First Assistant Camera

Think Foundry; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Healthcare, Dental, Vision covered

Job summary

Think Foundry is seeking a hands-on 1st AC / Camera Department Lead based in San Jose, CA. You will own the camera department from prep to wrap, build and configure camera packages, manage inventory and gear logistics, and drive the company grip van to locations and rental houses.

The ideal candidate is a true gearhead with strong organizational skills, experience with ARRI/RED/Sony/Canon cameras, and a passion for production equipment.

Qualifications

• Must have proven experience as a 1st AC / First Assistant Camera.
• Strong knowledge of professional digital cinema cameras, lenses, and accessories.
• Ability to build and manage camera packages, inventory, and logistics.

Responsibilities

• Serve as 1st AC on production shoots and support the DP/camera team from prep through production.
• Build, prep, configure, and maintain camera packages for different productions.
• Manage camera bodies, lenses, media, batteries, monitoring, wireless video, follow focus, and accessories.
• Perform camera builds, lens changes, focus pulling, maintenance, and on-set troubleshooting.
• Coordinate with rental houses and track equipment throughout prep, production, and returns.
• Load, transport, and unload camera/grip equipment; drive the company grip van.

Skills

1st AC

Camera systems

Equipment inventory

Troubleshooting

Logistics

Driver's license

Organization

Job description

We’re looking for a highly capable, hands‑on 1st AC / Camera Department Lead to join our production team. This is a great role for someone who is both technically sharp and genuinely obsessed with cameras and production gear.

Our ideal candidate is a true gearhead: someone who knows camera systems inside and out, enjoys building and troubleshooting packages, keeps equipment meticulously organized, and takes ownership of making sure the camera department is ready to go before the first shot.

In addition to traditional 1st AC responsibilities, this role will have significant responsibility for equipment inventory, rental coordination, gear prep, and transportation. The right person will be equally comfortable working on set, in the prep space, at a rental house, or behind the wheel of our grip van.

Responsibilities

• Serve as 1st AC on production shoots and support the DP/camera team throughout prep and production
• Build, prep, configure, and maintain camera packages for a variety of productions
• Manage camera bodies, lenses, media, batteries, monitoring, wireless video, follow focus, camera support, and other accessories
• Perform camera builds, lens changes, focus pulling, camera maintenance, and on‑set troubleshooting
• Work closely with the DP to ensure the camera package is properly configured for each production
• Create and maintain detailed camera and equipment inventories
• Pull, organize, inspect, and return equipment for shoots
• Coordinate with rental houses regarding camera, lens, and production equipment rentals
• Verify rental packages against prep lists and ensure all required equipment is present, functional, and properly configured
• Track equipment during prep, production, and returns, including identifying missing, damaged, or malfunctioning items
• Maintain a clean, organized, and production‑ready gear inventory
• Help determine what equipment should be rented versus pulled from company inventory
• Load, secure, transport, and unload camera/grip equipment safely
• Drive the company's grip van to and from production locations, rental houses, and storage facilities
• Assist with general equipment logistics and production prep as needed
• Troubleshoot technical issues quickly and calmly in fast‑paced production environments
• Maintain a high standard of care for both company‑owned and rented equipment

Requirements

• Must be based in San Jose, CA
• Proven professional experience as a 1st AC / First Assistant Camera
• Strong working knowledge of professional digital cinema cameras, lenses, and camera accessories
• Experience with major cinema camera systems such as ARRI, RED, Sony, Canon, or similar
• Strong understanding of camera builds, lensing, focus systems, wireless video, monitoring, media, power, and timecode
• Excellent organizational and equipment‑management skills
• Strong troubleshooting and problem‑solving abilities
• Genuine passion for cameras and production equipment — you should be the kind of person who enjoys geeking out over gear
• Comfortable working independently and taking ownership of camera/equipment logistics
• Professional, dependable, detail‑oriented, and calm under pressure
• Able to safely lift, carry, load, unload, and transport production equipment
• Valid driver's license and ability to reliably drive a company grip van
• Willingness to handle gear pickups, returns, prep, and production logistics in addition to on‑set responsibilities

Nice to Have

• Experience working with commercial, branded, narrative, documentary, or corporate productions
• Established relationships with Bay Area camera and equipment rental houses
• Experience managing a company‑owned camera/production inventory
• Familiarity with grip and lighting equipment in addition to camera gear
• Experience with camera prep and equipment checklists
• Strong knowledge of current cinema‑camera technology and production workflows
• Ability to step into broader camera department or production responsibilities when needed

The Ideal Candidate

You’re not someone who just knows how to operate a camera. You love the gear.

You know your way around a camera truck, can spot a missing piece of a package before it becomes a problem, and would rather troubleshoot an issue than stand around waiting for someone else to solve it. You’re organized enough to keep an inventory accurate, experienced enough to know what a production actually needs, and dependable enough that we can trust you with both expensive equipment and the logistics of getting it where it needs to go.

You take pride in being prepared, keeping gear in excellent condition, and making the camera department run smoothly from prep through wrap.

• Annual bonus
• 100% Healthcare, Dental, and Vision covered