The Singularity Is Almost Here

[Egg]

[lkwalker]

What the hell are grips and gaffers anyway? I see them in the movie credits but have fuckall idea what they do.

[Egg]

What the hell are grips and gaffers anyway? I see them in the movie credits but have fuckall idea what they do.

In movies you have grips and electrics. Both are part of the electric department.
The electrics run the power and wires. They deal with the actual head or the light source.

If you're ever on a film set, you'll see flags. Flags are between around 16 inches and 20 feet by 20 feet, usually. They are used to cut, disperse or color the light source. Grips deal with them. If a light head needs to be put on something aside from a stand, grips will have to figure out how to put it there. So, let's say you want to put a light on a rafter beam 20 feet up, one of us will get on a ladder haul the light up there and then set it somehow. Usually, with clamps or drilling it in and then safetying it with rope. We also do some art department work and are in charge of set safety. Also, we work the dolly which is where you put the camera (unless it's just on a camera stand).
I got out of the business for years. It's not the only thing I've done. I did a job about 3-4 months ago and am thinking of doing more soon.

OH! A Gaffer is the head Electric. Basically, you have the Director of Photography, then the Gaffer then the Key Grip. A good Gaffer is often the one who makes a set look pretty in the camera's lens (lighting wise).

[lkwalker]

Sorry I asked. That made absolutely no sense at all. If you'd told me a gripper grabs a guy by the balls and the guy shouts, "gaff!", I would have been a lot happier.

[Egg]

Electrics - deal with generator or power source, cables from power source to light source and light source.

Grips - deal with hanging light source, using equipment to cut the light, shade it, color it, diffuse it. Also, the maneuver the dolly. The dolly is where the Director Of Photography sits and the camera rests on. In charge of set safety. Building scaffolding and some art department work.

Gaffer - takes light readings. Along with the Director of Photography, decides what light to use for desired lighting effect and how to diffuse it if necessary.

Chain of Command in the lighting world --> Director of Photography -> Gaffer -> Key Grip.

In the film world the word "Key" is sometimes used to denote the head of a department.

[Egg]

Or, if you prefer, the grip hold the director's coffee while the gaffer regales him with interesting tales.

[lkwalker]

Fuck the lot of em. Movies give me gas anyway.

[Egg]

HAHA!!! Making them is fun, though.

[lkwalker]

I'm impressed with the SAG. Every few weeks one of my kids gets a check from them for several hundred bucks for doing shit she can't even remember doing!

[Egg]

I'm impressed with the SAG. Every few weeks one of my kids gets a check from them for several hundred bucks for doing shit she can't even remember doing!

Really? I need to get in on that. I did a couple of voice overs a long while back. I should still have on on tape. But, that's aftra or whatever the union is for that, and I was a scab.... so, it doesn't matter anyway.

It's impressive that she even got into SAG. Unless you know someone, it's a pain in the ass.