Gaffer as a DirectorHow to Work With a

Most directors I work with are great at communicating their vision — mood boards, reference films, the whole thing. What throws them on set is knowing how to work with a gaffer once the cameras roll. I've been on both sides of this as a DP and Gaffer, and there's a real difference between shoots that flow and shoots that grind. Most of it comes down to communication. Here's what I actually need from a director to do my job well.

The Gaffer Works For Your DP, Not For You — Here's Why That Matters

This is the first thing directors need to understand. On a commercial set, the gaffer's primary relationship is with the DP, not the director. The DP translates your creative vision into a lighting plan, and the gaffer executes that plan. That chain of command exists for a reason — it keeps the set organized and fast.

If you're working on a smaller shoot where there's no DP (or you are the DP), then yes, the gaffer reports directly to you. But on anything with a full crew, understand that when you pull the gaffer aside to talk about the look of a shot, you're cutting the DP out of a conversation that affects their work. That creates friction. The better path is to go through your DP — that's what they're there for.

If you're curious about exactly how a director and DP divide responsibilities, I've broken that down in a separate post. The short version: you own the story, the DP owns the image.

What to Share With Your Gaffer Before the Shoot (The Brief That Saves Hours on Set)

The best thing you can do for your gaffer is give them context before shoot day. A quick call or email the day before does more for your schedule than any amount of rushing on set. Tell me where we're shooting — interior or exterior, what time of day, whether there are windows I need to manage. If you have reference images, send them. I don't need a dissertation; I need to know what we're going for.

The other thing that matters: tell me about schedule changes early. If the location walk-through reveals we're starting in a different room, or the client pushed the interview setup back two hours, that changes how I plan the truck. The equipment I pull and how I stage it is based entirely on what you tell me we're doing and when.

If you're putting together a full commercial crew from scratch, this kind of pre-production communication should start at the hiring stage — not the morning of.

How to Communicate Lighting Notes Without Slowing Down the Set

On a working set, time is money. If you have a note about the lighting, the fastest path is to say it to your DP clearly and once, then let them relay it to me. "The backlight is too hot" or "I want the shadows softer on camera left" are perfect notes — specific, visual, not prescriptive about how to fix it. That's your job. How we fix it is mine.

What slows things down is when directors try to manage the execution. If you're telling the gaffer where to physically move a light, you're now doing two jobs and doing neither well. Give me the problem, not the solution. "Something feels flat" is a great note. "Can you move that Aputure six inches to the right" — that's micromanaging the execution and it usually makes things slower, not faster.

When working with a gaffer on set, also be aware of when we're in the middle of a reset. If I'm adjusting a rig between setups, that's not the moment to add a note. Wait until we've settled before asking for changes — or flag it to your DP so they can catch me at the right moment.

What NOT to Do (The Director Mistakes That Frustrate Gaffers)

Giving lighting approval without looking at the actual frame. I've had directors approve a look while standing behind a light stand, not behind the monitor. What looks good in the room and what looks good in the lens are completely different. Always check the frame before you lock the lighting.

Changing the shot without telling the gaffer. If you decide mid-setup that you want to shoot from a completely different angle, my entire rig may need to move. That's fine — it happens. But tell me as early as possible, not after I've finished dressing the set for the original setup. Gaffer-director communication means keeping me in the loop on pivots, not just final decisions.

Expecting the gaffer to read your mind. I'm good at my job, but I can't fix a problem I don't know you have. If something isn't working for you visually, say it out loud. Early and specific beats quiet and vague every time.

When to Talk to the Gaffer Directly vs. Going Through Your DP

Here's a simple rule: anything creative goes through the DP. Anything logistical — parking the truck, running a cable across a doorway, asking how long a setup will take — you can ask the gaffer directly. Those are practical questions that don't need to go up the chain.

But if you want to change the look of a scene, adjust the mood, add or remove a light source — that's a creative conversation that needs to start with your DP. They'll translate it and brief me. That's the workflow, and when it runs cleanly, a good gaffer can turn around a full lighting reset in minutes.

Working With a Gaffer in Florida (Practical Notes: Heat, Locations, Florida Light)

Florida shoots come with specific challenges that affect how I work. The sun moves fast and hard here — what looks like a beautiful shade at 9am can be blown-out direct sun by 10:15. If you're shooting outdoors, build in more buffer than you think you need, and let me know early if the schedule is slipping. A five-minute warning before a location move is the difference between a smooth transition and a scramble.

Heat is real. Tungsten fixtures in a closed Florida building in August will cook a room fast. I tend to lean on LED-heavy packages for interior Florida shoots specifically because of this. If you're on a tight location with no HVAC, tell me upfront — it changes my equipment choices.

Window light in Florida is bright and directional, and almost always needs to be managed. Don't assume I can just "use the natural light" in a location that looks beautiful in a scout photo. What I actually need to do with that light depends on your frame, your lenses, and whether we're fighting or supplementing it. Those are conversations to have in pre-pro, not on the day.

If you're shooting in Central Florida and need a gaffer who knows these locations, I'd love to talk. You can reach out here and we can walk through what your shoot needs before day one.