This can be very confusing and misleading to someone who doesn't know about this or hasn't worked on a set.
Electrical Department (Lighting):
1. Gaffer: Head electrician, "Chief lighting technician", lighting director... you get the idea.
2. Best Boy Electrician: Second to the Gaffer, communicates between the Gaffer and electricians, instructs and directs electricians, in charge of inventory, keeping up with schedule, and reports back to Gaffer.
1. Key Grip: Head Grip, works with the Gaffer and DP to discuss lighting and camera setup, directs Best Boy Grip.
2. Best Boy Grip: Same as Best Boy Electrician, but for the Grip Department.
3. Grip: The workhorse of the crew, does all the moving, lifting, rigging, etc. Not that the Key Grip and Best Boy don't do any of this, but the Grips do most of it.
The Grip and Electrical departments generally work together to setup and realize what the DP envisions.
The Electrical Department is in charge of any electrical equipment (Duh), especially lights, and the Grip Department is in charge of all the grip equipment, dollies, cranes, rigging cameras, etc, they're like the MacGyvers of a film crew.
Generally, the grips won't touch the electrical equipment, and the electricians won't touch the grip equipment, unless asked for help by a crew member of that department. But in low budget productions these two departments are normally combined.
The Director of photography, working with the director, decide on the "look". The set lighting department, headed up by the gaffer create the desired light, which is shaped, diffused, or reduced if needed by the key grip and his grip department.
The gaffer is usually considered a bit above the key grip in rank, but they often work pretty much at the same level. Lighting and grip departments each have their own best boys, who manage the equipment and the manpower for their dept.
This video looks like the work of some "quickie film school"- run by people who have little or no real-world experience, but are cashing in on people who dream of working on features. They do nothing except take money and turn out folks who show up on sets expecting to get hired, and are shocked to find out they know nothing.
I can guarantee that those pretty pictures that were shown had nothing to do with anything these knuckleheads have worked on.
The Gaffer is in charge of the lighting, taking his cues and inspiration
from the DP. The key grip is in charge of camera movement and rigging and works with the gaffer in shaping the light with flags and bounces. This is the
"American Way". In Europe the Gaffer and his electricians also set flags but the Key grip and grips remain in charge of camera movement and rigging. There. Simple!
The DP works with the Gaffer and Key Grip, who are both heads of different departments. The Gaffer heads the Electric Department, the Key Grip heads the Grip Department. Each department has one Best Boy, who acts as the right hand man of his boss, hiring crew, lining up rentals, etc. while the Gaffer and Key Grip light the set. The electric department deals only with lights, grips deal with lighting modification and camera support (dollies, etc).
Where I am from it works like this and im pretty sure it is standard elsewhere too.
Director and DOP/DP Work on the shot composition, generally DP will know how he/she wants it lit framing and camera movement.The director will worry about the acting and whether or not its working for them in general, it is then the DP's job to communicate the directors vision to the Key Grip, Gaffer, Makeup HOD (Head of department) and the Wardrobe HOD.
Camera dept is ussually right next to the DP so they already know what they are supposed to do. DP asks for a different lens, camera assist changes the lens.
Grips have a Key Grip (HOD) and then can have as many Grip Assistants (there are other names for this) as are required. Sometimes you will see Best Boy Grip which will mean second in command in grip department.
Grip department's main focus is camera movement (Dolly shots, vehicle tracking, rigging the camera to move, and stabalising the camera on the tripod) they also deal with most general rigging, In the states I believe (correct me here) they will setup stands and mounting/rigging for all the lights but not the lights themselves. This seems to be due to the rediculious union system they have for the film industry that requires many people are employed for every shoot.
Lighting department deals with setting up lights, lighting control, and power distribution. lighting control can be things like cutters/flags to block light or create certain shadows. Diffusion to creat softer light. Gels to give the light different tones. The Gaffer is the HOD of lighting and under him is the Best Boy. The Gaffer will talk to the DP to get his vision of the shot and then tell the best boy how it should be done.
@1337cookie The best boy will organise the Lighting assists/Sparkies/Electricians (different names same job) to setup the appropriate things required.
Makeup and Wardrobe are self explainitory.
Art dept does things like groom sand on a beach to make it look nice. Make sure anything thats going in shot looks good and portrays the directors vision properly. Thing like finding the perfect toy for a child to play with and having a variety of unique things to try if it doesnt work.
Art dept also deal with making sure lots of people dont ruin grass or a field before the shots are all finished. A crew of 30 will rip up a lawn in a matter of minutes. On larger jobs they even get a special title for this job called Greens. All they do is replace the grass when it gets ripped up.
Wow, this guy has no business pretending to tell people what these positions are. Read the post by DonKeedic, he's got it right.
The DP determines what he wants the shot to look like lighting wise. He can either be very specific and tell the gaffer what lights wants, or lets the gaffer achieve the look however he chooses to. The key grip "shapes the light", by using diffusion, flags, etc.
Best Boys are often not on set. They are at the truck or in the office getting equipment, phone call
I subscribe to exploretalentdotcom in an attempt to get my girlfriend modeling work. if this is indicitive of your "industry knowledge" I may have to rethink my subscrioption
This information couldnt be more WRONG! The Director tells the director of Photography what he wants, the DP tells the Gaffer how he'd like it to look, the Gaffer lights the set, provides the power and tells the key grip how to shape it. The best boy is the 2nd in charge in most departments, He does the hiring of personell, managing of equiptment, etc...
Chowderandpenguin you would never survive on a film set with that lack of knowledge. If you think the key grip works for the gaffer and the gaffers is more important then the key grip then your working with or for people who don't actually know how the process works. Neither job is more important then the other. They work in unison with the DP to achieve the look desired.
The each dept has a Best Boy (or Girl) that is the second in command of the dept. taking care of equipment and crew.
During exterior day scenes, there may not be any lighting to be done, but there could be grip work in regards to camera movement or sunlight reflection onto subjects. Maybe even taking away sunlight from subjects.....
The film set is a hierarchy, director on top, the director of photography (DP) who is next, realizes the director's vision. The DP is in charge of the film techs, usually the camera dept, Grip and Lighting depts. The Key Grip and Gaffer (or Chief Lighting Tech) are equal under the DP, working in unison with the DP to create the shot for the scene. The Key Grip is in charge of the Grip dept. and the Gaffer in charge of the lighting or electrical dept.
The Best Boy, also known as the Chief Electrical Technician, is the person in charge of electrical safety on set. He/she runs cables, wires, feeders, stingers; the Best Boy also fires up the power generators and makes sure all the lines are hot before burning the lighting instruments, he/she keeps all the gels, diffusion and scrims. The Best Boy is also in charge hiring and firing the lighting department. He/she keeps all the electrical floor plans as well. The Best Boy can also be a female.
The Key Grip is not the head of the lighting department but of the grip department. The Gaffer, or the Chief Lighting Technician, is head of the lighting department and is higher in the chain of command than the Key Grip. The Key Grip is in charge of safety. The Gaffer is the Cinematographer's right hand man, and it is the Gaffer whom the DP talks to, not the Key Grip, and the Key Grip gets the information from the Gaffer of all grip logistics. The Gaffer sticks to the DP at all times.
And I always thought a Key Grip was someone that went around gripping keys all day.
TheCommanderNZ 3 days ago
This can be very confusing and misleading to someone who doesn't know about this or hasn't worked on a set.
Electrical Department (Lighting):
1. Gaffer: Head electrician, "Chief lighting technician", lighting director... you get the idea.
2. Best Boy Electrician: Second to the Gaffer, communicates between the Gaffer and electricians, instructs and directs electricians, in charge of inventory, keeping up with schedule, and reports back to Gaffer.
3. Electrician: The workhorse of the crew.
galloe 2 months ago
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galloe 2 months ago
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galloe 2 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Grip Department:
1. Key Grip: Head Grip, works with the Gaffer and DP to discuss lighting and camera setup, directs Best Boy Grip.
2. Best Boy Grip: Same as Best Boy Electrician, but for the Grip Department.
3. Grip: The workhorse of the crew, does all the moving, lifting, rigging, etc. Not that the Key Grip and Best Boy don't do any of this, but the Grips do most of it.
The Grip and Electrical departments generally work together to setup and realize what the DP envisions.
galloe 2 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
The Electrical Department is in charge of any electrical equipment (Duh), especially lights, and the Grip Department is in charge of all the grip equipment, dollies, cranes, rigging cameras, etc, they're like the MacGyvers of a film crew.
Generally, the grips won't touch the electrical equipment, and the electricians won't touch the grip equipment, unless asked for help by a crew member of that department. But in low budget productions these two departments are normally combined.
galloe 2 months ago
so wait, if the best boy is a helper of a key grip and or a Gaffer, then isn't he (or they) technically like the 3rd best?!?
IMaDEM0N 2 months ago
The Director of photography, working with the director, decide on the "look". The set lighting department, headed up by the gaffer create the desired light, which is shaped, diffused, or reduced if needed by the key grip and his grip department.
The gaffer is usually considered a bit above the key grip in rank, but they often work pretty much at the same level. Lighting and grip departments each have their own best boys, who manage the equipment and the manpower for their dept.
BradiKal61 3 months ago
This video looks like the work of some "quickie film school"- run by people who have little or no real-world experience, but are cashing in on people who dream of working on features. They do nothing except take money and turn out folks who show up on sets expecting to get hired, and are shocked to find out they know nothing.
I can guarantee that those pretty pictures that were shown had nothing to do with anything these knuckleheads have worked on.
BradiKal61 3 months ago
Comment removed
BradiKal61 3 months ago
And the PA tells the Director what to do, but only after they clear it with Craft Services first.
spids69 4 months ago 2
Wow, epically wrong.
sungid 4 months ago
WRONG!!
timofreee 4 months ago
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
From a 30 year key Grip.
Stop giving wrong information to the public.
milesbrown2 5 months ago
This guy does not know what he is talking about.
The Gaffer is in charge of the lighting, taking his cues and inspiration
from the DP. The key grip is in charge of camera movement and rigging and works with the gaffer in shaping the light with flags and bounces. This is the
"American Way". In Europe the Gaffer and his electricians also set flags but the Key grip and grips remain in charge of camera movement and rigging. There. Simple!
cjc223 6 months ago
Wrong!
All Wrong!
cjc223 6 months ago
This fellow has a different understanding of how things work than the IATSE crews I work with.........maybe in never ever land they work this way.
DWSmithSuccessAR 8 months ago
This video is all wrong!
The DP works with the Gaffer and Key Grip, who are both heads of different departments. The Gaffer heads the Electric Department, the Key Grip heads the Grip Department. Each department has one Best Boy, who acts as the right hand man of his boss, hiring crew, lining up rentals, etc. while the Gaffer and Key Grip light the set. The electric department deals only with lights, grips deal with lighting modification and camera support (dollies, etc).
mikebyoder 8 months ago
Where I am from it works like this and im pretty sure it is standard elsewhere too.
Director and DOP/DP Work on the shot composition, generally DP will know how he/she wants it lit framing and camera movement.The director will worry about the acting and whether or not its working for them in general, it is then the DP's job to communicate the directors vision to the Key Grip, Gaffer, Makeup HOD (Head of department) and the Wardrobe HOD.
1337cookie 8 months ago
@1337cookie
I left out Art Dept HOD and camera dept.
Camera dept is ussually right next to the DP so they already know what they are supposed to do. DP asks for a different lens, camera assist changes the lens.
Grips have a Key Grip (HOD) and then can have as many Grip Assistants (there are other names for this) as are required. Sometimes you will see Best Boy Grip which will mean second in command in grip department.
1337cookie 8 months ago
@1337cookie
Grip department's main focus is camera movement (Dolly shots, vehicle tracking, rigging the camera to move, and stabalising the camera on the tripod) they also deal with most general rigging, In the states I believe (correct me here) they will setup stands and mounting/rigging for all the lights but not the lights themselves. This seems to be due to the rediculious union system they have for the film industry that requires many people are employed for every shoot.
1337cookie 8 months ago
@1337cookie
Lighting department deals with setting up lights, lighting control, and power distribution. lighting control can be things like cutters/flags to block light or create certain shadows. Diffusion to creat softer light. Gels to give the light different tones. The Gaffer is the HOD of lighting and under him is the Best Boy. The Gaffer will talk to the DP to get his vision of the shot and then tell the best boy how it should be done.
1337cookie 8 months ago
@1337cookie The best boy will organise the Lighting assists/Sparkies/Electricians (different names same job) to setup the appropriate things required.
Makeup and Wardrobe are self explainitory.
Art dept does things like groom sand on a beach to make it look nice. Make sure anything thats going in shot looks good and portrays the directors vision properly. Thing like finding the perfect toy for a child to play with and having a variety of unique things to try if it doesnt work.
1337cookie 8 months ago
@1337cookie
Art dept also deal with making sure lots of people dont ruin grass or a field before the shots are all finished. A crew of 30 will rip up a lawn in a matter of minutes. On larger jobs they even get a special title for this job called Greens. All they do is replace the grass when it gets ripped up.
1337cookie 8 months ago
Haha yeah that sounds like the film industry, misinformation to anyone whos not already in it.
1337cookie 8 months ago
so wrong.....what do you expect from a schwoogie
HomefruntNC 1 year ago
Completely WRONG...
Sparks2221 1 year ago
@Sparks2221 i know, the DP is the Gaffers Boss the gaffer tells the grips what to set up
liveLAsunday 9 months ago
SOOO WRONG!!!
chukklet 1 year ago
Wow, this guy has no business pretending to tell people what these positions are. Read the post by DonKeedic, he's got it right.
The DP determines what he wants the shot to look like lighting wise. He can either be very specific and tell the gaffer what lights wants, or lets the gaffer achieve the look however he chooses to. The key grip "shapes the light", by using diffusion, flags, etc.
Best Boys are often not on set. They are at the truck or in the office getting equipment, phone call
randombuddha1 1 year ago
is this a joke?
grrrl2 1 year ago
I subscribe to exploretalentdotcom in an attempt to get my girlfriend modeling work. if this is indicitive of your "industry knowledge" I may have to rethink my subscrioption
DonKeedic 1 year ago
This information couldnt be more WRONG! The Director tells the director of Photography what he wants, the DP tells the Gaffer how he'd like it to look, the Gaffer lights the set, provides the power and tells the key grip how to shape it. The best boy is the 2nd in charge in most departments, He does the hiring of personell, managing of equiptment, etc...
DonKeedic 1 year ago
Comment removed
DonKeedic 1 year ago
Chowderandpenguin you would never survive on a film set with that lack of knowledge. If you think the key grip works for the gaffer and the gaffers is more important then the key grip then your working with or for people who don't actually know how the process works. Neither job is more important then the other. They work in unison with the DP to achieve the look desired.
im2phrank 1 year ago
The each dept has a Best Boy (or Girl) that is the second in command of the dept. taking care of equipment and crew.
During exterior day scenes, there may not be any lighting to be done, but there could be grip work in regards to camera movement or sunlight reflection onto subjects. Maybe even taking away sunlight from subjects.....
a1a74130 2 years ago
The film set is a hierarchy, director on top, the director of photography (DP) who is next, realizes the director's vision. The DP is in charge of the film techs, usually the camera dept, Grip and Lighting depts. The Key Grip and Gaffer (or Chief Lighting Tech) are equal under the DP, working in unison with the DP to create the shot for the scene. The Key Grip is in charge of the Grip dept. and the Gaffer in charge of the lighting or electrical dept.
a1a74130 2 years ago
The Best Boy, also known as the Chief Electrical Technician, is the person in charge of electrical safety on set. He/she runs cables, wires, feeders, stingers; the Best Boy also fires up the power generators and makes sure all the lines are hot before burning the lighting instruments, he/she keeps all the gels, diffusion and scrims. The Best Boy is also in charge hiring and firing the lighting department. He/she keeps all the electrical floor plans as well. The Best Boy can also be a female.
chowderandpenguin 2 years ago
The Key Grip is not the head of the lighting department but of the grip department. The Gaffer, or the Chief Lighting Technician, is head of the lighting department and is higher in the chain of command than the Key Grip. The Key Grip is in charge of safety. The Gaffer is the Cinematographer's right hand man, and it is the Gaffer whom the DP talks to, not the Key Grip, and the Key Grip gets the information from the Gaffer of all grip logistics. The Gaffer sticks to the DP at all times.
chowderandpenguin 2 years ago