Last Updated 3 months ago
Definition
Load in and load out refer to the process of bringing equipment, materials, and production supplies into a location before work begins and removing them after the work is finished. In film, television, commercial, live event, and stage production, these terms are used to describe the physical movement of gear to and from the set, stage, studio, truck, venue, or location.
In simple terms, load in is getting everything into place before the job, and load out is getting everything back out when the job is done.
That sounds basic, but it is a major part of real production work. Cameras, lighting, grip gear, sound packages, props, set dressing, wardrobe, makeup supplies, production carts, monitors, video village gear, generators, power distribution, and countless other items do not magically appear where they are needed. Someone has to organize, transport, unload, stage, protect, and later remove all of it. That process is the load in and load out.
These terms matter because production is physical. A lot of beginners think mostly about creative work, but the industry runs on labor, logistics, and movement. A good load in can save the day before the first shot is even framed. A bad load out can lead to missing gear, damaged equipment, overtime, safety problems, and total chaos at wrap. In many cases, the speed and professionalism of a production can be judged by how well it handles its load in and load out.
The exact scale varies widely. On a tiny shoot, load in may mean two people carrying camera bags, light stands, and a small sound kit into an office. On a large studio feature, it may involve trucks, lift gates, loaders, electricians, grips, art department crews, set construction teams, staging plans, security rules, and hours of coordinated labor before the camera department even rolls. The same basic concept applies at every level. The gear has to come in, get organized, and later leave cleanly.
What Happens During Load In
A load in happens before shooting, rehearsal, or performance begins. Its purpose is to get the required gear and materials into the space in a usable, organized way.
That may include unloading trucks, vans, or cube trucks, moving cases and carts into the correct departments, staging equipment in holding areas, carrying specialty items to the shooting space, building camera and lighting carts, placing power distribution, and setting up the base operational footprint of the production.
A load in is not just random carrying. On a good production, it has structure. Departments usually know what comes in first, where it goes, what needs to be built immediately, and what should remain packed until needed. For example, the electric department may need distro and major units in place early. Grip may need track, rigging gear, stands, and shaping tools staged near the set. Camera may need a quiet area to build and check the package. Art may need access for dressing before the frame is finalized.
This is why load in often overlaps with broader prep activity. It is the physical beginning of the working day or working phase.
In some environments, especially studio and event work, “load in” may refer to a specific scheduled period before the official start of production or performance. On location shoots, it may simply be the first stage of the crew’s arrival and setup process.
What Happens During Load Out
A load out happens after the shoot day, performance, or production block is finished. It is the process of wrapping equipment, packing it correctly, removing it from the space, and returning it to trucks, transport vehicles, rental houses, storage, or the next location.
This is not just the reverse of load in. A load out often happens when people are tired, behind schedule, in the dark, in bad weather, or rushing to avoid overtime. That is why it can go bad fast if the crew is disorganized.
A proper load out usually includes striking lights, wrapping cable, disassembling rigs, packing camera gear securely, checking expendables, consolidating department carts, removing trash, restoring the location, confirming nothing has been left behind, and returning the gear in a logical order for transport.
On larger productions, the load out may also involve paperwork, equipment checklists, truck pack strategy, security sign-off, and coordination with locations or venue staff. Some departments may load out earlier than others depending on whether they have wrapped for the day or whether the location remains active for another unit or prep team.
A bad load out is where things get lost, broken, forgotten, or thrown into cases carelessly. A good load out protects the gear, protects the location, and protects the next day’s workflow.
Why Load In and Load Out Matter
These terms matter because production efficiency starts long before “action” and continues long after “cut.” If the gear comes in badly, the day starts badly. If it goes out badly, the next day may start badly too.
A smooth load in helps the crew start on time, keeps departments from tripping over each other, and makes setup faster. A smooth load out reduces lost gear, prevents damage, helps rentals go back cleanly, avoids location complaints, and keeps the production from bleeding time and money at the end of the day.
This is especially important because load in and load out affect more than convenience. They affect safety. Heavy carts, stands, cable bins, generators, distro, and cases all have to move through real spaces with real people. Hallways get crowded. Elevators get booked. Doorways become choke points. Weather becomes a factor. Good load procedures reduce risk.
They also affect morale. Nothing kills energy faster than a stupid, disorganized wrap where no one knows what is happening, gear is being dumped randomly, and half the crew is waiting because the truck pack makes no sense.
Load In / Load Out vs. Setup / Strike
These terms are related, but they are not identical.
Load in / load out refer to moving gear and materials into and out of the location or production space.
Setup / strike refer more specifically to building or dismantling the actual working arrangement of the gear once it is there.
For example, bringing a lighting package from the truck into a stage is part of the load in. Placing the lamps, running cable, rigging the units, and shaping the light is setup. At the end of the day, taking the lamps down and wrapping cable is strike. Returning the cases and carts to the truck is load out.
On real sets, these processes overlap constantly, but the distinction is still useful. Load in and load out are about transport and staging. Setup and strike are about operational build and breakdown.
Department Involvement
Almost every department is involved in load in and load out in some way, but the scale differs.
Grip and electric often handle large volumes of heavy gear and therefore play a major role. Camera loads in its package carefully because delicate equipment has to be built, checked, and protected. Sound usually has a smaller footprint, but still has to move and stage its kit efficiently. Art department may have one of the biggest logistics burdens of all if props, furniture, dressing, scenic elements, or construction materials are involved. Production also manages supplies, signage, paperwork stations, tents, crafty gear, and other infrastructure.
That is why these terms are not limited to one crew position. They are production-wide realities.
Why It Matters
Load in / load out matter because they describe one of the most basic but unavoidable parts of production labor: getting the job physically into place and then getting it out again without wasting time, damaging gear, or wrecking the location.
For students and beginners, these terms are useful because they point to a truth a lot of people learn late: set work is not just creative decision-making. It is moving things, organizing things, protecting things, and repeating that process day after day. The crews who do this well make the whole production look more professional. The crews who do it badly make everything harder.
In practical production terms, load in is the process of bringing gear to set before the work begins, and load out is the process of packing and removing that gear after the work is done. It sounds simple, but it is one of the core logistical foundations of filmmaking and production.
Related Terms
[Strike]
[Setup]
[Wrap]
[Truck Pack]
[Grip Department]
[Electric Department]
[Production Logistics]