American Grip

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Overview

American Grip Inc. manufactures lighting and grip equipment for the motion picture, television, studio, and still photography industries. The company produces its products in-house in Sun Valley, California, with capabilities for custom modifications and special orders requested by industry professionals.¹²

History

American Grip Inc. was founded in 1984 by Lance Snoke, who previously started Motion Picture Sewing in 1975 at age 15, producing items like sand bags and light frames.¹ The company has maintained in-house manufacturing since inception, including a machine shop, welding, and sewing departments in Sun Valley, California.¹ It has created custom equipment for clients such as Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, and individual grips and gaffers.¹

Product Lines

Product Line	Positioning	Price Range
BlackBird 220 (crank stand)	Heavy-duty lighting support for motion picture sets	$1,000 - $2,000 (plus $293 boxing fee)
Medium Roller 3-Rise Jr. Grip Head (with R/M leg)	Adjustable roller stand for grip equipment	$800 - $1,500
Custom Grip Equipment	Tailored modifications for film production needs	$500 - $5,000
Light Frames (Dots, Fingers, Scrims)	Wire frames for light diffusion in studios	$100 - $1,000

Manufacturing

All products are manufactured in-house in Sun Valley, California, with a machine shop featuring 3 CNC machines, welding department, and sewing department.¹ The company handles custom builds and modifications from scratch based on field requests.¹

Notable Products

BlackBird 220 - Crank-operated lighting stand requiring boxing fee for shipping.
Medium Roller 3-Rise Jr. Grip Head R/M Leg - Roller stand with grip head for adjustable positioning on sets.
Custom Sand Bags and Frames - Sewn and framed items like Dots, Fingers, and larger scrim frames from founder's prior venture.
AGI Grip Equipment - General line of grip and set lighting tools known as AGI Grip.

Reputation

American Grip is regarded as a niche supplier of professional-grade grip and lighting gear by motion picture and studio professionals, valued for in-house customization capabilities.¹² Sources indicate a small team with revenue around $6-10 million, suggesting focused operations rather than broad market dominance.²³ No widespread criticisms noted in available data, though its limited scale may restrict availability compared to larger competitors.³

Sources (8)