VFX Gear - Pelican Cases
The Pelican 1620 and Pelican 1510, respectively.
As a visual effects supervisor based in Chicago, it’s a rare treat to be on set and get to sleep in my own bed at night. Nine times out of ten I’m on the road and that means the tools I need to keep my promises need to come with. It’s a delicate balance fraught with guilt and anxiety. Bring too much and you look like the science club brat with the terrible posture and lack of core weenie you are. Bring too little and you traveled all this way just to eat lunch in a parking lot and deal with expense reports. If you are fortunate enough to earn your $2k day rate you might as well get it right.
Here’s what works for me.
Pelican 1620
The largest case you can check as luggage on most airlines.
This is the beast. The Pelican 1620 is the largest case you can check as luggage on most airlines without oversized fees. It fits my chrome ball, tracking markers, pano head, tripod and head, Macbeth chart, shoulder bag, iPad Pro, measuring tape, calipers, laser disto, gaff tape, hat, sun protection, scissors, multi-tool, and anything else that TSA is itching to confiscate and eBay for a buck. It’s on wheels which are loud but good enough and is almost certainly guaranteed to be scrutinized and opened by security due to...well, the chrome ball. How something can look so cool but be so misunderstood is a mystery to me.
Inside is the Portabrace PB-1620DKO, which is a padded divider kit that lifts out entirely with a handle and shoulder strap if that’s your style. The side pockets are large and deep and perfect for losing important things you forgot you had. Here it is in ‘Local Mode’ for easy travel when you get to the hotel.
If and when the 1620 dies I’ll likely move up to the Pelican Air series which does offer significant weight savings. If I ever destroy my chrome ball, I’ll likely go to a smaller ball. The 25cm ball I have is the biggest factor due to its 10in/25cm diameter, which gets complicated real quick when it comes to airline travel.
The Portabrace PB-1620DKO in Local Mode.
Pelican 1510
The largest case you can carry on for most airlines
Here’s where all the fun stuff lives. The Pelican 1510 and its lid organizer contain all the stuff that I need at minimum to do my job: Canon R6, Canon 6D, Canon 15‑35mm f/2.8L IS, Canon 8-15mm f/4 L, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L, Promote Remote, Camranger 2, polarizer and ND filters, batteries and chargers, memory cards, masks, misc cables, laser pointers, sharpies, dry erase markers, grease pencils, multi-tool without a blade, and slate. This rascal doesn’t leave my sight. Ever. Okay, maybe I’ll check it on the way home after I’ve convinced myself I screwed something up on set and will never work in this business ever again so who cares if United loses it.
These Pelicans have seen the back of more 15-passenger vans than an amateur porn star and have never let me down. More and more going on set these days is less about figuring out what has never been figured out before and more about keeping promises with silly schedules and optimistic budgets. Instead of worrying about your gear, save yourself the hassle and instead worry about your script’s celebrity showing up with a surprise mustache.
They make great seats when waiting for your Uber.