Best boy

This article is about the film crew position. For the documentary film, see Best Boy (film).

In a film crew, there are two kinds of best boy: best boy electric (also known as the assistant chief lighting technician) and best boy grip (also known as the 2nd company grip). They are assistants to their department heads, the gaffer (in charge of electricals) and the key grip (lighting and rigging), respectively.[1] In short, the best boy acts as the foreman for the department. A woman who performs these duties may be called best girl.[2] Recently, some film crews are adopting gender-neutral terms for job titles, with one example being 'lead electric' as a replacement for the term 'best boy' in the electrical department.[3][4] In 2024, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees has most recently adopted the terms assistant chief lighting technician and 2nd company grip for the electric and grip departments, respectively.[5]

  1. ^ Taub, Eric (1994). Gaffers, Grips, and Best Boys. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 153. ISBN 0-312-11276-9.
  2. ^ Being Human end credits, for example
  3. ^ "Blue Heelers (TV Series 1994–2006) – IMDb". IMDb.
  4. ^ "Capote (2005) – IMDb". IMDb.
  5. ^ https://iatse.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-IATSE-Area-Standards-Agreement-MOA-FINAL.pdf. Retrieved 24 July 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)