The Grip

A grip is a person who works on a film set maintaining and operating production equipment.

In Britain the term grip applies specifically to camera-mounting equipment such as dolly tracks, cranes and platforms, scaffolding, etc. In America the term also includes lighting and other equipment.

The duties of a grip can include both construction and operation; for example, laying a dolly track and then operating the dolly during filming.

Most budget film productions have a number of grips in the grip department, headed by a key grip. Some grips have specialized skills, for example:

• Dolly Grip (operates the dolly)
• Construction Grip (constructs and dismantles the set)
• Best Boy Grip (send-in-charge of the department)