Acting on Film Vocabulary Flashcards
Adjustment
when your pay is increased above your base payment rate
Bump
a one time payment for additional services or items e.g. extra asked about car
Residual
fee paid to the Talent for rebroadcast of a commercial, film or TV programme
Scale
minimum payment for services under Union contracts
Voucher
how you’ll get paid. Its a receipt and time card in one. You hold onto this till you get paid
Action
cue for Talent to start performing
Crossing
phrase you say to a camera operator when you walk in front of lens (don’t need to say when walking onto set to be blocked, stand in or begin shooting)
Cut
Cue for everyone to stop, cast and crew
It’s a wrap
done filming for day
Last Looks
phrase to call in hair/makeup to give a final touch
Picture’s Up
phrase that alerts all on set that cameras are almost set to start rolling
Points
yelled out when large items are being moved through set; get out of the way!
Rolling
camera is recording and ppl should be ready to go
Sound speed
sound is recording and the scene is rolling. Everything you say will be caught on tape
Holding
where background talent spend time waiting. Here you check in, get voucher and see hair and makeup
Honeywagon
bathroom
Set
where film is being recorded, usually in a soundstage
Video Village
area where video monitors are placed for Director and other production personnel
AD
Assistant Director - Calls out actions for director, gives instruction to camera team and extras, keeps track of time. There is 1st and 2nd AD
Background
Extras’ version of “action” - cue to start moving
Casting Assistant
Assis. to Casting Director
Casting Director
Person in charge of casting
Day Player
performer hired on daily basis, rather than a long term contract
First team
team consisting of stars/actors of the film
Gaffer
Head electrician who works directly with director of photography
Grip
Ppl who set up and break down various items, but not limited to dolly tracks, cameras, lights…
PA
(production assistant) - Several positions of PA’s. Most in contact with the extras wrangler
Producer
Controls funding and personnel. Involved throughout all phases of the process. Key player
Script Supervisor
Maintains daily log of shots covered and their relation to script. In charge of checking continuity
Second Team
team consist of stand-ins for the actors
Second Unit
smaller crew who may film additional shots not involving principal talent or critical action
Talent
actor or actress
ADR
Automatic Dialogue Replacement
Blocking
Positioning of Talent set by Director
Facetime
Amount of time a Talent’s face shows up on screen
Mark
A mark where talent needs to stand or arrive at a certain time. When Talent stands in one spot, walks across the room, and stops at another place - they’ve moved from one mark to another mark. Usually identified by pieces of tape
Martini
last shot of the day
M.O.S
(Minus Optical Strip) to shoot without any sound being recorded
Off-camera
dialogue delivered without the Talent being on screen
Pantomime
typically what background Talent will do on set, all the action of acting, but w/o sound
Stand-in
ppl who work out camera angles for Direct of Photography, literally stand in for Main Actors
Take
clapboard indication of a shot being “Taken” or printed
Apple
small wooden boxes used to make things higher; usually a seat cushion to raise talent a few inches, can be used for standing too
Boom
an overhead microphone, usually on an extended pole
Dolly
tracks and set-up that a camera may sometimes roll on
Jib
Also referred to as a crane
Soft Tape
A cloth measure, usually used to measure focus on the Talent’s face
Camera Ready
anyone who is ready to appear in front of the camera. Extras are usually instructed to arrive this way
Matching
Process of matching your action from a previous take
Screen Test
a filmed performance of a short scene to confirm how a Talent performs on camera
Sides
A half-sized script that contains only the scenes being shot that day
Slate
A small clapboard used to mark and identify shots on film for editing, also the process of verbal indication by a performer in a taped audition (also referred to as Sticks)
Spot
a commercial message, usually booked at random
Tight Shot
Framing of a shot with little or no space around the central figure or features, really close up
Turnaround
of hours between dismissal one day and call time the next day
