Two of my biggest fears on a film shoot are leaving props or equipment on location when we pack up, or forgetting to bring something in the first place. If you have an elaborate shooting day ahead with a lot to keep track of, then this Prop & Equipment list is for you.
The purpose of this list is pretty self-explanatory. If you’ve ever made a packing list for a vacation, you’ll know what to do with this template. I’ve included space for equipment, wardrobe items, makeup, props, as well as food and beverage, but you can modify this template in MS Excel as needed. To the left of every item, there are two check-boxes – one for packing-in and one for packing-out. Familiarize your crew with the items on the list, and make enough copies of this sheet to share with everyone who helps you pack up the equipment. If you have a lot of extra hands on set, put someone in charge of checking off each item as it goes back to your vehicle. As a producer or director, this can help you delegate some filmmaking tasks to your crew.
A checklist can ensure you take all of your props and equipment home with you, but some expendable items such as food and drink may not need to be packed up when you’re through. You could indicate this on your checklist, but in some cases you may be responsible for packing out the trash from these items. Actually, I recommend doing this whenever possible. Packing-out your trash and expendables is great for your relationship with the shooting location and follows the “leave it better than you found it” approach to eco-friendly filmmaking.
I’ve added this template to the Templates page, where you’ll also find storyboard templates and other production essentials.
Staying organized in style? I designed these film strip clipboards on Zazzle, which you can order plain or add your production logo, contact info, etc. Your prop and equipment checklist probably isn’t on the checklist… a custom clipboard is less likely to get lost. Buying these clipboards supports this blog – thank you!
The banner photo for this post is by lucas Favre on Unsplash
(2020 UPDATE: An earlier version of this post appeared on March 12, 2014. Today I revised it, y’know, to make it better.)