By Michael Svitak

“Have a safe flight. Someone from production will pick you up.” How many strange country codes have flashed across the screen of my mobile phone? Who will meet me at baggage claim? Can their vehicle handle the half dozen (or more) pelican cases traveling with me? Weather? Does it matter? The call came in at 6 am PST, but in Montreal its 9, well into the workday on the production of the movie “Deadfall.” I’ve been hired to shoot a snowmobile chase. My flight departs at noon.

I have a weather bag packed at all times on the top shelf of my closet that contains clothing for every climate my person has been tossed into over the past couple of years, from -20 below on a frozen lake in northeastern Canada, to 100+ desert heat of Yuma, AZ (in this case, only four months between the two). Over the past decade, I have had the privilege of working on shoots in England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Canada. Not to mention a handful of floats on international waters in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

This post is a continuation of “The need for speed,” highlighting the necessity to prepare to be mobile on shoots regardless of location. The two bags that travel with me everywhere are my weather bag and AKS bag.

Here is what I keep in my personal weather bag (unless you are shooting someplace very hot):

Patagonia down sweater (this goes everywhere with me)

Heavy down jacket

Insulated snow pants

Snow boots

Thermal top and bottoms

Rain jacket

Rain pants

I also toss in an extra change of clothes (jeans, sweatshirt, socks, etc)

This may seem quite extensive, but you can accumulate it over time and base it on where you are shooting. It’s one bag you don’t keep light.

On to my best friend on set, my AKS bag. This consists of:

Light meters

Tool belt (as listed in “the need for speed”)

Tape roll of assorted colors gaffers, electrical, paper

Allen keys (standard and metric)

5′ of 2″ Velcro (both sides)

Lens cleaning supplies

Backup batteries for anything requiring them

16′ sturdy metal tape measure

1 Box 1 gallon Ziploc bags

I am always looking for little bits and accessories that allow me to be more prepared and move faster. These go in the bag too. One item that might stand out is the Ziploc bags. We have tried numerous approaches to protect the Canon cameras from the elements, but the one thing that is tried and true is Ziploc bags. With just a little electrical tape on the lens and the zipper seal in the back, you’re good to roll (but make sure you cut it so the text on the bag doesn’t cover the LCD screen).

Now, we will return to our story in Montreal. By the time I get through customs and to the hotel, it’s after 1 am. At 7 am, a driver arrives at the hotel to pick me up for a meeting with Shane Hurlbut and Director Stephan Ruzowitzky. We go through the storyboards and discuss specific shots to accomplish the next morning. The main unit needs to stay on course, but, with a snowstorm brewing, the decision is made to mobilize a second unit and send them three hours north to Saccacomie, Quebec where the brunt of the blizzard should hit. It’s hard to comprehend how I can be on a snowmobile rocketing across a frozen lake through a snowstorm when 36 hours ago, I was asleep in LA. Eight hours later, I’m thigh-deep in snow with the camera crew placing two high-speed Arri 35mm cameras and eight Canon 5Ds to capture a huge stunt before lunch. A pair of police snowmobiles in pursuit must jump over a shallow river to apprehend the suspect. We can’t make any mistakes.

Enormous credit is due to the production team and stunt coordinator Jean Frenette for organizing a deft, hardworking crew! We captured the stunt on schedule and safely. The filmmaking process is a collaborative effort. All the cogs of the wheel are needed for it to spin properly, meaning everyone from top to bottom of the call sheet is hired to perform a specific task. To excel as cinematographers or camera assistants means having your equipment (especially your attire) ready and in good working order before the shoot. Because once the wheel of that machine is in motion, the best way to ensure it is perpetual is to be prepared to react quickly.