The short version
The gaffer is the head of the electrical and lighting department on a film set. The director of photography decides how the image should look; the gaffer makes the lights do it, safely, on schedule, within the power available. The word probably comes from the long 'gaff' pole once used to adjust overhead fittings, and the job is as old as filmed light.
The department, in order
- Director of photography (DoP). Designs the photography: lighting, lensing, camera movement. From £575/day.
- Gaffer. Executes the lighting plan, runs the department, owns electrical safety. From £450/day.
- Best boy. The gaffer's second: logistics, kit, paperwork, power distribution. Larger productions only.
- Spark. The lighting electrician who rigs, cables and operates fixtures. From £350/day.
What a gaffer actually does all day
Reads the lighting plan and the location. Calculates power and distributes it without tripping anything. Rigs fixtures safely at height, here from an 8-bar grid 4.5m up. Balances colour temperatures so faces match between shots. Patches dimmers, ours run 42 channels of DMX, and runs colour cues live for anything with gel washes. Then de-rigs it all so the next production finds a clean grid.
Which roles does a small shoot need?
A one-presenter corporate video on a pre-lit stage: none, the stage is the gaffer. An interview shoot with two setups: an operator who can light, or a DoP-gaffer hybrid. A music video with colour washes and haze: a gaffer, no argument. Drama: a gaffer and at least one spark. If in doubt, send the shot list and we will say which it needs, not which we would like to sell.