Film Electricians?

[JohnD]

So I finally got around to watching Doctor Strange and was reading the credits and was wondering about some of the job titles.

Electricians (Floor)
Practical Electricians
Rigging Electricians
Electrical Riggers

Then there were separate credits for supervisers.

Can someone elucidate and illuminate these terms.

 

[MRW Lights]

I can I can! I are one of some of all of those!

They're essentially pretty straight forward in those cases.

Floor electricians run "stingers" or extension cords... and generally power all of the stuff to make the stuff on the "floor" and are "grounded" at all times...

Practical Electricians are sort of prop electricians if it should light up like a real thing they make sure it does that...

Rigging Electricians / Electrical Riggers do that... they rig power runs... run power to fixtures, not to be confused with hanging fixtures that is in fact a separate job behind the screen often handled by the Grips. These folks are also responsible for power distribution.

The supervisors typically head up these departments as well as G&E Grip and Electrics. They operate the generator trucks, handle tie ins and closely monitor loads throughout the production. Typically some of the first on set and the last to leave.

You'll typically only see departments with these numbers on very large budget productions. Most of the time it's narrowed down to Grips, Best Boys, Gaffers and a small handful of general electricians. Happy to share more if you've got more questions...

 

[JonCarter]

And if you're part of a small production outfit you're all of them, and load magazines in between.

 

[TimMc]

And if you're part of a small production outfit you're all of them, and load magazines in between.

Clapper/loader/grip/gaffer/best boy/focus puller/dolly grip/craft services/honey wagon driver. And that's on top of being a production assistant!

 

[SteveB]

" hanging fixtures that is in fact a separate job behind the screen often handled by the Grips. "

I'm surprised to read that grips hang lighting equipment. I was under the impression that all grips do is lift heavy things such as scenery and platforms, etc... plus move the camera gear (dollies - is why they are called "grips"). I thought the rigging electricians hung the overhead lights.

 

[JohnD]

My next question, what is the difference between grips and gaffers?

Oh and I thought that gaffers did lights, hence Lowell gaffers tape.

 

[MRW Lights]

My next question, what is the difference between grips and gaffers?

Oh and I thought that gaffers did lights, hence Lowell gaffers tape.

This is a division by budget/production size...

Grips are often misconstrued for being bottom feeders on set which is not very true at all... if an Electric's department exists they work with the camera department, but then Grips typically focus on Camera I.E. dollies, apple boxes, jibs etc...

A Gaffer in theater terms would be your LX Head / Master Electrician. They lead the team of electricians and typically develop the plan, rental and deployment of the "light plot"

Typically... All of the electricians/Gaffers/Grips are collapsed down to as few as 1 department / title as productions/budgets get smaller.


I should also add that often times in credits you see multiple people under the same title... That can actually include multiple locations, countries, sets and studios.... so while it might look like they have 10 Gaffers it could be Gaffers over time, Gaffers over distance 1st location, 2nd location, Studio, Country.... Everybody gets their name on the roll.

 

[JohnD]

Slight swerve, but a friend in LA was at a pre-release screening of a finished (or almost finished) film for the cast and crew. Most people sat with friends, so that when the credits rolled, there would be pockets of applause for each group of credits.

 

[RonHebbard]

Slight swerve, but a friend in LA was at a pre-release screening of a finished (or almost finished) film for the cast and crew. Most people sat with friends, so that when the credits rolled, there would be pockets of applause for each group of credits.

So much for social distancing, although understood and appreciated none the less.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[Van]

This is a division by budget/production size...

Grips are often misconstrued for being bottom feeders on set which is not very true at all... if an Electric's department exists they work with the camera department, but then Grips typically focus on Camera I.E. dollies, apple boxes, jibs etc...

A Gaffer in theater terms would be your LX Head / Master Electrician. They lead the team of electricians and typically develop the plan, rental and deployment of the "light plot"

Typically... All of the electricians/Gaffers/Grips are collapsed down to as few as 1 department / title as productions/budgets get smaller.


I should also add that often times in credits you see multiple people under the same title... That can actually include multiple locations, countries, sets and studios.... so while it might look like they have 10 Gaffers it could be Gaffers over time, Gaffers over distance 1st location, 2nd location, Studio, Country.... Everybody gets their name on the roll.

I would never consider the grips as bottom feeder, they are pretty much top of the food chain on set, with the exception of the director and Photographer.

AND You have Best Boy for each of the electric dept's, Gaffers, Riggers, and Grips. Then you Have First and Second Units. They are basically like House heads or "Master Electricians".

Oh, and Carpenters that build sets are not Carpenters they are "Prop Builders" and they are arranged in Gangs, run by a Gang Boss. and hey typically fall under the Art Department


Craft Services is the Best place on earth on a Feature film.

and the Sound Guy really just wants the entire world to "SHUT THE #&*$%^ UP!"

 

[SteveB]

I would never consider the grips as bottom feeder, they are pretty much top of the food chain on set, with the exception of the director and Photographer.

AND You have Best Boy for each of the electric dept's, Gaffers, Riggers, and Grips. Then you Have First and Second Units. They are basically like House heads or "Master Electricians".

Oh, and Carpenters that build sets are not Carpenters they are "Prop Builders" and they are arranged in Gangs, run by a Gang Boss. and hey typically fall under the Art Department


Craft Services is the Best place on earth on a Feature film.

and the Sound Guy really just wants the entire world to "SHUT THE #&*$%^ UP!"

Speaking for how I know IATSE Local 52 in the NYC area is set up....

There are grips, and there are Grips. Some are at the bottom of the food chain and do little except move scenery. The term describes the upper echelon of grips that move the dolly, lay track, etc..... Grips can do a lot of things.

There are indeed carpenters, but sometimes referred to as Construction Carpenters. They are under the construction Forman and are are not under “props” who in this region are known as ”Dressers”.

 

[JonCarter]

And in a small production company and 50 years ago and in a small town (Cleveland) everybody on the crew did whatever was necessary to GET THE JOB DONE without worrying about titles or screen credit.

 

[Van]

And in a small production company and 50 years ago and in a small town (Cleveland) everybody on the crew did whatever was necessary to GET THE JOB DONE without worrying about titles or screen credit.

Screen credit? What's that?
I wired, powered and lit every freaking scene in a feature and didn't get screen credit.

 

[tjrobb]

So, rigging electrician versus electrical rigger?

 

[meatpopsicle]

It has been awhile. However seeing the post about film crew definitions roped me in.

Motion Picture and Television Production

Gaffer: The head of the electric department (the Lx1)
Best Boy: 2nd (foreman)
Set Electrician or Lamp Operator: an electrician working on the shooting crew
Rigging Gaffer: Head of the rigging electric dept
Rigging Best Boy: 2nd of the rigging dept. (foreman)
Rigging Electric: a soldier electric in the rigging department

Key Grip: The head of the grip department
Best Boy Grip: the 2nd
Dolly Grip: Grip who pushes a dolly or crane
Grip: a soldier Grip
Rigging Key Grip: head of the rigging grips
Rigging Best Boy: 2nd of the rigging grips
Rigging Grip: a soldier rigging grip

Grip and Electric are split, generally, into Shooting dept. and Rigging dept. Shooters work with cast and crew filming. Rigging moves ahead or comes behind and layout power distro, control networks, place pre-rigged fixtures in man lifts and place fixtures per the Rigging Gaffer. Grips don't hang lights. They often rig positions for lamps to be hung by electricians. So they'll hang truss or pipe, put in a wall spreader or mount a wall plate to a wall. Grips are in charge of moving the camera via dolly or crane. They put in track, build platforms to support camera or talent and control the light via frame, flag or drop. Grips create shadows.

Electricians make light. Electricians hang lights and run cable and set up control networks and run consoles. Every show generally has a programmer (often just called a board op though the work load is way more than in the theatre position. Usually there's a programmer for the riggers as well if its a large stage or location set.

Props is a whole department dedicated to dealing with properties that are handled by the actor. If the actor doesn't touch it then it is the province of the Set Dressing department and the Set Dressers. Set dressers move furniture, hang curtains and pictures and dress the set to the specification of the Set Decorator who in turn works for the Art Director and Production Designer (the head honcho of the art department.

The construction department has both carpenters and Construction Grips. Carpenters make walls and set pieces. Construction Grips place and mount said set pieces. Since its scenery it frequently must be rigged from the grid above.


I can entertain any questions. This is how it works in the union film and television industry here in NY.

 

[Mike Donovan]

Here’s what I’ve learned as a permittee in IATSE 709.
Both Grips and Electrics work together to create the look that the Director of Photography is trying to achieve.
The Gaffer (Key LX) is comparable to Lighting Designer as s(he) chooses fixture types, placements, levels, etc. But I’ve also worked with DOP’s who give specific direction to the design.
Electrics are also responsible for getting power to other departments, and their trucks, trailers, carts, etc.
Grips contribute to the design by adding flags, gel, bounces, etc that help shape the light. The Key Grip decides which flags, etc to use and where to place them. Grips (especially rigging grips) also build infrastructure to support fixtures and other equipment, Such as camera dollies, jobs, lifts, etc. Grips also provide other departments with sand bags, apple boxes, pads for levelling lighting stands.
Essentially, when it comes to lighting a shot, electrics take care of the fixtures themselves (hang/stands, focus, gel) and getting power to them. Grips take care of equipment which is not connected to the fixtures, but still affects the light (flags, gel/filters not attached to fixtures, bounces, etc.)
Of course there are always exceptions.
Best Boy (grip or LX) is second in command of a department and mostly manages the crew and handles paperwork. S(he) will also act as Gaffer/Key Grip in the absence of the regular one.

 

[Jay Ashworth]

Screen credit? What's that?
I wired, powered and lit every freaking scene in a feature and didn't get screen credit.

This. This is what screen credit is.

[ I have been told that not all of these numbers are reasonable, even at this budget; YMMV ]

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