What Are Hot and Cold Bricks?

In filmmaking, a hot brick is a term used for a fully charged walkie talkie battery, and a cold brick is a dead walkie battery. Walkie talkies are an essential communication tool used on a film set and having fully charged batteries (as well as extra walkies) available at any time is crucial.

The PA who is in charge of walkies has a huge responsibility. On large productions, there can be more than a hundred walkies that need to be labeled, distributed, and tracked. The walkies that are used on film sets are expensive commercial units that are much more robust than the walkie talkies available to consumers for personal use, and any walkie talkies that end up missing can be costly to the production.

It is common for best boys to be in charge of requesting walkies for their departments as well as returning them, so they may ask for several walkies. PAs can use a spreadsheet to list the serial numbers of every walkie and jot down the name of the person or department using each walkie along with the date the walkie was checked out and the date the walkie was returned. On the walkies themselves, painter’s tape or gaffer’s tape is used to label the walkie with the person’s name and position.

It is also important for PAs to cycle out charged and dead/dying batteries throughout the day to keep communication running smoothly as far as equipment goes. Red gaffer’s tape is typically used to indicate that a walkie or battery is defective.

If you are looking for PAs, supplies or equipment for your next production, check out our online Nevada Production Directory to find Nevada production support services or drop by our office and pick up a free printed directory!

If you offer production and film-related services in Nevada and are not yet listed in our Production Directory, you can learn more about how to sign up for the NPD here.

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