Film Terms-On Set, Basic

These are terms used on film sets and what they mean.

A.D.- Assistant Director, the person who will call all the shots and make sure people do their job

D.P.- Director of Photography, they are in charge of the camera

A.C.- Assistant Camera, they help set up the camera, getting the right lenses, cleaning them etc.

Mixer- the person who captures sound

Boom Pole Operator- this guy holds the mic

Gaffer- a lighter (someone who sets up lights, not a device that produces fire)

Grip- they focus things the camera crew might need, like a crane and they also work with the Gaffers to create a nice lighting set up, they are also in charge of rigging and safety

Stingers- extension cords

Boom- the most commonly used mic

Boom Pole- the pole that holds the boom mic

Gaff Tape- this is the tape used on a film set, it can be many colors, but usually thick and black, the good thing is, it leave no sticky mess once you take it off

Gels- these are simply colored plastic sheets that go in front of a light to change it's color

C47s- clothes line pins mainly hold gels to the lights, but to hold any and anything that may require holding

Scrims- these are wire mesh circles that slip in front of a light to dim it but not soften the light

Barn Doors- these little buggers go on the front of lights to help control the light, they are those black flaps on the picture to the right

Tripod- those three legged stands you put your camera on

Sticks- a tripod for the lights

Silk- a silk is usually a white fabric stretched tightly to put in front of a light to defuse it

Flag- this is essentially a black silk that devoids light completely of a certain area

C-Stand- a really heavy, three-legged, metal thing that holds up flags or silks (which is a pain in the crapper to carry)

Wrangle- to pick up a cord and make sure it doesn't get caught on things while someone moves lights etc. or to untangle a cord

Striking or strike- when turning off/on a light or telling someone to turn off/on a light

Quiet on set- everyone who's on set, shut the hell up

Sound- A.D. (or whoever is calling the shots) is telling the mixer to start recording

Speed- mixer saying they are recording (response to sound)

Camera- A.D. is telling the D.P. to start recording

Rolling- D.P. saying they are recording (response to camera)

Slate- ques the person holding those black and white things that have numbers and writing on them (example to the right) to stick it on screen, say the title of the movie, what scene it is, and what take it is, then to click it shut and walk off.

Action- I hope you know what this means, it ques all the actors or whoever is participating in this scene to do what they are directed to do.

Cut- also another you should know. This means to stop all recording, acting etc. for that shot

Re-set- to set up everything over again after cutting to do another take of the same shot

That's a wrap- that means you're done for the day!


-Sirwhovian, Out!