The director of photography wants the lamp a little softer and half a metre to the left. Before anyone else has moved, an electrician has put a diffusion frame in front of it and slid the stand across the floor. Twenty seconds later the camera can roll again. Film electricians, also called sparks, are the people who put the light where it is needed and keep the power running.

What an electrician does

Electricians work in the lighting department under the gaffer and the best boy. They mostly join for the shooting period of production, sometimes a few days earlier to pre-rig sets, which means building the lights before the shooting crew arrives.

Each day they unload the lighting truck, place the lamps, run cables to the generator or the mains supply, and adjust the light between shots. On big days, extra electricians are hired for one or a few days. At the end of the day, or at the end of a location, they take everything down and load it back onto the truck.

Responsibilities

  • Unload, rig and wrap lamps, cables and power distribution
  • Place and adjust lamps as directed by the gaffer
  • Run and manage generators and power supplies safely
  • Operate lamps during takes, such as dimming or moving a light
  • Check the equipment and report faults or damage
  • Follow electrical safety rules on set and on location
  • Work alongside grips, who mount and shape the light with stands and flags

How the role touches the budget

Only through hours. Electricians are paid a day or weekly rate, plus overtime, which the best boy records on timesheets. Extra sparks for a big day are a separate line that the production office approves in advance.

How people get into the role

Many sparks start as trainee or daily electrician, often after electrical training or work in theatre, events or live music lighting. On set they learn the kit and the routines, then move up to regular crew. The route continues to best boy and gaffer. In many countries electrical safety training is required before working with film power.

In TV and studios

In TV studios lighting is often fixed in a grid and controlled from a desk, so the job looks different. There a lighting director designs the light and technicians run the console and the rig. On location in TV drama, the work is the same as on a film.