Fancy Film Words

Mis En Scene (miz-en-scen)- Translated as "Placing on stage". It is the arrangement of all of the visual elements of a theatrical production within the scene or stage. There are generally 4 elements:
1. Physical setting and decor
2. Staging of the action
3. The way in which the elements are framed
4. The way in which the elements are photographed

Friend's Pics

Jeff Hart shooting with an Arri Alexa & Optimo ---Contributed by Jeff Hart

A Guy Walks into a Film Set

The Devil tells a Hollywood Agent, "I can make you richer, more famous, and more successful than any agent alive. In fact, I can make you the greatest agent that ever lived."
"Ok" says the agent, "what do I have to do in return?"
The Devil smiles, "Well... of course you have to give me your soul," he says, "but you also have to give me the souls of your children, the souls of your children's children and, as a matter of fact, you must give me the souls of all your descendants through eternity."
"Hold on," the agent says cautiously, "What's the catch?"

Film Crew Slang

Ritter Fan- A specialty fan for big wind effects. It is absolutely HUGE. Large wooden propeller blades set on a frame & trailer with an auto or airplane engine to run it. Imagine having an airboat as a fan.

Rare interview with Silent film star Theda Bara in 1936. Thanks to DeAnna for sending the link. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVBLHr4iwVM&feature=fvwrel

Friend's Pics

James Neihouse: Color grading our short film Candu at Continental Film & Video

Film Crew Slang

"ND" (1)- "Nondescript". People and things that are part of the scene but won't draw undo attention are sometimes called ND by Assistant Directors. "Get three ND Background (background extras)  for the newspaper stand!"

"ND" (2)- Neutral density. An ND filter is a gray glass camera filter that blocks a certain amount of light evenly across the light spectrum. It is placed in front of the lens to reduce exposure while not affecting the color of the image. Crew may also tape plastic sheets (gels) of ND to windows to reduce light coming in through the windows.

Friend's Pics

Contributed by Kevin Smith, Kevin Smith Photography

Film Crew Slang

"Break the Bubble": Tilting the camera off of it's axis. Tripods have a level bubble that is usually set to balance the camera so that it is straight and upright. Breaking the bubble makes it uneven. Also called a Dutch Angle or Canted Angle.

In honor of 2012 Olympics

The "Black Adder" comedic television series ran on the BBC from 1983-89. Supremely weird Rowan Atkinson plays the protagonist "Black Adder" in four different historical time frames of English history from 1485 to 1917.  Each Black Adder is the  doppelganger of his ancestors. He is sly, greedy and always conspiring to advance himself in life. Hugh Laurie, the now famous "House" star plays a variety of characters ranging from Black Adder's lord and ruler, to his servant and eventually a World War I subordinate soldier.

Black Adder: (Punches William Shakespeare)--That is for every schoolboy and schoolgirl for the next 400 years.  Have you any idea how much suffering you're going to cause? Hours spent at school desks trying to find ONE joke in "A Midsummer's Night Dream", wearing stupid tights in school plays and saying things like, "What ho, my Lord," and, "Oh, look, here comes Othello talking total crap as usual."

FIlm Crew Slang

"WestVirginiA"- A way of memorizing how to calculate the conversion of Watts to Volts. The formula is Watts=Volts x Amps (W=VA).  Conversely A=W/V (Amps=Watts/Volts). If you want to learn to light a movie set with the big boys you have to learn electricity. Get rid of the math fear and just do it! Always respect electricity on and off set. Its a matter of life and death.

Dialogue Greatness

"The Jerk" (1979)- Comedian Steve Martin as Navin "The Jerk" in a film directed by the brilliant Carl Reiner.

 Navin (Martin) works at a gas station. A crazed man is hiding on a hill across from
 the gas station. He starts "secretly" sniping at Navin with a hunting rifle. The shots hit oilcans that are stacked in a pyramid between the gas pumps. The bullets smack into the cans with a popping sound and oil is squirting out of the holes. After multiple cans are hit Navin innocently says:
"Hey, I think these cans of oil are defective."

Film Crew Slang

"Hot Set"- A hot set is a film set that must remain exactly the same as the last time we shot on it. Anything that is "hot" will be seen on camera again and must remain untouched.

Quotes

Some guy hit my fender and I said "be fruitful and multiply", but not in those words.
--Woody Allen

Film Crew Slang

Parallels or Parallel Set- Temporary scaffolding (like the kind on a construction site), used as a platform for cameras, lighting or for some other rigging.