Out of Arkansas: DRIVL

What's coming at you today: DRIVL, Your Daily Dose Of Awesome. The naked truth, written by naked interns, by Scott Willoughby, and barely edited here; drivl.com

"We've all done it: Watched the credits roll at the end of a film and, as soon as they're past the actors, you start to see all of these curious and bizarre titles that make no sense.

Line Crew. These are people involved in actual, physical production. They're on the set or in the studio during filming or recording to help create the actual audio and visual images that will end up on screen.

Best Boy. No, this is not the stars favorite trick working Santa Monica Boulevard. The Best Boy is the 2nd in command of Grip or Gaff teams. Kind of like answering a question with a question I suppose, since you're probably now wondering WTF the Grip and Gaff teams are -- we'll get to that. Let it be noted that Best Boys are not always, in fact, boys.

Key Grip. Not to be confused with Kung Fu Grip which is what makes GI Joe so badass. The Key Grip is the grand high pubah of the Grip team. Grips, in general are responsible for moving stuff around. If something needs to be picked-up (grabbed/gripped) and moved somewhere, it's a grip who does it. For instance, the Dolly Grip is the dude (more than one usually) responsible for pushing the camera dolly.

Gaffer. The Gaffer is the chief lighting technician, not the guy responsible for tripping on things. He heads the Gaff team which is responsible for rigging and wiring all of the lighting equipment for the film. If you've ever heard of "Gaff Tape," these are the guys it's named for: it's a black (usually) non-reflective masking tape used to secure cords and equipment on film sets ... it is rad.

Swing Gang. Not a bunch of dancers in zoot suits and long skirts. Not a polyamorous group of friends. If the Grips move stuff, and the Gaffers wire stuff, then the Swing Gang builds stuff. They're the carpenters who construct and tear down artificial sets.

Foley Artist. This is the guy that arranges for online chat rendezvous between congressmen and underage pages. Actually, the Foley Artist uses a variety of techniques to recreate organic sound effects in a recording studio. Rocky connects with a right-hook? A Foley Artist may hit a frozen turkey with a spoon to get just the right dull smack/thud.

Script Supervisor. This has nothing to do with writing and, no, the script is not going to run away or throw a tantrum. The Script Supervisor is responsible for maintaining continuity during filming: making notes about positions, actions, hair, clothing, background, etc. so that everything within (and between) scenes matches during editing. Ever notice a cigarette switch hands, or someone change clothes in the middle of a scene? That's the result of a lazy Script Supervisor (and shoddy editing)."