What does a Grip do?

September 19, 2010 · Posted in Movie Job Titles · Comment 

This depends on whether you’re a grip in North America or UK, Europe or Australia apparently.

The American (and Canadian) version of a grip is a lighting and rigging technician. They set up the lighting and the cameras. If a camera needs to be on a crane or a dolly track then the grips will set that up (and I believe they’re the people who push the camera along the dolly track).

UK, Australia and a lot of Europe use the “British” system where the Grips only deal with camera equipment.

Grips on a Movie Set

Grips on a Movie Set

There are several titles of grips in film credits, and two of my favourite are Key Grip and Best Boy.

A Key Grip is not the guy who gets to carry around the keys to the studio and dressing rooms as I thought for many years as a kid. Apparently he’s the Boss, Key as in most important.

The Best Boy is not the most popular kid on the set, as I also thought, he is in fact the Key Grips main assistant.

Photo Credit: S Richards Photography