Best Boy

Best Boy

noun | Production

The second-in-command of either the electrical department (best boy electric) or the grip department (best boy grip) on a film, television, or commercial production. The best boy electric reports directly to the gaffer (chief lighting technician); the best boy grip reports to the key grip. The best boy manages the crew, oversees equipment, handles departmental paperwork, and runs the day-to-day operations that allow the department head to focus on creative execution on set. The title applies to any gender; it is a job classification, not a descriptor.

Quick Reference

The Explanation: How & Why

The gaffer designs the lighting plan with the director of photography. The best boy electric makes that plan executable. While the gaffer stands next to the DP on set, adjusting fixtures and making creative decisions in real time, the best boy electric runs the infrastructure behind that process: hiring crew, ordering equipment, managing the truck, tracking timecards, coordinating with the production office, and ensuring that every cable, generator, and fixture is where it needs to be when the gaffer calls for it.

The role is hybrid - part manager, part logistics coordinator, part on-set technician. On a large production, the best boy electric may manage 10 to 15 electricians across a multi-week shoot without touching a single light fixture themselves. On a smaller production, they may set lights alongside the crew while also handling the paperwork. The scope scales with the production, but the function is constant: the best boy translates the gaffer's creative vision into operational reality.

The same structure applies in the grip department. The key grip designs the camera support, rigging, and light-shaping plan; the best boy grip manages the grip crew, orders the rigging hardware, tracks the grip truck inventory, and handles departmental logistics. Both best boys serve as the administrative backbone of their respective departments, freeing the department head to focus on the creative work happening on set.

Historical Context & Origin

The term "best boy" originates from the early days of Hollywood studio production in the 1910s and 1920s. According to industry folklore, department heads would call the union hall and ask for the "best boy" available - the most capable electrician or grip on the roster. The name stuck as a job classification even as the role evolved into a formal second-in-command position with defined responsibilities. The title is gender-neutral in modern usage; women holding the role are called "best boy" on call sheets and in credits, though the historical term "best girl" was used in earlier decades and is now considered dated. The IATSE 2024 Area Standards Agreement formally designates the position as "assistant chief lighting technician" (ACLT) in union contracts, though the on-set title remains "best boy electric" universally.

How It's Used in Practice

Scenario 1 - Pre-Production (Best Boy Electric): Six weeks before principal photography, the best boy electric sits down with the gaffer to build the electrical package: a complete equipment list covering every fixture, cable run, distribution box, generator, and expendable the department will need across a 30-day shoot. The best boy submits the list to the rental house, coordinates delivery dates, and calculates the total amperage draw to confirm generator capacity. The package includes 4 ARRI SkyPanel S360 units, 12 Aputure 600c panels, 2 ARRI M40 HMI heads, 1,000 feet of 4/0 feeder cable, and a 500-amp generator.

Scenario 2 - Shooting Day (Best Boy Electric): At 6:00 AM, the best boy electric arrives on set before the crew call. They check that the generator is running, confirm the cable runs are in place from the pre-light, and verify that every fixture on the gaffer's order for the first setup is ready. When the gaffer calls for a key light adjustment at 10:30 AM, the best boy directs two lamp operators to reposition the fixture while simultaneously reviewing timecards for yesterday's crew. At lunch, they reconcile the equipment log and call the rental house about a replacement ballast for a faulty HMI.

Scenario 3 - Crew Management (Best Boy Electric): A production needs 8 electricians for a night shoot with heavy rigging. The best boy electric works through their crew roster, calling available IATSE Local 728 members in order of qualification and availability. They confirm 6 regulars and hire 2 additional lamp operators from the union hall. On the shooting day, they assign specific crew members to specific fixtures, manage the pacing of the setup to stay on schedule, and track overtime hours to report to the production office.

Usage Examples in Sentences

"The gaffer wants a 12K on the condor - tell the best boy to get the rigging crew on it."

"Best boy, I need two more electricians tomorrow for the night shoot. Can you call the hall?"

"The best boy electric handles the truck, the timecards, and the rental returns. The gaffer handles the light."

"Check with the best boy on cable runs - we need power to the third floor before the crew call."

Common Confusions & Misuse

Best Boy vs. Gaffer: The gaffer is the head of the electrical department - the chief lighting technician who designs the lighting plan with the DP. The best boy electric is the second-in-command who manages the crew and equipment to execute that plan. The gaffer makes creative decisions; the best boy makes operational decisions. On small productions, the roles may blur, but on any production with more than 4 electricians, the distinction is clear.

Best Boy Electric vs. Best Boy Grip: These are parallel roles in different departments. The best boy electric works under the gaffer in the electrical department, managing lighting fixtures, cable, generators, and electricians. The best boy grip works under the key grip in the grip department, managing camera support equipment, rigging hardware, dollies, cranes, and grips. Both are called "best boy" on set, distinguished by department context.

Best Boy vs. Lamp Operator (Juicer): A lamp operator, also called a juicer, is a set lighting technician who physically sets, moves, and adjusts lights under the direction of the best boy and gaffer. The best boy supervises the juicers; the juicers execute the physical work. The best boy may step in to set a light on a small crew, but on a union production, their primary role is supervision and management.

Variations by Context

Key People & Films

Miguel Sanchez, best boy electric on Parks and Recreation, House of Cards, and Thor, described the role to Backstage: "I am responsible for manpower and specialty equipment - lifts, cranes, anything to put lights in the air." Gaffer David Sinfield (Wonder Woman, Thor: The Dark World) noted that when a production hires a gaffer, "what they are really hiring is the whole team. Most of my crew has been with me for the last 4 to 5 years." The best boy electric is the anchor of that team. On large productions like Oppenheimer (2023), shot by DP Hoyte van Hoytema with gaffer John Le Blay, the electrical department included over 20 electricians coordinated by the best boy electric.

Equipment / Tools Reference

The best boy electric manages the full inventory of the electrical department: distribution boxes (distros) for power routing, feeder cable (4/0, 2/0, banded) for main power runs, dimmers and DMX controllers for lighting control, generator hookups and tie-in points, HMI ballasts for large daylight fixtures, practical wiring supplies, and LED panels. The electric truck itself - typically a 5-ton box truck - is organized and inventoried by the best boy. On the administrative side, the best boy uses Movie Magic Scheduling for crew calls and Google Sheets or Excel for timecard and equipment tracking.

Standards & Specifications

The 2024 IATSE Basic Agreement sets minimum wage rates for best boy electrics on union productions in Los Angeles. Under the 2025-2026 contract period, the assistant chief lighting technician (best boy electric) rate is approximately $57.20/hour, with the chief lighting technician (gaffer) at $63.01/hour and set lighting technicians at $44.97/hour. Wage increases of 7% (August 2024), 4% (August 2025), and 3.5% (August 2026) are compounded across the three-year term. Overtime is time-and-a-half after 8 hours, double time after 12 hours, and double time on the 6th and 7th consecutive days. IATSE Local 728 (Studio Electrical Lighting Technicians) governs best boy electrics in Los Angeles. The IATSE Low Budget Theatrical Agreement sets reduced minimums for productions under $15M, with rates varying by budget tier.

Common Questions / FAQ

Q: Is "best boy" a gendered title?

A: No. The title "best boy" applies to any gender. It is a job classification that originated in early Hollywood. Women holding the role are called "best boy" on call sheets and in credits. The historical term "best girl" is considered dated and is rarely used today. Some productions use "lead electric" as a gender-neutral alternative.

Q: What is the difference between best boy electric and best boy grip?

A: Best boy electric is the second-in-command of the electrical department, reporting to the gaffer, managing lighting fixtures, cable, generators, and electricians. Best boy grip is the second-in-command of the grip department, reporting to the key grip, managing camera support, rigging hardware, dollies, cranes, and grips. Both are called "best boy" on set, distinguished by department.

Q: How do you become a best boy electric?

A: Most best boys start as set lighting technicians (juicers) or production assistants in the electrical department and work up over several years. Joining IATSE Local 728 is the standard path for union productions in Los Angeles. The role requires electrical licensing or certification (issued at the state or county level), strong organisational skills, and a professional network built through years of on-set experience.

Q: What does a best boy electric earn?

A: Under the 2025-2026 IATSE Hollywood Basic Agreement, the minimum rate is approximately $57.20/hour, or roughly $3,432/week based on a 60-hour week. Best boys on large-budget productions frequently negotiate above-scale rates. Non-union rates are typically 20 to 30% lower. Annual income varies with the number of projects worked, typically ranging from $80,000 to $130,000 for union best boys working consistently.

Related Terms

• Gaffer - The head of the electrical department; the best boy electric is the gaffer's second-in-command
• Grip - The parallel department; the best boy grip is the key grip's second-in-command
• Key Grip - The head of the grip department; the best boy grip reports to the key grip
• Director of Photography - The DP oversees both the gaffer and key grip; the best boy supports the gaffer in executing the DP's lighting plan
• Juicer - A set lighting technician who works under the best boy electric; the best boy supervises the juicers

See Also / Tools

The Lighting Power Calculator helps the best boy electric calculate total amperage draw across all fixtures, cable runs, and generator capacity for a given setup. For more on the electrical department, see the Film Crew Roles Explained blog post.