Film Definitions
Important film definitions you should know....
Film
extra: an extra is an
actor/performer who has
little-to-no speaking lines and
whose main role in the film is
to provide background scenery to
create the illusion of reality.
Production assistant: a
production assistant is the main
person who provides aid and
assistance to the producer on a
set.
SAG:
short for Screen Actors Guild,
SAG is the largest and most
prominent film union
SAG
eligible: when an actor
becomes SAG eligible, it means
he or she has met the
requirements needed to enter the
Screen Actors Guild. That is,
they have either performed one
principal role in a union film
or have met some other SAG
requirement for entry.
Trailer:
A trailer is a collection of
clips, usually from an upcoming
film, used to generate an
interest in the film.
Action:
When the director of a film
yells “Action!” it generally is
the verbal cue used to induce
actors to commence their
performance.
Crew:
Crew, in film, refers to the
team hired by a production
company to assist in the
production of the film.
Frame:
Frame refers to the area of
focus of the camera’s lens
without the camera moving.
Industrial: An industrial
film is a film that is generally
not shown in theaters. Rather,
it is used for private marketing
or educational purposes.
Off-camera: when an actor is
said to be off-camera, it simply
means that that actor is out of
the camera’s view.
Production company: a
production company is the
company with the resources to
bring the screenplay to life.
Set:
Set refers to the area where the
performance of the various
scenes takes place.
Slate:
The device used in a film to
identify the various takes in
the film, as in “Take 1”.
Wrap:
Verbal command used by the
director to signify the end of
the day’s shooting, as in
“That’s a wrap.”
Post-production:
Post-production is the period
after filming ends when scenes
are edited.
Pre-production:
Pre-production is the period
before filming begins when
special tasks are to be
completed, such as the selection
of actors for the various roles
in the film.
