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.....