Chat with Alex Calderon (Grip)
Please welcome Alex Calderon, who works in film as a Grip, most often as a Key Rigging Grip. Projects include Stranger Things, Atlanta, Daytime Divas, Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell, and more. Be sure to stick around to the end where we discuss some challenges of having a sustainable career in the film industry.
We discuss the difference between a Grip and an Electrician. Both contribute to Set Lighting. The Electricians will supply, move, and power the lights; the Grips will shape the light with flags and color it with gels.
Tool Belts
Grips should have on their tool bets a wrench, tape measure, screwdriver, and a set of gloves. Grips on set should have pieces of black wrap handy to quickly control the spill of a light. They used to have hammers on their tools belts, but that has mostly phased out due to ensuring safer surroundings.
Power meters are used to check if the right voltage is coming out of a power box before plugging in more cables (stingers).
Electricians will have similar tool belts, but their gloves will be thicker so they can stand up to the heat. Alex said a common brand for electricians are Setwear gloves.
Grips and Electricians will work both on set with the filming crew and before and after filming as rigging crew. Occasionally there will be extensive lighting rigs for a location. To have enough time and crew to prep a location, a rigging crew will come in before and after the filming crew. The riggers will pre-light, lay out cable, black out sets (when filming day for night), and then de-rig after filming crew.
Lingo
We discussed some lingo that I had never ever heard of like meat axe, cheese burrows, and grenades. Alex shared the meaning of all these terms can vary from location and crew. Always be learning and ask questions.
LED revolution
Right now, there’s a big shift in set lighting to be LEDs.
Chain of Command
The Director of Photography (DP) and Gaffer come up with the lighting set up. The Key Grip is the head of the Grip department. The Gaffer is the head lighting technician of the electric department. Both will direct the 3rds what to do on set. Be sure to say “Copy” and jump on the request. You need to be a self-starter and take initiative. Ask questions at appropriate times.
A Best Boy will handle the department paperwork, keep track of the equipment, and hire additional crew.
Dolly Grips will stay with camera to operate the dolly. They will hold the camera for Camera Operators to relieve the operators between takes.
Electricians will often have a Dimmer Operator who controls the intensity (and depending on the type of the light, the color) of the stage lights.
Starting as a Grip
When someone is first starting out, they are usually assigned to be the cart person. They are in charge of keeping the gear organized and this gives them a chance to learn about the gear.
One option to work in Set Lighting, is to work at a Set Lighting Rental House. Learn how to move, manage, and work the gear. Be sure to network with the Keys and Gaffers who are coming to pick up the equipment. After you build rapport, ask for opportunities to work in the department you wish to gain experience in. Learn their names and positions. Don’t forget to make sure they are happy with their gear. Keep fostering relationships; you never know how they will circle back in the future.
Safety
Be aware of your surroundings. Someone or something may suddenly be behind you. If you turn too fast and have a big tool belt on, you may crash and cause damage to a person or item.
Be quick, but never run. If someone sees you running, they will likely think something is wrong and there is danger.
Physical Expectations
Working in lighting is a physical job. 100 feet of cable is around 500 lbs. The lightest sandbag is 15 lbs, while others are 35 lbs.
Expect to be lifting heavy gear often and stay hydrated.
Indie Films
We discussed the market of Independent Films. Crews that are used to working on studio projects can feel it’s exploited free labor. With studios that can pay a larger salary, it has become harder for indies to compete.
Be sure to research the cast and crew of an independent project. Safety, food, and care of a cast and crew could be sacrificed due to the limited resources of an indie project. You’ll want to make sure it’s a good crew where you can gain good experience and solid connections.
To appease a smaller salary, an important aspect to remember is the story of an indie film is probably an important one that needs to be told. Often they have more heart and that makes a difference in the mood and attitude of those attached to the project.
Advice
Alex recommends to really take some time to consider if a career in film is right for you. It will be fun at first, but it will wear you out fast and will lead to burnout. It’s a very demanding industry. If you go all in, you’ll like get stuck.
If you work on set, often you’ll working late on Friday and into Saturday, which leaves little weekend time off.
The film industry will certainly cause you to make sacrifices in your personal life.
One way to help balance this is to remember you can turn down work. Take a break when you need to.
Recently, I published an article on Medium discussing necessary systemic shifts to help make working in film more sustainable. Crew is not able to show up in their personal life as much as they would like to. They may have a position where they’re expected to be on call all the time. This expectation can lead to poor planning and inefficient use of time at work.
We also discussed how physical safety has improved since the passing of Sarah Jones when she was on set of Midnight Rider. For further details about her story, check out this article.
However, there is still much room for improvement of mental and emotional well-being.
We’ve heard stories of “back in the good ole days;” crew was able to keep running off cocaine and alcohol. Though reliance on substances has subsided, it has not completely disappeared.
It’s very difficult to be healthy and take care of yourself in the film industry.
Productions should have shorter days. It’s not just a money exchange; it’s an exchange of someone’s time. Our personal lives are being sacrificed.
If you agree that Productions should have shorter work days, please sign this petition.
Anyone wishing to start a family, will often leave the industry because of how the long work schedule is or the physical distance of working on location.
Alex and I also discussed how laws in your state have an impact on the film industry. Sometimes a law that misaligns with actors or studios can cause an industry to disappear from an area.
Be sure to diversify and be adaptable. Your role will differ based on the studio protocols, budget of the project, and crew that you are working with.
You also don’t want to solely rely on one or two people for getting hired. A major lifestyle may occur for them and you both could be out of work.
Keep your ego in check and be open to learning new ways of doing things. Film is always changing and it may be beneficial to switch up how you’ve always done something.
