In short: A spark is a lighting technician. They rig, power, adjust and strike the lights on a shoot under the gaffer, and they keep the electrics safe. On a small studio shoot one spark can run the whole lighting setup. Granary lists a spark from £350 a day plus VAT.
A spark is a lighting technician: the person who rigs, powers, adjusts and strikes the lights on a shoot, working under the gaffer. The word comes from "sparks", the old crew nickname for electricians, and you will hear both on a call sheet.
What a spark does on a shoot day
The gaffer decides what the lighting looks like with the director of photography. The spark makes it happen.
- Load in and rig. Bring the lamps, stands and cable in, place them where the gaffer wants them and power them safely.
- Cable management. Run cable so nobody trips, protect it where it crosses a walkway and keep it off wet floors.
- Adjust on request. Flag, diffuse, raise, lower, swing and dim lamps while the DoP watches the monitor.
- Keep it safe. Check lamps and cables before use, watch the loads on each circuit and say so if something looks wrong.
- Reset between set-ups. Move the lighting for the next shot while the camera team re-frames.
- Strike and wrap. Take everything down, coil cable properly and check nothing is left behind.
Most of a spark's day is physical, repetitive and quiet. The skill is being a step ahead of the gaffer without needing to be told.
Who they work with
A spark reports to the gaffer, or to the best boy if there is one on a larger crew. See what a gaffer does and what a best boy does. On a small crew there may be one spark and no best boy at all.
On a bigger production a spark may direct a junior or a trainee. Day to day they also deal with the key grip's team, who handle stands, flags and rigging, and with the DoP, who will tell them how the light should look. See what a key grip does.
Kit and skills
Sparks carry gloves, a torch, a tape measure, spare fuses and the usual tools for cable and lamp work, and the production supplies the lighting. What matters more is knowledge.
- How circuits, loads and distribution work, and when a plug or a lamp is a risk.
- The difference between tungsten and LED fixtures and how each behaves on camera. Our note on why we run both covers it.
- Safe working at height and with stands, as well as with the stage grid.
- Patience, tidy habits and a good ear for what the gaffer is asking.
Kit should be tested before it travels. PAT testing for kit that travels explains what to check. This page is general guidance only. Any real job, particularly one with generators, temporary distribution or working at height, needs a competent person to assess it.
How to become a spark
There is no single route in. In the UK, people usually arrive in one of these ways:
- Runner or lighting trainee. Start as a runner on a shoot, get noticed by the lighting team and ask to help on a rig.
- Trainee schemes and training. ScreenSkills publishes career information for the lighting department and supports trainee routes. Check their site for what is currently open.
- From the electrical trade. A qualified electrician moving into film often has the safety foundation already and then learns the screen side from a gaffer.
- Theatre, events or rental houses. Time in a lighting hire company or on live events teaches kit, loading and cable discipline.
Joining Bectu, the union for creative industries, helps with advice on terms and contacts. Honestly, much of it comes down to who has seen you work. Be early, be safe, say yes to the dull jobs and be good company.
Do you need one on a small shoot?
- A talking-head interview or podcast: usually not. One person who knows the lights can set them up.
- A product or fashion day on the cove: one spark alongside the photographer or DoP speeds the day up a good deal, particularly with changing set-ups.
- A multi-camera shoot or anything with a rain rig, haze or a car on set: yes. More lamps, more cable and more risk make a dedicated person worth the day rate.
- A drama or music video: yes, and usually a gaffer as well.
Our studio comes with house lighting on the grid, so smaller jobs often need less crew than people expect. If you want a spark or a full lighting crew, we can book crew with the hire, and the gaffer and lighting crew page has the detail. Crew day rates are indicative and shown plus VAT.
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Questions we get asked
What is a spark in film?
A spark is a member of the lighting department who rigs and operates lights and cabling on a shoot. The name comes from the old term for an electrician. They work under the gaffer, either directly or through the best boy.
How much does a spark cost per day in the UK?
It depends on the job, the production and the level of experience. Granary lists a spark from £350 a day plus VAT as an indicative rate. On a union-agreement production the rate card for that agreement applies instead.
Do I need to be an electrician to be a spark?
Not always, but you need to be safe around mains and generator power and competent with cable and lamp handling. Some productions ask for formal electrical qualifications on bigger rigs. Most people start on small jobs and learn from a gaffer.
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