Directors Tell the Story

by Bethany Rooney

  Abby Singer (the Abby) The second-to-last shot of the day

  above the line The producer, writer, director, and actors who are above the dividing line in a budget

  act The formal division of the parts of a play, teleplay, or screenplay; in TV, the segment between commercials

  act-in The beginning of the next segment after a commercial

  act-out The end of the segment before it goes to commercial

  action The command that indicates to the actor when to begin

  actor’s director A director who doesn’t merely move the camera but also fine-tunes the performances because he or she understands the actor’s process

  add to Adding more time/footage before a cut

  adjustment The change requested in an actor’s performance by the director

  ADR Automated or automatic dialog replacement

  AFI American Film Institute; a national arts organization that trains filmmakers and preserves America’s film heritage, and has a library that is open and free to the public

  aged Made to look older or not brand-new

  air Pause between two characters talking

  Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) The producers’ group that negotiates on behalf of the networks, production companies, and studios

  alts Alternate choices

  American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) One of the actor’s trade unions

  angle Another name for a shot

  antagonist The rival, bad guy, or enemy; often played by a guest star

  art director Person who assists the production designer primarily with creating the blueprints and administering the department

  art vs. commerce The daily internal dilemma of every director (you always want more, in every possible way, to tell your story, yet more of anything will undoubtedly that mean it costs more, too)

  axis Directional plane; one way of shooting efficiently is having all the action of the scene on one axis, which allows the director to shoot in two directions instead of four

  B

  “B” or “C” stories The subplots of the show, which can echo, replicate, or complement the “A” story

  B side In editing, the part of a shot right after a cut

  backlight Light coming from behind the actors rather than in front of them; especially relevant when working with sunlit scenes

  backstory A character’s history

  band-aid fixes Small suggestions given to help the script; often given by director very close to the first day of shooting

  base camp Where the trucks park for a shoot; the location hub

  bell A sound that signals the need for quiet before a shot begins

  below the line Everyone on the production except for the producer, writer, director, and actors, whose costs are maintained by the UPM

  billing On screen credit; a negotiable issue

  bins Folders or directories of related shots on the editor’s computer

  block shoot A method of shooting that condenses lighting setups by shooting all coverage of multiple scenes in one direction before turning around; often used when shooting courtroom scenes

  blocking The first task of the director; how, where, and when the actors will move

  blowing it up Zooming in on an image in editing

  blue/green screen A blue backdrop or cyclorama against which an actor in filmed with the plan to replace everything that is blue (green in also used)

  boarding Chronicling what specifics are needed for each eighth of a page of a script, it used to be done by hand using cardboard strips mounted on a folding board

  bones The basic requirements for a location

  boom An arm, often in segments to which a mic can attach

  break frame Enter the shot

  breakaway A prop rigged to break exactly as designed

  breaking stories Figuring out the plot lines for upcoming episodes of the series

  bumps Makes the director feel as if something doesn’t ring true

  C

  call sheet Page that lists the start time for the beginning of the day, the scenes to be shot, and the personnel and equipment required; prepared by the 2nd AD and distributed to staff, cast, and crew at the end of the day

  call time Beginning of the day, usually 7:00 a.m.

  camera The device for recording pictures; used to be film cameras but are now often digital

  camera angle Direction in which the camera is pointed

  camera left The left from the camera’s point of view

  camera right The right from the camera’s point of view

  card Jargon for flash media on a digital camera; a method of recording pictures

  casting concept An idea of how a show should be cast

  casting director The person who checks actor availability, auditions the actor, sets subsequent audition sessions, negotiates deals, and books all roles

  CGI Computer-generated imagery; uses three-dimensional computer graphics to create images such as a crowd in an arena

  check the gate Cue from the director that the shot is concluded, checking for a sliver of film, hair, or dust that would show up on the picture

  choker shot A close-up shot in which the bottom of frame is the neck

  chyron Printed words on the screen during a shot

  circled takes Completed shots that are the directors’ choices; printed or downloaded for use by editor

  clean No one else in frame except one actor

  cleared Bought for broadcast use

  cliffhanger Ending moment at the end of each act that will compel the audience to come back after the commercial to see how that moment turned out

  climax The big moment to which a story builds

  close-up (CU) A tight shot of a character, it has no one else in the frame; also called a “single”

  closed captioning Displaying text on a television or video screen so that people with hearing disabilities have equal access to public information

  closed rehearsal Rehearsal at which no crewmembers are present apart from the director, script supervisor, DP, and first AD

  color corrected Having had the color of the scene or scenes changed or created

  colorist Computer artist with a great eye for matching color or creating color

  costar A small role that appears in only one episode; less pay and lower billing than a guest star

  company move When all the trucks, as well as cast and crew, have to move and repark close to the next location

  complementary shots Shots that match each other because the actors’ faces are the same size when you cut back and forth

  complete The status of a bin when all the footage for a scene is shot

  complications The obstacles that arise and keep the attention of the audience

  composited Two images that are put together, such as marrying together a blue-screen image with a plate

  conflict When two characters are at cross-purposes; the stronger the conflict, the stronger the story

  concept meeting Meeting for all the department heads to discuss the script and receive information from the director about the approach

  condor Construction crane used for lights

  continuity The consistency and logic of the show, overseen by the script supervisor

  costume designer Works with the production designer to create a wardrobe look for each character that is consistent with the overall look of the production

  counter A type of lateral dolly move in which the camera moves the opposite direction from a walking actor

  courtesy screen A screen or drape placed strategically to give actors privacy while they are performing intimate scenes or scenes where they are scantily clad

  coverage The number of shots it takes to do a good job of telling the story

  covering When an actor hides his true intention

  cowboy shot Bottom frame is where the gun holster would be

  crane Camera is on an arm that allow
s it to swing up, down, and sideways

  crane shot Shot using a crane; often used at beginning or ending of act

  crew call Time of day when the work begins, takes into account when the precall work in the hair and makeup trailer is finished

  crisp Quality of being in focus

  cross camera When an actor wipes the frame (passes through) the camera lens

  cross the lens Same as “cross camera”

  cross the line A mistake in which shots are on the wrong side of the axis; incorrect screen direction

  crossover casting When a role is a given part for an actor who is doing another show for the same network, often playing the same character; does not require any casting session because actor is offered the part

  CTM In post-production, the Color-Timed Master is the final version of the production

  cue Script line that leads an actor into his line or begins a pickup

  cues (music) Short pieces of underscoring

  cut A stop; direction given by director to end filming

  cut together When film is edited or assembled

  cutting pattern A sequence of shots that follow a pattern or plan

  D

  dailies Printed raw, unedited daily footage

  dance floor Floor of plywood over the existing floor that is used to create a smooth surface; used when the camera movement is not in a straight line to give more flexibility

  day breaks When shooting changes from one script day to another

  day-out-of-days (DOOD) A chart that tells which day of the schedule each actor will work

  dénouement The resolution that completes a story

  department heads Leaders of each division

  digital When information is coded in numbers as in a binary system

  directionally To shoot everything in one direction, using the same group of lights

  director of photography (DP) Person who helps with lighting design and organizes the construction of each shot; crew leader of the camera, electric, and grip departments

  Director’s Guild of America (DGA) The union that protects the creative and economic rights of members working in feature film, television, documentary, new media and other forms of production

  discovery New information that comes to an actor while playing the character

  dolly The platform or wagon on wheels to which the camera is attached

  dolly back When the camera rolls back from the character

  dolly shot Shot where the camera is mounted on the dolly

  dolly track The track on which the wheels of the dolly roll; looks like a railroad track; it comes in sections and is laid by the grip department

  double-check After shot listing, a process by which a director makes certain that she has all the coverage needed by indicating next to the dialog/description of the script page which shot she would anticipate using

  doubled Replacing the hero actor with a stunt person, look-alike (camera double), or duplicating a prop or costume piece with multiples

  downstage The part of the stage closest to the audience from the actor’s point of view so named because when stages are raked (angled) this area is lowest

  drop a scene Decide not to shoot a scene that was planned

  dry runs Practice runs that simulate but don’t actually do the big gag

  dub The assembled sound components; same as mix

  dubbed Made, duplicated, or created

  E

  editor’s assembly The initial cut the editor shows the director

  EDL Edit decision list; the computerized list of all the cuts

  emancipated A legal determination that allows actors under the age of 18 to work by many of the rules that govern adult actors

  establishing shot A shot that shows the environment from a wide point of view

  exit frame When the characters leave the shot

  exposition The background info that gives basic information about characters

  extender A device that doubles or quadruples the capability of the lens with a corresponding significant reduction of light/exposure

  extras Background artists who populate the scene in addition to the actors

  extreme shot The frame can hold only a part of the face, also known as an extreme close up

  eyeline The angle at which a character’s eyes are looking

  F

  feed The setup of a joke

  fill Ambient sound

  final air master The master that is dubbed and sent out for broadcast

  final touches Last bits of fine-tuning by the hair, makeup, and wardrobe assistants to make sure the actors look perfect

  find more colors A direction to give an actor to elicit more highs and lows in the character’s needs

  find peaks and valleys Same as “Find more colors”

  first assistant director (1st AD) The conduit between the production and the director; makes sure every department head knows what the director requires ahead of time; generates pre-production schedules and runs the set during production

  first cut Edit where the director cuts out of the opening shot

  first draft Initial version of the script

  first team The principal actors, the second team are their stand-ins

  fish-eye lens A lens that distorts what is in front of it; it is at the wide end of the lens continuum

  fixed lens A lens that gives you only one focal length, also known as a prime

  floor plan A blueprint of the walls, doors, windows, stairs of a set as well as the furniture within it

  flyaways Strands of hair that are sticking up from an actor’s head

  foley Adding to/augmenting sounds, named after Jack Foley, the Universal Studios sound effects pioneer; includes doorbells, car doors, tire squeals, footsteps, and so on

  foreground Area close to camera

  foreground wipe When a principal or background artist crosses in the foreground of the shot; makes shot feel more subjective

  foreshadowing Deliberate clues that must be created earlier in the show to earn or reach the climax of the show; information that warns ahead of time

  frame the joke To limit extraneous movement, such as having an actor move, in order to bring audience attention to the punch line

  from the top Beginning at the first word or camera move of a scene

  full figure Framing from head to toe

  full mag As much film as possible in the magazine, which is generally 1,000 feet

  G

  gaffe Arrange anything

  gag Stage bit or business

  get it on its feet Having the actors physically move around the set; blocking scene as opposed to just reading it

  getting the scissors in Making an edit, generally where there isn’t much air or space to do it well

  give yourself somewhere to go A direction to give an actor who is playing the result of the scene too soon and needs to explore the process the character travels to get there

  grace period The 12 minutes of extra shooting time before a meal is required to facilitate efficient shooting

  green room Waiting room for actors and/or extras

  guest star A large role for an actor who is only contracted for one episode or the amount of episodes it takes to tell his character’s story

  H

  hair in the gate A sliver of film, dust or hair in front of the lens; if this occurs, the shot has to be repeated

  half-speed Rehearsing at a slower speed

  handheld A way of shooting when the camera operator simply holds the camera and moves to create the best shot as the actors move

  hanging a lamp on it Being too obvious about the subtext

  hard drive Place for storing digital information

  head In editing, the first part of a shot

  hero Anything that is the main focus of attention; can be a prop, a set, a shot or an actor’s movement

  high and wide shot Shot that takes in all the action from above, often a crane shot

 
; high-definition (HD) Better quality of digital recording

  high-hat A flat mounting device that can sit on the floor or be attached to a ladder; camera can be attached it for a high or low angle

  holding area A room or trailer where background artists wait until they are needed

  honeywagons Bathrooms in a trailer and small dressing rooms

  I

  iconic image The singular image that communicates the essence of the story

  imagery Images that can be seen or imagined

  IMDB.com Website that lists all television and film credits

  in the moment A state in which the actor is completely thinking and reacting in character in present time, with no thought other than what is happening right then

  inciting action The incident that kicks off the story and engages the audience

  incomplete In editing when all the shots needed to assemble a scene are not yet filmed; usually when an insert or special effects shot is missing

  inserts Tight shots on objects

  integrated insert Inclusion of a close-up of an object within another shot

  intention Another word for a character’s need, an important word in an actor’s vocabulary

  J

  jump cut Two shots in a row of the same subject from nearly the same position

  K

  kill the funny Destroy an attempt at humor

  L

  label A title or identifying word to define inherent characteristics

  land To make contact (stunt); make the audience laugh (comedy)

  last looks Actors to receive final attention from hair, makeup, and wardrobe departments before shooting

  lateral dolly shot Shot in which the camera moves sideways across the plane in front of the actors

  layback In postproduction, when the audio portion of the episode is added to the visual part

  license fee Amount of money given to the production company by the network

  lifted Removed from the project through editing

  line producer Person who assists the executive producer in getting the most out of the budget; in charge of crew; oversees day-to-day operations

  line reading Saying the exact line in the script for an actor with the intonation and rhythm desired in order that the actor will duplicate the delivery

  lip-sync Mouth the words, done when actors are singing to prerecorded tracks of their own voices