Set Lighting Technician's Handbook, 4th Edition

Preface

TERMINOLOGY

Imagine that your mother visits you on the set. You introduce her to the gaffer, who she says seems like a nice fellow—that is, until he starts giving orders: “Hang a baby. Kill the midget and have two blondes standing by for the martini.”

The set lighting profession uses volumes of peculiar-sounding technical terms. In this book, terms are explained the first time they are used and can also be found in the glossary. You will find, however, that the same equipment has different names from country to country, city to city, and studio lot to studio lot. An obie light is called a basher in England. In Jamaica, a scrim is known as a strainer, but here we often simply call it wire. A wall sled is called a Grumpy at Paramount ...