Home › Departments › Lighting › Lighting Trainee

Lighting Trainee

Entry-level lighting trainee learning cable runs, lamp safety, set etiquette and UK unit discipline under sparks and Chargehands.

Duties

• Read the call sheet and sides before arriving
• Maintain radio/set etiquette and H&S
• Hand over notes/kit status at wrap
• Assist cable runs and wrap under supervision
• Learn H&S and loft basics
• Support Best Boy as directed

Reports to

Chargehand / Best Boy / assigned spark mentor

Works with

Lighting crew; stay clear of rehearsals unless called

Career path

Lighting Trainee → Lighting Technician

Day to day

Shadow sparks; coil and run cable; fetch gels/stands; keep the truck tidy; learn kit names; stay radio-aware; never guess on live power.

Call times

Lighting/pre-light call is often earlier than general unit; shoot sparks usually match unit call (commonly 07:00–08:00 on UK drama) and wrap after camera unless a lighting wrap is called. Night exteriors flip the day — always read the call sheet header.

What to wear

Matte blacks; steel toe-caps or production-approved boots; gloves for hot lamps; hard hat on rigs; hi-vis when Locations require; weather layers for UK exteriors; radio pouch.

Tools & kit

Personal PPE, multimeter, gloves, headtorch, multi-tool, gel clips; production supplies lamps/distro/desk.

Tips

Ask which agreement and trainee scheme apply before accepting. Prefer formal pathways over unpaid “experience”.

Software

• Lightwright / Vectorworks / CAD plot PDFs
• Shared call sheets (StudioBinder / Yamdu / PDF)
• ShotDeck / PureRef for look refs
• DMX desk familiarity (ETC Eos, grandMA basics)
• ChatGPT / Claude for quick gel/CCT notes (verify on set)

Related roles

Lighting Technician (Spark), Best Boy (Lighting)

More Lighting roles