The film is over budget. The script is late. There are only three days left of filming. Your team of grips and electricians must scramble to film as many scenes as possible before production wraps! Don’t worry, though: “We’ll fix it in post.”
In Grips & Gaffers, you are responsible for a production unit filming footage for a movie. Your film set is a "puzzle" in which you attempt to slide the cameras, lights, and director around the board to match the needs of one of the scenes to be filmed. At the same time, every other player is racing to film the same scenes. If they get there first, you may be out of luck; you can only film a scene if the actors aren't busy on another set. Sometimes it might be necessary to film when the set is "close enough," rather than taking the time to earn a bonus for a perfect setup.
Time is of the essence! Every camera movement advances your Gaffer pawn on the time track, while lighting changes advance your Key Grip pawn. The player whose pawn is at the rear of the track moves next, so being efficient—and balancing the amount of work your grips and your electricians do—is key to your filmmaking success!