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"I was just wondering, what are gaffers and grips and what are their duties? paper that I have to write for my broadcasting class. They are seemingly strange names, but not
more so than
some others... Craft Services for example, or Foley Artist... Despite some popular misconceptions, the
term Gaffer has nothing at all to do with long poles or "gaffs'
used to remotely control lighting instruments. This is evidenced by simply looking
at movie lights throughout the past 100 years. Only a few lights from relative
newcomers like ColorTran and a few Italian manufacturers - popular in only
a few TV studios - had knobs designed to be controlled this way. In reality, Gaffer is British slang for "grandfather"
and is meant as a term of respect. In the early days of the movie industry, the
lighting equipment was often very largeand extremely heavy. The only people
experienced in moving that kind of stuff around were longshoremen - dock
workers
who load
cargo onto ships. These guys were unionized and worked in highly structured teams.
At the top was the older and more experienced "grandfather" or
- Gaffer.
Of course, that meant his most experienced apprentice was - can you guess? -
his
Best Boy. Today the term Chief Lighting Technician
often replaces that of "Gaffer," but the duties are the same. The Gaffer
is head of the lighting department, and is one of the most crucial people on
the
motion pictureor TV set. The Gaffer and his crew, usually referred to as Electricians,
Electrics or Lamp Operators are responsible for running
all the electrical cable and placing the lights. The Gaffer confers with the Director
of Photography or D.P. to determine what sort of lighting
effects are needed and devises ways to create those effects. The equipment and techniques for using it
have changed greatly since those early days, but generally the work is the
same.
Since film images (or TV pictures) are nothing without light, you can see that
the work of the Gaffer, his Best Boy, and the other Electricians is pivotal.
And by
the way, in television, the top lighting person is often a cross between that
of a D.P. and the Gaffer and he or she is usually referred to as the Lighting
Director. Whether the job is a feature film or an industrial
video on a low budget, the Gaffer must have an extensive knowledge
of the film stock or video cameras being used, the lighting equipment
and techniques employed, and effective leadership
principles. It
is of paramount importance that they be able to accurately estimate
the time required for a particular setup in order that actors
and other principals may be scheduled accordingly. The Gaffer's Grip cousins
have a slightly different task. While most "civilians" - those outside the business
- think Grips are just "go-fers", nothing could be further from
the truth. Grips are the real engineers of the set. When a camera has to be strapped
to a car for a high-speed chase, it is the Grip's job to do it safely. When dolly
track has to be laid for a long, smooth shot, Grips take out their levels and
boxes of "wedges and cribbing" to make sure the camera won't feel any bumps. The
top grip is called the "Key Grip", and he too, has a "Best
Boy". Grips are also vital while
lighting the set. Out of doors, when reflectors and bounce
materials are
stretched on
large frames to control the light - that is the job of the Grip
department. They also place shadow-making devices called flags
- rectangular black cloth frames, or nets - similar,
but made with a netting material that reduces rather than eliminates
the light. The difference between "lighting" and "illumination"
is controlling the shadows. Generally, that is the job of the
grip department. As we often say to newcomers who have trouble
seeing the difference between the two departments, "The Electricians
make the light, the Grips make the shadows." As for those other names I
tossed at you?
The Craft Services person or crew is responsible for providing
the coffee, snacks and cold drinks that keep the rest of the crew going through
a
long day. Unlike office or factory working enviornments, there are usually no
planned coffee-break times, so you often need something to keep your energy up.
Between
set ups, the
grips
and electrics (along with members of the "Vanity Crafts" - ie,
Make-up and Wardrobe) - may be found "grazing down at the grip-lick". In other
words - grabbing a snack at the Craft Services table. The Foley Artist
is the guy or gal you used to envision as the sound-effects man
in the early days of radio. ("Prairie
Home Companion" fans might think of Sound Effects
Artist Tom Keith). The sound effects team record
the footsteps of male and female Foley Artists who walk,
run, dance
or move - carefully timed to "rough-cut" edits of action scenes
in movies. These footsteps and other effects are edited
in to create
a more realistic atmosphere in the final cut. The name Foley
comes from an early expert sound effects man who pioneered the
craft. Like every other member of the production team, the job of
the Foley Artistis to help the viewer
"suspend disbelief", and get lost in the manufactured reality of the
film or video production. For Further Reading: |
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Phone (770) 936-9851 Eastern Time for more information.
©CELY Communications, Inc. URL: http://www.cely.com/gaffer.html
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