Acronyms and Glossary
A
Abby
The second-last shot of the day.
Accident Report
If you have an accident or sustained personal injury while working on production, an accident report must be completed by production. Sometimes additional reports may be required depending on the union or guild involved or if the Workers' Compensation needs to get involved.
ACTRA
Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists - The Union that represents motion picture actors in Canada. Check out their website at www.actra.ca
ACTRA Report
A report that is filled in by Assistant Directors, usually the 4th AD (TAD), with the start and finish times of the actors. A timesheet for actors.
AD
Assistant Director - manage the set, schedule and keep everything running on time.
ADR
Additional Dialogue Recording - Production may need dialogue to be re-recorded for a variety of reasons. ADR is done in a studio by the Actor and a Re-recording Mixer during post-production.
AFCOOP
Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative - "The Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative (AFCOOP) is a non-profit, community organization dedicated to supporting the production and presentation of independent films and moving image based work in a collaborative, learning environment." For more information on AFCOOP and their many programs, like Film 5, check out their website at www.afcoop.ca
AIFF
Atlantic International Film Festival - Check out their website at atlanticfilmfestival.ca
Ambience
Another term for wild sound. Could also be used for smoke and fog effects.
AMPTP
Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers - a trade association that negotiates 58 industry-wide collective bargaining agreements on behalf of hundreds of motion picture and television producers. Check out their website at www.amptp.org
Apple Box
A wooden box belonging to the Grip team but used by all crew as an all-purpose object. The usual size (full size) is 9 x 12 x 18 inches, but they also come in half sizes (half apple), quarter sizes (quarter apple), and smaller (a pancake). For more information and visuals, you can check out the Wikipedia Page
As-Built
A term used by the production design team to refer to pre-existing buildings on a location that will be included in the set on that location.
Atmosphere (ATMO)
Refers to 3 separate things on a film set:
- ATMO (atmosphere) refers to the smoke and fog effects created by the Special Effects department.
- Atmosphere is another term for ambient wild sound, also know as ambience.
- Sometimes atmosphere is used to describe background actors.
B
Background
Set elements and details that are not in the foreground and middle-ground of the frame.
Background Performer
A performer who gives life to the background of scenes. Also known as a background actor, background player, or simply as background.
Ballast
An electronic device that sends high voltage to lighting equipment. An example would be the Kino Flo 4Bank ballast: www.kinoflo.com
Barn Door
A shutter that is fixed to a light to control the amount of light shining out from the source. For a visual, here is a Wikipedia page on barn doors: www.wikipedia.org
Base Camp
The off-set area with trailers where production prepares the actors for set. This includes the actor's trailers, the AD trailer, Costume's trailer, Hair and Makeup trailers, and most likely a Transport trailer. In some places, the Base Camp is called "the Circus"
Batten
A theatrical term for a base, also known as a bar or pipe, from which lighting equipment and scenery are hung.
Battery Box
A container to hold fresh (hot) and used (old or dead) batteries for walkies. It is looked after by the AD department and is usually kept by the Craft table. Sometimes it looks like a small cooler.
Black Wrap
A thin sheet of black metal foil that can be wrapped around a light to block or partially block illumination.
Block Shooting
The camera is positioned and several scenes are shot together from the one camera position. The camera is then moved and those same scenes are all shot from the new camera angle.
Block shooting also refers to shooting several scenes from one side, and then "turning around" and shooting several scenes from the other side. This can save time with lighting and set decorating by not having to re-light or re-dec angles scene after scene.
Block shooting also refers to shooting several scenes from one side, and then "turning around" and shooting several scenes from the other side. This can save time with lighting and set decorating by not having to re-light or re-dec angles scene after scene.
Blocking
Also known as "Open Blocking", the Director and the Actors plan their movements for the scene while the rest of the crew observes and plans for the scene within their own departments.
See also: Private Blocking
See also: Private Blocking
Board
The shooting schedule when it is laid out as a calendar.
Body Mic
Another term for a lavalier microphone; a small microphone that is placed on the body of the Actor. Colloquially a body mic is known as a wire.
Boom (or Boom Mic)
A microphone on a long pole held above the Actor’s head, commonly considered the best way to record dialogue. Boom might refer to the boom pole, or the boom mic.
Here is a wikipedia article with information on boom mics, poles, and the boom operators that operate them!
www.wikipedia.org
Here is a wikipedia article with information on boom mics, poles, and the boom operators that operate them!
www.wikipedia.org
Bounce Board
A white styrofoam board used by grips to reflect direct light.
Breakdown
Changes made to a new article (costumes, props, set decoration, or the sets themselves) to make it appear aged; also known as aging or distressing.
Burning A Location
When production damages a location (anything from property damage to noise late at night) and the owners decide to never allow a film crew to return. Burnt!
G
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R
Regie (or Unit)
A French word that could refer to many things: control room, management, stage management, lighting and sound controls.
Résumé
A brief written account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications and experience.
For resume tips, look at our resume guide.
For resume tips, look at our resume guide.
Rolling (or Roll Camera)
Term called by the First AD to tell the camera team to start recording. This should also mean all crew are silent and still on set - the work should stop unless it is specifically needed for the scene.
Rushes
Copies of shots completed the previous day, returned to set for the Director and others to view. Can also be called dailies.
S
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T
T-Stop
The aperture setting that is comparable to the F-Stop on a stills camera.
Take
Each time a shot is run it is called a “take” and is numbered accordingly. The director may have to run a shot several times until everything involved works successfully.
Tech Park
The designated parking area for the on-set technical trucks.
Time Sheet
Each technician must complete a timesheet at the end of every week of work. This is called the Weekly Time Sheet. Sometimes one member of the department will complete the Weekly Time Sheets for everyone in the department.
Touches
Another term for “Finals”, specifically referencing costumes, hair, and makeup.
Track
The rails that the dolly and/or crane with camera travel upon.
Turn Over
An alternative call some 1st ADs use instead of "roll camera". Also a term used to tell the focus puller to start recording on the camera.
Turnaround
The required rest period between the end of one work day and the start of the next work day. Rules surrounding turnaround are detailed in the standard agreement.
Turning Around (or Reverse)
Term used when the camera has shot in one direction and is now going to shoot in the opposite direction.
U
Unit Manager
The person responsible for coordinating the many physical needs on set.
V
Video Monitor
The monitors that take BNC inputs from a camera's transmitter to display a shot. If on a two camera shoot, both feeds should be displayed. There are monitors for the Director, DOP, Script Supervisor, Producers monitors, and even monitors for departments like Hair, Make Up, Costumes, Props, and Set Dec. With new technologies, some shows have apps so that anyone with a smart phone or iPad can access the video feed.
W
Walkie
A radio worn and used by most crew members, that allows for quiet communication around the set. There are different channels for different departments, but when in doubt, stay on channel 1.
Wedge
A small piece of angled wood used by Grips to level the dolly track, or anything else.
WGC
Writers Guild of Canada - "The Writers Guild of Canada represents more than 2,500 professional English-language screenwriters in Canada, creators of entertainment watched around the world. The WGC celebrates and promotes its members, from hosting the annual WGC Screenwriting Awards and publishing Canadian Screenwriter magazine, to administering contracts and advising producers on how to engage professional screenwriters. The WGC is the voice for Canadian screenwriters"
Whaler (or Strong Back)
An L-shaped piece of wood that joins flats together.
WHMIS
Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System - All crew members must take the WHMIS course to understand the safe handling of hazardous materials.
Wild Sound
Specific sounds recorded on location. The sound team can get wild sounds of different props, background noise, crackling fires, the chopping of vegetables, etc. They can also record wild lines, which are recordings of lines in a scene. Wild sounds and wild lines can be helpful to the Sound Editor in post-production.
Wild Wall
A wall of a set which has been built so that it can easily be removed for the camera.
Window Shot
The last shot or set up of the day.
This dates back to the old Hollywood days when crew would get paid daily at the end of every day - during the last shot, the accounting department would open their physical "window" on set to hand out payment.
This dates back to the old Hollywood days when crew would get paid daily at the end of every day - during the last shot, the accounting department would open their physical "window" on set to hand out payment.
Wiring Cast
Another term for placing wireless lavalier mics on the actors.
Wrap
The end of the work day.
X
Y
Z
Zoom Boom
Also known as a Boom Lift, is a common term for a type of elevated work platform.