Midterm Flashcards
THE ABBY
Second to last shot of the day
ABOVE THE LINE
Elements of the Budget that normally only include the salaries of the stars, director, writer, producer and literary rights. The rest of costs are called BELOW THE LINE. They include: crew, film, locations, editing
ADR
also called LOOPING. Re-recording an actor’s dialogue because of line changes, bad sound(planes, wind, etc..) or “protection” of objectionable language for other possible versions of the film(TV, airline viewing, etc..)
APPLE BOX
uses are limitless. But sometimes used for an actor stand on
BACK TO ONE
The universal request to send the actors and the crew back to their positions (see mark) at the beginning of the scene
BANANA
A request for an actor to move on a curved path to or from the camera. Also, right banana and left banana could be used.
BUFF & PUFF
see also LAST LOOKS. This is a call to send actors to hair and make-up.
BUMP
A daily salary increase owed to a player-usually an extra or day player for saying a line, performing a special skill, or some other contribution such as wearing your own special clothes, driving a car etc. Bumps are seldom negotiated but are mandated by union agreement.
CGI
Computer Generated Imagery.
CENTRAL CASTING
Extra casting agency.
CLEARING THE EYELINE
Clearing the area in an actor’s view. Considerate and professional crew will often face away or crouch out of sight during an emotional or intimate scene so as to not be in the actor’s view, which can be very distracting to the actor.
CHEAT
The quotidian practice on movie sets, capitalizing in the fact that the audience only sees what on the screen not where or when it was actually shot, or what’s out side the frame. Actors may be asked to cheat a look or position by looking or standing somewhere solely for the benefit of the camera (or the editor).
CLOSED SET
A set that is only open to the most essential of cast/crew, usually for a scene that involves nudity or extremely emotional content.
COVERAGE
Shooting the same scene from different angles/different lens sizes
COWBOY
A wide medium shot framed from the holstered gun level. Loose cowboy- below the guns. Tight cowboy-above the guns.
CRAFT SERVICES [CRAFTY]
the department that provides food and drink for the cast and crew throughout the shoot.
CROSSING THE LENS
Usually offensive and breach of etiquette action of crossing in front of the lens when the director/D.P. are setting up a shot (assuming you were not asked to do it).
CROSSING THE LINE
When the camera jumps over the invisible axis, also called the 180-degree line, this is known as crossing the line or breaking the line, and it can produce a disorienting and distracting effect on a viewer.
CUT
Like “action” only called by the director to end a shot. Can be called by the A.D. but only with the nod of the director.
DAILIES
viewing the day’s shoot.
DAY FOR NIGHT
Filming a scene in the day and making it look like night. Also NIGHT FOR DAY (you get the picture).
DAY OUT OF DAYS
A budgeting, organizing chart depicting the total days an actor will be shooting.
DIRTY
As opposed to a “clean” it includes an object or person in the foreground of a shot. A “dirty single” is the same as an “over” (or “over the shoulder”)which is a CU of one actor with the back shoulder or part of the other actor in the shot. See over.
DUTCH
a camera angle other than that of level. Usually used to show drunkenness, psychological distress, or the victim’s view of an attacker.
ESTABLISHING SHOT
is the opening image of a program or scene. usually, it’s a wide and/or distant perspective that orients viewers to the overall setting and surroundings.
FAVORED NATIONS CLAUSE
A contractual agreement that, essentially, everyone receives the same treatment with no one party being treated better (or worse) than any other.
FINAL CUT
mainly used as a legal term for one party’s right to have final say over the final edit and released version of a film.
FIFTY FIFTY
A shot in which two actors are facing each other in equal profile.
FOLEY
replacement sound effects such as footsteps, doors closing, glass breaking, etc.
LAST LOOKS
Final touch ups to the actors by make-up and hair and wardrobe. Can be called “finals”. After shooting has begun and between takes it is called “touch-ups”.
GOLDEN HOUR | MAGIC HOUR
the time of day when the sun is just setting and is the loveliest time of day for shooting.
GOLDEN TIME
Overtime! Double pay for the day!!
HEAD SPACE
is the space between the top of a subject’s head and a monitor’s upper-screen edge. Too much makes the subject appear to fall out of the frame or too small within the larger picture frame
HERO
never a person always an object. The thing being featured and photographed in a scene. Ie..the hero sandwich, hero car, hero gun-as long as it is the center of attention.
HONEY WAGON
the portable toilets.
INSERT
a CU cutaway used to point out a story point such as bullets being inserted into a gun, a hand on a door nob etc..
IN THE CAN
referring to a scene that has been shot, and when a film has completed shooting.
IT DIES
”expression to say when a shot or action is no longer useful or usable.
LONG SHOT
is a shot of a subject or scene from a distance, showing a broad perspective.
MCGUFFIN
is a device that helps propel the plot in a story but is of little importance in itself. Hitchcock explained the term: …”In crook stories it is always the necklace and in spy stories it is always the papers”.
MARK
bits of tape, chalk-marks or sandbags used to identify an actors position(s) throughout a scene. Actors who don’t hit their marks drive camera crews crazy. Camera crews who insist on actors hitting their marks drive actors crazy.
MARTINI
last shot of the day
MASTER
the entire scene shot from beginning to end.
MATCHING
the necessity to recreate or mimic the action from shot to shot. If an actor takes a drink while saying a line in one angle, it is necessary to do it that way an hour later or a week later when saying the same line in a different shot. It’s the job of the Script Supervisor to remind the actor of the exact coordination required.
MEAL PENALTY
A fine paid to the cast/crew accruing in 10 or 15-minute increments resulting from the failure to break for lunch in a timely manner, usually after 6 hours of work.
MEDIUM
a shot roughly at the beltline.
MOS
a shot or scene filmed without sound.
MOVING ON
the order to the entire crew to move on to the next set-up or scene.
ON THE DAY
shorthand for “when we do it” whether that is an hour from now or three weeks from now.
ONE-ER
a scene shot in one continuous shot, not requiring any additional coverage.
OVER
A shot over the back shoulder of one actor onto the face of another.
PAN
a slow side to side, left to right, or right to left movement of the camera. A fast one is called a swish or whip pan. Up and down is called a tilt.
PAY OR PLAY
a guarantee to pay regardless of whether the movie gets made or not.
PICK UP
to start shooting an angle or scene again from a point of interruption. For instance, if an actor can’t get through a master. Or if a one-er goes wrong at a point, you can “pick-up” the place it went wrong.
PIECE OF BUSINESS
an actor’s gesture or action such as, lighting a cigarette, fumbling a wallet, or reading a newspaper.
POINTS
Equipment/gear such as a C stand coming through. Watch out!
RACK FOCUS
a term for shifting focus during a shot in progress, typically between background and foreground subjects. Respective clarity and blurriness – or vice versa – switches.
RESHOOT
a scene or shot redone after it has originally been shot. Also referred to as a RETAKE
ROOM TONE
the recording of the ambient sound present in the actual set or location, indoors or out.
SINGLE
any shot with only one actor in the frame. Usually a close shot but not always a close–up.
SLATE
the clapper board on which the name of the production, the date and the number of the scene re written, the director and D.P. Its purpose is to give the editor a visual and audio cue so they can sync the sound and picture tracks.
TILT
an up or down movement of the camera (a pan is side to side).
TURNAROUND
the off-time hours guaranteed to actors and crew between shooting days. This is important because it involves often the amount of sleep you get between days.
TURNING AROUND
- Reversing the camera direction, usually the shoot complimentary coverage.
TWO SHOT
Two actors in the same shot.
VIDEO VILLAGE
the encampment on set, around the video monitor(s) defined by the chairs and who sits in them, ie. The director, the producer, the D.P. visiting executives, director’s guests etc…
WRAP
the call of the A.D. to end the shooting day.
THE ZONE
For Los Angeles, it is the thirty-mile radius from the corner of Beverly and LaCienega Blvd. There is a different pay scale if shooting takes place outside of “the zone”.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
The “money” folk(s).
PRODUCERS
The big cheese(s). The person(s) who accept the Oscar for Best Picture. Nuff said.
CO PRODUCER
Identical to the producer but with just a bit of diminution understood. Just like a co-pilot, often as skilled or experienced. But, as it is sometimes in life, the producer gets the credit because they got there first.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
The bottom rung of the producer ladder but sometimes the most involved, hardworking and contributive of the producers.
DIRECTOR
In charge of the over-all artistic vision of the film. Also, the person who holds the story. Or as Orson Wells said, “ the person who presides over the accidents”.
A.D.
The Assistant to the director. Also, the go to person for actors to speak with regarding needs that they don’t want to bother the director with.
SECOND A.D.
Assistant to the A.D. Depending on the shoot, often in charge of extras, cars, cameras, animals etc..
BEST BOY
The second in command of electrical or grip department. The one often stuck with the paperwork, hiring, firing crew and delegating jobs. See grip department.
B.G. OR BACKGROUND
usually referred to the extras. Also called background artists or atmosphere.
FIRST TEAM
the actors who will appear on camera in the scene to be filmed. Their stand-ins or doubles, are the SECOND TEAM
GAFFER
The head electrician.
GRIP
a rigger, generally responsible for putting the camera where the director wants it. The key grip is the person in charge of the grip department. Grips are also assigned to rigging of cameras and lights and moving various equipment. The dolly grip moves the dolly.
P.A.
Production Assistant. The bottom rung of the crew positions and yet a coveted one because it is often where to get a start for those interested in production.
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
responsible for coordinating all aspects of the visual imagery of a film.
SCRIPT SUPERVISOR
The person responsible for: timing the script before shooting starts, keeping track of continuity, screen direction, split looks, character logic and matching.
SECOND UNIT
- an additional crew, including a director and D.P. assigned to shoot scenes or shots that do not require the film’s director and stars.
SOUND MIXER
the person on set who is responsible for recording all of the sound and sound effects on set.
STAND IN
a person, usually of the same height, hair color, skin color as the actor to be photographed used on the set for lighting and staging purposes.
