Frequently Asked Questions

In the United Kingdom the role of a Grip in film and television is a member of the on-set crew devoted to helping the director of photography achieve visual movement. This usually entails the control of heavier camera movements, generally utilising larger pieces of equipment such as a camera dolly, camera crane or jib arm. The grip department is an independent department under the control of the director of photography and is dedicated to helping them achieve their visual goals for a project.

In the United States and certain parts of Europe, 'Grip' is a more general term for members of the lighting and grip crew in control of heavier stands and support for both camera and lighting. The term 'Dolly Grip' may more appropriately describe the role of a regular 'Grip' in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe.

The 'Key Grip' is the head of the grip department on set. The key grip usually works closely with the Director of Photography and the production team to ensure that the grip department is both staffed and runs smoothly. Key grips will often be involved in the provision of equipment and crew for a production. Sometimes the key grip will play a key role on set; other times they will leave this to their team as they organise the day-to-day running and staffing.

A full kit list can be seen on our rental page, but here's a general overview. We offer full grip packages with optional additionals based on a production's needs. These packages nearly always include our camera sliders, apple boxes, camera dolly track, woodwork, rigging kits, vibration isolators, bazooka bases, rolling spiders, Mitchell and euro adapters, but also offer additional equipment such as our mini-jibs, larger jibs, camera dollies and cranes.

It stands for the right-hand man or woman to the Key Grip. On bigger productions a best boy/girl grip may be more office based as they help run the logistical crewing of the team and organisation of equipment. We understand the term is arguably more dated, but it is commonly used on set.

Our rental packages are customised to fit your production's needs. They include all necessary equipment, transportation and delivery. We offer crew services with our packages, but we also provide dry rentals for qualified crew members. Reach out to us to discuss your specific requirements!

We currently don't sell grip equipment, but it's in our future plans. If you're an engineer or grip interested in manufacturing grip equipment in the UK, we'd love to hear from you. Stay tuned for updates!

Becoming a grip can be a difficult journey. This section of the industry is notoriously insular, but we are trying to change that. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to learn how to become a grip if they'd like to. Grip departments in the United Kingdom are notably underrepresented in terms of both gender and different ethnic backgrounds — something we want to change and believe should be openly discussed. If you are interested in becoming a grip, please don't hesitate to contact us and we'll try our best to advise you on the initial step of becoming a trainee.

A camera dolly is a wheeled platform that a camera and operator can be mounted on. The dolly is then pushed or moved horizontally and can often jib vertically up and down. The dolly usually has the operator riding, but also sometimes a focus puller and operator riding. It is under the control of the key grip or the dolly grip.

A Mitchell or Moy fitting is one of the most common fittings for grip equipment in the United Kingdom and United States. It has a flat base with a keyway that items such as camera heads and offsets can be attached to. When using these fittings a 3-way or 4-way leveller may need to be utilised to level the head.

In parts of Europe a bowl fitting is often more popular; bowl fittings can be unscrewed and levelled without using a 3-way or 4-way leveller, but are arguably not as secure for larger camera packages.

The euro or boss fitting is a type of mount commonly seen on set. It is usually the central mounting point on European central column style dollies and is often a system used on top of risers or pots that raise the camera's height. When using euro fittings, an adapter must be used to attach either a Mitchell or bowl head. Most commonly a 'world cup' may be used for a bowl fitting and a 3-way or 4-way leveller for Mitchell fittings.

A world cup adapter is a fitting that helps you attach a bowl mount to a euro mount. Its name comes from its resemblance to the football World Cup. It may also be known as a euro-to-bowl adapter or other slang terms.

A remote head is a camera head that can be controlled remotely. These are usually used on tracking vehicles, cranes and jibs, and increasingly on dollies and rickshaws. At Kinetik we use the Ronin 2 gimbal as our remote head for our tracking vehicles and cranes.

A camera rickshaw is a lightweight, wheeled platform used to carry a camera operator and equipment. It's ideal for capturing smooth, handheld-style shots while moving quickly and efficiently on set.

A bazooka base is a versatile support used in grip equipment. It provides a stable foundation for mounting various camera rigs and accessories, ensuring smooth and secure setups for your shoots.

A rolling spider is a type of camera support with wheels, allowing for smooth and dynamic camera movements. It's perfect for tracking shots and can be easily manoeuvred on set.