Rigging

Overview

In film and television, rigging is the collective term for hanging, supporting, and securely fastening equipment that is not placed directly on the ground. This includes lighting fixtures (overhead, on walls, on ceilings, or on trusses) as well as camera setups (overhead rigs, vehicle mounts, cranes). Rigging is therefore not a single piece of equipment, but a technique and activity that falls under the responsibility of the Grip department.

In larger productions, a distinction is made between the Rigging Crew (who pre-assemble and dismantle setups, often on a daily basis before shooting) and the Shooting Crew (on set during filming). The Key Grip is responsible for all load-bearing and suspension structures.

Distinction: Grip vs. Electric

A central rule of thumb on set: The Electric/Lighting department (Gaffer) is responsible for everything that draws power – wiring, dimming, and switching lights. The Grip department is responsible for everything that carries, supports, shapes, or moves equipment without carrying power itself. The physical hanging of a light – the mount, the boom arm, the safety – therefore falls under rigging and thus to the Grip.

Typical Rigging Equipment

The equipment includes, among other things:

• Trusses – usually made of aluminum, serving as a supporting structure for lights or setups
• Pipe / Speed Rail – tubes for building custom suspension and support structures
• Clamps and Couplers – e.g., Cardellini clamps, Mafer clamps, and pipe clamps for securing to supports
• Baby Plates and Baby Pins – adapter spigots for attaching light spigots to surfaces or pipes
• Boom Arms, Arms, and Mounts – for overhead positions and special setups
• Hardware – chains, steel cables (safeties), and shackles for load securing

Usage on Set

Rigging is used wherever equipment cannot or should not be positioned on tripods on the ground: lights above set ceilings, lighting grids over large areas, soft light sources out of frame, greenscreen frames, as well as camera rigs on vehicles, walls, or in overhead perspectives. Since suspended loads pose a safety risk, load securing (safety cables), proper support, and inspection of setups are core tasks of rigging.