Slating is the 2nd AC’s job on most sets, not the 1st AC’s, and it’s the single most visible thing you do every single take. Keep the slate itself clean and legible, and carry more spare dry-erase markers than seems reasonable — they run dry constantly, and a slate nobody can read costs the whole take, not just yours.

Camera reports track roll numbers, scene and take info, lens and stop, and lab or DIT instructions for every single setup, and they’re the 2nd AC’s responsibility to keep accurate. A weatherproof clipboard, a pad of report sheets (or a tablet running report software), and a couple of reliable pens keep this from turning into end-of-day reconstruction from memory.

Knowing at a glance which cards are shot, which are backed up, and which are still empty prevents the single worst mistake a 2nd AC can make: reformatting a card that hasn’t been backed up yet. Colored tape or tags marking exposed versus unexposed media (a holdover from film-loading days that still applies directly to digital cards) makes this a visual check instead of a memory test.

The 2nd AC is often the camera department’s ears to the rest of the set — hearing when picture’s up, when the AD calls for a lens check, when a roll change needs to happen before the next setup. A comfortable earpiece beats holding a radio to your ear, and spare AA batteries mean you’re never the reason a channel goes quiet.

Reference photos of wardrobe, props, and set dressing between takes and setups protect continuity across a shoot day and across the entire schedule if a scene picks up again weeks later. Many 2nd ACs use a phone for this; some productions still prefer a dedicated compact camera to keep continuity photos separate from personal devices.

Everything above needs a home that survives being kicked, rained on, and dug through fast under pressure. A purpose-built set bag (soft-sided with a slate pocket) or a hard case like a Pelican-style box both work; the right choice depends more on how much you’re carrying and how often you’re moving locations than personal preference alone.

Velcro, Dual Lock, gaff tape, chem wipes, and microfiber cloths get used up fast and rarely get restocked until they’re already gone. Building this into a regular restock habit, rather than noticing it’s empty mid-shoot, keeps small fixes from turning into delays.

Camera department days are long and often outdoors, and the 2nd AC is rarely standing still. Sunscreen, a compact rain layer, hand warmers for cold exteriors, and a refillable water bottle aren’t glamorous, but they’re the difference between a sustainable 12-hour day and one that wears you down by hour six.