Your first day on a film set as a PA is not the day to figure out what you should have brought.

Most first-time PAs show up with a phone, a pen, and good intentions. The ones who get hired back come prepared — with the tools that make them reliable, fast, and useful in the moments that count on a working production.

This is the practical kit list. Not gear for hire. Not equipment. The personal tools that make a film PA effective on set from day one.

The Film PA Kit List

1. A reliable bag

Everything else on this list needs somewhere to live. A backpack or cross-body bag with multiple pockets — not a tote, not a shopping bag. On a working set you’re moving constantly. You need both hands free and your tools accessible without digging.

What to look for: water resistant, at least two zippered compartments, a dedicated spot for a water bottle. Around $30-60. Don’t overthink it.

2. Multiple pens and a Sharpie

Plural. Always. Pens disappear on set with astonishing speed. Bring at least four. Two fine-point pens for paperwork, one Sharpie for labeling and marking, and one extra of whatever you use most. Keep them in the same pocket every time so you’re not searching when someone needs to sign something right now.

3. A daily production log — physical

This is the one most first-time PAs skip. They take notes on their phone. The problem: phones die, lock unexpectedly, and are constantly getting interrupted by notifications at exactly the wrong moment.

A physical daily production log keeps your running record of the day — what scenes shot, what moved, what delayed, who showed up, what the AD said. It’s also the document you hand to your supervisor at wrap so there’s a clear record of what happened.

Thoolie’s Daily Production Log pad is 5.5″ × 8.5″ — compact enough for a jacket pocket — with structured sections for shoot day, scenes completed, delays, issues, and next-day notes. 40 tearaway sheets so you can hand off a clean page at the end of every day without tearing apart a notebook.

4. A shot list or DoOD pad — if you’re supporting a department head

If you’re working directly with the AD or a department head, having a physical Shot List or Day Out of Days pad makes you immediately more useful.

Most ADs work from digital copies but sets move fast and screens don’t always cooperate. A PA who can pull out a clean physical shot list or DoOD sheet and start tracking in real time — without waiting for someone to AirDrop a file or pull up an app — is the PA who gets called back.

The Thoolie Collective Shot List Pad and Day Out of Days Pad are 8.5″ × 11″ — full page, every field an AD or DP actually uses — with tearaway sheets. Both available at shop.thoolie.com.

5. A watch

Not your phone — a watch. On a working set, you need to know the time at a glance without unlocking a screen. Every department runs on call times, turnaround requirements, and meal penalties. Knowing it’s 5:58pm when lunch was called for 6:00pm — and being the PA who flags it immediately — is the kind of situational awareness that gets noticed.

Any watch works. Just wear one.

6. A portable charger

Your phone is your communication device, your sides viewer, your map, and your alarm. It will die at the worst possible moment if you don’t manage it. A small 10,000mAh power bank in your bag means you’re never the PA who disappeared to find an outlet.

7. Sides

The current day’s sides — the relevant pages from the script for what’s shooting today — should be in your bag before you arrive on set. The call sheet will tell you what scenes are scheduled. Pull those pages from the script the night before. Know what’s happening before you get there.

If you’re supporting talent, having a clean copy of their scenes ready is the kind of preparation that makes a noticeable difference.

8. Snacks and water

Sets run long. Meals get delayed. Catering doesn’t always account for everyone. Keeping a small amount of food and a full water bottle in your bag is basic self-management — and it occasionally makes you the most popular person on set.

9. A change of clothes or layers

Interiors are freezing. Exteriors are unpredictable. A lightweight layer that rolls up small is worth the bag space on any shoot longer than four hours. If you’re on location, check the weather the night before.

The One Thing Most First-Time PAs Don’t Bring

Organization. Specifically — a way to track what’s happening during the day in real time.

The PA who takes clean, structured notes throughout the shoot day — what moved, what delayed, what the AD said about tomorrow, what issues came up — is the PA the production wants back.

Notes on a phone get lost in other apps. Notes on random scraps of paper disappear. A dedicated production log gives you a running record that you can hand off, reference later, and use to stay ahead of what’s coming.

It’s not glamorous. It’s the job.

A Note on the Legal Side of PA Work

If you’re working as a PA on an indie or student production — especially an unpaid or low-paid one — make sure you have a signed crew agreement before you start.

A PA who contributes original work to a production — documentation, scheduling materials, any creative work product — technically retains rights to that work under copyright law without a written agreement. Most PAs don’t think about this and most productions don’t either, until it matters.

If you’re hiring PAs for your production, Thoolie’s Crew Agreement Short Form covers all the terms you need for limited-scope crew engagements.