So one day out of nowhere, my good friend JJ just flat out asked me, “Hey Ralphie! What are the five main things you need as a grip?” And in my head I went “yeah, what are the five main things you need as a grip?” Not gonna lie, that question did stump me a bit because there are so many tools that we use as grips that are so important and so handy when you need them. Asking me that question is like asking, “hey Ralphie, what are the five things needed to sustain life?” So yeah, you can guess how complicated that question can get. But now I’m going to put on my big boy pants and explain what are the five most necessary things you need as a grip! Emphasis on the word necessary because these are the things that I use and rely on the most. Here it goes:
1. Gaff Tape
If there is one thing that I absolutely thank the Creator for is gaff tape. This absolutely versatile piece of gear helps out with the regular things like securing cables together on the floor to prevent crew members from tripping and is just a flat out fantastic tape for when surprise situations pop out of nowhere and you need a quick fix. The only bad thing about this is that you may have a limited supply and will have to Kung Fu fight someone to the death to keep it.
2. Allen Wrenches
You may not use these a lot because I hardly do. But when you need it, you need it. And I mean absolutely positively need it. There will always be a stand that needs to be tightened and when you look at what it needs, you will see that six sided hole that only an allen wrench can fit. I also highly recommend you get both standard and metric measurements because you never know when someone from the camera department will run to you panicking because they need a screw tightened or loose and the only allen wrench they have is the standard kind. Trust me. Camera department will love you if you have it. But you will also love you for having it.
3. Multi Tool
Well technically this is like five things in one. Or seven in one, or eleven in one, or whatever kind of multi tool you get. But the main things that you need from a multi tool are a knife, phillips head screwdriver, flathead screwdriver, and pliers. The rest are like the extra cherries on your sundae, you don’t need them but having them is extra cool. The only downside is when people who don’t have a multitool ask you for yours, you’ll have to hiss at them telling them, “No!” If you do lend it to them, you’ll never see it again.
4. Zeros
The superior standard to the C-47s. Don’t get me wrong, the C-47 (commonly known as the wooden clothespin) is a good and helpful tool but there is one thing that is, what Randy Savage calls, “the cream of the crop.” So I give to you, the zero. Named this way because it’s smaller than a #1 clip, the zero has a better grip than a C-47 so it doesnt fall off with the slightest breeze of wind. Besides the obvious use of clamping a gel or diffusion to a barn door, this nifty little tool can work wonders if you need to clip something small and can’t use any big pony clamps. So when it comes to C-47’s and zeroes, it’s like what Maxwell Lord says, “Life is good, but it can be better.”
5. Crafty
Trust me, you try doing heavy lifting in a production without a snack here and there, you’re gonna have a bad time. But with all seriousness, even though everyone in the production does deserve and need craft and services, I think that it is the grips who need it the most. We’re the ones who lift the heaviest of objects and who are going back and forth, back and forth constantly, with the “double time” pace. This puts our bodies in this constant moving state. Yes, lunch is there and that does help, but you have no idea how much that small little Slim Jim is going to help you through that 3rd hour in a twelve hour work day. That being said, crafty is for everyone and not just grip. This is afterall a team effort. This isn’t necessarily something I bring on myself to sets but if I feel I must, I don’t hesitate.
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