A
- Action
- This is the Principal Actors cue to start.
- Assistant Director (1st)
- Easily mistaken for the director since they are normally the person doing all the shouting and giving everyone their cues. They are the person in charge when you are on set. Listen very carefully to what they say.
- Assistant Director (2nd)
- Normally your first point of contact, but not always on the set as they are often at the Unit Base planning ahead. The 2nd AD is responsible for making sure all members of the Cast and Crew are in the right place at the right time. They liaise with the Agency about background requirements.
- Assistant Director (3rd)
- On set, the 3rd AD is the person who will be looking after you. He/she liaises with the 1st and will be the person giving you instructions on where you should go.
- Assistant Director (Crowd)
- On bigger productions there may be a separate AD to look after the Supporting Artistes.
B
- Background Action
- This is your cue to start.
- Backlot
- Americanism. An open air part of the studio where sets can be constructed.
- BECTU
- Union that represents Supporting Artistes. Stands for the Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematographic and Theatre Union.
- Best Boy
- The first assistant electrician, assisting the Gaffer.
- Blonde
- Type of light.
- Bluescreen
- Sometimes called Greenscreen or chroma-key. Filming takes place against a blue or green background. The background can then be replaced by a different location.
- Body Cast
- You may be asked to go to a body cast. A cast will be made of part of your body or even your whole body.
- Boom
- The pole that the boom operator holds attached to an overhead microphone.
- Broken Lunch
- Under the FAA agreement it is an additional payment if you are not given a meal break within a set time.
- Buy out
- On certain jobs you may be offered a Buy Out of rights, instead of repeat fees.
C
- Call Sheet
- A daily report normally produced by the 2nd AD. Given to the crew so they know what is being filmed that day.
- Call Time
- The time you must report to your given location. You must be on time.
- Camera right and Camera left
- Describes the view from the cameras point of view. If you are told to move camera left and you are facing the camera you would move to your right, and visa versa.
- Casting Director
- Responsible for casting the Actors.
- Check the Gate
- Checking a part of the camera to ensure no unwanted objects such as hairs have gone across the lens.
- Chit/Voucher
- The paperwork given to you when you arrive. You must get it signed before you leave to ensure you get paid.
- Clapper Loader
- The person who loads the film into the camera.
- Clapperboard
- Also called the slate. Used to mark each take by number and help the editor synchronize sound and vision.
- Close Up
- Shot of a person, the camera would be only on their head.
- Confirmed Booking
- This is a firm commitment to work on this day. Do not take another job on that day.
- Continuity
- A sequence filming over more than one day, or more than shot. It is therefore essential that nothing changes to upset the continuity of the scene.
- Continuous working day / night
- A filming day or night where you will not be given a meal break, but a running buffet is provided while filming continues.
- Costume Fitting
- You may need to have a costume fitted before filming. You may also be asked to go to a wig or prosthetics fitting if they are going to change your appearance.
- Craft Services
- Tea, Coffee and water station
- Crane Shot
- The camera may pan up at great height. A crane is used to lift the camera into the air.
- Crowd Base
- On bigger calls this is where you will be asked to report.
- Cut
- This is your cue to stop. You will then often be asked to return to your first positions.
D
- Dining Bus
- A place to eat, but could also be used as a Holding Area
- DOP
- Director of Photography (or Cinematographer). Works with the Director supervising the Camera and lighting department to set up the shot. They are responsible for determining the look of the film, in terms of style, rather than just the process of recording it.
- Double
- A person used when the Actor is not available. Usually from long distance or from behind, or for a part of the body such as hands and feet.
E
- Equity
- Union that represents Supporting Artistes.
- Establisher Shot
- A general view of any location or building.
- Eye line
- The direction you are required to look in shot.
F
- FAA
- Film Artistes Association. Part of BECTU
- Featured Artiste
- Another name for an actor.
- Final Checks
- Hair and make-ups last chance to get everything right.
- First Positions
- Sometimes referred to as Number Ones. You will be given a starting position for each take of a scene.
- Focus Puller
- The person in charge of the lens on the camera.
- From The Top
- To start the scene from the beginning
G
- Gaffer
- Head electrician.
- Gel
- Something that covers a light to create different effects.
- Grips
- Crew members involved in building platforms, laying tracks or helping out blacking out for night shoots.
H
- Hair and Make up ready
- To arrive with your hair and make up done ready to go as per instruction
- Hold the Red
- Another take is about to happen.
- Holding Area
- Similar to Crowd Base, a place where a group of you will be waiting before being called onto set.
- Honey Wagon
- The toilet.
I
- Insert
- Close-Ups of importance. e.g. a hand picking up a gun.
L
- Location
- Not filming at a studio? Filming will take place here.
- Long Shot
- Full length shot with some of the background.
- Look-alike Double
- An artiste who is used because they have a strong physical resemblance to an Actor.
M
- Master Shot
- Wide shot that covers the main action throughout.
- Mid Shot
- Shot of the top half of the body.
- Multi-episodic
- An additional payment paid under some Equity agreements if more than one episode of a production are recorded in one day.
N
- Nightshoot
- Filming through the night. No set hours but could start as early as 4pm and finish as late as 7am.
P
- Pan
- The camera moves from left to right, or right to left.
- Pencilled Booking
- A provisional booking, yet to be confirmed. Sometimes you may be given a heavy pencil. This is more likely to happen but still not confirmed.
- Pick Up
- A small part of a scene which has been missed or needs to be reshot that the crew will go back to complete.
- Production Office
- The headquarters behind the set, usually headed by the Production Manager.
- Prop
- Any object you may be given in addition to your costume that is movable, such as a sword or rifle.
- Prosthetic
- An artificial body part, applied in the make-up dept.
R
- Red Light and Bell
- A red light and bell will be sounded (usually in a studio) before filming is about to happen. Also, Save the Red, marked by two bells, means filming has stopped.
- Redhead
- Another type of light.
- Rehearsal
- This is when you rehearse a scene before filming.
- Repeat Fee
- Featured artistes sometimes receive a fee every time something is shown.
- Reset
- Moving the camera to a different position.
- Reverse Shot
- A 180-degree angle from the last position of the camera.
- Rolling/Roll Camera
- See Turning Over/Turning.
- Runner or PA
- Can be instructed do anything at all to support the ADs and Production Office. From collecting people to and from the set to taking lunch orders or picking up faxes.
- Rushes
- A first look at what has been filmed on a given day.
S
- Second Unit
- A completely separate crew, filming different scenes to the Main Unit, often Insert or Pick-Up shots.
- Set
- Where filming is taking place.
- Shift Call
- Not a full days work. Only used under the FAA agreement it is a maximum of four hours work.
- Sides
- The call sheet and script for the day -condensed.
- Signed Off
- You have your chit/Voucher signed by an AD and you are free to leave
- Soundstage
- At the studios an enclosed space where the set is constructed.
- Spark
- Another name for electrician.
- Special FX
- Special effects can be anything used in shot such as fire, wind, rain or snow.
- Speed
- The Camera has reached its required speed.
- Split Day
- A shifted day in hours. For example a mid morning start and a late evening finish. Pay is still a standard day.
- Squib
- An explosive charge to create the effect of a bullet or small explosion.
- Stand By
- This is a warning that filming is about to commence.
- Stand In
- A person used in place of an Actor to set up initial lighting and camera. Usually of a similar height age and skin tone to the Actor.
- Steadicam
- A harness that allows the camera to be attached to a camera operator. This reduces or eliminates the unsteadiness of the motion by the operator.
T
- Take
- Filming of a particular sequence. This will be repeated until the director is happy.
- Tilt
- The camera moves either up or down.
- Tracking Shot or Dolly
- The camera moves smoothly forwards or backwards by running on tracks.
- Turning Over/Turning
- This means the camera is about to roll.
U
- Unit Base
- This is where the production team will base itself on any given day when on location.
W
- Walk On
- A step up from a supporting artiste, someone the viewer is more likely to identify as an individual, who may have a few words to say.
- Wild Track
- A recording of atmospheric sound.
- Wrap
- This indicates the end of the filming day.