or a gimbal that has stopped holding is written down by the person returning it, not discovered by the next crew.
What it is worth
Gear is the second biggest thing a studio owns, after its reputation.
- What is out and what is in the cupboard, before a shoot is confirmed
- Items that have gone missing over a season
- Damage reported, and who returned the item
- Gear that went out on a shoot, next to the crew who took it
- Bodies and lenses that never seem to be in the cupboard
Frequently asked questions
Do we need tags or barcodes?
No. Equipment is picked from a list as it is issued. A studio with fifteen lenses does not need scanning, and a studio with a hundred already has a system of its own.
Can the crew lead do this at the cupboard?
Yes, from his phone. It works where it happens, at the cupboard. Made into an office task afterwards, it stops as soon as a shoot runs late.
Does it track servicing and warranty?
No. What is recorded is what went out, what came back and what was damaged. Service history stays wherever you keep it today.
Tell us what you need.
Send a short brief and one of our engineers will come back to you — usually the same day.
- No obligation
- We reply the same working day
- Your details stay private