Careers A–Z · Lighting
Spark
A spark is an electrician in the lighting department. You rig, position, power and strike the lights, and you do most of the physical work that makes an image possible.
It is one of the most open doors into the industry for anybody with a trade behind them.
The basics
Also known as, and where the grade sits.
| Spark | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Spark; formally electrician or lighting technician. Specialisms include genny operator, desk operator and rigging spark. |
| Level | The department’s working grade, with a trainee grade below it. |
| Reports to | The best boy, and through them the gaffer. |
| Comes after | Trainee spark, an electrical trade, or events and theatre. |
| Leads to | Best boy, desk operator, rigging gaffer, gaffer. |
The job
What does a spark do?
You carry, place, cable, power and adjust the fixtures. Stands and clamps, cable runs that nobody trips on, gels and diffusion, flags where the gaffer wants them, and everything bonded and safe.
You strike and reset between set-ups, often faster than looks possible, and you do it around actors, camera and grip without getting in the shot or in the way.
The unglamorous end: heavy lifting, working at height, cable in the rain, night shoots, and a great deal of standing by. Your hands take a beating and so do your knees.
The requirement
What is a spark good at?
A trade, a head for safety, and the physical willingness to keep going.
Electrical sense
Loads, cable, distro and knowing when something is not right.
Rigging
Stands, clamps, bonds and working safely off the ground.
Speed
Strike and reset without breaking anything or anyone.
Spatial awareness
Staying out of shot, out of the grip’s way and off the sound.
Stamina
Long days, heavy kit, weather. Say what you need and it gets planned around.
Kit
Tools of the trade.
| What | The actual items |
|---|---|
| Fixtures | ARRI SkyPanel, Orbiter and fresnels, Aputure, Astera tubes, HMI heads and ballasts, practicals. |
| Stands and rigging | Combos, century stands, wind-ups, clamps, magic arms, safety bonds, sandbags. |
| Cable and power | 2.5mm and 4mm cable, distro boxes, 16A and 32A connectors, cable ramps, generators. |
| Shaping | Flags, nets, silks, poly boards, gel and diffusion rolls, blackwrap, clothes pegs. |
| Personal | Gloves, a decent multi-tool, a head torch, steel toecaps and a coat that survives a night. |
The unit
Who does a spark work with?
| Who | What passes between you |
|---|---|
| Best boy | Your allocation, your kit and your hours. |
| Gaffer | Positions, levels and the shape of the light. |
| Grips | Stands, flags, platforms and who is rigging where. |
| Camera | Where the light is landing and what is in frame. |
| Locations | Power supply, permissions and what can be attached to a building. |
Routes in
How do I become a spark?
One of the open departments, especially for people with an existing trade.
Electrical trade
A qualified electrician is a strong candidate on day one.
Trainee spark
Entry grade on drama and commercials, often via a rigging crew.
Live and theatre
Events, touring and theatre rigging transfer directly.
Rental house
Lighting hire desks and prep floors are a common way in.
A degree is not required, not expected and not an advantage. An electrical qualification, a current safety ticket and a driving licence are worth more than any of them.
The department hires on reliability first and technique second.
Nearby
The grades either side of this one.
Sparks and grips share every set. Read the other side of the argument.
Lighting department guide
Everything free and worth paying for in this department, in the order to take it, with the books.
Never been on a set? Start here. Offered a first day? Read this first. Want to know where this grade leads? Where people have gone names people who trained here and the productions they went to.
