Film Slang

Since James Cullinane mentioned his work as 1st A.D. on "Blaze Foley" I thought this is a good opportunity to give a quick explanation of what that means and throw in some slang words used on set:

1^st A.D. (1st Assisant Director)- The 1st A.D.'s main duties are assisting the director by coordinating all on set production activity and supervising cast and crew. It is a vital position because it leaves the director more able to focus on directing actors and telling the story. Often they are just referred to as The A.D., even though they have other assistant directors who work for them. If someone says “The A.D.”, they are still referring only to the 1^st A.D. not the 2^nd A.D. or 2^nd 2^nd A.D.

“Picture’s Up”- Commonly used phrase that the First Assistant Director (1st AD) calls out to cast and crew on the set just prior to filming, which indicates rehearsal is over and the next shot will be committed to film. The long version is “This is for Picture”. 

“Rehearsal’s Up” is often used to indicate rehearsal instead of saying the full mouthful of “This is for Rehearsal”.

“Places” or “First Positions” or “Back to One”- This is the mark for actors and background players at the beginning of the shot.  Before filming can begin, everyone in the cast and crew needs to be ready at the same time, and it’s the A.D.’s job to get them there.

“Last looks!”- Before the A.D. calls “Roll Sound” they might announce, “Last looks!” The hair and makeup people run in and quickly touch up the actors and check for any continuity problems or any pieces of food between the teeth.

“Lock it Up”- Your particular lockup means your “battle station” during filming if you’re a Production Assistant. It also describes the process by which “bogies” are kept from inadvertently walking in front of the camera. See below.

“Bogies”- A person not affiliated with the production who walks near the camera or shot during filming. 

There is much more than this.....

 

It was late October, 2016 and I was sitting in a restaurant in downtown Baton Rouge with Ethan Hawke, his wife and producing partner, Ryan, and producer Jake Seal. Up until that day, I had never heard of Blaze Foley, never listened to his music.
We discussed plans for a film about Blaze. There was a 60-page outline of the story distinctly broken into three colors, each representing a period of Foley’s life; periods Ethan wanted to explore in his telling of the singer-songwriter’s life.

The film was going to be ultra-low-budget, shot entirely on location and, due to budget constraints and actor’s schedules, had to be “in the can’ in four weeks – ambitious considering we were just over a month away from the targeted start date, had no crew assembled and there were over 20 locations that had to be scouted and secured. We also didn’t have a script.
Later that night, as I sat alone in my hotel room, I discovered Blaze Foley’s music for the first time. I read articles about his life as I listened to Clay Pigeons, Picture Cards Can’t Picture You, If I Could Only Fly and many others. I was hooked on the truthful lyrics, the rawness of the recordings, the details of his life I was unearthing. This was a story worth telling.
I am very proud to have been the 1st AD on this project. Proud to have worked with such a talented director and DP, a cast who put their heart and soul into performance, a crew who also gave their heart and soul, ebbing and flowing with the ups, downs and sideways that go with a low-budget production.
From that October night in the restaurant in Baton Rouge to the final scene we shot in Blaze and Sybil’s Austin apartment, we had quite the journey. I met so many wonderful people who came together for this passion project. And like any family, we loved, we fought, we were sometimes dysfunctional, but in the end, we grew and found a unique rhythm that allowed us to create art.
Or maybe we just tapped into the rhythm of Blaze Foley – crazy, chaotic, never pretty, but oh so beautiful.
----James Cullinane

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXvwFdTTwhI

Typing a spreadsheet of production tasks, digitally drawing on a tablet, and handwriting either art direction notes or yelling at myself from the page for not having other things done. That kind of summarizes the past few months.---Dan Ankowiak

Dinner with my very old friend Bryan Cranston and his lovely wife Robin!---Louis Rego

Screen grabs from today’s shoot for PHSC @ Diamond View---Alvin Renz

With the premiere tomorrow we wanna take a min to shout out our producers today. Special thanks to @threetalesproductions @amandamarkowitz @bfowler29 @victoriamatlock link in bio to buy tickets!!!! @danceswithfilms---Wes Alley

This place has been around forever. The top of the sign is the very reason we need incentives back in Florida. Millions of families have enjoyed movies made right here in Florida. We have the best crews and the needed infrastructure to entertain millions of more families with Florida film production. Let’s bring it back and bring back the Hollywood east title.----
Joel W.

Picture Wrap on @leahbakesapplepie ‘s #paperandplasticfilm. You know what is incredible about a female empowered movie, all the men and women that supported Leah and her vision to bring this to reality. Thank you to that Village. Super proud of you Leah, what an honor to lens yet another project that is altruistic, good, and incredibly real. #🎥---Cinematographer Leo Jaramillo

On Set Radio Etiquette

Tips for Proper Radio Use:

*Be professional
*Always use your name when identifying yourself. Common practice is to say "Go for ____(your name)" when someone calls for you.
* Keep your voice low when taking on the radio. Most crew will have ear pieces but keep your voice down. Especially when around actors. Just because they are not in front of camera does not mean they are not working.
*Know that anyone could be hearing your conversation.
* If you need to have an extended conversation (or private) take it to another channel. Do this  by telling the other person "Go to Channel___". For really private talks it's best to ask them to meet you in person.
*Production Assistants (P.A.s): If someone higher up than you has their radio battery go dead, give them yours and get yourself a new one. Same if their radio breaks. Be prepared by carrying a couple of extra radio batteries with you. You are being Johnny On the Spot by being so prepared!
* Always say "copy" meaning that you heard and understand. Without a response, people wonder if you heard them or not.

Common Radio Codes:
10-1 or 10-100: Going to the bathroom doing #1
10-2 or 10-200: Going to the bathroom doing #2 (It's not to be gross, just saying that it will take a little longer than #1)
10-4: I have heard and understand
10-20 or 20: Location of someone or something as in "What's your 20?"
"Copy": I Have heard and understand
"Do You Copy?": Did you hear me? Do you understand?
"Radio Check": Say this if you are not sure that your radio is transmitting or working. The proper response is "Good Check". If you hear someone ask for a radio check....respond!
"Stand by": Means that I am busy at the moment and will respond ASAP.
"Flying In": Always respond when asked to bring something or someone to the set. It lets them know that you are on it. Also lets us know that multiple people are not attempting to do the same task and wasting precious manpower and time.

This is only a small sample of the lingo used on sets. As you get more experienced in the professional world you will learn the language. Be aware that there are different variations on terms, so don’t look like a dummy. East Coast and West Coast terms sometimes differ. The British terms differ. Be willing to learn. When in doubt ask.