Head of Department (HoD) Riggers are in charge of the Rigging department, and are hired by, and report to, Construction Managers. Riggers' role in the film industry is equivalent to that of regular scaffolders, although film work is much more complex than traditional scaffolding, and Riggers' work may range from building relatively small platforms, up to the construction of the main supporting structures of elaborate film sets.  HoD Riggers ensure that all work is completed to deadlines, and that it adheres to stringent Health and Safety standards.  The role requires extensive rigging experience, and strong leadership skills.

Responsibilities
HoD Riggers are responsible for the work of the entire Rigging department on films, which involves installing rigging gear such as scaffolding, cables, ropes, pulleys, winches and lifting equipment.  Once HoD Riggers are employed on film productions, they ascertain from Construction Managers and other Heads of Department all the project's rigging requirements, and the build schedule.  Working from set designs and storyboards, they establish the types of rigging required, e.g., they may need to build large blocks of scaffolds to hold street scene facades, or to create more intricate forms of stage rigging such as rolling rostrums to move large set pieces. 

Once the schedule is established, HoD Riggers are responsible for employing a team of Riggers who either have wide ranging experience of ordinary scaffolding, or who have trained solely in the film industry.  Depending on the size of the project, they appoint Supervising, Chargehand, Craft Grade and/or Standby Riggers.  HoD Riggers are responsible for sourcing all rigging materials, and for ensuring that they are supplied on time and at the agreed price. 

Although Construction Managers are ultimately responsible for rigging budgets, HoD Riggers must ensure that labour and material costs are kept within agreed parameters.  They must keep accurate records of the labour and equipment used.  HoD Riggers are responsible for ensuring that all work is carried out according to the requirements of the relevant Health and Safety legislation, guidelines and procedures.  They are liable for the safety of all rigs constructed by their department.  On large budget films, HoD Riggers may appoint Rigging Inspectors as part of the team responsible for logging and inspecting every rig constructed, from large temporary roofs to the smallest working platforms.

Skills
HoD Riggers must have excellent management skills, and be able to supervise a large workforce.  They need a broad and comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of rigging.  They should have excellent Health and Safety knowledge and awareness, and be capable of conducting risk assessments on set and on location.  They must be able to communicate effectively with colleagues at all levels of the production, and with key crew such as Directors, Heads of Department, and First Assistant Directors.  The role is physically demanding, and they must be comfortable working at heights. They should be literate and numerate: the ability to understand complex drawings is essential, as are numerical skills, and the ability to keep accurate records.

Qualifications/Experience
As well as extensive experience of working as Riggers in the film industry, it is likely that HoD Riggers have accredited qualifications, such as the Advanced Rigging/Scaffolding qualifications in S.I.T.A.C., C.I.T.B., E.C.I.T.B, or NVQs/ SVQs at level 2 or 3.  Extensive knowledge of the Health and Safety legislation and procedures relating to rigging is essential.  As the role involves travel, a full EU driving licence is required.

Individual course accreditation in certain subject areas is currently being piloted. As part of Skillset's and the UK Film Council's Film Skills Strategy, A Bigger Future, a network of Screen Academies and a Film Business Academy have been approved as centres of excellence in education and training for film.

Where to go for more information
Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries. The first sources of information for all jobs in the industry are the National Occupational Standards. Browse Skillset's website for links to our network of training partners, information about training and access to the comprehensive Skillset/BFI course database. Finally, Skillset Careers is UK's only specialist media careers advice service; for detailed media careers information and advice, visit www.skillset.org/careers.