Question 1

What do Gaffers do?

Paul McIlvaine · Accepted Answer

The short answer is the Gaffer is the head of the Lighting Department and oversees the crew and duties that they provide in support of the film. Gaffers work directly under the Director of Photography from pre-production until show’s wrap.
I’ve often described the Gaffer’s role this way: imagine a film crew pushing a huge boulder up a hill and the Gaffer makes sure there’s no pebbles getting in the way to stop the crew’s momentum.

Question 2

What Is the role of a Gaffer?

Bob Bates · Accepted Answer

A Gaffer’s responsibilities consist of many things. Since they’re the head of the Lighting Department, they oversee all of the objectives of lighting on set per the Director of Photography’s (DP) wishes. They are responsible for helping the DP and the Director of the project by offering their desired look for the film.
The Gaffer helps the DP set the mood and look of the film through lighting. A Gaffer is well-versed in lighting equipment. Knowing what the different fixtures can do and offer helps expedite the wishes of the DP to give them their desired look.
The film set can be very fast-paced and a Gaffer has to be quick to react and help resolve potential issues. Knowing his/her trade and what the different light fixtures can offer only helps to expedite the set ups. I feel if you do not know the equipment, what it can do for you, and how to use it, then you would have a short/limited career as a Gaffer. Learning the lighting/electric equipment is the first step to working on this department.

Question 3

How much do Gaffers get paid?

Andrew Mueller · Accepted Answer

On a union job, you’re looking at anywhere from $2,800 to $4,000 a week. That’s union in LA or New York. Other parts of the country, the scales and the wages for union jobs are different. I know that it’s less, but I’m not as familiar with those contracts.
Most of the CLTs that I know also own equipment that they use. If someone’s really looking at a long-term career in lighting, starting a company is often very valuable—especially nowadays when there’s so much variety in equipment and lighting.
It’s very beneficial for people to own the core tools that they’re gonna repeatedly use because everyone starts to get their style and how they like to work: the fixtures, the lighting that they like to use. To repeatedly and reliably create those aesthetics, you’re gonna wanna own some of those pieces of equipment that you can rent to the vendor or the job so you know you’ve always got it with you.
To think of an analogy, it’d be like hiring a Dentist but then just having them show up at a random dental office. They could probably work their way through the day and do a procedure, a cleaning and all that stuff, but they’d be using someone else’s tools.
You’re maybe looking for it and figuring it out, but if you show up and you’ve got your own office with your own tools and your own thing, you’re much more prepared. There’s more time saved. The process becomes tighter and faster because you’re working with your own lighting tools.
It’s all scales. I know CLTs that just own one small cart of like five or six lights and that’s enough. They know that they can bring that, then anything else they need they’re gonna rent: the power, the bigger lights, the other things. I know people that own huge semi-truck trailers full of things, and for them, it’s like, “This is what I need. You’re gonna hire me for a job, this truck comes with me, and this is how we’re gonna get it done.”
So, salary-wise you could easily do $150,000 a year on your wages. But if you’re savvy, you’re in a big enough market for it, and you own the equipment, too, then there’s a lot more potential for that to go a lot higher. There’s situations that I’ve been in where the CLT, when you account for that, is making more than the Cinematographer. It’s not always the case, but it certainly does happen.

Question 4

How do you become a Gaffer?

Paul McIlvaine · Accepted Answer

There’s no set protocol for becoming a Gaffer. It could be as simple as knowing a DP who needs a Gaffer and you offer your services. The film business is built on relationships and contacts. The more jobs you are on, the bigger your list of contacts becomes which may lead to more opportunities to advance.
The best scenario may be to take small steps and learn all the intricacies of the Lighting Department’s responsibilities. Commercials, music videos, and corporate jobs are a great place to start out and build a career.
There are many paths to becoming a Gaffer but the one skill that everyone must develop is how to sell yourself as the Gaffer.

Question 5

How can I be a good Gaffer?

Cole Pisano · Accepted Answer

Many people break into gaffing by working on student and short films. As their reputation grows and they get to know more Cinematographers they’ll move onto larger sets and longer shoots.
The best way to become a competent Gaffer is to start with an entry-level position in the lighting crew. [This means typically working as an Electrician or Lamp Operator. Internships or working for free on low-budget gigs are a great approach because they offer a chance for practical experience.]

Question 6

What experiences and skills do Gaffers need to have?

Cole Pisano · Accepted Answer

Safety is one of the biggest aspects of being a Gaffer. Within their line of work, it’s easy to get someone killed or start a fire with the lighting equipment. Having experience, especially in safety practices, as a Set Lighting Technician or doing power distribution is crucial.
Additionally, there are a lot of politics with Producers and other department heads, especially around budgets. Ultimately, the Gaffer is there to serve the Director and Cinematographer but they’ve still got to interact with everyone else and remain professional.

Question 7

Do Gaffers need to go to film school?

Jaim O'Neil · Accepted Answer

I didn’t go to film school. I was actually a Firefighter for a couple years before I got in the business. I’m fourth generation. My dad did it, my grandfather, my great-grandfather.
It’s a lot of on job training. Film school’s gonna teach you the basics; I’d say it’s more the cinematography and the art of lighting. You really have to be there, hands-on. It’s different when you’re in a class in front of twenty people than when you’re standing on set in front of a hundred people and you’re trying to implement lighting and there’s chaos going on.
Sometimes sets can be very chaotic, in a way, especially big action films. So you need to not be intimidated, especially by the different Directors, Actors, Producers and other crew members around you.
It’s a rewarding career. It’s not like you’re going to the same office every day. I’m doing the TV show Claws right now in Louisiana. In the last couple years, I did Rampage, Bad Boys for Life, Lady and the Tramp, Unhinged, and The Secrets We Keep. I’ve gone from a Will Smith big action movie down to a small, little, dramatic period movie that’s in the ‘50s—it’s always changing.
The crews change, for the most part. I travel a lot for work; I’ve worked at all the different areas except New York. You get to work with different people all the time. It’s not just the same people that you would see every day. I kind of like that.

Question 8

Anything else you want aspiring Gaffers to know?

Jaim O'Neil · Accepted Answer

Definitely all the new LED technology. Knowing a lot of all the different dimmer systems that are out there, and wireless systems, and automated lighting. Look into a lot of the theatrical lighting, moving lights, and all that stuff. That stuff’s all really incorporated with your basic movie light from, you know, twenty years ago. We still use them, but a lot of the stuff, they’re basically computers now.
It’s cool stuff to get to play with. I would definitely suggest going to some of the expos that they have every year in Vegas or in Atlanta. You can go to the different LED vendors and play with the stuff and look at it and see what it does.

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