The best boy runs the lighting department for the gaffer.

The job

The lighting department's central point of contact. ScreenSkills calls the grade assistant chief lighting technician; many crews say chargehand.

You book crew, order kit and consumables, run the truck and distribution, and keep plots, plans and patch lists current. You check power and circuits are safe and correctly loaded, and handle timesheets, POs and the department's health and safety paperwork. Bigger shows may have more than one best boy.

A typical day

• In first: the truck, the genny fuel, the crew's call times.
• Through the day, watch the load, swap faulty kit and manage the sparks between setups.
• Gather power information for coming locations and agree genny positions with locations and other departments.
• Arrange deliveries and returns with suppliers.
• At wrap, finalise timesheets and confirm tomorrow's crew.

While the gaffer lights, you run everything else: the truck, the power, the crew and tomorrow. On location you plan where the genny goes, how cable reaches set safely and how power is split between departments.

Skills

• Strong electrical knowledge and power distribution.
• Organisation and paperwork.
• Leading and booking crew.
• Supplier and stock management.
• Health and safety enforcement.

Who you report to

You report to the gaffer. Sparks and trainees report to you.

How people get in

Best boys are experienced sparks. Most have worked as senior sparks or chargehands under a gaffer who then promotes them. ScreenSkills publishes a best boy skills checklist.

Next step up

Gaffer, after credits as best boy on several productions.

Find out more

• ScreenSkills: best boy skills checklist
• Pay: Bectu lighting technicians card