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 how to operate 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 seventh edition has been updated to include the latest technology, further explanations of equipment and how to use it for those new to the role, a new chapter on working as a grip on virtual sets. Other features include technical expertise on maintaining the latest and greatest filmmaking equipment; a self-test section containing over one hundred questions and answers; a comprehensive appendix containing a robust glossary of insider and equipment terms; and guidelines on what a grip has to be physically able to perform in their day-to-day duties. The book is ideal for the aspiring or working grip to use on the role, as well as aspiring students looking to break into the industry.

Michael G. Uva is a well-respected key grip in Hollywood, with over 32 years of experience in film, TV, movies, and commercials. Credits include films such as Easy A, Kalifornia, and Iron Eagle, and TV shows such as The League, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Bones. He has taught at UCLA's extension program, the Phoenix, Denver, New Mexico, Cuyahoga College Cleveland, and Bakersfield Film Commissions, as well as for the Hollywood CPR Program at West Los Angeles College. He has also taught at international institutions such as the Kerry ETB Training Centre in Ireland.

Introduction 1. Basic Essential Equipment 2. Expendables 3. Knots 4. Basic Tool Descriptions 5. Truck Order Form (Basic) 6. Green and Blue Screens 7. Mounts 8. Cranes 9. Condors and Lifts 10. Walkies 11. T.O.T.S. (Tricks Of The Trade) 12. F.A.C.T.S. 13. Fly Swatter 14. Chain Motors 15. Virtual Sets 16. Fluid Heads 17. Field Operations 18. Grip Tests 19. Terms 20. Glossary 21. Index