What Is A Best Boy?
In film, there are two kinds of best boys – best boy electric and best boy grip. They are assistants to the head of their respective departments, either the gaffer (electric) or the key grip (lighting and rigging). Women who perform the duties of a best boy may be called best girl.
The responsibilities of a best boy include:
- Managing their team’s schedule
- Managing inventory and equipment rentals
- Ensuring adherence to safety measures within their departments
- Designing and implementing lighting or rigging plans
- And more
Best boys are considered second-in-command and may stand in for the key grip or gaffer when they are unavailable. An unconfirmed theory about how they got the name “best boy” is that back in the early days of filmmaking, the crew working on electricity, lighting or rigging would call out for someone to send them “their best boy” to help them.
They are typically credited as best boys but as the gaffer is sometimes credited as the chief lighting technician, the best boy electric can also be credited as the assistant chief lighting technician.
If you are looking for gaffers, electricians, grips, and their best boys for your next production, check out our online Nevada Production Directory to find experienced Nevada production crew and support services or drop by our office and pick up a free printed directory!
If you offer production and film-related services in Nevada and are not yet listed in our Production Directory, you can learn more about how to sign up for the NPD here.