Grip and Electric Rentals in Tampa, Florida: A Gaffer’s Guide for Productions
What "Grip and Electric" Actually Means for Your Production
If you're not coming from a crew background, G&E gets thrown around as a single category, but it's two distinct departments that happen to share a truck.
Grip covers everything that controls light without making it: stands, frames, flags, diffusion, silks, sandbags, C-stands, scrims, dollies, and the rigging that holds it all up. The key grip runs this department.
Electric covers everything that makes light: fixtures, ballasts, power distribution, generators, and cable. The gaffer runs electric and answers to the DP.
When productions rent a "grip truck," they're usually getting both. A 1-ton truck covers a small-to-medium commercial. A 2-ton is your standard for most Florida commercial shoots. A 3-ton gives you serious coverage for multi-location days or larger sets.
If you're trying to figure out what size you need, I wrote a full breakdown: [1-ton vs. 2-ton grip truck: which do you need for your shoot?](https://www.tylerwilliamsdp.com/blog/1-ton-vs-2-ton-grip-truck)
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The Tampa G&E Rental Market
Tampa has a handful of established rental options. Here's an honest look at what's operating in the market:
Full rental houses — Companies like First Unit (Tampa/Orlando), PSS Tampa, and CineVerse Rentals have inventory and truck packages available. They're your go-to if you have your own experienced crew and just need gear.
Production companies with rental arms — Several Tampa production companies rent their trucks on the side. Useful if you're already working with them, but availability is project-dependent.
Freelance gaffers with packages — This is where I operate. Rather than renting a bare truck and staffing it separately, you hire a gaffer who owns their package. One point of contact, one invoice, gear that the person operating it actually knows inside and out.
For out-of-town producers especially, option three often makes the most sense — you're not trying to coordinate gear pick-up, crew calls, and who's responsible for what. You get a working gaffer, and the gear comes with them.
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Bare Truck vs. Gaffer-with-Gear: How to Decide
This is the question I get from producers most often, so let me give you the direct answer.
Rent a bare truck if:
- You're bringing your own experienced gaffer who has vendor relationships and knows what they want to pull
- You have a key grip and electric crew already assembled
- The production is large enough to justify separate gear and crew contracts
Hire a gaffer with their package if:
- You're working with a smaller crew (1–3 person G&E)
- You're an out-of-town producer who doesn't have local vendor relationships
- You want one invoice and one point of contact for all G&E
- The shoot is a commercial or corporate video where speed and flexibility matter more than union card compliance
I covered this trade-off in more detail here: [Grip truck rental vs. hiring a gaffer — which do you actually need?](https://www.tylerwilliamsdp.com/blog/grip-truck-rental-vs-hiring-a-gaffer)
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What G&E Package Do Tampa Commercials Actually Need?
Most commercial shoots in the Tampa Bay area — product spots, corporate videos, real estate shoots, lifestyle content — are running a similar package:
Lighting:
- 2–4 LED panels (Aputure or ARRI Skypanel equivalent)
- 1 HMI or bicolor for daylight matching on location
- Practicals and small units for interview setups
- Dimmer boards and control
Grip:
- A full flag/frame kit
- 8–10 C-stands
- Diffusion and negative fill material
- Sandbags, apple boxes, the basics
Power:
- Spider boxes, Bates cable runs
- A generator if shooting somewhere without reliable house power (more common in Tampa than you'd think — warehouses, outdoor venues, construction sites)
For a breakdown of what I actually carry on commercial shoots, I put together a full gear list: [Film lighting equipment every gaffer carries](https://www.tylerwilliamsdp.com/blog/gaffer-lighting-equipment-what-i-actually-carry-to-a-commercial-shoot)
And if you want to think through your full G&E package before booking: [How to build a G&E package for a Florida commercial shoot](https://www.tylerwilliamsdp.com/blog/how-to-build-a-gampe-package-for-a-florida-commercial-shoot)
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Tampa-Specific Production Considerations
A few things that come up on Tampa shoots specifically:
The heat. Florida heat is brutal on gear and crew. HMI lights get hot even before the ambient temperature adds to it. On outdoor Tampa shoots, I'm almost always favoring LED over tungsten for heat management — both for the talent and for the equipment. Plan for it in your call sheet and schedule.
Locations. Tampa Bay shoots frequently use the Riverwalk, Ybor City, St. Pete waterfront, and the port area. Some of these require film permits. Know before you show up. Outdoor power access is inconsistent — budget for a genny if you're shooting anywhere that isn't a studio or purpose-built venue.
Drive times. Tampa is about 75–90 minutes from Orlando depending on where you're landing and where you're shooting. That affects your gear options — local Tampa rental houses, Central Florida suppliers who will deliver, or a gaffer who drives their package to set. Factor it into your budget and call time.
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Working with Me on Tampa Productions
I'm based in Central Florida and regularly take Tampa Bay shoots. If you're looking for:
- A gaffer with a full commercial G&E package
- A DP who can operate or oversee both camera and lighting departments on leaner productions
- A single crew member who can cover both DP and gaffer responsibilities on smaller commercial shoots
...I can cover all of it. I also work with a network of trusted Tampa-area key grips and electricians when a production needs a full G&E team.
If you're an out-of-town producer who needs local G&E knowledge in the Tampa Bay area, that's exactly the kind of call I'm good at. Tell me what you're shooting, what size crew you're thinking, and I can give you a realistic picture of what you'll need.
You can reach me at [tylerwilliamsdp.com](https://www.tylerwilliamsdp.com) or through the contact form on the site.
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If You're Also Looking at Orlando
If your production has flexibility on location — or if you're shooting across both markets on the same trip — I have a similar guide for the Orlando side: [Gaffer for hire in Orlando & Central Florida](https://www.tylerwilliamsdp.com/blog/gaffer-for-hire-orlando-central-florida)
Tampa and Orlando are close enough that a lot of Florida productions end up splitting time between both. Central Florida is a good base for either.
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