Recently I posed a question to a group of fellow professionals involved in video production: “What are your top five most valuable video tools (hardware, software or otherwise) that you use for setting up and running a show?” I wasn’t interested in just the laundry list — I also wanted to know “why” a particular tool was indispensable. It’s interesting to see the general consensus, particularly with a group of technicians whose main job is to get the show running as quickly as possible, and solve as many problems as possible backstage. The key is “armed and ready,” plus a healthy dose of experience on the road. You’ll need light, multi-tools, every video adapter known to mankind, your trusty laptop and a smartphone, plenty of documentation — not to mention over-the-counter headache remedies, a comfy chair and a sarcastic sense of humor.
—For the full list of responses, see Paul Berliner’s “Video World,” PLSN, Feb. 2013.
