Film Locations Glossary
Generator placement
What is generator placement?
Also called genny placement.
Generator placement is where the production's power plant sits relative to the set, chosen to balance cable distance against noise and exhaust.
Too close and the generator is audible in the take or fumes reach the crew; too far and the cable run grows, adding cost, voltage drop, and trip hazards. On residential locations it is one of the most complained-about decisions of the day.
Example
A generator 40 feet from a bedroom window at 2am generates a complaint on night one. Moved 200 feet down the block behind a wall, with a longer cable run and more ramps, it generates none.
Figures are illustrative, chosen to show the mechanics rather than to quote market rates.
Where you'll see it
Fixed at tech scout with the gaffer, and shown on the site plan the permit is issued against.
Common mistake
Placing the generator for the shortest cable run. On a residential street the shortest run is usually next to somebody's bedroom, and that is where the complaints begin.
Related questions
- Where should a generator go on a residential location?
- As far from windows as the cable will allow, ideally behind a structure that blocks the sound, with the position agreed at tech scout and shown on the site plan.
- What is the alternative to a generator?
- A house power tie-in by a licensed electrician, which removes the noise entirely but carries only limited capacity.