What exactly is a GRIP on a film set and what do they do?

Part tutorial, part love letter - this video represents my take on the importance of the grip department. No grips, no Oscar nomination. Film schools don't spend enough time on the essentials of gripping and for the life of me I don't know why! Grips provide literally 1/2 of the lighting on stage and sometimes 100% of the lighting outdoors! You cannot learn how to shoot without some knowledge of "cutting" light. Hopefully this video will help you approach your lighting plan differently in the future. Hope you like it! Mark Vargo, asc

If a film set were the army, the grips would be the infantry. They push and pull production along behind the camera and are the main reason why a lot of movie magic is able to happen.

If you've ever wondered what the job of a grip is and what is so fascinating about it, then watch this 11-minute short doc and it will explain all to you.

Grip It Good is voiced by cinematographer Mark Vargo (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 3:10 to Yuma, Poseidon). He has a small handful of other helpful videos on his Vimeo channel for those who are interested in learning more about camera and lighting tricks.

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