It's the Little Things...

[pkautzsch]

THX Christian, gonna get one of these quite soon, I guess.

[Marc Hoppe]

I use a plastic hotel door card. They are wider than 2inch gaff, so there is enough room on one end to punch a hole in case I want to hang it outside my ENG bag. That was you can also use the last inch of tape and then reload it.

For those of us in the colder climates, I also keep an old hotel key in the car because they are way better than any ice scraper for the icy frost coating on your windows when you are driving before the sun comes up, and less important than your credit card. I've already used this one a few times this year.

I just started doing this with 1" white gaff in strips of 1", and 2 thinner strips. It works perfectly and I always have gaff tape when I need it. THanks for the suggestion.

Marc

[Jack Norflus]

Found out about this from a boater friend of mine.

I used to to clean off XLR cables - takes all the crap off and leaves the cables with some sort of coating that repels dirt and water.

I had some pretty grungy cables that look brand new now.

 

http://www.starbrite.com/item/power-cable-cleaner?category_id=537

 

You can find it in any boating supply store for about $10 a bottle.

[Toy Robot]

I could never find the arrows on my Remote Audio breakaway cables in dim light to match one end to the other. It was also difficult to distinguish between my 10-pin Hirose breakaway and the standard XLR, since the cable end that attaches to the breakaway looks the same on both.

 

Problem solved with colored gaff tape, a ruler and a permanent marker. I'm going to order some clear shrink wrap to cover this colored gaff tape in, and when I purchase my 3rd breakaway it will be another color. 

 

[Olle Sjostrom]

I recently bought a used 5.11 bag, a real bargain. In the bag was a pistol holster. It looked like it would fit my pole, so I tried strapping it to my leg, resting the bottom of the pole in it, and then strapped the pole to the bag. Perfect. I can't bend my knees to pick something up, but it's not hard to unstrap. But I can walk and it stays perfectly still. Would probably work for reality projects as well

[saxman]

Hi Bob,

Great idea. Will work on a Lectro version that will keep the little nylon nubbin that protects the metal plating. Wish we had thought of it.

Best,

Larry F

Lectro

Yes !! A Lectro version would be great !! 

Larry, keep us updated on this little time saver

 

Nice idea Bob

 

Neal

[saxman]

Oops ...Upon further reading .... I guess Lectro has implemented the thumbs screw on it's sm clips !!!

 

Nice!!

 

Neal

[thebrengun]

I stole this idea from a Steadicam operator I know.  I got a bunch of zippered pouches designed for storing pencils in a binder and grouped cables within them.  I then got some binder rings to group all the pouches together.  I can see what's in each pouch, flip through them like a book, and easily break the pouches apart if I want to slim it down or just carry one directly in the sound bag while the rest live in the Pelican.

 

 

[studiomprd]

Toy Robot: " Problem solved with colored gaff tape, "

I've used nail-polish for that for years...

[Johnny Karlsson]

I stole this idea from a Steadicam operator I know.  I got a bunch of zippered pouches designed for storing pencils in a binder and grouped cables within them.  I then got some binder rings to group all the pouches together.  I can see what's in each pouch, flip through them like a book, and easily break the pouches apart if I want to slim it down or just carry one directly in the sound bag while the rest live in the Pelican.

Yeah, been doing the same for a couple years, minus the binder - also got the idea from a Steadicam op btw!

To add to this: Using an oil based sharpie, I write on the transparent window what's in there (mainly for the back pocket contents, since you can easily see what's in that window pocket).

[johnpaul215]

Fellow mixer Juan-Ignacio Nuevo came up with this, and I got one a few months ago. I know he posted it to Facebook, but maybe not here. Great for bag work. A compact way to carry 6 lav mics in a pouch. Made here in Philly by a company called Fabric Horse http://fabrichorse.com/ . They mostly make gear for cyclists, but some of them also work in production. They have some great accessory belts.

[Michael McQueen]

Similar to what Johnpaul uses, I started using a camera filter pouch, $8 off amazon.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Filters-Premium-MagicFiber-Microfiber-Cleaning/dp/B00796D03C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394297901&sr=8-2&keywords=camera+lens+filter+pouch

 

Holds 6 mics awesomely. And then i keep all my doo-dads in a plastic fishing accessory case from gander mountain.

[Jan McL]

Fellow mixer Juan-Ignacio Nuevo came up with this, and I got one a few months ago. I know he posted it to Facebook, but maybe not here. Great for bag work. A compact way to carry 6 lav mics in a pouch. Made here in Philly by a company called Fabric Horse http://fabrichorse.com/ . They mostly make gear for cyclists, but some of them also work in production. They have some great accessory belts.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1394296801.022352.jpg

 

Fabric Horse FTW.

 

Spats? Yeah!

[TheBlimp]

Recently acquired a weird looking vintage leather golf bag, cost me € 2,50. It holds two boom poles (the poles are protected by fishing rod tubes) and a tripod. I like it.

[Jan McL]

Taking the notion of "little things" around a slight curve...

 

Bored on set?

 

Nobody's fault but your own; there's always something that may be done to improve, streamline, make easier/faster.

 

Neaten / clean the cart, cables, cases. Check.

 

Speaking of check, deep check IFB units and headsets for faults (including the ear foams).

 

Check the tires.

 

Step back, look objectively. What do you see? How will other departments see your gear and its presentation? Is there a spot wardrobe could use to temporarily stow some hangared stuff? A place where talent can safely put their tea?

 

Reflect on recent events. Has anyone been particularly helpful? Figure a way to positively reinforce that behavior.

 

The key being the practice of looking and actually seeing what's there.

 

It really does come down to the little things.

[Jan McL]

Oh, Jim, that...THAT made my day and could be the inspiration I needed to finally learn how to thread and bobbin the sewing machine I got sittin' 'round here...

 

Brilliant!

[rich]

just got back form trawling through ikea, and came back with a few of these

20176809

 which i will be loaning to the grip (dolly grip for those on the other side of the pond) for him to put under his track in locations where they would otherwise be putting cordex on the floor.

even if im the only one that gets a chuckle out of it, it will still be money well spent.

[Izen Ears]

  Anyone ever find the vampire RMs?  I swear I saw them somewhere and now I can't find em.  Basically an RM-11 with vampire fangs.  Tops would be two versions, with fuzzy and without.

  Funny mat!

  Dan  Izen

[jason porter]

LMC

Anyone ever find the vampire RMs? I swear I saw them somewhere and now I can't find em. Basically an RM-11 with vampire fangs. Tops would be two versions, with fuzzy and without.

Funny mat!

Dan Izen

[Izen Ears]

Thanks dude!!

[PhforAndAfter]

I just bought a couple of these for my bag.

 

I power them from the USB port in my BDS, instant bag light with a half-decent gooseneck!

 

[Jan McL]

You certainly took a little thing to a whole 'nother level, Mr. Gallup. Well done!

 

Roll on.

[Pete D]

I changed the screws on a TRX742.5 out for thumbscrews so I don't need to have a screwdriver handy when changing cones. I got the thumbscrews from mouser (part #534-2402) and cut them down to size with a pair of electricians pliers.

[Matthias Richter]

I wonder how often the 742 will cope with changing the cone. Do you change it on a daily basis?

[Pete D]

I don't change the cone very often, 99% of the time it just lives with the 3-pin xlr on there. The thumbscrews are there so when I do want to change it I don't have to take the time to grab a screwdriver. Granted it doesn't save a tremendous amount of time but for that little bit of convenience I think it was worth the $6 it cost.