Glossary

EXPERIENCES OF A HOLLYWOOD EXTRA

GLOSSARY

There are many terms that I've used throughout this book that may not be familiar to many reading this book. Most of them are familiar to people in the movie and television industries, but not to the average person. This glossary is intended to show my perception of what these terms mean and those that know the industry better than I do may find some inaccuracies. I'm not attempting to define these terms as a dictionary might, only my perception of them and in my own words. These definitions may be incomplete as they focus on the meanings as seen from the perspective of an extra.

Actor: A performer that has lines to say. Actor can refer to a male performer or generically to both males and females.
Actress: A female performer with lines to say.
AD: Assistant Director.
AFTRA: American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
Assistant Director: See First Assistant Director and Second Assistant Director.
Background: One or more extras in a scene.
Background Artist: Another term for an extra.
Bump: Extra pay received for special tasks performed such as interacting with a principal actor, getting wet, performing a difficult physical activity, and just about anything else above and beyond what an extra usually does.
Call: A request for actors, extras, crew etc. to be at a particular location for filming.
Call Time: The time one is expected to show up for a call.
Casting Company: A company that provides extras to film and TV production companies.
Casting Director: An individual that provides extras to film and TV production companies.
Craft Services: Food provided to cast and crew during the filming of a movie or TV show.
Day Player: An actor hired for a specific scene, usually at the union base rate. Has a small speaking role in the production. An example may be a hotel clerk.
Director: The director is the person with the overall responsibility for the creative part of making the movie or TV episode. The director often selects the cast and directs the cast during filming. The coordination of the efforts of the cast and crew is the director's responsibility. Often with the help of the First AD, the director directs the scenes being filmed.
Extra: A performer that has no lines to say. Usually in the background, but might have a more prominent place in the scene.
Film: In this book I use film, shoot, and tape more or less interchangeably, because I'm not always sure which term is the most appropriate for a particular situation. To film a scene means to record the scene on film. This technique is used for feature films. Some TV shows film and some tape, and many use a combination of the two. Shoot is a generic term that can apply to filming or taping.
First AD: First Assistant Director.
First Assistant Director: The director is in charge of coordinating all of the efforts of everyone involved in the actual filming of a movie or a television show. The first assistant director is the number two person and reports directly to the director. He/she carries out the director's wishes and often does the actual directing of scenes, including placing of actors, giving orders such as "action" and "cut".
Grip: Crew member responsible for labor, such as building sets, moving equipment, and any labor that needs to be performed.
Location Manager: The person in charge of the location where filming or taping is occurring. The location manager is a representative of the producers and is responsible for everything occurring on the set, including the budget. The location manager differs from the director in that the director is responsible for the creative aspects of the production, and the production manager is responsible for every thing else.
Makeup: Crew members responsible for getting cast members, and occasionally extras, made up for filming. I'm including hair styling in the broader category of makeup.
NDM: Non deductible meal. A meal provided for the cast and crew that is eaten during working hours and is not deducted as a lunch break from working hours. It is most often used for breakfasts when the scheduled catered lunch is more than six hours after the call time. By providing NDM meals, meal penalties can be avoided.
PA: Production Assistant.
Principal: An actor in a lead or principal role.
Producer: Executive responsible for the entire production, including financing, casting, and all of the non creative aspects of management, as well as working with the director to oversee the creative part of the production. A rough analogy might be made with the corporate world, where the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) would be like a producer and the COO (Chief Operating Officer) like the director.
Production: The making of a movie, TV show, or commercial.
Production Assistant: The production assistant generally is a "gofer" that does whatever is needed and is most often given direction by the Second AD. The PA is there to assist in such tasks as bringing actors and extras to the set, giving out vouchers to the extras, keeping track of the extras when they're not working, releasing extras at the end of the day, and whatever else needs to be done. The larger the shoot, the more PA's are needed.
Property: Crew members responsible for providing "props" for a scene. Props may be briefcases, guns, shopping bags, table settings, wine bottles and anything else that is seen in a scene except for clothing and buildings.
SAG: Screen Actor's Guild
Screen Actor's Guild: Union for on screen performers.
Screen Extra's Guild: A now defunct union for extras.
Second AD: Second Assistant Director.
Second Assistant Director: The Second Assistant Director assists the First AD by placing extras in scenes, giving them directions, and helping the First AD in whatever is needed to be done. They also check the extras in, give out the vouchers and collect the vouchers at the end of the day. On big calls, there may also be one or more people referred to as a "second second". The more extras there are, the more people are needed to supervise the extras. Although sometimes one is referred to as a Second Second AD, more often those helping with the extras are the Production Assistants, or PAs.
SEG: Screen Extra's Guild
Set: The secured area where a movie or TV show is being shot.
Shoot: See Film for definition of verb. As a noun, shoot means the shooting of a movie, TV show, or commercial.
Sitcom: Situation comedy. Usually a half hour show taped before a live audience.
Sound Stage: A soundproof building where sets are built and scenes are filmed.
Spec: An extra who goes to a set speculating that he/she may be hired on the spot for the day. Specs may be hired if the casting company has not provided enough extras, an extra has not shown up, or the spec has a specific look that the AD likes.
Stand-in: A person that stands in for a principal actor when scenes are being set up, lighting is being finalized etc. The stand-in is usually approximately the same size and coloring as the actor being stood in for. The stand-in frees the actor between the actual filming of scenes.
Tape: See Film.
Wardrobe: Crew members responsible for fitting cast members of a production. Wardrobe provides appropriate clothing for the actors, sees that that the clothing fits properly and is kept clean, and helps the actors dress when necessary. Extras often bring their own wardrobe, and this clothing inspected by wardrobe personnel and selection of appropriate clothing is made. Sometimes, particularly when scenes are shot for a historical or futuristic time period, clothing is provided for the extras.