The Ultimate List of Tips for Film Grips

Working as a grip is demanding in ways that aren’t always obvious from the outside. The days are long, the gear is heavy, the environments are unpredictable, and the margin for error is small. Most problems on set don’t come from a lack of effort — they come from missed details, poor habits, or rushing when you shouldn’t.

This list isn’t about showing off technique or sounding clever. It’s about how experienced grips actually work day to day: how they stay safe, how they stay employable, and how they make the set run smoother for everyone around them. Some of these tips are small. Some are non-negotiable. All of them come from real situations that working grips run into over and over again.

You don’t need to memorize this list. You need to internalize it. These are the habits that compound over time and quietly separate reliable, trusted grips from people who are just passing through.

Mindset, Safety & Longevity

1. Prioritize your physical and mental health. Don’t overload yourself.
2. On days you’re off, train early. On workdays, skipping the gym can be a health decision too.
3. Pick up a hobby. Your work shouldn’t define you, especially when it’s slow.
4. Never stop learning. Curiosity keeps the job from becoming just a day rate.
5. If it’s not safe, it doesn’t matter how clever you think it is.
6. Never run. Don’t rush unsafe setups.
7. If they wanted it sooner, they should have asked sooner. Safety doesn’t speed up because production is stressed.
8. Gear is replaceable. People aren’t.
9. Gear gets damaged. It happens.
10. Report damage honestly. Hiding problems only makes things worse.
11. Wear appropriate shoes. Buy quality insoles if you need them.
12. Save your back: lift with your legs, not your back (even for light items).
13. Work smart, not hard. Plan before you dive in.
14. Wind is a grip’s worst enemy.
15. Stairs are a close second.

Set Awareness, Communication & Professionalism

16. Learn the voice of your Key Grip, DP, and AD. When they speak, pay attention.
17. Listen for the ADs. It helps you stay one step ahead.
18. Pay attention to other departments. Anticipation is half the job.
19. Stay aware of what your department is doing; fly support quickly when it helps.
20. Anticipate instead of reacting.
21. Anticipate the DP’s next move.
22. Anticipate your Key Grip’s needs.
23. Shoulders-down gripping won’t get you rehired.
24. Unprovoked opinions won’t either. Read the room.
25. If you don’t know something, ask immediately.
26. It’s better to ask right away than to fumble and create risk or delay.
27. Clarify vague instructions.
28. Call back what you’re doing so people know it’s handled.
29. Be someone people want to work with.
30. Stay calm under pressure.
31. Don’t make problems personal.
32. Treat your crew with respect.
33. How you speak to production and crew is everything.
34. Be agreeable, informative, respectful, and easy to work with while still advocating for what you need.
35. Know when to concede.
36. Offer a helping hand to other departments when you can.
37. Learn your coworkers’ names, especially grip, lighting, and camera.
38. Keep personal conversation minimal on set.

Physical Work, Carrying & Body Mechanics

39. Save your back: kick sandbags off stands instead of lifting them.
40. Try not to carry more than two sandbags at a time.
41. Use tongue dollies when moving sandbags any meaningful distance.
42. Don’t overload a tongue dolly.
43. Call out heavy or long items when flying them in.
44. Never go through a doorway or around a corner with something big without calling it out.
45. When carrying dolly track on your shoulder, keep it diagonal and pointed down.
46. When carrying dollies on stairs, communicate clearly before moving.
47. If you start to slip or lose balance, call it immediately.
48. Tie off tools when working on ladders or lifts.
49. Use sliced tennis balls, water bottles, or bright tape on hot points and sharp edges.

Organization, Prep & Tools

50. Stay organized or the set gets slow.
51. Stage gear neatly with like items together.
52. Finished gear returns to staging, not the truck, until wrap.
53. Staging should be as close to set as possible without being in the way.
54. Lower-level grips should stand by gear when not tasked.
55. Label your personal gear.
56. Organize and label your fabric cuts.
57. Know your bolt sizes and which wrenches fit which bolts.
58. Don’t overload your belt with tools.
59. Buy a long-distance laser measuring tool.
60. Own a 100-foot spooled tape measure for stage layout and crane planning.
61. Learn Vectorworks. Pre-rig visualization is a competitive advantage.
62. Build stage gear orders in advance.
63. Any time you order combo stands, order caster wheels.

Stands, Sandbags & Grip Physics

64. Sandbags go on the biggest leg of a C-stand or centered on the stem.
65. Sandbags should never touch the ground.
66. The biggest leg should point toward the weight.
67. If it can’t, add additional support.
68. Grip heads always tighten toward the load.
69. Lefty loosey, righty tighty.
70. Start with the top riser first.
71. Bring the riser down slightly after topping out.
72. Bring the stand, the flag, and the sandbag together.
73. Frames should be set parallel to the face of the lamp unless told otherwise.
74. Diffusion frames should be set far enough to fill evenly.
75. Use appropriately sized flags, frames, and stands.
76. Gel goes before diffusion to avoid kickback.
77. The farther a flag is from the source, the sharper the cut.
78. The closer a flag is to the source, the softer the cut.
79. When a net is called for, bring an additional net option.
80. Sometimes the DP, Key Grip, or another grip will hold a flag—find them calmly with the stand.
81. You can option flags and frames before setting them.
82. Never slam a flag into the beam.

Textiles, Frames & Fabric Handling

83. Textiles and blue/green screens should never touch the ground.
84. Build 6×6 and 8×8 frames horizontally when possible.
85. Tie opposite ends or corners first when building alone.
86. Build 12×12 and 20×20 collapsible frames in the A position.
87. Tie the top of the A first.
88. Leave middle ties for last when removing textiles.
89. Fold fabric with the pretty side inside.
90. When setting flags, pretty side faces out.
91. Do not lean flags, nets, or silks against walls or set dressing.
92. Do not lean small flags or nets on top of larger ones.
93. Turn pins sideways to minimize damage.
94. Protect silks and nets by sandwiching them between flags.
95. Know what a sandwich means on your set.

Exterior Grip Work

96. C-stands generally do not belong outside.
97. If used outside, over-bag and add secondary support.
98. Always look up when working outside.
99. Stay clear of overhead power lines.
100. Large frames outside may need tie-downs.
101. Build large frames early when you know you’ll need them.
102. Always watch the weather. Conditions change fast.

Rigging, Specialty Builds & Practical Knowledge

103. Use 3-foot and 4-foot 5/8” rods with matching tees to build lightweight diffusion T-bones.
104. Don’t hang solids off those T-bones.
105. Don’t tighten pipe spreaders by hand only; use a wrench carefully.
106. Same for C-clamps—don’t over-crank.

Wrap, Accountability & End-of-Day Discipline

107. Wrap efficiently by grouping like items.
108. Don’t make the driver’s life harder—pile gear neatly.
109. Lay items out in rows to speed counting.
110. If asked for an ETA, slightly overestimate rather than underdeliver.
111. Always do a dummy check.
112. Two sets of eyes are better than one.
113. Never be late—not for scouts, not for call time.
114. If you’re on time, you’re late.
115. Don’t walk over to breakfast at call time.

Final Thoughts

None of these tips on their own will make or break a career. But taken together, they shape how people experience working with you. That’s what matters in the long run.

Good grips aren’t defined by one impressive rig or one perfect day. They’re defined by consistency: showing up prepared, thinking ahead, communicating clearly, and never compromising safety for speed or ego. The crews that last are the ones who take care of their bodies, their coworkers, and the work itself.

If you’re early in your career, use this list as a reference and a checklist. If you’ve been around a while, use it as a reminder. The fundamentals don’t change — and the best grips never stop paying attention.

You’re not just moving gear.
You’re helping determine how smoothly the day runs, how safe the set is, and whether people want to work with you again.

That’s the job.