Home Video Hints: New Rules for Video Vacations

The world has changed since your last video vacation. There are those no-nonsense white-uniformed TSA security guards at every airport in America and more hands-on and none-too-delicate luggage inspections both here and abroad. There are more metal detectors, x-ray machines, bomb-sniffing dogs and pesky prohibited lists. Leisure travel is still a great time to shoot video, but there are some new travel rules out there which we dare not ignore.

Pre-production
First the basics. Any successful video project requires thought before, during and after: preproduction, production and post-production. In these days of much tougher travel restrictions and the possibility of unanticipated hassles in your destination country, the pre-production part of things requires careful consideration.

Start by researching your destination and firming-up your itinerary. If your trip is strictly domestic, you can skip some of the warnings and advisories, but if you plan to travel anywhere outside the USA (including Canada and Mexico), then you'll need a checklist. Where you are going will dictate what you take along and how you use it when you get there. As part of the planning process, anticipating what you hope to accomplish (video-wise) will help you choose equipment and pack it wisely. If you are flying to your destination, you should make every effort to hand carry your camera. Airline regulations typically allow each passenger two pieces of carry-on luggage, one in the overhead bin and one that can fit under the seat. The bag or case for the overhead bin must weigh less than 40 pounds and be no larger than 9 x 14 x 22-inches. Luckily, many of today's video cameras are small enough to fit into a case of this size.

Lock 'n Load
On the other hand, if you must check your camera, make certain to pack it to withstand a lot of abuse. The newest travel cases for delicate video equipment will withstand vigorous and prolonged mistreatment. There are some great cases out there, whether made of anodized aluminum, high-impact plastic or the new collapsible cloth with metal brace inserts. The travel case you choose for your video camera and all of its accessories must be deep foam padded inside, highly shock resistant, as nearly indestructible as possible on the outside and equipped with a solid, tamper-proof lock. Other equipment such as lights, batteries, chargers, microphones, cables, tripods and tapes, can go in the cargo hold. Remember, all of your equipment must survive being tossed, dumped, dropped, stomped, stacked, vibrated, frozen, cooked and generally humiliated by baggage handlers between here and …