Roles · role
Best Boy Electric
Also known as Best Boy, BB Electric, Assistant Chief Lighting Technician.
A Best Boy Electric is the Gaffer’s lead assistant and the operational coordinator of the electric crew. They organize labor, equipment, orders, timecards, trucks, power logistics, and communication so the Gaffer can concentrate on executing the Cinematographer’s lighting plan.
The title describes a department position, not the worker’s gender; many agreements use Assistant Chief Lighting Technician. The role combines crew supervision, inventory control, paperwork, logistics, and hands-on electrical knowledge.
While the Gaffer decides the lighting approach, the Best Boy Electric turns that direction into crew assignments, equipment readiness, and an orderly department across prep, shooting, and wrap.
Pre-production responsibilities
- Help build crew, equipment, power, truck, and expendables plans.
- Coordinate rental pickups, inventory, tests, and pre-rig needs.
Production responsibilities
- Keep crew and equipment organized while adapting to changes from the Gaffer.
- Maintain department paperwork and confirm upcoming labor and equipment needs.
Post-production responsibilities
- Supervise returns, inventory, loss-and-damage records, and department closeout.
Common questions
Is Best Boy Electric a department head?
The Gaffer is the department head. Best Boy Electric is the lead assistant who coordinates the crew and department operations.
Does Best Boy Electric choose the lighting?
The Cinematographer and Gaffer lead the visual lighting plan. The Best Boy Electric organizes the people, equipment, and logistics needed to execute it.
What does a Best Boy Electric do day to day?
Day to day, Best Boy Electric work commonly includes Coordinate electric crew calls, assignments, breaks, timecards, and daily communication., Manage lighting equipment, expendables, orders, returns, trucks, and inventory., and Support safe power distribution, cable routing, generator, and stage-power planning.. The exact balance changes with the production schedule, crew size, and the point at which the role joins the project.
What skills matter most for a Best Boy Electric?
The most useful skills are Crew coordination, Electrical safety, Equipment management, Production paperwork, and Anticipation. Together, they help the role make dependable decisions, communicate a clear handoff, and respond to notes or changing conditions.
Which tools and documents does a Best Boy Electric use?
Common tools include Lighting equipment inventories and order systems, Power distribution and test equipment, Radios, crew lists, timecards, and call information, and Electric carts, trucks, cable, and expendables. The role also relies on Crew lists, Timecards, Equipment orders, and Inventory and loss reports so decisions, approvals, continuity, and delivery requirements remain traceable.
How does someone build experience for a Best Boy Electric?
Many people progress from Lamp Operator or electric crew work into this lead-assistant role.
How does a Best Boy Electric vary by production?
The scope changes with format, budget, location, crew structure, and the production's technical method. The role moves between set, trucks, power sources, crew staging, and production communication, often starting early and wrapping after lighting is safely cleared.
Production variations
- Large productions
- Rigging electric may have a separate Rigging Gaffer and Rigging Best Boy coordinating advance infrastructure.
Often compared with
- Best Boy Electric vs. Best Boy Grip
- Best Boy Electric coordinates the electrical lighting crew and equipment. Best Boy Grip coordinates grip labor, rigging, light-shaping, and camera-support equipment.
Union and local practice notes
- Some current IATSE agreements use Assistant Chief Lighting Technician instead of Best Boy Electric. Exact title, coverage, and duties vary.
Sources
Educational reference only. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, employer, venue, and production context.