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There are such a lot of roles in movie manufacturing that it could actually get complicated to maintain monitor of who does what. One job that usually has individuals scratching their heads is the Grip. What’s a Grip in movie? What does a Grip in films do and use? We’ll have a look on this article.

What Is a Grip in Movie?

The Grip is a member of the digicam crew who works with different individuals just like the cinematographer and digicam operator on getting the photographs which are wanted. The Grip Division (oh sure, there’s a couple of, we’ll get to that in a second!) helps with quite a lot of duties referring to digicam assist, motion, and lighting.

What Is a Film Grip: Hierarchy

‘The Grip’ isn’t only one particular person however a gaggle of individuals. Listed below are the small print.

Key Grip

As you may anticipate from the title, that is the pinnacle of this specific division, and a senior function on set. The Key Grip works carefully with the director of images and manages the remainder of the Grip workforce. One of many tasks of the Key Grip is to ensure all of the tools is about up correctly and safely.

Finest Boy Grip

You might need heard the time period Finest Boy in relation to movie roles, however there are literally two varieties. One is Finest Boy Electrical, and the opposite is Finest Boy Grip. BBG is assistant to the Key Grip and helps to handle each the workforce and the tools, usually coping with administrative and logistical stuff to maintain all the things operating easily. If this job is finished by a girl, the title is typically modified to Finest Lady, and a few studios are even choosing gender-neutral titles.

Dolly Grip

This can be a Grip who specialises in working with digicam dollies and different camera-moving tools. As you’d guess, they work carefully with the digicam operator on getting the correct photographs.

What Does a Grip in Motion pictures Do?

We’ve touched on it, however listed below are some extra particular issues the Grips are answerable for.

1. Digital camera Help

Every kind of digicam assist like mounting, rigging, and stabilising cameras for several types of photographs. They use instruments like dollies, cranes, and sliders to get fascinating digicam actions.

2. Rigging and Set Development

Grips can construct customized rigs and buildings to assist cameras, lights, and different tools. That would contain establishing a platform, placing collectively scaffolding, or sorting an overhead rig.

3. Lighting Help

Many of the lighting work is finished by Gaffers and Finest Boy Electrical (the lighting equal of Finest Boy Grip), however Grips deal with the non-electrical stuff that lighting nonetheless includes (however not the lights themselves), akin to C-stands.

4. Security and Logistics

Grips safe tools to ensure it’s secure for everybody in that working setting. They may additionally transport the tools round and coordinate with different departments.

What Gear Do Grips Use?

We’ve talked about some already, however Grips will be answerable for a good quantity of equipment! Listed below are a few of the key issues they care for or use.

• C-Stands (century stands): these stands with adjustable legs are used to carry flags (to dam or change gentle), diffusers, and lights.
• Grip head and arms: attachments for mounting lights, scrims (to diffuse/scale back gentle), and different equipment.
• Sandbags: used to stabilise stands or tools in order that they don’t tip over!
• Dolly, tracks, and sliders: for easy digicam motion.
• Clamps and clips: for securing issues!
• Gels and diffusers: to switch and soften gentle.
• Extension cables (generally referred to as stingers): for powering tools at a distance from the ability supply.
• Toolkits: screwdrivers, spanners, Allen keys, and so on.—they’re all important for assembling and adjusting tools.
• Mounts and rigging: issues for securely mounting a digicam like plates, clamps, and rigging {hardware}.

How Do You Turn out to be a Grip in a Movie Manufacturing?

Schooling and Coaching

Grips usually rise up to hurry via a mixture of training and expertise. There’s no specific qualification you have to turn out to be a Grip, however expertise often issues.

Movie College

Faculties and technical institutes provide programs in film-making, cinematography, and manufacturing which are very often a mixture of formal training with numerous concept and sensible expertise. These are good locations to get a stable understanding of fundamental tools, lighting strategies, and on-set behaviour.

Apprenticeships

You’ll be able to generally get into the business by doing an apprenticeship programme the place you be taught from the individuals already doing these jobs on actual units. This manner, you will get sensible expertise, be taught rather a lot concerning the business, and make good contacts for potential future jobs.

On-Job Coaching

This technique often means working as an assistant to somebody doing the job you need to find out about, and enhancing your abilities and data via their mentorship. Sadly, this usually means volunteering, which is financially out of attain for lots of people.

Are Grips Nonetheless Necessary in Digital Movie-Making?

Whereas it’s true that shifting from movie to digital has meant change, it’s extra of an evolution than a redundancy. Grips now work with digital cameras that may require totally different setups and workflows when in comparison with movie cameras. Maintaining with know-how with regards to cameras and lighting is important for a Grip, and for all crew there’s a have to adapt to altering business requirements and enhancements in well being and security and so forth.

As know-how has modified, the grip roles have adjusted too, so in addition to the standard roles we’ve lined, a Grip may also do distant digicam operation, pilot a drone, and even assist with digital manufacturing by integrating issues like LED screens with the bodily units.

What Are the Challenges of Being a Grip?

Bodily Pressure: Being a Grip is sort of a bodily job that usually includes lifting and shifting heavy tools, working in all kinds of climate, and standing round for lengthy hours. Grips on movie units are often bodily fairly match and have good stamina!

Tense Schedules: It’s not a straightforward job! Movie productions work on tight schedules a variety of the time, so there’s a variety of stress to fulfill deadlines. Grips and different crew additionally should be ready for when issues don’t go to plan and adapt to maintain all the things as environment friendly as potential in order that money and time don’t get wasted.

Security Issues: There’s a variety of duty on Grips in films to maintain all the things secure and forestall any accidents. As we’ve touched on, this implies dealing with tools correctly, securing harmful masses, and so on.

The Grip(s) Earlier than a Shoot

We’ve concentrated lots on what Grips do throughout a movie shoot, however their job really begins earlier than manufacturing does. Listed below are a few of the jobs we have not talked about.

1. Script Evaluation and Pre-Manufacturing

Grips often attend pre-production conferences to assist evaluate the script and focus on any particular technical necessities for the shoot. Grips will collaborate with the director of images, manufacturing designer, and others to guarantee that everyone seems to be on the identical web page with the visible model and any technical challenges in a scene.

2. Location Scouting

Clearly that is primarily accomplished by a location scout, however generally a Grip will accompany manufacturing workforce members to areas to evaluate how sensible the place is to shoot in and work out the logistics of establishing in that place.

3. Security Inspection

This has cropped up fairly a bit, however security is a high precedence. Earlier than the movie shoot can begin, a Grip will conduct security inspections with tools and setups to ensure all the things matches with requirements and rules. It’s vital to say that Grips aren’t the one individuals answerable for security—many roles can have a component of duty for that, however Grips are the function we’re concentrating on right here.

4. Testing and Rehearsals

Earlier than you will get to a dwell shoot, there are rehearsals together with testing the tools to ensure all the things is operating easily, and to finalise issues like blocking, which is figuring out the place the actors stand and directing the viewers’s eye to what you need them to have a look at.

Conclusion: What Is a Grip in Movie?

Grips are actually vital each within the pre-production a part of film-making, when planning continues to be occurring, after which in manufacturing itself. They make sure the environment friendly operating of a variety of components of the set, together with serving to with mounting cameras, establishing customized buildings to assist tech, and contributing to well being and security by ensuring all the things is as safe as it may be. 

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About This Web page

This web page was written by Marie Gardiner. Marie is a author, creator, and photographer. It was edited by Andrew Blackman. Andrew is a contract author and editor, and is a replica editor for Envato Tuts+.