Send or not send?

[Gus Trivino]

Hi guys:

 

I will fly with my equipment.

The question is:

When you fly, Do you send all the equipment on the airplane? or carry on (up) some equipment, like a Monitor or follow Focus? (the cases are smaller) :unsure:

 

I have Pelican cases to send my equipment, but I have fear to send a Monitor, for example, together whit the post.

Ayyy sorry for my English.

 

 

Gus.

 

 

www.steadifilm.com.ar

[Michael Stumpf]

A few months ago I was shooting in Venezuela and had to take all my gear.

 

From your earlier post, I'm guessing you are going to Italy.

 

I don't know how your customs work, but you can send your gear two ways:

 

Either using a customs broker and ship it via UPS or FedEx. Costly, for the production, but it works just fine and will arrive a couple days AFTER you send it.

As long as you have someone in Italy you (or the production company) can trust to recieve it, there is no problems.

 

This is the way I sent my gear TO Venezuela.

 

Now, coming back was a different story. As I had another job in the States the day after I returned from Venezuela, so I needed to have my gear WITH me when I returned.

 

So, I took the gear ON the plane.

The airlines allow you to "check" 5 total pieces of "luggage" and each cannot be more than 70 pounds. You can also carry on 1 piece of luggage and 1 "personal" bag (like a backpack or purse).

 

So, luckily I planned ahead bought one of the HUGE Pelican cases (can't remember the number off hand, but it's the BIG one). It alone weighs 42 pounds with nothing in it. So, when you pack it, pack it with light items.

 

This is what I did. I put my DSD vest in there, my Gorelock docking bracket, all my cables, rain gear, and such. I weighed the stuff on my digital scale and packed it so it was about 68 pounds. The airlines round up, so they listed it as 69 pounds on their scale.

 

 

That left the sled and monitor, which, I'm not sure what model you have, but I have a PRO 2 and a TB-6 so I disassembled the sled, wrapped the parts in plastic wrap, and then packed it into another Pelican case with plenty of foam padding.

 

Then there was my battery/chargers case. No issues here.

My Arm case, no issues here, but they WILL want to look at it, it looks like a futuristic rifle on the scanners.

And my Follow Focus case. This was my carry on.

 

So, I had 4 pelican cases that I "checked" along with my suitcase. Total 5

I had one pelican case as my carry-on along with a backpack.

 

The hardest thing was watching my gear come down the conveyor belt at the airport terminal.

Thank God for the strong pelican cases, and plenty of foam padding.

 

Not a thing went wrong and it was surprisingly easy.

Just make sure you have ALL your papers in order and a complete list (can't remember what they call it) of EVERY piece of gear you are taking. Everything, down to each power cable listed.

 

And if you don't carry your own insurance, be sure the production company has YOU and your GEAR on theirs and their policy covers international travel!!

 

Have fun, if you've never been there Italy is a beautiful country and Rome is just breathtaking. I mean, it's ROME, what else is there to say?

[Mitch Gross]

Just make sure you have ALL your papers in order and a complete list (can't remember what they call it) of EVERY piece of gear you are taking.  Everything, down to each power cable listed.

That would be a Carnet (pronounced car-nay). Well-worth having when travelling internationally. Make the production company pay for it. Not as important when going to another counry as much as coming back to your own. They want to make sure of where you purchased the gear so that you're not trying to avoid customs. Make sur to list absolutely everything and keep all items in the same cases for proper organization.

 

Not all countries accept carnets but it is still important for getting back into your own.

[guillermo nespolo]

primero saca un seguro ...y despues...si vola todo con vos ..es mucho mas practico ......

saludos ..el feo

ps trae una remerita del lazio

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

Just make sure you have ALL your papers in order and a complete list (can't remember what they call it) of EVERY piece of gear you are taking.  Everything, down to each power cable listed.

That would be a Carnet (pronounced car-nay). Well-worth having when travelling internationally. Make the production company pay for it. Not as important when going to another counry as much as coming back to your own. They want to make sure of where you purchased the gear so that you're not trying to avoid customs. Make sur to list absolutely everything and keep all items in the same cases for proper organization.

 

Not all countries accept carnets but it is still important for getting back into your own.

Do NOT use a Carnet when going to Mexico, use a equipment inventory that has been stamped and signed by US customs before you go.

[Gus Trivino]

Hi guys!

 

My english is limited...

I will fly with my equipment, and I will go in the same fly.

My qustion is:

Usually, you send all the cases, included the smaller with the follow etc, in luggagge place (down in the baggage place or you carry on as backpack .

I have Pelican cases for my equipment.

I dont know if is positive send the Monitor (TB6) "down" (i dont know how say that!) in the case of the sled (Pelican 1650)

I have fear for the monitor (maybe can broke something during the handling to the plane)

Is confiable the pelican cases in this cases?

I Must separate the Monitor of the case of sled and carry on like backpack?

Saludos desde Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 

Gus

 

PS: I have insurance of all the equipment always!

PS: Yes Michael, Rome is a beautifull place, is like a museum outdoor.

(I lived 1 Year in Italy)

[Larry McConkey]

I have had my equipment shipped air freight or UPS or Federal Express probably a hundred times all over the world without a problem. The few times it was trucked, however, that was when problems ocurred, and the worst was the several times it was trucked locally by the film production itself, along with other gear, like dollies!! Even then, when the dolly broke loose and crushed the corner of my sled case, the sled was OK.

 

The TB6 itself is unbelievably strong. One time crew members decided to move my equipment from one side of a set to another without asking anyone in the camera crew to help. It just happened that the TB6 was not securely attached to the sled (another story) and it fell 5 feet directly onto a concrete floor. One whole corner of the monitor was smashed in, but it was still working!! I got Greg Bubb on the phone and he shipped out a loaner that I got the next day. A few days later my monitor was back, looking almost new again, and it has never faltered since. No worries on the integrity of this unit...

[RobVanGelder]

Is it true that those green screen tubes are of the kind they use(d) in aircrafts? So they are very well build to withstand the vibrations and g-forces?

 

Often, it´s the circuitboard that will wiggle itself out of it´s connector, or maybe some heavy items like the HV-transformer that can tear out of the solder.

 

In both cases, reparable without too much costs <_<

 

Rob van Gelder

[Gus Trivino]

Theks a lot guys!