Production Glossary
Gaffer Tape
Gaffer tape, also known as gaffa tape or gaff tape, is a strong adhesive tape that is very strong but can be removed cleanly without leaving residue. It is commonly used on television and film sets, theater sets, music stages, and any other type of production set. Typically, a gaffer would use gaffer tape 
to attach cables to a stage floor for safety purposes or to keep them out of the view of audience members or camera shots.
Colored gaffer tape is used to lay blocking markers for actors. In theatre, a skinny version of gaffer tape called spike tape is used to layout the stage floor.
Like duct tape, gaffer tape can also be used as packaging tape and a multitude of other uses. It is truly an indispensable tool on the production set.
CC image courtesy of woodleywonderworks on fotopedia
