In short: A rigging gaffer leads the team that rigs lights, stands and cable on set, working to the gaffer's plan. They build the rig, check loads and access, and strike it. Rigging involves height and load, so a competent person must assess every rig.
A rigging gaffer leads the team that hangs and rigs the lights, stands and cable on a set, making the gaffer's lighting plan physically possible and safe to run.
General guidance only. This page describes the role in general terms. Rigging, working at height and any load on a grid or stand must be assessed for the actual job by a competent person before anyone works on it.
What a rigging gaffer does on a shoot day
The rigging gaffer's day is mostly about getting the rig right before the lights are switched on. The lighting plan is the gaffer's, and the rig is the rigging gaffer's job to build.
- Read the plan. Take the lighting plan from the gaffer, check where each fixture goes and what it needs, and agree the access with the production.
- Build the rig. Put up the stands, bars, grids, hoists or clamps the plan calls for, with the load and the access checked first.
- Run the cable and power. Lay the cable so nobody trips, protect it where it crosses a walkway, and keep it away from water.
- Check the work. Test each circuit before the lights go on, and check the rig again after any change.
- Strike it safely. Take the rig down at the end of the day in the reverse order, and check nothing is left in the air or on a stand that has been moved.
Who they work with
The rigging gaffer works to the gaffer, who is head of the lighting department and designs the look with the director of photography. They work with the best boy and the sparks, who run the power and the lamps, and with the key grip, whose team handles stands, flags and rigging hardware. Production safety and the location team also need to know when a rig goes up and comes down.
Kit and skills
The kit depends on the job: stands, clamps, bars, hoists and the access equipment for the height. Every item must be checked before use, and the gaffer will expect a record of it. The skills are practical and cautious at the same time.
- Careful judgement of load, height and access, and the discipline to stop a job that is not safe.
- Good communication with the gaffer, the grip and the sparks, who all work above and around the same space.
- Steady nerves at height, and a clear head when a rig has to change in a hurry.
- Patience with cable and tidy habits, which matter as much on a big rig as on a small one.
How to become a rigging gaffer
There is no single route. The ScreenSkills career map lists a lighting trainee role for people starting out, where the trainee "might help run cables and set up lights" under supervision. Most rigging gaffers come up through this path:
- Start as a lighting trainee or spark. Learn the cable, the power and the lamps on real jobs, under a gaffer who will teach you.
- Learn the rig. Work on stands, grids and hoists under supervision, and learn the rules on loads, access and safe working at height.
- Get the training the job asks for. Working-at-height and rigging training is often required on larger sets, so check what the job needs before you apply.
- Build a record. Keep a list of the rigs you have worked on, the loads and the safety checks, because employers ask for them.
Electrical training and experience on lighting rigs, from theatre or live events, can also lead to the role. Most of the learning happens on the job, and the people who advance are the ones trusted with the height. Bectu, the union for people working in the creative industries, offers freelancers advice and career support as members.
Do you need one on a small shoot?
- A talking head, a podcast or a single lamp on a stand: no. A spark or the camera team can set one light safely.
- A studio with a house rig, such as the grid in our White Space: usually not for the rig itself. The lighting is set on the grid, and a gaffer or spark does the work.
- A rain rig, a rig over a set, a car on the cove or any job that hangs lights at height: yes, and a competent person must assess the rig before work starts.
Our White Space has an 8-bar grid at 4.5 metres to the grid, and a rain rig built for a shoot is quoted per production, from £750 plus VAT as a signature element. Tell us what you are trying to shoot and we will say what the rig needs. The gaffer and lighting crew hire page covers who we can provide for the lighting work.
Related roles
- What does a gaffer do?
- What does a spark do?
- What does a best boy do?
- What does a key grip do?
- What does a dolly grip do?
Sources
- ScreenSkills, Film and TV drama career map, read 5 November 2026
- Bectu, home page, read 5 November 2026
Related guides
Questions we get asked
What does a rigging gaffer do?
They rig the lighting on set. That means planning and building the lighting rig on stands, grids, bars or hoists, running the cable and power, and checking loads and access before anyone works above the floor.
Is a rigging gaffer the same as a gaffer?
No. The gaffer is head of the lighting department and designs the lighting look with the director of photography. The rigging gaffer is responsible for making the rig work and keeping it safe, to the gaffer's plan.
Do you need a rigging gaffer for a small shoot?
Not for a single lamp or a studio with a house rig. Yes for a rig over a set, a rain rig, or any job where lights must be hung at height, and in every case a competent person must assess the rig.
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