The Travel Hacks That Can Save Filmmakers Thousands

Flying to a distant location shoot is part of the job—but if you’re not prepared, airfare and logistics can quietly destroy your budget before you even turn on a camera. Over the years, we’ve learned that success on travel shoots has less to do with flashy gear and more to do with smart planning. Here are some battle-tested recommendations every filmmaker should know before heading to the airport.

1. The Media Rate: The Best Travel Hack No One Talks About

If you take nothing else from this article, remember this: most airlines offer a media rate for luggage. This is one of the biggest cost-saving hacks in production travel, and surprisingly, it’s not advertised. You have to know to ask.

With a media rate, many airlines allow you to check far more bags than usual—sometimes up to 30—and at a deeply discounted price. On top of that, the maximum weight per bag is often significantly higher than standard luggage allowances. When you’re traveling with cases of lights, stands, audio gear, or cameras, this can save you thousands of dollars over time.

All you need is a media badge. And here’s the secret: there’s no official standard for what a media badge actually is. You can make your own or order one online. We made ours with our company logo, our photo, and the word “MEDIA” at the bottom. We even added a barcode to make it look official—even though the barcode doesn’t do anything at all.

It’s not something airlines openly promote, but if you have a badge and ask for the media rate at check-in, the results can be dramatic. We’ve saved thousands using this alone.

2. Pack Light (Especially When You Have to Bring Everything)

When you’re flying to a location without rental houses—or somewhere remote where you’re responsible for bringing everything—you must think differently about gear. Packing light isn’t just about convenience; it’s about cost, speed, and sanity.

This is where investing in lighter, travel-friendly light stands really pays off. Modern travel stands are strong, compact, and far easier to fly with than traditional heavy-duty options. Over multiple trips, the savings in baggage fees and reduced stress more than justify the upfront cost.

Every pound matters when you’re flying. If you can swap something heavy for something lighter without compromising the shoot, do it.

3. Sandbags: The Most Forgotten Piece of Gear (Until It’s Too Late)

Sandbags are one of the most commonly overlooked or forgotten items on travel shoots. You arrive on location, start setting up lights, and suddenly realize you’re about to rig a homemade sandbag out of a backpack, a hoodie, and whatever rocks you can find nearby.

Instead of improvising under pressure, bring fillable sandbags. Pack them empty—they take up almost no space and weigh nothing. Once you arrive, fill them with rocks from the location or make a quick run to a local hardware store like Home Depot and grab a bag of sand for a few bucks.

This approach is vastly cheaper than shipping full sandbags, buying pre-filled ones on location, or paying excess baggage fees for dead weight. It’s simple, efficient, and saves money every time.

4. Check Power and Outlet Converters Before You Fly

If you’re traveling internationally, don’t assume power will just “work itself out.” Make sure you have the correct outlet converters for the country you’re visiting, and double-check that your gear supports the local voltage.

Adapters are cheap, easy to pack, and can prevent catastrophic delays. Forgetting them is one of those small mistakes that can shut down an entire shoot day.

5. Always Pack Extra Socks and Underwear (Trust Us)

Finally, a rule that has nothing to do with gear and everything to do with survival: always pack extra socks and underwear in your carry-on.

Flights get delayed. Bags get lost. Weather happens. Suddenly you’re on day two of a shoot wondering if flipping your socks inside out counts as “fresh.” This is not the headspace you want to be in while directing, shooting, or running audio.

Extra socks and underwear won’t save your budget—but they will save your dignity.

Travel shoots reward preparation. Know the airline hacks, pack smarter, plan for the overlooked details, and you’ll spend less time problem-solving logistics and more time making the work you actually flew there to create.