If you’re working on a non-union film or TV set, you’ll probably be asked by someone for an “apple box”, “furni pad”, or “C47” at some point in your life. It can get a little overwhelming in the beginning, so in an attempt to help iron out some of the initial confusion, use this printable chart to help identify on-set items.
And this is only the very basics, folks. My head still spins when I hear words tossed around like Mafer Clamp, Buttplug, Quacker… if you’ve ever wandered into a grip truck, there is a TON of stuff in there, and it all has different names – most of which are slang. My grip friends tell me different grip departments speak in different dialects – slang/terminology can vary.
Note: Flags come in an a variety of sizes, usually barked out in measurements, the smaller ones being in inches, the larger in feet. 18×24 is a smaller flag, whereas 4×4 is 4-foot-by-4-foot.
Also note: Do NOT touch grip gear if you are on a union set!
UPDATE: If you would like to learn more about grip gear and its application, the Grip App is a fantastic resource. It’s a full glossary of every piece of grip gear you can imagine; it also shows you how the gear works together and how and where to use it. I wish the app had existed back on that one job when I was as swing!
(click for crisper PDF version)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If you liked this post, subscribe to receive updates and stories about the film industry – or subscribe to my normal feed which includes all of my posts, including my adventures abroad!
I'm Laryssa, and when I'm not working in film or television, I'm attempting to travel -- or I'm here, providing resources for working in film or travel. 
