Gaffer

The gaffer is the head of the electric department, sometimes credited as chief lighting technician. Where the director of photography designs how a scene should look, the gaffer works out how to achieve it: which fixtures to use, where to place them, how to power them, and how to adjust them as the camera moves.

The gaffer's team usually includes a second in command, traditionally called the best boy electric, who handles crew, equipment orders, and paperwork, along with the electricians who rig and operate the lights. On larger shoots, a rigging gaffer and crew may pre-light sets and locations before the shooting unit arrives.

Power is a big part of the job. Lighting a practical location can mean tying into the building's supply, running cable from a generator, or relying on battery-powered units, and each option affects noise, safety, and setup time. The gaffer is also responsible for electrical safety on set, which is why experience in this role matters even on small productions.

Gaffers often scout alongside the DP during pre-production, because the time it takes to light a space can shape the shooting schedule as much as the number of pages in a scene. A script that moves between many night locations asks a lot of this department, and a good gaffer will say so early.