Everyone who has been doing film for a while knows what it’s like to get on your first job big enough for them to have walkie talkies. It’s an exciting moment, but then you realize you’re supposed to have your own headset. You ask if they have a spare and they hand you the dreaded McDonald’s headset.

“Would you like fries with that?”



That’s a phrase you’ll only want to hear once. Then you see everyone else looking like this guy and you know you’ve gotta get your act together.

Copy, roger, 10-4, over.

But where do you go to get the cool surveillance ear piece? How do you take care of them? We’ll try and give you some helpful tips here.

Quantity vs. Quality

When purchasing a headset, this is the biggest question. Do you buy 1 really expensive headset, or just 10 cheap ones? Personally I have not noticed much of a difference between a 10 dollar headset and a 100 dollar one. I’m using one now I’ve had for over a year and cost me 15 dollars. Your mileage may vary, but my vote is buy the cheap ones and buy 5 of them. Put two in your backpack, two in your car, and save one for whatever you want. Whenever one goes down you’ll have another and if the gaffers dies you’ll be the hero to give them a fresh brand new one.

This is what I’ve been buying, but I recommend trying a few different brands to see what fits you. If you’re tall this one can be a little short.

Link here

Ear Piece

You can use the little nub earpiece they give you, but you’ll find after a few days with it in your ear it’s not the most comfortable. Go for a molded earpiece instead.

Purchase those here.

There’s been a little debate on this, but this is the most comfortable way I’ve found to put the molded ear piece in your ear.

The important part here is when you put it in your tube will probably be overly long. Here is the trick to making it look like you’re a seasoned vet, grab a pair of scissors and cut the tube shorter at both ends. Make it fit your ear as much as you can.

Maintenance

Eventually you’ll have problems with it. It’s normal. The most common issue is you can’t hear people or they sound like they’re underwater. Go to the camera department and “borrow” their canned air. Shoot it into the tube only and it will help to clear any blockages. Often times you’ll be able to fix most issues with just replacing the tube or this trick.

Style

You got the headset, you’re looking good, but where do you keep it? Try this sweet mini pelican case. Looks good and it’s waterproof too!

Find that here.

Once you get your headset in working order you need to look cool. Here’s a few things you can grab to up to be the envy of all the other technicians.

Mini-Scalers

Find them on amazon. Here is a search on Amazon for them, just use the search term “mini scalers” anywhere and you can find all different kinds. They hang on your microphone cable.

Walkie Woogie





These are pretty hot right now. A replacement tube for your headset that come in a variety of colors and don’t seem to get clogged as fast as the others. Buy em here.

Okay, that’s all for now! Hope you end up not only prepared for your next job, but also looking fresh!

Bolt Lighting Rental Inc is a lighting rental house located in the San Francisco Bay Area. We’re committed to training the next generation of technicians everywhere. Check out our instagram for daily educational content.