The Grip Book

Gain the essential skills of a professional grip to become the jack and master of all trades on any movie or television show set. This new edition has been fully updated and revised and will enable aspiring and professional grips to discover vital insider tips, ranging from operating cutting-edge rigging and lighting equipment to performing difficult camera mounts on aircraft, boats, trains, and cars. Seasoned Hollywood grip Michael G. Uva teaches you to install, set up, maintain, and ensure the safety of all equipment on a set, such as C-stands, cameras, and any specialty gear needed for a shoot. Expanded content on navigating the set, including set etiquette and how to succeed as a technical crew member, will jump-start your career and make you a valuable asset on any film or television crew. This eighth edition has been updated to include recommended video resources for quick reference, additional reading materials for efficient filmmaking, and new line drawings throughout to clarify equipment components. Updates also feature expanded sections on direction-changing dolly track systems, walkie-talkie etiquette with headset illustrations, metric/standard conversion charts, fall protection safety equipment for interior and exterior sets, virtual/volume film sets with detailed front and back view drawings, and film drone operations for grips. Other features include technical expertise in maintaining the latest filmmaking equipment; a comprehensive appendix with a robust glossary of insider and equipment terms; and guidelines on what a grip must be physically able to do in their day-to-day duties. The book is ideal for aspiring or working grips seeking to advance their careers, students and film school graduates looking to break into the industry, film production professionals seeking to expand their technical expertise, and crew members who want to understand the essential role grips play on modern film and television sets.