Dates & times
All times are local to the venue · America/Chicago
- 3:30 PM – 6:30 PM
These are the previously published dates. Check the organizer for a new edition.
Check the organizer’s latest schedule ↗Intro to Lighting and Grip at Austin Public: Learning the gear behind a safe setup
A light is only one part of a film lighting setup. Intro to Lighting and Grip at Austin Public also looks at the stands, clamps and holders that support production equipment—and how to set up and use the gear safely.
The work around the light
The onsite class offers an overview of the lights and light kits Austin Public makes available to Producers, along with grip equipment such as C-stands, clamps, holders and carts. Safety training is part of the session, making this an introduction to the equipment and its use rather than a class centered on making a finished film.
The different support tools serve different purposes. Austin Public’s equipment guide describes a duckbill as a way to position foam core or a reflector, while a reflector holder mounts a reflector to a light stand. Its lighting guide also lists bounce boards for reflecting light and black foam boards for absorbing ambient light and deepening shadows. These examples help explain the wider kit; they are not a promise that each item will be demonstrated.
Further reading: Intro to Lighting and Grip | Austin Film Society ↗ · Austin Public Equipment - Grips and Rigs | Austin Film Society ↗ · Austin Public Equipment - Field Lighting Gear | Austin Film Society ↗
Training now, resource access later
For active members of Austin Public’s Producer Program, this is a resource-certification class covering the listed lighting and grip equipment. Certification is a program access designation, not a paper credential. Once Producers have completed the program steps and have an active resource subscription, they can reserve equipment they have trained on through the Producer Portal. Austin Public offers partial and full scholarships for qualifying training and resource costs.
You can take a certification class before finishing the Producer Program process. Joining the program requires participants to be at least 15 and live in Travis, Williamson, Caldwell, Hays or Bastrop County; people outside that area can still take Austin Public classes. AFS membership, which provides the class discount, is separate from a Producer Program subscription.
Further reading: Intro to Lighting and Grip | Austin Film Society ↗ · Producer Program Orientation | Austin Film Society ↗
Class schedule
The single session combines an equipment overview with safety training.
Sunday, November 1, 2026 · Austin Public - Studio 1
- Intro to Lighting and Grip: equipment overview and safety training
Before class
Book through Austin Film Society
The event listing links to registration. Check current availability and booking terms before making plans.
Arrange the waiver
A parent or legal guardian must sign the linked waiver for a minor. Email it to [email protected] or bring it in on or before the class date.
Getting to Austin Public
Studio 1 on Northwestern Avenue
The class is at Austin Public – Studio 1, 1143 Northwestern Ave, Austin, TX 78702, not at AFS Cinema or Austin Studios. Use the map links to calculate directions from your starting point. For parking or building-access questions, contact Austin Public before your visit.
Intro to Lighting and Grip | Austin Film Society ↗ · Locations | Austin Film Society ↗ · About Austin Public | Austin Film Society ↗
Before you make a plan
Do I need to be a Producer to take the class?
You can take a certification class before completing the Producer Program process. Austin Public also says people outside its five-county service area can take classes.
Does the class by itself let me reserve equipment?
No. Resource reservations are part of the Producer Program and require the program steps, relevant certification and active resource access through a subscription or applicable scholarship.
Intro to Lighting and Grip | Austin Film Society ↗ · Producer Program Orientation | Austin Film Society ↗
Can a minor attend?
Yes. The class has no age limit, though Austin Public says it is best suited to ages 15 and up. A parent or legal guardian must sign a waiver for a minor.
When is the class?
Sunday, November 1, 2026, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Intro to Lighting and Grip | Austin Film Society ↗ · Classes & Events | Austin Film Society ↗
Location & Google Maps
Austin Public - Studio 1
1143 Northwestern Ave, Austin, TX 78702
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.