The Grip Book, 5th Edition

North American/European Grip Appendix

Phillip Murphy, Key Grip

Key Differences

Michael has provided a broad description of what is expected of a grip on the set of a North American TV or film set very well. There are, however, significant differences in what exactly a grip does in Europe. (When I say “Europe,” I refer mostly the British-based film and television industry, from which the European film industry has developed.)

During my formative years of gripping back in the early 1990s, I’d often heard stories on set about how in America the grips did things differently than us European Grips. I heard that American Grips worked both with camera and lighting. It was a little confusing for me to get my head around as I thought my own job was demanding ...