SCENE 01 / GAFFER LIGHTING TEAM
Gaffer & Lighting Services Canada
Professional gaffers and lighting crews with expertise in LED, HMI, and tungsten systems. From intimate interviews to large-scale nighttime shoots across Canada.
The gaffer and lighting team translate the Director of Photography's vision into practical lighting setups on set. In Canada, gaffers work at leading facilities including Pinewood Toronto Studios, Vancouver Film Studios, and MELS Studios Montreal, designing and executing lighting plans that create mood, depth, and visual consistency across every scene.
We assemble experienced gaffer and lighting teams matched to your production's scale, style, and technical requirements. With equipment sourced through rental houses like William F. White (Whites), PS Production Services, and Sim, our team coordinates crew availability, equipment sourcing, and department logistics so your lighting team arrives fully prepared.
Capabilities
Lighting Department Solutions
From intimate interview setups to large-scale feature productions, we provide experienced gaffers and complete electric crews tailored to your project's needs.
01
Feature & TV
- Cinematic lighting design
- Large-scale set lighting
- Night exterior setups
- Practical integration
- Period and stylized looks
Narrative Excellence
02
Commercial
- Product lighting
- Tabletop photography
- Beauty and fashion
- Food cinematography
- High-key brand looks
Brand Impact
03
Live Events
- Concert and performance
- Corporate presentations
- Award ceremonies
- Fashion shows
- Live broadcast lighting
Event Production
04
Corporate
- Interview setups
- Office and facility
- Training videos
- Webinar production
- Executive portraits
Professional Content
On Location
Canadian gaffers and electric crews built around IATSE 891, 873, and 514 discipline
Here is how the work lines up. Canadian lighting departments operate under the rigour of three of North America's strongest IATSE locals: 891 BC covering Vancouver's Hollywood-North production base, 873 covering Toronto's Pinewood, Cinespace, and CBC plant, and 514 covering Montreal's MELS Cité du Cinéma and the wider Quebec feature and series base.
Our gaffer roster pulls from credits earned across that full plant — Murray Sharp's long-running Cronenberg teamwork, Doug Sniderman's gaffer work on Greig Fraser's Vancouver Dune Part Two blocks, Wilson Smith on Pixomondo Toronto's Star Trek Discovery and Strange New Worlds Volume stages, and the deep Quebec lighting bench that supports Xavier Dolan, Denis Villeneuve, and Bellocchio-tradition auteurs.
Department structure often pairs the gaffer with a best boy electric, rigging gaffer on larger blocks, and a graduated team of lamp ops and generator ops trained through Vancouver Film School, Sheridan College, Ryerson (Toronto Metropolitan University), and the Quebec-side INIS / L'Inis film school pipelines.
Equipment is specified through William F. White (Whites), PS Production work, Sim Lighting, and Christie Lites — ARRI SkyPanel S60 / S120 / S360 as the LED workhorse, the new ARRI Orbiter and L7-C for spot work, Aputure 600d Pro / 1200d Pro / Nova P600c and Astera Titan and Helios Tubes for fast-deploy production, plus ARRI M-Series M18/M40/M90 and Joker 800/1600/2500 HMI for daylight balance. Mole-Richardson 5K and 10K tungsten stay current on the Pinewood Toronto and MELS Cité du Cinéma stages where the period look calls for it.
Honda EU2200i and EU7000is silent generators handle interview-density loads, with Wacker Neuson 50/150 kVA tow-behind units for full-feature blocks; Volta Solar packages cover the off-grid Yukon, NWT, Iqaluit, and Banff backcountry shoots where conventional gen-set delivery isn't viable. Cold-weather generator block-heaters are standard Dec-Mar for Quebec, Yukon, and Nunavut. Banff and Jasper Parks Canada silent-zone protocols are observed for wildlife corridors, Quebec City UNESCO heritage-zone documentation runs through Patrimoine Québec, and WorkSafeBC, WSIB Ontario, CNESST Quebec, and WCB Alberta workplace-insurance coverage is built into every crew contract.
FAQ
Our Lighting Network
What does a gaffer do on set?
The gaffer is the head of the electrical/lighting department, responsible for executing the DP's lighting vision. They design lighting setups, manage the electric crew, coordinate equipment, and ensure safe power distribution throughout the production.
What crew positions are in a lighting department?
A full lighting department includes: Gaffer (department head), Best Boy Electric (gaffer's assistant, manages crew and equipment), Electricians/Sparks (set up and operate lights), and on larger productions, Rigging Gaffers and Generator Operators.
Do your lighting crews bring their own equipment?
Crew and equipment are typically separate. We can coordinate equipment packages from Canadian rental houses to complement your crew booking. Some gaffers have personal equipment for smaller productions.
How many electricians do I need for my production?
Crew size depends on production scale: small shoots may need just a gaffer, medium productions typically need gaffer plus best boy and 1-2 electricians, while larger productions require full departments with rigging crews.
Can your lighting crews work with international DPs?
Yes. Our gaffers are experienced working with international cinematographers and understand international terminology, techniques, and workflow expectations. Many are fluent English Canadian-English.
Do you provide generators and power distribution?
We coordinate generator hire and distribution equipment through our rental partners. Generator operators can be included in crew packages for productions requiring significant power infrastructure.
Related Services
Productions in Canada that need this often pair it with LED Lighting Systems, Portable Power Solutions, and Grip Services for full coverage. Most projects also draw on Gimbal Filming and Virtual Production.
On Set
Need a Lighting Team?
Tell us about your production and we'll recommend the right gaffer and crew for your lighting needs.