Lights, Camera, Action (And Jargon)

The Film and Video industry is like any industry. It’s filled with specialists, workers, creatives of all shapes and sizes. The Film Industry, like any other, has a lot of specialized tools that are necessary to do your job. These tools have long, and sometimes over complicated names, so the people who work in this industry have created their own loved, and endearing terms, for their specialized tools, and some common day ones!

Below is PMG’s list of the most common phrases, and our favorite ones that you will hear on set! 

• C - 47 - A basic wooden clothespin

• Dead Cat - A fuzzy black clover that goes over the end of a boom mic. 

• Greek - The modify the name of a product so that the package looks the same but the brand name is not readable.

• G&E - Grip and Electric. A term used to talk about everyone in, and the entire lighting department. 

• Gaffer - Head Electrician responsible for setting up all of the lighting equipment used in a production. Other terms they may be called is a Spark or a Juicer

• Key Grip - Head Technician responsible for setting up all the non electrical lighting equipment. 

• Best Boy - Assistant to the Gaffer or Key Grip. Will often have a Best Boy Electric and a Best Boy Grip 

• Swing - Someone who works in both the Grip Department, and the Electric Department

• Hollywood - To handhold something and not use a stand for it. 

• HoneyWagon - Porta-Potties

• Martini - Last shot of the day! 

• PA - Production Assistant, someone who helps with the basic production of a shoot.

• "Points!" - Yelled when someone is bringing something that can poke someone or is delicate. 'Points' usually refers to stands or ladders, when 'hot points' refers to lights that are hot, and 'camera points' usually refers to the camera.

• Sticks - Tripod

• Striking - A term used by electricians to let people know they are turning on one or several lights so they can avert their eyes. 

• Squib - A tiny explosive device used to simulate a bullet hitting an actor. 

• OTS - Over the Shoulder shot. A shot taken from over the shoulder of one of the actors. 

• Video Village - A cluster of viewing monitors where all the directors/producers gather to watch footage being taken.

• Eighty-six - to remove or strike a item from the set (i.e. "Let's 86 that vase from the background"

• 10/1 - Bathroom Break (pronounced 'ten one') If you have suggestions for more terms to include here, please scroll to the bottom of this page and add a comment!