A

Above the Line

Refers to the creative elements of a production such as the writer, producer, director and actors. These are the elements that appear above a bold line in the budget thus the term above the line.

ADR

Automatic Dialog Replacement. Also known as "looping." A process of re-recording dialogue in the studio in synchronization with the picture.

Art Director

The art director reports to the production designer, and more directly oversees artists and craftspeople, such as the set designer and set decorator, who carry out the production design.

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B

Below the Line

Refers to the technical elements of the production staff. Literally, these are the budget elements that appeared below a bold line on a standard production budget form.

Best Boy

The assistant chief lighting technician or the assistant to the key grip.

Boom Operator

The boom operator is an assistant to the production sound mixer, responsible for microphone placement and movement during filming. The boom operator uses a boom pole, a long, special piece of equipment made from light aluminum or carbon fiber, that allows precise positioning of the microphone above or below the actors, just out of the camera's frame.

Box Rental

A fee or allowance paid to a crewmember for providing his/her own equipment or other specialized apparatus for use in a production.

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C

Call Sheet

A form which refers to all of the scenes to be filmed and all of the personnel and equipment required for shooting on a particular day.

Camera Operator

The camera operator sets up, moves, and operates the camera and is responsible for the audio. He or she must work with the director and producer to avoid potential problems.

Cinematographer

The person whose job it is to set up both camera and lighting for each shot in a moving image text. The cinematographer has perhaps paramount influence over the look or tone of a shot or scene, and is often held in as high esteem as the director. Cinematography is the art of positioning a camera and lighting a scene. The term cinematographer has been a point of contention for some time now. It is usually synonymous with "director of photography," though some professionals insist that it only applies when the director of photography and camera operator are the same person.

Completion Bond

An insurance guarantee that principal photography on a given film will be completed. It indemnifies a production against the unforeseen costs of any type, whether or not they result from problems which are covered by other types of insurance.

Contingency

A designated amount of a budget that is added in anticipation of potential cost overruns.

Costume Designer

The costume designer is responsible for all the clothing and costumes worn by all the actors that appear on screen. She is also responsible for designing, planning, and organizing the construction of the garments down to the fabric, colors, and sizes. The costume designer works closely with the director to understand and interpret "character," and counsels with the production designer to achieve an overall tone of the film.

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D

Day Out of Days

A form designating the workdays for various cast or crew members of a given production.

Deal Memo

A form which lists the pertinent details of salary, guaranteed conditions, and other essentials of a work agreement negotiated between a member of the cast or crew and a production company.

Director

The person who oversees the details of filming. The director will keep track of the film's progress and influence the film's look and feel through camera work and set design. The director is responsible for: setting up camera angles and movement; lighting directions; overseeing rehearsals and the final taping. The person responsible for the physical creation of a film or television program, who is often the final decision-maker with regard to creative matters.

Director of Photography

The director of photography is the chief of the camera and lighting crew of the film. The DP makes decisions on lighting and framing of scenes in conjunction with the film's director. Typically, the director tells the DP how he wants the film to look, and the DP then chooses the correct aperture, filter, and lighting to achieve the desired effect.

Dubbing

An actor's voice synchronization with lip movements which are not the originally recorded sound. This is used to replace unusable dialogue or recordings, and also used to prepare foreign films for new markets. The practice of adding a soundtrack to pre-existing film. The term is most often used in connection with replacing a film's original dialogue with a translation into a different language, with the recording of the original actors being replaced by alternative vocal performances by native speakers of the new language.

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F

First Assistant Camera

The first assistant camera (1st AC) is responsible for keeping the camera in focus as it is shooting.

First Assistant Director

The first assistant director (1st AD) assists the production manager and director. The ultimate aim of any 1st AD is to ensure the film comes in on schedule while maintaining a working environment in which the director, principal artists (actors) and crew can be focused on their work. She is in charge of overseeing the day-to-day management of the cast and crew scheduling, equipment, script, and set. A 1st AD may also be responsible for directing background action for major shots or the entirety of relatively minor shots, at the director's discretion.

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G

Gaffer

The chief lighting technician for a production who is in charge of the electrical department.

Grip

The crew member principally responsible for the transportation, maintenance and mounting of the camera. Grips are trained lighting and rigging technicians. The main responsibilities of a grip are to work closely with the electrical department to put in the lighting set-ups necessary for a shot. On the sound stage, they are responsible for moving and adjusting major set pieces when something needs to be moved to get a camera into position.

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K

Key Grip

The chief grip who works directly with the gaffer in creating shadow effects for set lighting and who supervises camera cranes, dollies and other platforms or supporting structures according to the requirements of the director of photography.

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L

Lighting Director

The lighting director works with the camera operator to make sure each scene is illuminated according to the wishes of the director.

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M

Music Supervisor

The music supervisor, or "music director", works with composer, mixers and editors to create and integrate the film's music.

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P

Pick up Shot

Re-shooting a portion of a scene, the rest of which was acceptably filmed in a previous take.

Post Production

After principal photography, a show will go into post production which includes editing, color correction, titles, composing music, sound mixing.

Principal Photography

The main photography of a film and the time period during which it takes place.

Producer

The person ultimately responsible for the creation of a film or program. Usually involved right from the start, the producer will either devise or purchase the original idea, calculate the likely budget, pitch the idea to financiers to raise the money, hire the necessary creative personnel, supervise all stages of production and marketing, negotiate deals with prospective distributors or broadcasters and be the first point of contact for anyone interested in the production in question.

Production Assistant

Production assistants, almost always referred to as PAs, assist in the production office with general tasks.

Production Coordinator

The Production Coordinator is responsible for organizing all the logistics from hiring crew, renting equipment, and booking talent.

Production Designer

A production designer is responsible for creating the physical, visual appearance of the production settings, costumes, properties, character makeup, all taken as a unit. The production designer works closely with the director and the cinematographer to achieve the 'look' of the production.

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S

Script Supervisor

Also known as the "continuity person", the script supervisor keeps track of what parts of the script have been filmed and makes notes of any deviations between what was actually filmed and what appeared in the script. She makes notes on every shot, also keeping track of props, blocking, and other details to ensure that continuity is maintained from shot to shot, and from scene to scene.

Second Assistant Camera

The second assistant camera (2nd AC) operates the clapperboard at the beginning of each take and loads the raw film stock into the camera magazines between takes, if there is no additional specifically designated film loader. The 2nd AC is also in charge of overseeing the notebooks that record when the film stock is received, used, and sent to the lab for processing. Additionally, the 2nd AC oversees organization of camera equipment and transport of the equipment from one shooting location to another.

Second Assistant Director

The second assistant director (2nd AD) is the chief assistant of the 1st AD and helps carry out those tasks delegated to the 1st AD. The 2nd AD may also direct background action and extras in addition to helping the 1st AD with scheduling, booking, etc. The 2nd AD is responsible for creating Call Sheets that let the crew know the schedule and important details about the shooting day.

Second Unit

A photographic team that shoots scenes which do not involve the principal cast, such as stunts, car chases, or establishing shots. These are crews that are in charge of filming minor scenes, usually at a separate location.

Set Decorator

The set decorator is in charge of the decorating of a film set, which includes the furnishings and all the other objects that will be seen in the film.

Set Designer

The set designer is the draftsman, often an architect, who realizes the structures or interior spaces called for by the production designer.

Set Dresser

The set dressers apply and remove the "dressing," i.e., furniture, drapery, carpets --everything one would find in a location, even doorknobs and wall sockets.

Striking

The breakdown process of a camera position, location, or set.

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U

Unit Production Manager

The production manager supervises the physical aspects of the production (not the creative aspects) including personnel, technology, budget, and scheduling. It is the production manager's responsibility to make sure the filming stays on schedule and within its budget. The UPM also helps manage the day-to-day budget by managing operating costs such as salaries, production costs, and everyday equipment rental costs.

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