9 Production Supplies Coordinators Always Forget to Rent

By David Wells, President, Moving Picture Rental — Updated July 2026

The generator, the walkies, the tables and chairs – those make every coordinator’s list. The nine items below do not. They get left off the rental order, usually because everyone assumes someone else has it covered. And then day one happens.

All nine are available for rental from Moving Picture Rental, delivered to your location 7 days a week.

1. MiFi Hotspot

No internet on location means no access to the call sheet, the shot list, client approval portals, or the producer’s email. PAs and coordinators spend the first hour of the day trying to connect to a building network that requires IT clearance or a cell signal that drops the moment the grip truck parks in front of it.

A dedicated MiFi hotspot eliminates the problem. One device, shared across the production team, works independently of whatever the location provides. It also pairs with the Bluetooth speaker and Hollyland Solidcom intercom system for a clean, self-contained communications setup. Rent MiFi Hotspot

2. Wheeleez Big Wheel Beach Cart

Getting gear from the parking area to a beach location means crossing sand. A standard utility cart sinks immediately. The Wheeleez Big Wheel Beach Cart uses large-diameter balloon wheels designed for soft surfaces – sand, grass, and gravel – and moves a full load in one trip.

Coordinators at beach locations in Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, or Clearwater who skip this rental end up hand-carrying cases in the heat. Rent Wheeleez Big Wheel Beach Cart

3. 5-Gallon Water Cooler

The Producers Guild of America production management guidelines include crew hydration as a basic on-set requirement. In Florida between May and October, it is not a courtesy – it is a health consideration. Crew working in direct sun at a Miami or Orlando exterior location need constant access to cold water.

Most catering setups do not include a water station for the crew, and individual bottles generate waste. A 5-gallon dispenser cooler at base camp handles the whole crew for a day. Fill with ice and water the morning of. Rent 5-Gallon Water Cooler

4. Trash Can (32-gal)

A 30-person production generates a lot of waste over 10 hours. Coffee cups, catering packaging, expendable wrappers, gaffer tape rolls. Without trash cans at base camp and the set perimeter, that waste ends up on the ground – which creates a permit problem on location and a mess that the last PA on set has to deal with at wrap.

One 32-gallon can at base camp and one at craft services is the minimum. Add a recycling bin if the location agreement requires separation. Rent 32-gal Trash Can

5. Golf Umbrella

Florida afternoon thunderstorms are not a matter of if – they are a matter of when. The Florida Office of Film and Entertainment flags them as a routine planning item for exterior shoots, and any coordinator who has worked a Miami or Tampa exterior in August already knows why. A golf umbrella at the video village keeps the director, the client, and the monitor dry during a brief hold.

Moving Picture Rental also carries a Tote Umbrella for lighter coverage and a Medium Duty Tarp for larger equipment protection. The golf umbrella is the most-forgotten of the three. Rent Golf Umbrella

6. Makeup Mirror with LED Lights

HMU coordinators know they need a lit makeup mirror. Production coordinators sometimes assume that one will be provided at the location, or that HMU will bring their own. Neither is usually true. The location’s bathroom lighting is almost never usable for professional makeup application, and HMU artists do not typically own a freestanding lit mirror – they expect the production to have one.

Moving Picture Rental carries both an LED version and a traditional bulb version. The LED mirror is the more popular option for its daylight-balanced output. Rent Makeup Mirror with LED Lights

7. 8′ Fiberglass Ladder

There is always a moment on set where someone needs to reach eight feet. To adjust a practical fixture, tape a cable run out of frame, reach the top shelf of a wardrobe room, or get eyes on a rooftop location. Coordinators assume the location will have a ladder available. Locations almost never have one accessible, and when they do it is usually a two-footer stored in a utility closet behind a locked door.

Moving Picture Rental carries ladders from 2′ to 16′, including both standard and double-sided fiberglass options. The 8′ is the most-used size on a typical production day. Rent 8′ Fiberglass Ladder

8. Wardrobe Rack

Talent arrives with multiple looks. Those looks need to be hung, organized by scene, and accessible to the wardrobe department throughout the day without wrinkling or tangling. A folding chair is not a wardrobe rack. The back of a production van is not a wardrobe rack.

One rack per talent principal is the standard. On commercial shoots with multiple talent and multiple looks, two or three racks at the wardrobe station keep the department organized and prevent the delay that comes from digging through bags. Rent Wardrobe Rack

9. Hand Truck Dolly

Load-in on a tight timeline with a full equipment order means moving cases from the truck to set as fast as possible. Carrying cases individually, one or two at a time across a parking lot or hotel corridor, adds 20-30 minutes to load-in on a standard commercial day.

A hand truck dolly stacks cases and moves them in one trip. It is the most obvious rental to forget because it feels like something someone else will bring. Grip has a cart. Camera has a cart. Who has a dolly for the production supplies, the coolers, and the wardrobe cases? Order one. Rent Hand Truck Dolly

Forgotten Production Supplies Quick Reference Matrix

Frequently Asked Questions: Forgotten Production Supplies

What production supplies do coordinators most often forget to rent for a film shoot?
The nine most commonly forgotten production supplies are: a dedicated MiFi hotspot, a Wheeleez Big Wheel Beach Cart, a 5-gallon water cooler, a 32-gallon trash can, a golf umbrella, a daytime-balanced LED makeup mirror, an 8-foot fiberglass ladder, a rolling wardrobe rack, and a heavy-duty hand truck dolly. All are available for rental from Moving Picture Rental with delivery 7 days a week across Florida.

Do I need a MiFi hotspot on a film set in Florida?
Yes. Location WiFi is notoriously unreliable—building networks frequently require strict corporate IT clearance, and local cellular signals often drop completely when large grip trucks park nearby. A dedicated production MiFi hotspot gives your entire team an independent network to view call sheets, update shot lists, and secure client approvals throughout the day.

How do you move gear across a beach on a film shoot in Florida?
A Wheeleez Big Wheel Beach Cart is the standard solution for coastal sets. Standard utility carts have narrow tires that sink immediately into soft sand. The Wheeleez utilizes large-diameter balloon wheels designed to roll smoothly over soft sand, grass, and rough gravel, allowing you to move full equipment loads safely in a single trip.

Where can I rent production supplies for a film shoot in Miami, Orlando, Tampa, or Fort Myers?
Moving Picture Rental provides on-set delivery for production supplies across Florida 7 days a week. You can reach our regional desks at (305) 522-1361 for Miami and Fort Lauderdale, (407) 674-2054 for Orlando, (239) 288-0351 for Fort Myers, and (813) 296-2737 for Tampa, or request a custom rental quote directly on our website.

Disclaimer: Product availability is based on publicly available information from Moving Picture Rental at the time of publication and is subject to change. Contact Moving Picture Rental directly to confirm inventory before your shoot date.