TAKING ALL THE CREDITS
Peter Marsh
Have you noticed how feature film credits seem to get longer and
longer these days? Some people will walk out of a cinema or switch
the VCR to rewind just as soon as the credits start to roll. Me? I'm
always fascinated to see who the location caterer was, or who provided
the hero's flash motor. Sad, or what!
Some of the jobs are puzzling. You may have seen the credit for the
Foley Operator. Well, when you see people walking on wet cobblestones
or running along the beach, you're hearing the Foley operators walking
and running in a small area on similar kinds of surfaces in time with
the action they're watching on the screen. I think the name comes
from the American inventor of the editing process used. Years ago,
I knew a woman who did this job for a living, and I remember being
amazed just how much skill is involved.
How about the Gaffer? We know this as an English expression for the
"old man", and indeed in the movie business he is the much
respected Chief Electrician on the set.
The gaffer's second-in-command is the Best Boy, so called because
he's literally the best boy (in the gaffer's opinion) among the electricians.
It is interesting that there are female "best boys", but
there are no "best girls".
Then you may notice the Grip. He's the all-purpose Mr. Fix it. There
will typically be several of these on a film doing things like: laying
the dolly tracks, building up scaffolding and platforms, and often
liasing with the gaffer. The supervisor of this little lot is the
Key Grip, who will often also function as a back up to the camera
crew.
So there we have just a few of the names you'll see scrolling up
at the end of your favourite film. Keep an eye out. I'm sure they'll
appreciate it!
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