Renting out equipment to production is a good way to earn revenue on top of your labor. As a camera assistant, one of the first things you will be renting out to production is your camera kit or sometimes called a box kit. As mention in our previous articles, these can encompass a number of tools:
Kit Fees
Before production starts, discuss with the producer what the kit fee is. There are a variety of ways to ask, "What's the budget for a kit fee?" "What's the kit fee?" or you can even say, "I typically get $75 for my kit fee, does that work?"
I have seen kit fees range from $25 - $100 and sometimes it depends on what you are bringing and their budget. Make sure to create an excel or google sheet with a list of everything that is in your kit. Producers will sometimes ask for an inventory list to attach to the box kit rental. This also shows how much value your kit has because sometimes producers will assume it's just a leather man and some tape which they don't see of much value.
Here is a free excel sheet that has formulas in which you can export a nice layout of your inventory with all totals.
Adjust the master list
Make sure to label the category so it filters to the other page
Select the cells you want to print, hit print, and make sure settings will be printing "selected cells"
Cart
A camera cart will likely be one of the first large items you will invest in. It can cost $2,000 - $12,000+ depending on how decked out you want your cart to be. BUT there are ways to buy used carts before you dive into buying a brand new one. If you are patient, there will be a camera assistant selling their cart. They could be moving on up, leaving the industry, or maybe they found a nicer cart and are getting rid of their older one.
Here is a popular facebook group: For Sale: Camera Assistant AKS & More! There is also a Los Angeles Young Workers Group that has bi-annual camera yard sales.
Which cart to get will be dependent on how much you're willing to spend and how you like to work. Here are a couple of options that are popular:
Backstage Magliner
The junior magliner is a great cart if you happen to have a smaller car that would not fit the senior. The negative thing is when you are on set, sometimes you want a larger cart to carry more items.
The senior magliner is the cart I have and I love it. Plenty of other AC's opt for beefier carts, but the reason why I love this one is because I primarily work in commercials. I constantly break down and build my cart up, so being able to break down and build up quickly is important for me. I remember I was on a two day commercial and hired B & C camera AC's and both had Yaeger's. I was ready to drive off while they still were packing up. If I worked more in TV maybe I would consider upgrading to a beefier cart. The Yaegear is also a great cart.
YaegerPro Cart
YaeagerPro - link here
Yaegers are great for long TV shows and are pretty sturdy. If you get the older ones those are very sturdy. The newer ones are more customizable.
Inovativ Cart
Inovativ - link here
Inovativ is very customizable. I mostly see DIT's and steadicam with these carts. These are the most expensive carts, so if you are starting out I would recommend buying a used one. It is possible to find a used Inovativ cart!
Alternative Options
Collapsible cart - I have seen this used by 2nd AC for a quick battery cart for short term jobs. For long term jobs, you typically would have a dedicated cart for batteries.
Once you hone in on the type of cart you like, you can add accessories like a mitchell mount, ronford-baker quick release, tripod holder, trough, hi-hat holder, etc. You may even want to get extra fancy and get a motorized wheel for those tough uphill pushes.
Monitor
SmallHD 1303 is the most popular 13" monitor that I see amongst 1st Assistant Cameras. There is a also a newer Cine 13" 4k High-bright Monitor. If you want to invest, but you don't have that much money, you can also opt for a 7" monitor or 5" monitor. I have seen camera assistants use the 5" rigged on top of their wireless follow focus unit if they have to be more mobile. SmallHD is not the only brand for monitors, but it is the most common one I see for camera assistants.
Another great feature of SmallHD's is that they work well with battling the brightness of being outside. Before, you had to always use a hoodman. Though, I would not recommend the older 702 SmallHD because that does not have enough brightness for outside and the joystick always breaks.
Follow Focus
Wireless follow focus is another great tool to invest in. The Tilta Nucleus-M is an affordable wireless follow focus unit. It gets the job done and is quite reliable, in my experience. There are a few features on the more expensive wireless follow focus that add a lot of convenience factors, such as no need to power up the motor, pre-marked focus rings, and digital readouts. Preston and Arri wireless follow focus units are some of the more expensive ones, but also popular. Preston also has the Light Ranger that is a favorite amongst camera assistants as an additional tool (another item that you could invest in if you wanted to)
Additional Items
As you can see there are many things you can buy and invest renting out. This article is not to discuss the pros and cons of each tool but more to give you an idea what options are out there. It probably is best to continue working in the field, try these items out, and learn which you prefer before making a big purchase. The list of items you can rent out is exhaustive and you can build up your inventory as you grow. It really can expand out to a complete camera package if you really wanted.
Wireless video - Teradek, Vaxis, Paralinx, Hollyland, DJI, etc
Range finders - Cinetape, Lightranger, etc
Wireless Intercom - Hollyland, Eartec, etc
17" monitors - SmallHD, Flanders, etc
7" monitors - SmallHD, Atomos, etc
Batteries - gold mount is more popular, but you could get v-mount as well
Walkies
Dana Dolly
Lenses
Tango Head
Single Channel Wireless Focus/Iris
Mattebox
Easyrig
Ergorig
GoPros
Camera
Really you can go wild. It just depends how much money you have and are willing to spend. Before you do, make sure you do your homework and talk to others about what gear is most beneficial to invest in. You may find out a piece of gear does not have a good return of investment.
How do I go about renting out my gear?
Before the job starts, talk to the producer or DP and let them know you have gear that you want to add on. At this point you can talk about your rates for your gear and if they can pay you directly. If there is a quote already established from a camera house, you can sub-rent your gear in place of what they will rent from the camera house or add your gear on if it's not already on the quote. Otherwise, if this is a last minute job or a very low budget one, you may run into a situation where it's difficult to change the quote or add your gear. Stay flexible and have good communication with both the producer and camera houses. As you do this more frequently you'll feel the flow and understand at what point you can ask for your gear to be rented.
Before renting out gear, you should understand there are two ways to go about getting paid for your gear. You can be paid directly by the producer or get paid by the camera house. If your gear goes through the camera house, it's called sub-renting. This means the gear they are renting out is not owned by them and are outsourcing the gear. If the camera house is sub-renting your gear, the production will pay the camera house in bulk for everything, the camera house takes a % of your sub-rental, and then the camera house is the one that will pay you for your portion. Some camera houses prefer you go through them, so talk to both the producer and camera house on how they would like to handle this.
Some camera houses prefer you handle payment directly with production. Production will take it off the quote and pay you through a box kit rental. If this is the case, make sure you ask for a COI so your equipment is insured.
In regards to how much you should charge, I typically match the camera house prices if they have discounts and the quote is already out. If you want to have an idea of what you could be renting your items for, you could check out https://www.sharegrid.com/ and see what these items are going out for individually as well as asking for advice on forums.
What items are you on your list to invest in next and why? Are you more inclined to buy used or new items? What tips would you share with other camera assistants who are starting to build up their inventory? We love hearing from our readers - let us know your thoughts by filling out our contact form.
Keep track of kit fees with FreeMe! As you continue to build your inventory and navigate the complexities of renting out gear, staying organized and on top of administrative tasks becomes crucial. FreeMe is designed to simplify essential tasks like adding your kit fees and creating invoices, helping you stay focused on your work rather than getting bogged down by paperwork. With FreeMe, you can streamline your workflow and maximize your efficiency on set.
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