courtesy FRED GIBSON

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Fred Gibson has been a best boy, a key grip and a gaffer on local and Hollywood productions for 17 years.

That's meant a lot of explaining about what he does to people who don't work in the industry, or, as he calls them, "civilians."

In a nutshell, Gibson mostly handles lighting and setting up shots to the satisfaction of the director and cinematographer.

His career highlights include "Boys on the Side" "Tombstone" and "The Quick and the Dead."

Earlier this month, he worked on the untitled comedy directed by Sam Mendes (starring John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph) that shot at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa. He hopes to work on "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," which will shoot here in August.

The film technician says he's disappointed by the way film shoots have dwindled around here, saying he gets only about half the work he needs to get by. To help pay the bills, Gibson does outside contractor work, including jobs on local theater productions.

The 50-year-old has lived in Tucson since 1970. He graduated from Santa Rita High School and attended Pima Community College and the UA.

Gibson prides himself on passing what he knows to up-and-coming lighting technicians. He also calls up industry contacts and suggests Tucson as a potential location to try to reinvigorate the local film industry. He spoke to us on the phone last week.

"It's a very passionate community and has been very passionate for a long time."

"Some of us are too stubborn to give up working in the film business here when it turns high and dry. Some of us move to L.A. Some have moved to New Mexico. Some guys still maintain their residence here and go as far as Louisiana to work."

"I'm not gonna claim an individual trademark. I credit it all to the directors of photography and the gaffers I've worked with for just handing on the tradition. My only individual trait is how I work with guys on the team. I like to try and keep it close to realistic-looking lighting vs. eccentric mood lighting."

"What keeps me here is my love for Tucson. In L.A. you could turn into a workaholic in the industry. . . . Rent is expensive, gas is expensive. In Santa Monica, jiminy Christmas, Tide soap is taxed extra hard because of the possibility of the soap going into the sewer."

"Constantly. The names are all traditional stuff. Gaffer goes back to the early 1900s, when they used big carbon lights and had them banked up big with scaffolding and you needed people to go out . . . with a gaffing pole to focus the light.

"Best boy is a nautical term that goes back to the person who constantly brought in powder and ammunition and tools to guys on ship positions. In the film industry, the best boy is in charge of managing the power in the department and also the financial liaison to the production company. His department is also responsible for the equipment he rents. He's a department manager.

"Grip is from an ad in an L.A. newspaper when the film industry started moving to California from back east in New York. They wanted a person with a firm grip. And the tools they used were these carpet bags. People would say, 'Hey, the guy has got a strong grip.' Let's get him or her to hold the camera down."

If you're involved in filmmaking and would like to be featured in a Q&A, write to pvillarreal@azstarnet.com.