Lighting & Grip
Film Crew Position: Best Boy Electric
What does a Best Boy Electric do?
What Is a Best Boy Electric?
The best boy electric is the second-in-command of the electrical department on a film or television production. Reporting directly to the gaffer — the department head responsible for all lighting — the best boy electric functions as the foreman of the electrical crew, translating the gaffer's creative vision into on-set operational reality. While the gaffer collaborates with the director of photography (DP) to design the lighting plan, the best boy electric makes it happen: organizing the crew, managing equipment, supervising cable runs, coordinating power distribution, and handling the administrative side of the department.
Also known formally as the assistant chief lighting technician (ACLT), the best boy electric is a skilled electrician and manager who keeps the electrical department running efficiently under the high-pressure conditions of professional production. On union productions, this position falls under IATSE Local 728 in Los Angeles or the equivalent local in other major markets.
The "Best Boy" Name: Where Does It Come From?
The origin of the term "best boy" is somewhat debated in film history circles. The most widely cited explanation traces back to the early days of Hollywood, when department heads would request the loan of another department's most skilled worker — their "best boy" — to help with demanding setups. Over time, the informal request became a formal job title. Other historians suggest the term comes from early theater, where the "best boy" was simply the best available assistant a craftsperson could rely on. Either way, the title has stuck for nearly a century and is recognized across the entire English-speaking film industry.
It is worth noting that the title is gender-neutral — women hold the position frequently, and the term applies regardless of gender. Some productions use "best person" as an alternative, but "best boy electric" remains the industry standard terminology.
Best Boy Electric vs. Best Boy Grip
There are two kinds of best boy on a typical production: the best boy electric and the best boy grip. They are often confused, especially by newcomers, because both titles share the same "best boy" label and work in adjacent departments that collaborate closely on set.
Best boy electric — works under the gaffer in the electrical department, managing lighting equipment, generators, cable, distribution boxes, and the electrician crew
Best boy grip — works under the key grip in the grip department, managing camera support, rigging hardware, dollies, cranes, and the grip crew
Though the two roles coordinate on shared tasks like hanging lights from rigging (which grips rig and electricians lamp), they remain distinct departments with separate chains of command, budgets, and responsibilities.
The Best Boy Electric's Place in Production
In the wider production hierarchy, the best boy electric sits within the camera and lighting structure that drives the visual look of every project. The DP defines the visual language, the gaffer executes the lighting design, and the best boy electric runs the crew that makes both possible. On large-scale features and episodic television, the electrical department can include a dozen or more crew members — lamp operators, rigging electrics, generator operators, and daily hires — all coordinated by the best boy electric.
For productions that want to manage costs tightly and keep the entire crew on the same page, tools like Saturation.io's production budgeting and expense management platform help line producers and department heads track electrical department spending, manage purchase orders, and reconcile actuals against the approved budget — all in real time from any device.
What role does a Best Boy Electric play?
Day-to-Day Responsibilities of the Best Boy Electric
The best boy electric's responsibilities span crew management, equipment logistics, safety oversight, and administrative duties. On most productions, the role divides into pre-production preparation, shooting-day operations, and wrap.
Pre-Production Duties
Before principal photography begins, the best boy electric works with the gaffer to build the electrical package — the complete inventory of lighting equipment, cable, distribution gear, and support tools the department will need. This includes:
Building the lighting package — reviewing the script and shot list with the gaffer, determining what fixtures (LED panels, HMI units, tungsten units, practicals), cable quantities, distribution boxes (distro), and generators will be required
Vendor negotiation and equipment rental — contacting grip and electric rental houses (such as Illumination Dynamics, Cinelease, or local vendors), pulling quotes, and confirming rental orders against the department budget
Crew hiring — assembling the electric crew, including lamp operators (juicers), rigging electrics, and generator operators, often in coordination with the union hall for IATSE productions
Truck prep and loading — overseeing the packing, organization, and load of the electric truck so that every piece of equipment is inventoried, properly packed, and accessible on set
Department paperwork — setting up deal memos, crew lists, and the expense tracking system the department will use throughout production
On-Set Shooting Day Duties
During production, the best boy electric is in constant motion, managing both the physical setup of electrical equipment and the crew performing that work. Key daily duties include:
Running the crew — directing lamp operators to execute the gaffer's lighting setup, assigning tasks, managing pacing to stay on schedule, and anticipating what the next setup will require so the crew is always one step ahead
Cable management — overseeing the laying, dressing, and striking of all feeder cable and stinger cable across the location or stage, ensuring pathways are safe and code-compliant
Power distribution — managing the distribution boxes (distros) that step generator or house power down to usable circuits for each lighting unit, preventing overloads and ensuring balanced loads across phases
Generator operation oversight — on location shoots, coordinating with the genny operator to fuel, position, and maintain the generator; tracking fuel consumption and coordinating fuel delivery
Equipment troubleshooting — diagnosing and solving fixture failures, ballast problems, cable faults, or distro issues quickly to avoid costly delays
Safety enforcement — ensuring all electrical work meets OSHA standards and production safety protocols, including proper grounding, wet weather procedures, and safe distances from water sources
Communicating upward and laterally — relaying the gaffer's instructions to the crew clearly, updating the gaffer on any equipment or personnel issues, and coordinating with the grip department on shared rigging tasks
Managing consumables — tracking gel stock, expendables (gels, diffusion material, black wrap, tape, connector pins), and restocking as needed throughout the shoot
Timecards, Paperwork, and Administrative Duties
A significant and often underestimated part of the best boy electric's role is administrative. On union productions especially, accurate paperwork is mandatory and legally binding:
Timecards — collecting, verifying, and submitting timecards for the entire electrical crew at the end of each day, including call times, wrap times, meals, and any applicable allowances
Purchase orders and petty cash — tracking all expenditures against the department's allocated budget, submitting purchase orders for rentals and purchases, and managing petty cash receipts for small expenditures
Equipment returns — tracking rental inventory throughout the shoot and overseeing the return of all rental equipment at the end of production, including damage reporting
Daily reports — on some productions, providing the UPM or production coordinator with a daily equipment status update
Wrap Duties
At the end of production (or at the end of each location), the best boy electric leads the wrap of the electrical department:
Directing the strike of all cable, fixtures, and distribution gear
Overseeing the repack of the electric truck in proper order
Conducting a final inventory count against the rental manifest
Returning equipment to the rental house and processing any damage claims
Finalizing all remaining paperwork, timecards, and purchase orders for delivery to production accounting
Best Boy Electric vs. Gaffer: Who Does What?
The clearest way to understand the best boy electric's role is to compare it directly with the gaffer's role:
Gaffer — creative and technical design of the lighting plan; works with the DP on every setup; makes decisions about fixture choice, color temperature, light quality, and placement; often operates lights directly on smaller productions
Best boy electric — execution and logistics; translates the gaffer's decisions into crew assignments and physical equipment placement; manages the department personnel; handles all administrative and financial tracking for the electric department
On a large studio feature, the gaffer may rarely carry equipment, focusing entirely on creative decisions. The best boy electric makes sure the infrastructure exists for those creative decisions to be realized efficiently and safely.
Working with the Grip Department
While the electrical and grip departments are separate, they collaborate constantly on set. Grips rig the pipes, stands, and mounting hardware that electricians use to hang, clamp, and position lights. The best boy electric coordinates with the best boy grip to:
Plan shared rigging setups (e.g., a pipe grid on a stage from which both lighting fixtures and camera rigging will hang)
Coordinate crew sequencing so grips and electrics can work in the same space efficiently without blocking each other
Share information about power requirements for any powered grip equipment (remote heads, motorized cranes)
Do you need to go to college to be a Best Boy Electric?
Do You Need a Degree to Become a Best Boy Electric?
No formal college degree is required to work as a best boy electric. The film industry's electrical department is a skilled trade — much closer in its credentialing structure to the construction trades or telecommunications industry than to careers requiring university qualifications. What matters most is hands-on electrical knowledge, on-set experience, and a reputation for reliability and technical competence built over several years of working as an electrician in the industry.
That said, formal education can accelerate your development and signal professionalism to gaffers who are building their trusted crew. Here is how most best boys electric get there.
The Typical Career Path to Best Boy Electric
The path to best boy electric is almost always a ground-up progression through the electrical department:
Production assistant (PA) or set PA — many people enter the industry in this role, learning the set environment, the chain of command, and production terminology before gravitating toward a specific department
Electric on set / day player — entry-level work in the electrical department, running cable, setting up stands, moving equipment, operating lights under direction; also called a "lamp operator" or "juicer" on some productions
Lead electric / lamp operator — more consistent work as a trusted crew member, given greater responsibility for specific setups or sections of the lighting package
Best boy electric — promoted to department foreman, trusted to run the crew and manage the logistics of the entire electric department
Gaffer — the next step up, taking on creative and technical leadership of the entire electrical department
This progression typically takes 5 to 10 years, though the timeline varies significantly based on market, networking, the volume of productions in your region, and the rate at which you seek out diverse production types (student films, industrials, commercials, TV, features).
IATSE Local 728 and Union Membership in Los Angeles
In Los Angeles — the largest U.S. film production market — the majority of feature films and episodic television productions above a certain budget tier are union productions governed by agreements with IATSE Local 728, the Studio Electrical Lighting Technicians union. To work on these productions as a best boy electric or any other electrical crew position, you generally need to be a member of Local 728.
Getting into IATSE Local 728 typically involves one of the following pathways:
The 30-Day List — working a qualifying number of days on union productions as a non-union "permit" worker (a process governed by specific IATSE agreements)
The Apprenticeship Program — Local 728 operates a formal apprenticeship program open to qualified applicants, providing structured training and a path to full membership
Joining via qualifying experience — demonstrating a verified work history that meets Local 728's membership criteria
Outside Los Angeles, the relevant locals include IATSE Local 52 (New York), IATSE Local 479 (Georgia/Atlanta), IATSE Local 476 (Chicago), and various other regional locals depending on where you are working.
Film Schools and Formal Education
While not required, film school or trade programs can provide valuable foundations:
Film production programs — programs at schools like USC School of Cinematic Arts, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Chapman University, or AFI Conservatory teach the fundamentals of on-set production, including lighting and camera, giving graduates a head start on understanding department structure
Electrical trade school or electrician apprenticeship — a background as a licensed electrician (journeyman or apprentice) provides the foundational electrical knowledge — circuitry, power distribution, safety codes — that translates directly to the best boy electric role
Workshops and short courses — organizations like the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) and various grip and electric vendors offer workshops on specific equipment types (LED fixtures, HMI ballasts, wireless DMX systems) that build technical credibility
Building Experience Through Low-Budget and Independent Production
The most accessible path for newcomers is to start on student films, no-budget shorts, and independent productions where formal union restrictions do not apply. These projects let you:
Learn the physical vocabulary of the electrical department (cable types, fixture names, distro wiring) hands-on
Build a working network of directors, DPs, gaffers, and other crew members who will call you for future work
Graduate progressively to bigger productions as your experience and reputation grow
Many working best boys electric in Los Angeles and New York started on student films at local universities, then transitioned to paid commercial and music video work before landing their first union features.
Networking and Industry Relationships
In film production, who you know matters enormously. Gaffers often build loyal crews of trusted people they rehire across multiple projects. Becoming the best boy electric for a gaffer who works frequently means your career advances alongside theirs. Key networking steps include:
Attending IATSE union hall events and meetings
Connecting with rental house staff who can recommend you to gaffers
Joining online communities (Facebook groups for grips and electrics, crew-focused subreddits)
Maintaining a reliable reputation on every set — the film industry is small and word travels fast
What skills do you need to be a Best Boy Electric?
Electrical Knowledge and Technical Expertise
The best boy electric must have a solid command of practical electrical principles and how they apply to production-scale power systems. This includes understanding:
AC power fundamentals — voltage (120V and 240V single-phase; 120/208V and 277/480V three-phase), current (amperage), resistance, and power calculations used to balance loads across circuit breakers and distro boxes
Distribution systems — how to wire and operate production distro boxes (200A, 400A, disconnect boxes), shore power connections, and generator tie-ins safely; how to balance phase loads to prevent neutral overloads
Generator operation basics — understanding diesel generator output ratings (60kW, 100kW, 350kW, 500kW), load capacity, and how to coordinate with the generator operator on fuel management and ground fault conditions
Cable types and ratings — knowing the appropriate cable for each application: 4/0 feeder cable for mains, 2/0 for sub-feeds, stinger (extension) cable gauges, and cam-lock connector protocols
NEC (National Electrical Code) basics — understanding the safety rules that govern electrical work, particularly as they relate to wet locations, outdoor production, and temporary power installations
Lighting Equipment Mastery
A skilled best boy electric knows not just how to set up every fixture in the electrical package but how each fixture behaves, fails, and can be serviced in the field:
LED fixtures — the dominant fixture type in contemporary production; knowledge of RGBW and bi-color LED panels, wireless DMX control (via Lumenradio, Wireless Solution, or similar), and battery vs. AC power options; familiarity with fixtures from manufacturers like Arri, Aputure, Quasar Science, Litepanels, and NANLUX
HMI (Hydrargyrum Medium-Arc Iodide) fixtures — daylight-balanced high-output sources used for locations, exteriors, and large studio setups; knowledge of par, fresnel, and open-face HMIs; electronic and magnetic ballast operation; strike and warm-up times; lens care
Tungsten fixtures — incandescent Fresnel units (1K, 2K, 5K, 10K), open-face units (Mole-Richardson, Altman), and practical dimming via dimmer packs; still used frequently for period looks and specific color quality
Soft sources — Kino Flos, LED equivalent soft banks, and large diffusion frame setups using frames and Griffin or Ultrabounce material
Practical fixtures — modifying on-set practical lamps (table lamps, overhead fixtures) to put them on dimmer control or change their color temperature with gel or bulb swaps
DMX and lighting control — operating and troubleshooting DMX-controlled dimmers and fixtures; programming simple cue lists; understanding wired and wireless DMX topology
Safety Knowledge and On-Set Protocol
Electrical work on a film set carries genuine physical hazard. The best boy electric is ultimately responsible for the electrical safety of the entire department and anyone who comes into contact with the electrical infrastructure:
Lockout/tagout procedures — de-energizing circuits before work and ensuring they cannot be re-energized while crew is working on the equipment
Wet location protocols — strict rules about what equipment can operate in rain, near water, or in areas where water is present; GFCI requirements
Ground fault protection — ensuring all circuits have appropriate ground fault protection, especially for location shoots without dedicated house power
Arc flash and shock awareness — understanding the hazards of high-current circuits and the importance of proper PPE when working with main power connections
OSHA General Industry Standards — familiarity with OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S (electrical standards) as they apply to temporary production power
Heat and fire safety — understanding the risk of tungsten and HMI fixtures operating at extreme heat; proper fixture-to-subject and fixture-to-flammable-material distances; fire extinguisher placement near generators
Leadership and Crew Management
The best boy electric is a supervisor managing a team that may range from 3 people on a small commercial to 15 or more on a large studio feature. Strong leadership skills are non-negotiable:
Clear task delegation — communicating specific assignments to each electrician concisely so the crew can work in parallel without confusion
Anticipation — thinking two setups ahead so the crew is pre-staging the next scene's equipment while the camera is shooting the current one
Conflict resolution — handling personality conflicts within the crew calmly and professionally, maintaining morale through long, physically demanding days
Mentoring — teaching less experienced crew members the correct way to do tasks, building the next generation of skilled electricians
Adaptability — adjusting the plan quickly when the director changes the shot, the location changes, weather intervenes, or equipment fails
Communication and Departmental Coordination
The best boy electric operates at the intersection of multiple departments and must communicate effectively with all of them:
Upward to the gaffer — keeping the gaffer informed of any crew or equipment issues that might affect the lighting plan; raising concerns before they become problems
Laterally to the best boy grip — coordinating shared rigging tasks, sequencing crew movements to avoid bottlenecks
To the UPM and production coordinator — submitting timecards, purchase orders, and any budget variance explanations accurately and on time
To rental houses and vendors — managing equipment orders, troubleshooting rental issues, and processing returns
Physical Stamina and Attention to Detail
Film production routinely involves 12- to 14-hour days, physically demanding work (carrying heavy cable, climbing ladders, working in heat and cold), and the mental stamina to maintain precision under fatigue and time pressure. The best boy electric needs:
Physical fitness to handle the demands of the role across a multi-week or multi-month shoot
The ability to maintain detailed inventory and paperwork accuracy at the end of an exhausting day
Mental sharpness to troubleshoot technical problems quickly under the pressure of a waiting crew
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