A Above the title When the performer’s name appears before the title of the show on promotional material Act A section of a play or screenplay Acting process Choices made by the actor when bringing a character to life Action (screen) The word the director uses to start the scene Ad lib Improvised dialogue ADR (screen) Automated Dialogue Replacement – dialogue added in post-production Advance Money paid to an actor or member of crew in advance of the work being undertaken Agent The representative for a performer in the industry, responsible for negotiating fees and deals Aisle (stage) A walkway separating two seating areas in an auditorium Apron Staging that projects beyond the curtain into the auditorium Art director (screen) The person who designs the set for a film Aside (stage) A line directed to the audience and isn’t heard by the other characters onstage Assistant director Assists the director Assistant stage manager (ASM) (stage) Assists the stage manager Audition When performers try out for a role or part Auditorium Where the audience sits in the theatre, also referred to as the “house” B Back to one A direction for performers to return to their starting scene positions Background (screen) The people or “extras” in the background of a scene Backstage (stage) The area of the theatre not seen by the public Beat A pause in dialogue to emphasis a thought, idea or emotion Beauty shot (screen) The shot used to run the credits over on a tv show – the final shot Beginners (stage) Cast members on stage as the curtain goes up Belt (stage) To sing loudly at full tone, used in musical theatre Best boy (screen) Assistant to a gaffer Billing (screen) The list of names in the opening credits Bio Short for “biography” – a brief description of performers or other people working on a production Black box (stage) When the stage and the audience are within a black curtained space Black out (stage) All the lights immediately go out onstage Blocking Mapping out the physical movements of actors in rehearsal Blue screen (screen) A blue screen behind action in film allows for special effects to be added in post-production Book (stage) A script for a play Booking Employing an actor for a role Boom (screen): A microphone on a long pole used during filming Box office Indicates the commercial success of any production/performer based on profits Box office (stage) Where tickets for a production are sold Box office manager (stage) A person in charge of ticketing and reservations Break a leg A term used among actors to mean, “good luck!” Breakdown A description of a production used by casting directors and agents to find performers for the project Breaking character When an actor stops being in character Broadway Famous theatrical district in new york city Buy out A flat fee for a production or payment for subsequent showings or screenings of a performance C Call An instruction to a company of actors – indicates a time to attend a rehearsal, be ready to start a performance etc Call sheet (screen) A filming schedule with a list of the cast and crew required Call time The time by which someone has to be on the set or stage Callback When an actor is asked to audition for a second time for a part Camera crew (screen) A team in charge of cameras Camera left/right (screen) From the camera operator’s perspective – this indicates which side of the camera the performers need to be Camera operator (screen) The person who operates the camera and is looking through the lens during a take Camera ready (screen) To be completely ready to appear on camera Cans Headphones Cast All actors and performers in a production Casting The process of actors being chosen (cast) for the role, led by the casting director and/or director, producer Casting director The person responsible for casting a theatre or film production Casting notice A breakdown of the parts available to actors in a new production Cattle call Open auditions for anyone – not specifically actors Catwalk (stage) A walkway on the ceiling of a theatre on which lights and scenery are hung Changes When a performer has different costumes during a production Character The person who is going to be played by an actor Cheat (screen) The angle an actor is positioned to better accommodate the camera Checking the gate (screen) Checking the lens of a camera Chief electrician A person in charge of an electrical team, sometimes referred to as the “gaffer” Choreographer A person who creates dance movement Chorus A collection of singers and dancers or songs and dances performed by a group Cinematographer (screen) Someone in charge of the camera crew, often referred to as director of photography (DOP) Close-up (screen) A close shot of an actor, from forehead to the chin (CU) Closing off (stage) When an actor turns away from the audience – the opposite of “opening up” Cold reading When an actor is asked to read out loud from a script they have not seen before Colour cover (screen) A stand-in wearing the same colour as the principal actor Come down When a theatre production ends it is said to “come down” ie the curtain comes down to end the show Commission The percentage of a performer’s fee taken by their agent or manager Company (stage) The whole cast and crew of a stage production Company manager A person responsible for everything that happens off-stage Composite Three to five different photographs of an actor to show off their various looks Control booth (stage) The place in the theatre where all the technical aspects of a production are controlled Corpse When an actor gets a fit of uncontrollable laughter on stage Costume The outfit/s worn by actors on stage or in film Costumer The person responsible for costumes Cover shot (screen) An additional shot, which might be of a different angle to a master shot, and is done for editing purposes Crane shot (screen) A shot from above a scene by a camera hanging from a crane Crawl (screen) The ending credits Credits (screen) Appearance of names involved in the production, or a list of actor’s experience on their cv Crew Everyone involved in the production except for the actors Cue A signal for an actor or a member of crew to begin Curtain (stage) A screen of cloth on stage that separates the audience from the performers Curtain call (stage) The time the actors take their bows at the end of a performance Cut (screen) A cue to stop the action of the scene, usually given by the director Cutaway (screen) A short scene showing something other than the person in the previous shot Cyclorama A large piece of fabric which covers the back wall of the stage. Also known as the “cyc” D Dailies (screen) Footage that has been shot that day and has yet to be edited Day performer A person hired on a day-to-day basis and is not on a contract Demo reel/showreel A short film that showcases performers’ skills Deputy stage manager (DSM) (stage) The deputy to the stage manager. The DSM sits on the book and is responsible for the minute-by- minute running of the show Designer Designs all aspects of the production: set, costumes, wigs, make-up etc. Dialect A regional accent and vocabulary used by actors when appropriate to the character being portrayed Dialogue A verbal exchange between at least two actors Director The person responsible for all aspects of the production Director of photography (screen) The person responsible for the filming process and camera crew; works with the director to make decisions Dolly (screen) A piece of equipment used on the camera to allow for more mobility Dolly grip (screen) The person from the crew responsible for working with dolly Double A person who is used in a place of a principal actor Downstage (stage) Part of the stage that is closest to the audience Dramatist The person who writes plays, also known as playwright Dramaturg A person who works alongside writers to develop their plays for performance Dress rehearsal (stage) A final rehearsal just before the show with the cast in full costumes Dressers (stage) People responsible for helping performers to get in and out of their costumes during the show Dressing (screen) Props used on the set to make the scene look more realistic Dressing rooms (stage) Rooms in the theatre where actors get ready for performances Drop (stage) Fabric that is hung on the stage and often used during the production Dropping cues Actors forgetting their lines or missing the cue Dry An actor who has forgotten their lines is said to “dry” Dualogue A conversation between two characters E Electrician The person responsible for lighting and sound equipment Ensemble A group of performers in a production Equity The industry trade union Established (screen) When a person or object has been established in the shot in a specific position or doing a specific action Ethnic types Refers to the race of an actor or character Executive producer The person responsible for overseeing the business side of a production Exit (stage) A stage direction for an actor to leave the stage Ext. (screen) Short for “exterior”; used in a screenplay to indicate a scene outside Extra (screen) A non-speaking role in the production that is used in the background to give the scene atmosphere F Feature (screen) A full-length film Featured (stage) Second to lead role in a stage production, similar to supporting in films Field representative A representative of the union that is responsible for making sure that their standards are upheld First ad (screen) The person responsible for giving most of the directions on the set to the cast and crew.