Everything a good grip should know?

grahamstanly · February 8, 2007

Ok I have looked for the answer to this for a while, and I am a bit lost as to the tasks a grip has. and the equipment a good grip should have or be comfortable using.

first I would like to know the main tasks of a grip, on a movie set, and the set for a TV show, like the news.

second, I would like to know what equipment a good grip should own, or know how to use.

and third, I would love to know how an average grip job would pay. i know it changes with the type of job, so lets say the pay for a TV grip, a film grip, and a News grip.

I want to know these things because I am exploring my options for a job in the industry someday. and I want to know about all of the main jobs. So really any light you want to shed on the subject is appriciated.

Thank you very much for any and all comments!

David Auner aac · February 9, 2007

Ok I have looked for the answer to this for a while, and I am a bit lost as to the tasks a grip has. and the equipment a good grip should have or be comfortable using.
[snip]

Thank you very much for any and all comments!

Hi Graham!

Just do a quick search on Amazon for Michael Uva and grab one of his books. They are an excellent starting point! Then try to get a job on a set...

Cheers, Dave

grahamstanly · February 9, 2007

great tips david, but I think i am a bit to young to work on a movie set I am still a senior in Hs so it might be a while but i will check out that book

David Auner aac · February 10, 2007

great tips david, but I think i am a bit to young to work on a movie set I am still a senior in Hs so it might be a while but i will check out that book

Well, to tell you the truth, if you can lift & carry stuff and have some time to spare why not get an early start? If there's some college offering film classes close to where you live you could post a note on the bulletin board that you'd volunteer as assistant grip. That might get you started. Just tell them you have no experience but are willing to learn!

Cheers, Dave

Brian Baker · February 11, 2007

... volunteer as assistant grip. That might get you started. Just tell them you have no experience but are willing to learn!

I honestly wish I'd done stuff like this before going to film school.

Good advice to take.

Chris Soreide · February 12, 2007

Yupp, It's really true what is said here. You will learn so much different stuff that you would never learn in a film school and the more productions you encounter, the more grips/gaffers do you meet and trust me, everyone work differently so you always learn something.

Remember though, be very humble when going in as a Jr. grip for the first time. Always do what they ask you to do and don't try to do anyting big without being told so. Irritating the gaffer on the first day is a bad start :)

Prepare youself for endless hours of roling extention cables and fixing the C-stands, at least what I did on my first locations shoots.

grahamstanly · February 19, 2007

well i do have a bit of a start. I am a grip for my church they make a lot movies and do a lot of live broadcasts. its a ton of fun and a lot of work but yea I will try and see if somone will let me help out on set.

thanks for all of the tips.

Edited February 19, 2007 by grahamstanly

brian hendry · February 21, 2007

well im a grip for a living. im mostly a 3rd, and time to time im a best boy and a key on smaller stuff.

a grip, we shape and diffuse the light, any and all things that dont plug in really, we also do the rigging on set, set points for lights to hang , make things safe, rig back drops and green screens, pulleys and trusses and so on. ummm, as for basic equipment you should know...everything about a c-stand you can learn, 6x's to 20x's , cutters, and loads of other crap....just learn it all.

as for pay. you can make a good living as a grip....commercial rate is usually somewhere around 350 for 10 or 425 for 12 hours.....but if your starting out, you wont get rates like that, hop on some indie features, make around 215 a day for 12 and so on. between the rate, the overtime , the perdiem and everything else paid for like hotels and rental cars and so on, you can make a bunch...i just got off a 5 month feature, and yea....im gonna take a long long break. making 280 a day 6 days a week for 5 months. do the math.

Chad Stockfleth · February 21, 2007

and god bless you guys. i've gripped before, mostly i direct and dp (at the same time :blink: ), but what you guys do is always amazing to me. the ones who really specialize in gripping (not your random hands) are like engineers, sailors and code enforcement officials all rolled into one. i've seen cribbing built for a dolly that's so architecturally thought out you really feel bad about having to break it down.

it's a tough, physical job that doesn't get all the respect it deserves, but it's honest, challenging work and the ones who do it well are worth the money.

kudos to grips everywhere!

:D