| COPY | “I understand” |
| LOCKUP | Your turf. Once you know the cameras’ frames, you know where to protect from bogeys during rehearsals and rolling. “Don’t let anyone around that corner”, “Lockup that door – no one through”, etc. |
| BRICK | A walkie battery. Hot=Green=Good. Cold=Red=Dead=needs to be charged. Orange=damaged=the walkie PA will send it back to the office with an L&D Report for replacement |
| ON THE DAY | “When we roll, and commit this scene to media” |
| FIREWATCH | A post during crew lunch to keep an eye on equipment at set and at trucks to avoid accidents, thefts, even fires. |
| FIRST TEAM | All speaking cast |
| SECOND TEAM | Stand-Ins for 1st team. They will need to see all marking rehearsals. They then stand on the marks so the crew can light while the cast goes away to finish getting ready, gets breakfast, practices lines, or whatever it is they need to do to prepare to roll cameras. |
| BASECAMP | The mobile village of trailers where cast gets ready for camera and the 2nd AD usually works when out on location. Comprised of an AD office, Honeywagon, HMU Trailer, Wardrobe Truck, and any necessary cast trailers for the day. |
| WHAT’S YOUR 20? | “Where are you?” |
| 10-1, 10-2 | Said when requesting to leave your post to go to the restroom |
| ABBY SINGER | The second to last shot of the workday, often a bald-faced lie |
| A CAM, B CAM, etc | Each Camera is given a letter and corresponding crew (A Cam Op, B Cam 1stAC, etc) to keep track of them all. This can be easy on a lower tier 2 camera show, or more complicated on a big budget 10 camera stunt day. It helps differentiate them when giving direction and taking script notes. |
| AD (ASSISTANT DIRECTOR) DEPARTMENT | The hub of information. We’re like the managers of the schedule, which is the plan of how to shoot the script, and we make sure we’re all moving along on time, within schedule, with the correct cast and elements needed for each day, to complete the work for the director. |
| ADR | Audio recordings of dialogue taken after the completion of a scene if the sound was no good during any takes. If it’s really necessary, these will be separate recordings taken in a sound studio long after picture wrap. |
| APPLEBOX | A standard, multipurpose wooden box used on set for various purposes. These boxes come in different sizes, typically a full apple, half apple, quarter apple, and pancake, all designed to be fractions of the full apple’s dimensions. They are versatile and used for raising actors, stabilizing equipment, creating platforms, or even as a seat. |
| BACK-IN TIME | The time that lunch is over and the crew needs to be back on set ready to work again |
| BG (BACKGROUND) | Non-speaking performers who are placed to camera to sell the surrounding world of the story we’re telling |
| BLOCKING REHEARSAL | The first thing the director will do with the actors during a new scene. They will want to see how the scene plays out in the space with their props. Usually limited crew at first. The MARKING REHEARSAL for crew will follow after they work out the kinks |
| BLOCK SHOOT | Shooting multiple scenes together, out of sequence, to save time on either camera setups, Actor comfort, HMU or costume changeovers, daylight changes, or any number of other reasons. Utilized to save time in the long run. |
| BOGEY | A non-performer or non-crew member who may or may not break through your lockup and potentially ruin the shot the crew just spent an hour setting up. Beware of bogeys, they can come from all directions and will try to take the parking spaces you were saving for picture cars |
| BUMP | (1) A raise in pay or station for the day, often given depending on the work of the day. (2) What a dolly grip will ask for from the electrics when their dolly needs juice/electricity. (3) What you’d get at crafty in the 80’s. |
| C-47 | A wooden clothespin |
| CALL SHEET | The planned work of the day (See Go For Resources useful forms) |
| CHECK THE GATE | From the time of film. When a scene was complete, they’d “check the gate” for hair or dirt or any foreign object that may have ruined the picture. Once that’s clear, we move on to the next setup or scene. Still used on digital sets just as a moment of pause to make sure everything is in working order before moving on. |
| CHIRPING | The sound a walkie makes when it’s battery is dying (Can we add an audio example of this?) |
| CLEAN / DIRTY | Types of frames. Clean means the camera will catch the action with no foreground obstructions. Dirty means there will be something in between the lens and the action. A branch, someone’s shoulder, other action in the foreground. |
| COLOR COVER | A piece of wardrobe that stand-ins will wear to better match what their corresponding actor will wear in the scene. Helps with lighting. |
| COVERAGE | Closer on the meat of a scene. Conversations, actor interactions, the camera comes in closer from the wide shot for coverage on the actors and the scene |
| COVER SET | A set planned as a backup in case of inclement weather affecting planned outdoor shooting |
| CRAFT SERVICE (CRAFTY) vs CATERING | Craft Service is the stand near set and available throughout the day with snacks and drinks. Catering is the department serving full meals for breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner. |
| CROSSING THE LENS | Said as a courtesy while crossing past a camera if someone is looking through the lens to line up a shot. |
| C STAND | A “C-stand,” also known as a “Century stand,” is a sturdy, adjustable stand used to support various equipment and accessories, especially lighting and rigging. They are known for their stability and versatility, allowing for precise positioning of items like lights, reflectors, and backdrops. |
| CUEING | 1) Signaling a performance artist or other crew member to begin an action in a scene, 2) What happens when you press your mic button. You’re “cueing” and everyone on your channel can hear what you’re saying. |
| CUT | Only said by the director or 1st AD before the PA staff repeats it for the world and opens up their lockups |
| DANCE FLOOR | Floor laid down for dolly to operate on. Generally a combination of plywood and special plastic sheets to create a smooth stable floor to roll around, aka dance, on. |
| DAY FOR NIGHT / NIGHT FOR DAY | Day For Night, aka D4N, is when a night scene is filmed during the day to look like night time. Night For Day, aka N4D, is when a day scene is filmed during the night to look like day time. |
| DOLLY / “KEYS TO THE DOLLY” | Tool to help move the camera around. “Keys” to the dolly is generally a joke for new crew members. Keys are not necessary for the dolly to operate. |
| DOODS (DAY OUT OF DAYS) | A chart showing which days each cast member works throughout an entire shoot. There can also be DooDs for picture cars, props, locations, anything the ADs need to help schedule the script. |
| DP (DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY) | Aka cinematographer. Director of cameras and lighting. |
| THE EAGLE | Payroll. The eagle landing means they have landed with weekly paychecks |
| EYELINE | The cast members line of sight when filming. Generally good to stay out of an actor’s eyeline when rehearsing and shooting. |
| EXHIBIT G | The SAG document that tracks an actor’s work, meal periods and rest time throughout the day. |
| FILM BREAK | Footage will be sent to the post production house in the middle of the day to help post get a jump on making dailies. Generally sent with a PA. |
| FOOTBALL | The accordion folder that all wrap documents are sent to the office in |
| FRAME | What the camera is looking at. This can be a wall, a stretch of street for 5 blocks, etc. Everything inside that frame has to stay true to the script/story. |
| GAFFING VANS | Loading vans with crew in an efficient way, so there is a constant supply of empty vans loading up to capacity and leaving to lunch or the next set or parking or wherever.. |
| GOING AGAIN | Don’t go anywhere, we’re about to roll cameras again |
| GO OPEN | Take your surveillance mic out of your walkie and allow everyone around you to hear your open walkie. Usually used during 1st AD safety meeting announcements with large crews who can’t hear all the details. Also used for cueing cast, among many other uses. |
| GO TO 2 (BACK TO 1) | If you’re called to 2, go there, finish your conversation, and say “Back to 1” before switching back to channel 1. If you go to channel 2 and other people are already on there talking, immediately go to channel 3 to find the person who initially called you to 2. (Some states or shows have a different backup channel than channel 3. Know your channels) |
| HMU | The Hair/Makeup Department. They often work and travel in tandem around the cast, keeping them looking ready for camera and rolling |
| HONEYWAGON | The massive truck in basecamp with 6-8 doors. 2 of those doors are cast and crew restrooms, while the rest are utilized as cast dressing rooms. On certain shows, this might also where you’ll find the AD department office. |
| HOT SET | Don’t touch anything. This set is built and ready to be filmed in, or has been filmed in already and needs to be frozen as-is for later filming with matching continuity |
| INSERT | A detail shot on a special prop, detail or element important to the scene/story |
| JIB ARM | A small camera crane to get the camera higher. Similar to a camera crane but usually smaller in length/height. |
| KEEP EYES | Watch that person, but don’t make it obvious. Follow them, but don’t let them know you’re following them. Eventually someone will ask where they are, and you’ll be able to answer |
| KEEP YOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL | Stay alert. A lot happens quickly on a film set and it’s the AD Depts job to keep people safe while also protecting the set from bogeys |
| KILL IT | Lose it, turn it off, get rid of it, etc |
| L&D (LOSS & DAMAGE REPORT) | A form to be filled out in the event gear gets lost and/or damaged over the course of filming. It is filled out by the dept head and/or best boy and submitted to the production office via the paperwork pa/basecamp pa. It is also usually noted on the PR. |
| LAST LOOKS (VS EXTENDED TOUCHUPS) | Hair, Make-up & Wardrobe will look at the cast right before rolling on a setup. Generally done before each setup. Extended touch-ups are if H/MU/W needs more time than a last look and will be done leading up to the cast being called to set. |
| LAST MAN | The last crew member to go through the lunch line and sit down. The moment they sit down triggers the math to figure out the BACK-IN TIME |
| LOCK OFF | Camera that won’t be moved, whether for time lapse or VFX shots or other creative or technical reasons. If you don’t know what it’s for, don’t touch it, you might ruin an entire day’s worth of footage |
| LOSING THE LIGHT | The sun is going down and we’re in a rush to finish our work for the day |
| MARKING REHEARSAL | Rehearsal given in front of the crew after the BLOCKING REHEARSAL is sussed out. Once we all see this, we can light and set up cameras. |
| MARTINI | Last shot of the day. Wrapout is imminent. |
| MEAL PENALTY VIOLATION (MPV) | Union rules require film crews to break for a sit down meal every six hours. A meal penalty is paid for not breaking within that that six hour limit. Every 30 minutes over the six hours a penalty is paid. |
| MOTHERSHIPS | The 40’ Trucks that bring all of the equipment out onto location |
| NEW DEAL | We’ve completed that scene or setup and are moving on to the next piece of work on our schedule/call sheet |
| ONE LINER | The schedule for the entirety of the filming run |
| OUT TIMES | As crew leaves for the day, department heads and/or best boys give “out times” of when they are done to be tracked on the PR and daily timesheets. This is used to help track turnaround. |
| PICTURE CARS | Much like background performers, these are vehicles brought in to help sell our script’s world. They can come from BG performers themselves, or Picture Car companies that specialize in certain cars when needed |
| PICTURE’S UP | We’re about to roll. Your lockup should be clear, no bogeys, and your head should be on a swivel to flag down any bogeys before they enter the shot (break your lockup) |
| POOR MAN’S PROCESS | Technique to film a scene in a moving vehicle when the vehicle is not actually moving. |
| PROCESS TRAILER | Large piece of equipment that includes a flat trailer to tow a picture car, and a tow vehicle to hold the video village people (Director, 1st AD, DP, Scripty, maybe Stunt Coordinator). Once put together it is a fully operational mobile unit for safely filming interior car scenes |
| PA (PRODUCTION ASSISTANT) | This is you. PAs are the glue of a film set. They provide lockups to keep bogeys out of the frame, run waters to crew who can’t step away, go on production runs if anything is needed off site, cue background or cast, relay from far off cameras to keep the DP and 1stAD in constant communication; anything and everything can happen. Be ready to dive in. |
| PR (PRODUCTION REPORT) | The call sheet is what we want to do. The PR is what we did. It includes scenes, pages, and setups completed. In, lunch and out times for the crew. Exhibit G for cast times. Background Breakdown. Any special notes of incidents that may or may not have occurred on set. |
| RESHOOTS | Shooting scenes that were already completed because of re-writes, media error or unforeseen issues. |
| ROLLING | Cameras and sound are recording. Everyone who is not an actor in the scene needs to stop moving and be quiet. All of that setup time has led to this movie-making moment. If it’s successful, this will be what’s up on the silver screen or Television sets. The hand signal for rolling is to point one index finger straight up in the air and move it in a circle. |
| ROOM TONE | Recording sound “tone” of a set when no crew or cast are making noise. Used for post production for sound editing. |
| SCRIPT SUPERVISOR (SCRIPTY) | Person in charge of script continuity and tracking coverage for post production. |
| SETUP | A setup is one camera position for a scene. It can be a wide of the whole set, and coverage would be a new setup. Any time after rolling/cutting, if the camera moves to a new position or lens, that’s a new setup. |
| SET (vs STAGE) | Set is the built world our actors will perform in. Dressed with furniture and props and ready to go. Stage holds the sets. A stage can hold anywhere from 1-6 or more different sets depending on many factors, so it’s important to not tell an AD you’re “on set” with cast if you’re only on stage with them. This leads to confusion. You’re only on set with them when they’re standing in the built and dressed set of the scheduled scene. |
| SHOOTING SCHEDULE | An expanded version of the one-liner to include department elements. Depending on detail, could include background, Hair, make-up, wardrobe, sfx, vfx, prop, locations notes. |
| SIDES | Miniaturized copies of script pages that include just today’s work. It helps to not carry a 90 page script around for the entire work day. Only Scripty and the Director generally worry about that. |
| SINGLE vs TWO SHOT | Single = Shot of just one cast member. Two Shot = Shot of two cast members |
| SLATE / SLATE NUMBER | Clapperboard for synced with sound and script supervisor label each setup and track coverage for post production |
| SPEED / SET | Speed = Cameras and/or sound is recording. Set = Camera and Sound are recording and ready for action to be called. |
| STAKEBED | A large pick-up truck used to bring gear to locations that can not accommodate the larger “mothership” trucks. |
| STEPPAGE | When more than 1 person speaks on the same walkie channel at the same time and you hear a garbled mess. |
| STEPPING | 1) Used for walkie steppage, 2) Said when entering a HMU trailer before “stepping” onto the steps. Stepping up causes the trailer to swing and could mess up a delicate hair or makeup application. |
| STINGER / SINGLE | Industry term for extension cord |
| SOUND ROLL | Term to track the number of sound cards/hard drives used over the course of filming the movie/tv show |
| SURVEILLANCE | Walkie talkie headset similar to headphones with a microphone so the walkie is only heard by the individual user – “Closed” versus open walkie which is over the walkie speaker for everyone around you to hear |
| TIME CARDS | Weekly time card submitted at the end of the filming week to go accounting to get paid |
| TIME SHEETS | Daily version of the timecards. They are done to prevent discrepancies between accounting, production report, paychecks and departments. |
| TURNAROUND | Rest Period between wrap and next day’s call. Each union has their own. But generally cast gets 12 hours and crew gets 10 hours. |
| UPM (UNIT PRODUCTION MANAGER) | The person who is most directly in charge of managing the budget. They are not on walkie most of the time but are important to know who they are. |
| VIDEO VILLAGE | Where the monitors and chairs are for the DP and Director to watch. Usually where you’ll find Scripty. A great place to figure out what’s in frame, but don’t get in the way here. |
| VOUCHER | Accounting document filled out by all Background and Stand-In Performers to track hours, bumps, adjustments, MPVs, and final payment. Turned in with the wrap paperwork each day. |
| WALK AND TALK | A film sequence when the camera and cast are continually moving. |
| WALK AWAY (WRAP) | When the crew is coming back to the same location two or more days in a row and the crew can leave all the shooting gear on site as long as it is secure and safe. |
| WALK AWAY (LUNCH) | The crew “walks away” for lunch instead of having a catered lunch. They get to go to local restaurants for a time agreed upon between the union shop steward and production. |
| WATCH YOUR BACK | It means to generally be aware of your surroundings. Keep your head on a swivel. |
| WETDOWN | SFX will literally “wetdown” the road and sidewalk with water either via water truck or water hose. |
| WHEELS / LANDING | When “gaffing” a van (see above), you communicate it is leaving, aka wheels, or arriving, aka landing. |
| WRAP / WRAPOUT | The day is done! We’ve (hopefully) completed our work, and the crew will now start the process of breaking down equipment and making it safe for overnight. This might be when you’re asked to get out times or time sheets from departments, so know your trucks. (Link to Know Your Trucks?) |
