Glossary Reference Skill
Invocation Triggers
Apply this skill when:
- Encountering unfamiliar industry terminology
- Writing professional correspondence
- Understanding script coverage or notes
- Communicating with industry professionals
Core Industry Terms
A
A Page: A revised page that extends beyond the original page, going onto a second page. (i.e. Page 1, 1A, 2, 3, 3A)
Above-the-line: In film, those costs that occur before filming, including salaries of talent and creative team (director, producer, screenwriter), plus any rights required for adapted scripts. Can also refer to the people in this category.
Act: A division of a full-length script, separated from the other acts.
Action: The moving pictures we see on screen. Also, the direction given by a director indicating that filming begins.
Ad lib: Dialogue in which characters or actors make up what they say in real time. From Latin "ad libitum" (in accordance with desire).
Against: A term describing ultimate potential payday for a writer. "$400,000 against $800,000" means writer gets $400K on completion, additional $400K if movie goes into production.
Attached: Agreement by name actors and/or a director to be part of making a movie.
B
b.g.: Abbreviation for "background" (i.e. "In the b.g., kids are fighting").
Back Door Pilot: A two-hour TV movie that is a setup for a TV series if ratings warrant.
Back End: Payment on a movie project when profits are realized.
Back Story: Experiences of a main character before the main action, contributing to character motivations.
Bankable: A person who can get a project financed solely by having their name attached.
Beat: A parenthetically noted pause interrupting dialogue, denoted by (beat), indicating a shift in the scene direction.
Beat Sheet: An abbreviated description of the main events in a screenplay.
Below-the-line: Production costs after pre-production, including crew, equipment, locations, etc.
Binding: What holds the script together physically. Brads with cardstock covers are standard.
Brads: Brass fasteners used to bind a screenplay. Acco #5 solid brass brads are industry standard.
Bump: A troublesome element that deflects reader's attention from the story.
Button: A TV term for a witty line that "tops off" a scene.
C
Cast Page: Page following Title Page listing characters with brief descriptions.
CGI: Computer Generated Image.
Character Arc: The emotional progress of characters during the story.
Cheat a Script: Fudging margins and spacing to make script appear shorter.
Close Up: A very close camera angle on a character or object.
Complication: The second act where "the plot thickens."
Conflict: The heart of drama; someone wants something and obstacles prevent achievement.
Continuing Dialogue: Dialogue that continues uninterrupted onto the next page, marked with (cont'd).
Continuous Action: Included in scene heading when action continues between scenes.
Copyright: Proof of ownership from the U.S. Register of Copyrights.
Coverage: Notes prepared by script readers, including synopsis, evaluation, and recommendation.
Creative Exec: Individual reviewing material to determine studio/company interest.
D
D-Girl: Outdated term for person reading and evaluating scripts for consideration.
Development: The process of preparing a script for production.
Development Hell: The dreaded creative death that occurs when development lasts too long.
Dialogue: The speeches between characters.
Dialogue Pass: When a writer focuses only on rewriting dialogue in a draft.
Draft: A version of a play. Each revision should be numbered differently.
Dual Dialog: When two characters speak simultaneously.
E-F
Establishing Shot: A cinematic shot that establishes a location or area.
Exposition: The first act revealing main conflict and characters. Also, any background information.
EXT.: Outdoors.
Extension: Technical note next to character name denoting how voice is heard (e.g., O.S., V.O.).
f.g.: Abbreviation for "foreground."
Feature Film: A movie made primarily for theatrical distribution.
Film Festival: Festival of films shown over days/weeks. Sundance and Cannes are most famous.
First Look Deal: Arrangement where studio has first right of refusal on a project.
FLASHBACK: Scene from the past explaining character motivation.
Font: Courier 12 point is the screenplay standard.
Formula: A "sure-fire" method of structuring a script with certain required elements.
FREEZE FRAME: The image stops and becomes a still shot.
G-H
Genre: Category a story falls into (thriller, romantic comedy, action, etc.).
Green Light: A project has gotten the go-ahead for production.
Header: Element on production script with page number, revision date, and page color.
Heat: Positive gossip about a project on the Hollywood grapevine.
High Concept: A movie idea felt to have never been done before.
Hip Pocket: Casual relationship with an agent without formal representation agreement.
Hook: The thing that catches public attention and keeps them interested.
I-L
Indie: Production company independent of major studio financing.
INT.: Indoors.
Intercut: Script instruction that action moves between two or more scenes.
Interrupt: When one character cuts off another's dialogue, marked with (--).
Left/Stage Left: The actors' left, facing the audience.
Line Reading: When director gives actor specific way to perform dialogue.
Locked Pages: Finalized pages handed out for production.
Logline: A "25 words or less" description of a screenplay.
M-O
M.O.S.: Without sound. From German director saying "mit out sound."
Manuscript: A script before publication.
Master Scene Script: Script formatted without scene numbering (spec screenplay format).
Match Cut: Transition where something matches between consecutive scenes.
Miniseries: Long-form movie (3+ hours) shown on successive nights/weeks.
Montage: Cinematic device showing series of related scenes building to conclusion.
MOW (Movie of the Week): Movie made primarily for TV/cable broadcast.
Notes: Ideas about a screenplay from someone responsible for moving it into production.
Numbered Scenes: Numbers appearing beside scene headings for AD breakdown.
O.C.: Off Camera - speaker is in scene but not seen.
O.S.: Off Screen - speaker is not in the scene.
Option: Securing rights to a screenplay for a given time period.
Outline: Scene-by-scene breakdown of a script's story.
P
Package: Assembly of basic elements to secure film financing.
PAN: Camera pivots back/forth or up/down from stationary position.
Parenthetical: Also "wryly" - an inflection to speech noted by writer. Use sparingly.
Pass: Rejection of a property by producer or agent.
Pitch: To verbally describe a property to a potential buyer.
Play/Stage Play: Production meant for performance before live audience.
Playwright: Person who writes stage plays.
Points: Percentage participation in film profits.
Polish: In theory, rewrite a few scenes. In practice, often a complete rewrite for polish price.
POV: Point of View - camera angle as if through character's eyes.
Producer: Person financially responsible for production.
Production Script: Script with no more anticipated changes, used for filming.
Property: Any intellectual property that might form basis of a movie.
Q-S
Query: Submission with brief letter, synopsis, and sample pages.
Reader/Script Reader: Person who reads and writes reports on scripts.
Rewrite: Changes made to a script after first draft.
Scene: A unit of action in a screenplay.
Scene Heading/Slug Line: INT./EXT., location, and time of day.
Screenplay: Written work for film production.
Screenwriter: Person who writes screenplays.
Shooting Script: Final script used during production with scene numbers.
Spec Script: Script written on speculation, without guaranteed sale.
Step Deal: Contract where writer is paid in steps as drafts are delivered.
Synopsis: Brief summary of a screenplay's story.
T-Z
Teleplay: Script for television production.
Three-Act Structure: Traditional dramatic structure with setup, confrontation, resolution.
Ticking Clock: Device creating urgency through deadline.
Title Page: First page with title, author, and contact information.
Treatment: Prose version of screenplay story (5-25 pages typically).
Turnaround: When studio releases project, allowing it to be shopped elsewhere.
V.O.: Voice Over - narration by unseen character.
WGA: Writers Guild of America - the screenwriters' union.
Wrap: Completion of filming.
Quick Reference Categories
Format Terms
- Courier 12 pitch
- Brads, Binding
- Scene Heading, Slug Line
- Parenthetical
- Extension
Deal Terms
- Option, Against
- Polish, Rewrite
- Points, Back End
- Step Deal, Turnaround
Production Terms
- Green Light, Package
- Development, Development Hell
- Above/Below the Line
- Production Script, Shooting Script
Submission Terms
- Query, Coverage
- Pass, Pitch
- Spec Script, Treatment
- Logline, Synopsis
Validation Checklist
- Understand distinction between above/below the line
- Know difference between spec script and shooting script
- Can define logline, treatment, synopsis
- Understand coverage and its components
- Know common abbreviations (V.O., O.S., INT., EXT.)