Which is the better title? Chief Lighting Technician or Gaffer?
I have worked for years as a gaffer. In the past few of years, I have occasionally seen on call sheets, and on one movie credit, my name listed as Chief Lighting Technician.
I like it.
It sounds much more important than gaffer. Gaffer is one of those old school Hollywood names for a position that is a mystery to most people.
Even the origins of the name, gaffer, is mysterious. There is no one clear story of how this name came to be. Much like the name, C47, there are many stories. None of them seem convincingly true.
(C47 is a movie name for a clothespin. Yes, I use wooden clothespins all the time.)
Another one of those old school Hollywood names is the Best Boy. This is a terrible name for an adult man. Even a worse name for a woman.
On jobs where I am listed as Chief Lighting Technician, my best is listed as Assistant Chief Lighting Technician which sounds much more important than being a Best Boy. I like it!
A related post, White Glove Gaffer: https://electricgrip.blogspot.com/2018/03/white-glove-gaffer.html
I have worked for years as a gaffer. In the past few of years, I have occasionally seen on call sheets, and on one movie credit, my name listed as Chief Lighting Technician.
I like it.
It sounds much more important than gaffer. Gaffer is one of those old school Hollywood names for a position that is a mystery to most people.
Even the origins of the name, gaffer, is mysterious. There is no one clear story of how this name came to be. Much like the name, C47, there are many stories. None of them seem convincingly true.
(C47 is a movie name for a clothespin. Yes, I use wooden clothespins all the time.)
Another one of those old school Hollywood names is the Best Boy. This is a terrible name for an adult man. Even a worse name for a woman.
On jobs where I am listed as Chief Lighting Technician, my best is listed as Assistant Chief Lighting Technician which sounds much more important than being a Best Boy. I like it!
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| One of my old movie id cards |
A related post, White Glove Gaffer: https://electricgrip.blogspot.com/2018/03/white-glove-gaffer.html