Below the Line: A film crew survival guide

By Melanie A. Ragone

In this candid and practical field guide, Melanie pulls back the curtain and shares her experiences from working on feature films like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Captain America, as well as television shows such as Doom Patrol and The Walking Dead. With nerves of steel, Melanie thrived in one of the toughest boys' clubs, becoming a leader on some of the largest film sets in the world. If you seek unfiltered and actionable advice, Ragone's authentic narrative unveils the gritty reality and demands of working on set, as she generously passes on her battle-tested wisdom, sharing her vast knowledge of working below the line.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 12, 2024
• ISBN: 9798350936889

Melanie A. Ragone

Melanie A. Ragone spent over a decade of her career as a Union first unit Grip. She worked her way up from Production Assistant to Best Boy Grip on some of the largest feature films and television sets in the world. Melanie worked as a Grip on Union feature films and television shows such as The Walking Dead, The Vampire Diaries, The Hunger Games, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Her work was featured in the New York Times article "What is a Grip? The Few Women Doing the Job in Hollywood Explain". As a woman who achieved success and leadership roles in a heavily male-dominated field, Melanie is passionate about telling womens' stories and encouraging women to pursue careers in the film industry. She has been a writer for over 20 years and currently resides in Los Angeles. Below the Line is Melanie's first book.

Book preview

BK90084186.jpg

7510 films

Los Angeles, CA 91607

Copyright © 2023 by Melanie A. Ragone

7510 publishing

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Melanie Ragone, 7510 publishing.

Disclaimer

The information in this book is meant to supplement not replace

the value of on set experience.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchase,

please contact Book Baby at:

1-877-961-6878 or [e-mail].

Interior design by Melanie A. Ragone

Manufactured in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging -in-Publication Data is available.

Print IBSN 979-8-35093-687-2

eBook ISBN 979-8-35093-688-9

Contents

Preface

Crew Love Letter

Introduction

1: THICK SKIN

There Will Be Yelling

Green

Glamour

Hard Work

2: FORGET EVERYTHING YOU LEARNED IN FILM SCHOOL

Networking

Unions

Mentoring

Reputation

3: IF YOU’RE ON TIME, YOU’RE LATE

We’re In, We’re In

Respect

Set Etiquette & Protocols

Hierarchy/Interdepartmental Politics

Humility

4: COPY THAT

Communication

Radios/Walkies

Video Village

Day Player

5: SAFETY FIRST

Safety Meeting

Injuries

Set Carts

Lift Gates

Certifications/CPR/First Aid

Personal Safety

6: WHAT’S YOUR TWENTY

Locations

Weather

Gear

Knots

Tools

7: FRATERDAY

Long Hours

Adaptability

Stress

Physical Demands

Mental Demands

8: DOLLARS/DINERO/CHEDDAR

Working For Free

Start Paperwork

Paychecks

Bumps/Kit Rentals

Independent Contractor

9: GRIP & ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT

Camera/Lighting

Key Grip

Best Boy Grip

Dolly Grips

1st Unit Grips

Rigging Grips

Gaffer

Best Boy Electric

Electric/Rigging

Technocrane

10: SURVIVAL ON SET

Confrontations

Relationships/Dating/Parenting

Drugs/Alcohol

Toxicity

11: BEING A WOMAN IN THE BUSINESS

Your Value As A Woman

Double Standard

Professionalism

12: THAT’S A WRAP

Set Photos129

Appendix A:CELLULOID CEILING STUDY143

Appendix B: CREW DEPARTMENT LIST

REFERENCES

GLOSSARY

RESOURCES

CREDITS

AUTHORS NOTE

SPECIAL THANKS

below the line

lower in rank, degree, amount, rate, etc.

In film and television production, below the line refers to all crew below the Talent, Producers, Directors, and Writers who are considered above the line.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to every single incredibly hard working below the line crew member.

Preface

I have been in love with film from an early age. I was raised watching classic films from the Golden Age of Hollywood and my parents debated over which classic film character I was named after. Melanie Hamilton from Gone with the Wind (1939) or Melanie Daniels from Alfred Hitchcock’s, The Birds (1963). As a child of the 80’s, these movies also heavily influenced my love for film. At nine years old, my fate with the film industry was sealed after a trip to Universal Studios: E.T. attraction in Hollywood, California.

Years later, as a first-generation filmmaker, I had little information about what to expect from the industry. My initiation into the world of television and feature film came in 2010. The first decade of my career was spent working as a first unit Grip and Best Boy on Union feature film and television productions. The content for this book grew with my years on set, driving me to write it.

This book’s main purpose is to educate and inspire the next generation of film professionals, while also remaining brutally honest about the industry I love and hate. It is chock full of my lessons learned: the good, the bad, and sometimes, the ugly. My advice is both personal and practical, so this book is structured in the style of a US Army Survival Manual. It is intended for use as a film set survival guide.

I dispense my advice and experiences authentically, as there are numerous misconceptions about the business. The content in this book is presented with utmost respect to the industry, while still remaining true to my experiences, and being candid about the realities and demands of working in this business as a woman. My hope is that this book inspires and educates a new generation of filmmakers. This book has been a labor of love, made with blood, sweat, and many, many tears.

Crew Love Letter

This love letter is for all crew who work in this crazy business, and especially the crews I have personally worked with. You have my utmost respect and complete admiration. What I have learned working on set for the past twelve years is invaluable. The life skills and experience I gained in this industry are invaluable. I came into the world of filmmaking not knowing any of you; now we’ve worked together as if we were in the trenches of war.

Thank you to those of you reading this book who I have worked with over the years. Thank you to the crew who taught me about their departments, and who took the time to share their knowledge about their craft. Thank you to the Grips who helped me master my craft by mentoring and teaching me about camera, lighting, rigging, and what it means to be a professional lighting technician.

Crew is the reason this industry thrives and the reason it always bounces back. Your resilience and hard work inspire me. I have so much fucking respect for crew. During my career I have developed lifelong friends and professional relationships with many of you. I am continually impressed with your level of skill and professionalism. What I have learned is tremendous and I will carry it with me for the rest of my filmmaking career and my life.

Thank you,

Melanie

Introduction

My career in this business has been a fun and sometimes terrifying ride. This industry tried to chew me up and spit me out numerous times. When I started working in film, the advice and information contained in this book were not readily available to me. In this guide, I have included practical advice, useful terminology, and slang. Personal advice based on my own experiences is scattered throughout the book and I discuss both the challenges of this business and its rewards at length.

I spent over fifteen years working in the film industry as a Union television and feature film First Unit Grip and Best Boy. On a film set, the Grip Department falls under the Camera and Electrical department and is primarily responsible for camera support and lighting. My career in this business began in 2009 as a Production Assistant in Atlanta, GA. In 2012, I joined IATSE Local 479 as a Grip and some of the shows I went on to work: The Walking Dead, Vampire Diaries, Doom Patrol, The Hate U Give, Love Simon, Captain America: Civil War, The Hunger Games, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

On film sets, crew speaks their own language and have a set of unique vocabulary specific to the industry. The lingo in this book is widely used on film sets and a glossary is available at the end of the book to help you decipher unfamiliar terminology, phrases, and slang. The tone of the book is intentionally casual, nothing formal. Some of it might be hard to swallow, but I am here to give you the harsh realities of an industry I love and hate.

The content for term definitions and crew member descriptions were collected from different online sources. Numerous usages of the words industry and the business are throughout the book. These are blanket terms for working in the film industry. The chapters were written to stand alone, making it easy to go back and reference when needed.

Each chapter begins with a quote from a Director/Actress/Producer of notoriety that I admire. Each chapter ends with a piece of advice from seasoned crew, above and below the line. Working in this industry is about endurance, regardless of your exact career path. During my career as a Grip, I maintained this sentiment: Gripping is not about brute strength— it’s about endurance.

Being a Grip requires a unique amount of resolve and being able to endure an endless litany of shit due to the conditions and job requirements. In this industry you will endure what seems to be an unsurmountable amount of conditions and during the course of my career was no different. So without further ado, shit I endured:

production

production paperwork

timecards

truck prep

location scouts

ants

red ants

fire ants

flies

horse flies

biting horse flies

bees

yellow jackets

wasps

hornets

spiders

chiggers

ticks

mosquitos

crickets

roaches

snakes

frogs

toads

armadillos

pigs

dogs

cats

chickens

rats

water moccasins

bats

birds

cows

horses

sheep

goats

donkeys

peacocks

actors

actors behaving like animals

children

children behaving like animals

actors behaving like children

working on a roof in pouring down rain

working on train tracks

working near live flames

working high up in the air

lightning

lightning strikes while operating a lift

lighting strikes while submerged in water

thunderstorms

rain

flooding

cold

wind

crazy fucking wind that destroys set

freezing rain

hard rain

hail

fx rain

freezing temperatures

ice

snow

sleet

heat

humidity

fires

fire in water

fx fire

unscripted fire

gunfire

explosives

unscripted gunfire

rapid gunfire

squibs

construction

chemicals

cars flipping

cars crashing

blowing up cars

blowing up buildings

car rigs

fast cars

expensive cars

planes

tanks

boats

trains

stake beds

flat tires

scissor lifts

lulls

condors (driver and passenger)

golf carts (driver and passenger)

gators (driver and passenger)

48’ trucks

helicopters

humvees

armored vehicles

trains

fire trucks

police cars

sheriff’s deputies

firemen

cops

police

pilots

ambulances

hospitals

high-rises

falling branches

falling trees

rigging in trees

georgia pollen

poison oak

thistle bushes

thorns

mud

mold

sand

quicksand

scrapes

cuts

bleeding

infections

twisted ankles

sprains

bruises

cracked dry fingers

sunburn

windburn

burns

dislocated fingers

dislocated thumbs

fractures

broken teeth

climbing

climbing up high

being high

slipping

falling

lift gates

lift gates failing

falling off a lift gate on my ass in the rain

smashed fingers

smashed shins

knee injuries

back injuries

wrist injuries

elbow injuries

skin injuries

the emergency room

pain

back pain

long term back pain

excruciating pain

blisters

splinters

metal splinters

rope burn

diarrhea

blood blisters

ripped nails

ingrown toenails

smashed toes

smashed fingers

smashed hands

pinched hands

hand smashed in a lift (by someone