The person in charge of lighting for a film or television set is known as a gaffer. She’s also known as the lighting technician’s chief. Although the gaffer is technically in charge of all power and electricity functions on set, she is most commonly associated with special effects and illusion lighting. Her responsibilities frequently include both lighting design and implementation.
From pre-production to post-production, the gaffer is critical to the success of the production. Before shooting begins, she consults with the cinematographer and director. They evaluate the set’s electrical requirements and note any scenes or effects that may necessitate the use of special equipment or additional power sources.
The gaffer takes on a more supervisory role once the set is in place. She reads the script and confirms the director’s and cinematographer’s desired moods and effects. The gaffer directs the set electricians in creating a variety of lighting effects.
Depending on the production, special lighting effects are required in a variety of ways. They could be as simple as drawing a person’s silhouette on a wall to something more ambitious like turning night into day. Other lighting challenges include simulating flickering lights on a plane taking off or the dimly lit interior of a car driving down a lonely country road.
Gaffers are frequently expected to have a truck loaded with specialized lighting equipment and accessories. To create a variety of lighting images, the trucks often have boxes full of plastics, shading tools, and reflective materials. Different colored plastic sheeting applied to windows or lights to create images of setting, rising, and midday suns is a popular device used gaffers.
The majority of a gaffer’s training takes place on the job. If she doesn’t have any prior experience, she’ll most likely be hired as an electrical lighting technician, also known as a rigger. The rigger, the lowest-ranking member of the electrical crew, is in charge of connecting all of the set’s power and positioning the lights. Aside from climbing into and around filthy locations, the rigger must also deal with the heat generated the lights she is installing around the set. Most employers prefer to hire people who have had some experience or education in a related field.
Gaffer is a British English word that refers to a boss or an older man. It was first used as a term of respect for an elder male in a village in the 19th century, usually a person in charge of workers. Despite its origins as a masculine authority figure, the term “chief lighting technician” is now used to refer to either a male or female in the position.