Travel Essentials for a TV Producer

Since E:60 launched back in the fall of 2007, my assignments have taken me to many locales throughout the United States, including California, New York, New Jersey, Tennessee, Florida, Minnesota, South Dakota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.  International destinations have included England, Iceland, Germany, Italy and South Africa. 

No matter where E:60 assignments take me, there is always an essential “go bag” of things I like to have with me to make my travels more productive and more comfortable.

Some of the tools of the trade are obvious: passport, money, laptop computer, etc.  But some items are less obvious and good to have whether you are producing a TV segment or just traveling leisurely on vacation. They include sunscreen and all-weather gear (I’m often shooting outdoors at all times of the year in many different climates) and it can be extremely hot and sunny in places like Florida and Nevada, and incredibly cold (Iceland) or wet (Britain). Having the proper protection from the elements are essential.

Also essential are comfortable and appropriate footwear.  As a TV producer, a lot of time is spent standing on your feet, and traveling on all types of surfaces.  A comfortable pair of sneakers are great if you are working on a basketball court, but I have a great pair of trekking shoes that provided the best traction in the Italian Alps.

When traveling to more remotes places like South Africa or even rural areas in the U.S. , having bottled water, toilet paper, and over-the-counter medications for to prevent or cure contaminated water, or bad food can keep you on schedule.

But believe it or not, I think the two most important items that I never travel without these days is an HD pocket video camera and a really good pair of noise cancelling headphones.  At E:60, we pride ourselves on production value, and whether capturing another angle, or saving costs by using a small inexpensive HD video camera instead of hiring a full crew, today’s technology has allowed producers a great deal more flexibility and opportunity to get more high quality footage for less. They are great for grabbing photos for producer blogs, too. 

Similarly, whether trying to be productive on an airplane, or trying to access the quality of the sound during an interview, and just need quiet while screening footage in a noisy room in Bristol, a quality pair of noise-canceling headphones can be a game changer. Noise-cancelling technology allows me to focus on the task at hand without being distracted by the person next to me, or the crowd at a noisy sporting event.     

T. Sean Herbert

E:60 Feature Producer