What A Key Grip Does On Set: Crew Breakdown

INTRODUCTION

In this series I go behind the scenes and look at some of the different crew positions on movie sets - the people who go about physically constructing each and every shot that happens on screen.

In this Crew Breakdown episode I’ll go over the head of department position in the grips department, key grip, a job which not everyone is familiar with but which greatly contributes to the look of many movies. I’ll break down what they do, their average day on set and some tips which they use to be the best in their field.

ROLE

The key grip heads the department and is responsible for planning, supervising and delegating instructions to other grips in their crew.

But what exactly do grips do? 

Well, whenever you see an impressive shot in a film where the camera moves in an innovative, amazing way, a grip is behind it. So grips are in charge of planning and orchestrating camera movement and the positioning of the camera which is described or delegated by the director and cinematographer. 

To do this they rely on constructing and operating a variety of rigs that the camera is attached to. Some examples of these include a dolly, a crane, a ladder pod, a Technocrane, a tripod or hard mounting the camera onto objects like a car, a motorbike or even a shopping cart.

The second duty that a key grip does is rigging. 

Their capacity in this regard changes depending on the working style of the country. For example in the US grips are expected to place and secure lighting stands, whereas in other countries, like South Africa where I work, the lighting department handles this.

However in almost all locations grips are expected to help out with the more complex rigging of lighting equipment. For example, securing a polecat or pole between two walls so that lights can be placed high in the ceiling. Or, rigging large scrims or blackouts, such as 20x20 foot sized frames, above actors using heavy duty stands, trusses or attaching them to a Manitou.

The third and final broad category of their work is determining the safety of a setup.

For complicated shots, difficult rigging or placing crew or cast on film equipment, the key grip is consulted on determining the safety of the setups and those involved. Having an experienced grip on the crew is important in this regard to ensure that, most importantly, there are no injuries, or damage to property, sets or gear.

This is why rental companies insist upon an experienced grip to be present when heavy duty equipment, such as Technocranes, are rented or used on set.      

Overall the role of the key grip is a broad one, that carefully plans, consults with creative crew members like the director and DP, and then practically executes their vision with a variety of rigs in a safe and responsible manner.    

AVERAGE DAY ON SET

The key grip joins a project before the on set shoot begins. 

In pre-production they will discuss the shots that need to be gotten with the DP. Sometimes this will be done with the help of storyboards or even a pre-vis animation if the filmmakers are very specific about the kind of moves they need to do.

Some shoots are relatively straightforward and may only require basic handheld shots, while others may require complicated, tricky camera movement, custom grip rig builds or large amounts of lighting rigging that may require more planning.

Before shooting they will also go on a reccee to the shooting locations with the director, cinematographer and other relevant crew members. Here they will physically plan out, measure and assess the grip logistics - such as whether a dolly can fit through a door, or what length of pipe they will need to rig to the ceiling.

The key grip will therefore arrive on set usually with a solid idea of what lies ahead for the day. They will get a shooting schedule from the 1st AD and start preparing for the first shot. This could be a dolly shot.

In this case the DP will use a viewfinder, the camera, or their eye to determine a position and start and end point for the move. The key grip will mark these points and call on his team to bring in the correct lengths of track. 

They will place the track, level it then bring in the dolly and lift it onto the track.

It should be noted that depending on the country or size of the shoot there may be a dedicated dolly grip who pushes the camera on the dolly. In some countries, such as mine however, this is usually also done by the key grip.

The grip department is made up of a key grip, who consults directly with the DP and leads the department, making important decisions. Next, the best boy grip, who manages things like gear inventory and oversees a team of grips which will fluctuate depending on the size and needs of the shoot.

The key grip and their team will continue setting up ways to position and move the camera throughout the day, while also assisting the lighting team with any necessary rigging work. 

Some other duties they are called on to perform may include operating a gimbal and ensuring the safety of the operator when doing handheld work. This is done by gripping, excuse the pun, a part of the operator’s body, such as their waist, and moving with them as they operate, making sure they don’t trip, loose their balance or crash into any obstacles.     

TIPS

Although I’ve never worked as a grip myself, I have observed a few tricks that some of the best use on set.

Since many grip setups, such as laying and leveling tracks or building a crane are very time consuming, the best grips are always a few steps ahead and get their team to use whatever gear is available to start on the next setup before it happens while the key grip stays with the DP close to the camera.

For example, when shooting in a house they may start off with locked off dolly shots then move onto a tracking shot outside the house. A good grip will consult with the DP beforehand to get a position for the tracking shot and then get his team to lay and level tracks so that they are all set up when they move onto the next shot. 

Finding ways to save time will ingratiate yourself with the DP and director as it gives them more time to shoot. 

Another way of saving time is to always try and get camera moves as correct as possible every time. To do this it’s useful to use tape and make start and end marks next to the dolly wheels. That way the dolly grip knows exactly where to start and stop each move and will never waste time by over or under shooting it.

Also having a tape measure or, ideally, a laser measurer will allow you to quickly determine measurements, such as what pole length to use, or how many track lengths are required.

A last tip is to always have the right tools for the job. This is why key grips often have their own grip truck which is fully kitted out - a process that happens through years of acquiring tools that are necessary on set.

This usually includes a full set of apple boxes, packing and wedges. These useful pieces of wood are always required on set for everything from leveling a track, to propping up a product or, most importantly as a seat for the director. 

Grips should be prepared for everything: from having a jigsaw to cut bits of wooden board, clamps, WD-40 to lubricate moving parts, rolls of gaffer tape for making marks, and a selection of wrenches, allen keys and other tools which may be needed to adjust mechanical parts.

Actually scratch all that…I’ve just remembered the real best tip that any grip can follow. Get padded seats for your apple boxes. Have padded apple boxes and the crew will worship you!