The entertainment industry is full of filmmaking lingo and film set slang that can be hard to keep track of. The last thing any of us want is to be standing on set when someone asks for a c-47 only to go grab a c-stand and then be laughed at, or worse, never hired again.
Just kidding, people on set are never so cruel...
All jokes aside, how frustrating is it when you ask for something on set and the other person stares at you blankly, or pretends to know what you need and but really doesn’t.
Filmmakers should know filmmaking lingo!
It's with that in mind that we put an end to on-set illiteracy!
Why We Need a Filmmaking Lingo Dictionary On Set
Efficiency on set is everything, which is why filmmaking lingo exists in the first place; it’s shorthand. Movie slang helps everyone communicate quickly and effectively, with a shared set of filmmaking terms.
What Happens Before Calling "Action"?
We’ve all heard “Lights, Camera, Action!” but that’s not quite how it’s said anymore. There are, however, a series of prompts stated so that every department is ready to roll.
This is another one that will vary from set to set (or team to team), but it's easy to forget the order or end up in a situation where you don't know what you're supposed to say, or who is saying what (or why).
Maybe you're a first time director or maybe it's just been a while since you've been on set. Maybe you're like me and you had to suddenly step in and take over for the 1st AD for a few shots. I wish I'd had this on that day...
Anyway, here it is:
What we wanted to do here was provide everyone with some really handy visual downloads that list every major term you may run into. Save them as PDFs, share with new hires, and hand them out at film school!
