Every videographer gear checklist on the internet seems to be written by someone who has never carried the bag. They read like wish lists: four camera bodies, a drone, a gimbal, a slider, and a light kit that needs its own cart. After years of running client shoots around Dallas — brand films, event recaps, interviews in offices with terrible fluorescent lighting — we have learned that the real question is not what could I use? It is what actually earns its bag space? This is the kit philosophy we run our studio on: a lean core bag, deliberate redundancy for paid work, and an honest list of gear that stays home.

The Core Bag: Roles, Not Brands