Grip vs. Key Grip
Was watching a movie this evening and when the credits roll by there's a bunch of people listed as 'grip' or 'key grip'. And I understand that these are basically the people standing around holding lights and microphones and shit on a movie set but I don't understand why they require their own credit at the end of a film. And why they have some fancy ass title like 'grip'. You're the guy that holds shit basically. And what the fuck is a 'key grip'? Is that the guy who holds the keys for the director so he doesn't misplace them? That I can kind of see. It's the end of a long day of shooting a film and you're so fucking tired of the actor's and actress's bullshit you just want to throw something at them, that's the guy who makes sure you don't throw your fucking car keys at them. But does that really deserve a special title? Like, out of all the people holding stuff, you're just the special guy chosen to hold onto keys?
And if that's not what it is, then is that the guy who holds other important stuff? Or maybe just the most important guy who holds stuff? In which case you're really just the important grip or the gripper of important things. You're not key. I could find a gorilla that would grip shit really tightly. You're about as key to the actual production of the film as the guy who sweeps the soundstage and he doesn't get a fucking credit at the end of the film.
And if that's not what it is, then is that the guy who holds other important stuff? Or maybe just the most important guy who holds stuff? In which case you're really just the important grip or the gripper of important things. You're not key. I could find a gorilla that would grip shit really tightly. You're about as key to the actual production of the film as the guy who sweeps the soundstage and he doesn't get a fucking credit at the end of the film.
posted by rpalmeira at 1:20 AM
2 Comments:
my god you have no i dea how a movie is made. the grip department is resposible for manipulating the lighting to make it look good(however some aren't very good at it)also responsible for camera movement ie. cranes& dollies which are operated by the dolly grip which moves the camera while the operator points it. also the grips are in charge of the rigging of the lights and cameras like on ceilings and cars.
by the way the Key Grip is the head of the grip department.
Okay, so I was at least partially right, it's the guys that hold the lighting. Based on some of the movies recently a good chunk of them should get fired. The dolly grip guy I can see as being important. For the same reason I'd want a trained crane operator at a construction site, it would be horrible to try and shoot the chase scene from the second Matrix movie with some USC film school reject all hyped up coffee running the crane. If anything that guy is key. There are Boy Scouts that can tie a camera to a car, that doesn't mean they deserve a film credit.
Still, thanks for clearing that up.
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