Two days left on the last thesis show. This is another six day double – the Director of Photography gave up his film to DP and co-write this show. To my knowledge, this is the largest thesis production ever. It’s a sci-fi film with massive sets built on both soundstages and a giant warehouse. They even got a generator, something undergrads never get.

This enabled the Electric Team to use as many lights as needed, which ended up being every light today in the warehouse. The only problem is the warehouse has no air conditioning, so things got hot pretty quickly. Actually I think it was the hottest I’ve ever been. Production Team had a stream of ice water coming to set.

Towards the end of the day, a lightening storm started to roll in. We found out the generator cannot be run when it’s lightening, so it had to be shut down which essentially ended production for the day.

Related posts:

1. Halfway Through Thesis
2. 91 Set-Ups in 3 Days
3. Film School History is Made

Each production gets a certain amount of equipment that I suppose someone deemed was enough to make a film. This is a standard package that has the camera, big and little sticks, dolly, dolly track, assortment of lights, sandbags, apple boxes, c-stands, light stands, tarps, frames, sound blankets, gels, and miscellaneous grip gack¹. If you want anything more, such as a steadicam or ubangi, then you have to request it from the Equipment Room (ER).

As is standard with all real world productions, we have to check-in and check-out the equipment for each show. For a feature film, this takes about a week or two. For us, we have about two hours.

The truck is completely unloaded and each department handles their equipment. The ACs (Assistant Camera) build the camera, sound builds the boom, and G&E completely empties the truck and lays out all the equipment. Someone from the ER comes by with a checklist and checks in the gear from the previous show, and then checks it out to the new one.

Everything must be tested to make sure it works. Each light is plugged in, every lens is attached to the camera and focused. If there’s a problem it needs to be caught now before you’re on set and it really becomes an issue. You also don’t want to get a broken piece of equipment and then get blamed for breaking it. “It was already like that,” doesn’t fly.

For some reason, some people decide to show up late to check-out, or not at all. This is not a good habit to have.

I had two check-ins Friday because the two shows I was on last weekend had two different grip trucks. The first check-in had about 3 people show up. The second one had all 6. I kind of liked the second one more.

1. Grip gack is an assortment of random parts to mount lights and other objects to almost any surface, such as walls and pipes. ↩

Related posts:

1. How to be a Best Boy Electric
2. How to be a Key Grip
3. New Set, Different Job

1. Show up for check-out, or worse – the truck is transferred over to you from the previous show. Open the door to find everything in disarray. Curse the previous crew under your breath as you shift through all the special equipment that should have been taken off and is now taking up space and getting in your way.
2. Arrive to set. Unload the center aisle of the grip truck and get ready for action. Attend the new deal.
3. Meet with the Gaffer. This is your boss. Set up the lights needed for the scene.
4. If electricity runs through it, you’re in charge of it. If anyone needs to plug something in, even the TAP monitor, they have to go through you. Make sure the lights are evenly distributed. Most circuits are 15 amps, some are 20. Do the math in your head and don’t blow a fuse. If you do, find the fuse box.
5. If the lights are set up, see if the Key Grip needs help. The Gaffer, Key Grip, and Best Boy Electric (BBE) are basically a team to get the shot set up. You’re not in the union yet, you can touch a c-stand.
6. Keep some lights and stands on standby, especially if the truck is far away. They won’t be used, but if you don’t have them set up someone will want them.
7. Wrap equipment that’s not being used. It will give you something to do and save time at the end of the day, when you really want to leave.
8. When the camera is wrapped, bring everything back to the truck and pack it up nicely. Drive back to the Film School. Repeat the following day.

Related posts:

1. Grip and Electric – You Will Get Wet
2. A Truck Full of Equipment
3. How to be a Key Grip

I’m finally done with my two back-to-back film sets as Key Grip and Best Boy Electric. We wrapped at 12:45 am last night, pushing just about every Film School rule with overtime and wrap times to the limit.

I learned a few things during the past two sets. One, though this is more true if you’re filming in Florida in the summer, is you will get wet. Either from sweat or the summer rain, I came home soaked every night. After a very long drought, it rained every day. Sometimes the timing worked out, and other times it didn’t, such as last night.

During the final stretch we moved to a new location that required a 12-by reflector with two HMI’s bouncing into it outside in the rain, as well as a dolly track setup on uneven ground. The biggest risk was making sure water didn’t get on the lens of the lights, or else it could crack, releasing UV rays. The solution was a tent made from c-stands and a tarp.

Rain also posed other risks, such as a slippery loading ramp on the grip truck (I got a free thrill as I lost my footing unloading the sound cart and uncontrollably sped down the ramp).

Another thing to keep in mind as a grip on set – you will set up lots of equipment that won’t get used. The idea is to have it on standby, ready for action when the DP or Director needs it. On Monday we had the dolly set up and ready to go at two locations, but it was never used. Of course had it not been set up then they would have asked for it and the whole production would have been held up for ten minutes as we unloaded it off the truck and set it up.

Getting the equipment to set can also be an adventure. The trick is to look for wheelchair access, though some older buildings don’t make it easy. Yesterday, we had to travel through a basement of an old building (which had asbestos warning signs) on campus to get to a creepy looking wooden elevator that looked scarier than the Tower of Terror. Here’s a photo, but it doesn’t nearly do justice to how eerie this elevator looks when first seeing it. Fortunately we survived and did not cross over to the Twilight Zone.

Related posts:

1. How to be a Key Grip
2. How to be a Best Boy Electric
3. So Much for the Day Off

1. Before production, oversee checkout and make sure everything is loaded on the truck properly. You’re responsible for its safekeeping.
2. Pickup truck from the Film School during production. The Key Grip is the driver. Make sure you get to set before call time, because nothing can happen until the truck arrives.
3. Unload all equipment from the aisle and get the dolly ready.
4. Attend the New Deal. Find out what is needed for the setup.
5. If it doesn’t involve electricity or the camera then you’re in charge of it. C-Stands, flags, sandbags, apple boxes, dolly, dolly track, etc.
6. Hang by the truck to get equipment as needed. Or craft services.
7. Wrap equipment when it’s finished.
8. Pack up the truck.
9. Drive back to the Film School.

Related posts:

1. How to be a Best Boy Electric
2. Grip and Electric – You Will Get Wet
3. A Truck Full of Equipment