Gaffer
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On my old website - which mostly dates back to 1998 - I also had a section with crew jokes from and near the set. From time to time I shall post a gem from that collection in my blog. Today we start with the art of gaffing.
For those not from the film industry, a Gaffer is the head of the lighting department. He organizes that all lights are placed according to the Director of Photograpy’s wishes, and of course he is in charge of safety. The Best Boy is the right hand of the Gaffer.)
While at lunch, the Gaffer puts one of those clip-on reflector units that you generally put a standard screw in light bulb into behind every HMI in the studio. The rub is… in every one of the clip-ons, he screws in one of those magnesium flash bulbs that look like standard household bulbs (you know, the ones that cost about 10 bucks a piece). We get back to the set from lunch, and the AD yells, “We’re Back, Light ‘em Up.” The Best Boy throws the master bull switch, and it looks like he has blown every globe in the house in the process, drops to his knees like a lightning bolt and pulls out his meters… you can guess what the expression was when he figured out the joke was on him.
by Mark Simon