A-K  |  L-O  |  P-Z

P.A. A production assistant who usually gophers and manages the extras.

Pace. The speed at which a scene is played.

Packager. One who selects and combines talent for shows.

Pan. A very bad review from a critic.

Pantomime. Being silent, yet appearing to talk.

Parent Union. The first professional union you join; subsequent unions are sister unions.

Parts model. Parts models are used for shoots which require photographs of a specific body part, not photographs of the whole person. An example is a model whose hands are photographed for a jewelry advertisement featuring rings.

Pausing For Effect. A deliberate pause within or between lines, used by an actor to call special attention to a moment.

Payola. Secret payment to broadcasters to play certain records.

Pay-per-airing. Monies paid to an actor each time a television commercial is shown.

Pen. To compose or write.

Per Diem. Money given to actors and crew when on location to cover the expense of food and other personal incidentals.

Performing Right. Rights granted by U.S. copyright law which states that one may not publicly perform a copyrighted musical work without the owner’s permission.

Performing Rights Organization. Society whose purpose is to collect monies earned from public performances of songs by users of music and to distribute these to the writers and publishers of these songs in a proportion that reflects as accurately as possible the amount of performances of each particular song.

Performance Royalties. Monies earned from use of one’s song on radio, television and other users of music.

Period. Project not set in current time period.

Period Piece. A play from an earlier time, played in the style, costumes, and sets representing the period it depicts.

Phone Patch. A session where the talent and the director are in separate locations. The session must be "patched" over telephone lines so everyone can hear everyone else.

Phonorecord. Any device which transmits sound other than that which accompanies a motion picture or other audio-visual work.

Photo Double. An actor, usually an extra, used in place of a principal actor who is either unavailable or only seen partially, and never has any speaking lines.

Photo-Offset Reproduction. Reproduction of musical manuscript by printing press.

Physical Film Producer. Once you have a script, director, cast and financing, you can then proceed to make a movie. Details and procedural steps will include: setting up a production company (if one isn't already in place); hiring employees or engaging independent contractors; setting up accounting and payroll services, becoming signatory with the talent and craft guilds, finding location; clearing the script and title of any obstacles; while shooting, getting the best performances from cast, crew and director; while watching budgets and time; in post-production, helping to edit shot footage into the story line.

Pick. A song that has been reviewed by the trades and projected to have success.

Pick-Up. To start reading the script from a place other than the beginning. A "pick-up" is usually when the top part of the script has been successfully completed and only the end needs to be worked on. Narration scripts are usually done in a series of pick-ups. Pick-up can also be a request to read faster.

Pick-up Shot. Small parts of a scene that are re-shot, usually because all angles were not captured satisfactorily during the first shooting.

Picture Car. A car being filmed.

Pilot Presentation. A one-day shoot to give a network an idea of the look and feel of a proposed program available to be produced into a new series.

Pipeline. A listing or schedule of movie projects in some stage of production.

Pirating. The unauthorized reproduction and selling of sound recordings (i.e., records, tapes, CDs).

Pitch. To audition or sell; the position of a tone in a musical scale.

Pitching. The action a producer takes in trying to convince a studio to invest money in a project based on a concept or a script.

Platinum Album. Certification by the Recording Industry Association of America that an album has sold a minimum of one million units.

Platinum Single. Certification by the Recording Industry Association of America that a single has sold a minimum of one million units.

Playbill. A theatrical program in which an actors’ biography appears.

Playwright. The writer of the work up for production, who in theater, may wield as much power as the director, getting involved in casting and rehearsals.

Plot. Storyline.

Plough, Plow Monday. The Monday after Epiphany, or Twelfth Night (January 6). In sixteenth-century England, plays performed on Plough Monday rivaled the mummers’ plays of Christmas in popularity. In the plough plays the characters were not heroes like St. George or Robin Hood, but farm hands, and the chief incident was a death by accident, not in battle. Like the mummers’ play, the plough play was probably a survivor of primitive folk festivals.

Plug. Broadcast of a song; to push for a song’s performance.

Plugola. Secret payment to broadcasters for free mention of products on the air.

Plus Ten. The 10% commission negotiated by an agent, specifically referring to the 10% added to the base pay negotiated for the actor. (If the job pays only scale, the agent can not take a percentage unless he has negotiated the contract to be on a plus-ten basis).

Points. A percentage of money producers and artists earn on the retail list price of 90 percent of all records sold.

Post. A short form of "post production." This is the term applied to all the work that goes into a production after the talent leaves. This includes such processes as editing, multi-tracking, music selection, adding special effects and mixing.

P.O.V. The point of view that is filmed, usually referring to that of one of the actors.

Pre-reads. An advance reading by a casting director who is unfamiliar with an actor’s work prior to taking the actor to meet a producer or director.

Presence. An actor’s ability to command attention onstage, even when surrounded by other actors.

Press. The manufacture of a large quantity of records duplicated from a master for commercial sale.

Press Kit. A presentation including newspaper clippings, review of movie, television, musical and theater productions, a biography, headshot and resume given to the media and interested industry professionals. Also called a press package.

Principal Player. An actor with lines, paid at least SAG scale.

Print. Director’s cue that the shot was good enough to "print" or use.

Printed Edition. A song published in the form of sheet music.

Producer. The individual who oversees the making of a single or long playing record, radio, television or stage show from inception to completion.

Production. The technical aspects of the music industry, including sound systems and lighting requirements as well as video and recording process.

Professional Manager. The person in charge of screening new material for music publishers and of obtaining commercial recordings of songs in his company’s catalog.

Program Director. Radio station employee who determines which songs shall be broadcast.

Project Developer. The function in this role is to write or supervise the writing of a screenplay that can attract a director, cast and financing. If the screenplay is to be based on material owned by someone else, or is co-authored with others, the rights for it must be optioned or acquired.

Projection. An actor’s ability to use his or her voice so that it can be clearly heard in the back rows of a theater; also used in reference to the emotions an actor wishes to convey.

Project Financier. Upon securing a director and principal actor, production financing is next. Sources of independent financing are family and friends, equity investors, distributors in the form of domestic studios and foreign sales agents, banks, foreign subsidies and tax incentives. A lawyer is absolutely needed during this phase.

Project Packager. When a screenplay is finalized the film must be packaged and financing secured. The film package consists of the script, director, producer, and cast, as well as the budget and production schedule. The budget and schedule are flexible and usually can be changed and adapted as time goes by. However, it is a good idea to have a budget range in mind during the development process. But overall, the fundamental issues of this process are when and how to get talent.

Prologue. In Greek tragedy, the action before the entrance of the chorus.

Promoter. One who secures talent from an agent for the production and presentation of a performance; the primary risk taker in the event.

Proof Sheet. After a roll of film is shot and developed, it is printed onto sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 or 11 x 14 inch paper, holding up to 36 exposures. Use photographer’s loop to check the lighting and focus.

Props. Any moveable object, from a letter to a sword, used by an actor during a performance.

Proscenium Stage. The classic theater arrangement, with a curtained stage facing an audience on one side.

Prosody. The marriage of words and music.

Protection. You may be asked to "do another take for protection." This means that you have given the director a take she likes but she wants you to do it again to make sure it was the best. Also referred to as "insurance."

Publication. The printing and distribution of copies of a work to a public by sole or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease or lending.

Public Domain. Unprotected by copyright due to an expired copyright or caused by an invalid copyright notice.

Publicist. A person hired to create awareness of a person or project.

Queued Up. Previewing a tape and having it set to start playing at the beginning of a scene.

R&B. Rhythm and blues; "soul" music.

R&R. Rock and Roll.

Rack Jobber. Dealer that supplies records of many manufacturers to certain retail outlets such as drugstores, variety stores, and supermarkets.

Raked Stage. A tilted performing area, usually specially constructed, with its upstage space raised higher than the downstage space.

Range. The vocal extent of a singer’s voice, from its lowest note to its highest.

Rave. An extremely good review from a critic.

Reader. Another actor who is paid, or volunteers, to help the casting office by playing all the other characters during an audition so the casting director can concentrate on the actor being screened.

Read-through. When the director and the actors sit around a table and read through the entire script to get familiar with the story, their roles, and their fellow actors.

Recall. When at the end of a work day, a production company decides to use your services for an additional day.

Recurring Role. Typically found on television shows where your character pops up from time to time in a few episodes of a regular show.

Reel Or Tape. A video tape compilation of an actor’s best work.

Regional. A commercial airing in a part of the United States.

Release (marketing). The issuing of a record by the record company, or a film by a studio.

Release (legal). Legal document releasing producer from liability, usually refers to talent allowing the producer to use his or her likeness on film and soundtrack.

Residuals. Also known as royalties, these are additional monies to actors (but not extras) for film, TV or commercial work airing on local television or international television stations.

Retouching. A photographic process whereby certain flaws in a picture are covered up or removed.

The Rideout. The Rideout is the music that begins on the downbeat of the last word of the song. Just as all songs have a Vamp, every Chorus comes packaged with a Rideout.

Rider (to Contract). An addition to a performer’s union contract that outlives a special circumstance for pay, and airing privileges given to the production company by a union.

Right-to-Work. Ability to accept employment without joining a labor union, usually referring to states whose labor codes insure that right.

Right-to-Work state. In a right-to-work state, actors who have not joined a union may do both union and nonunion work. Companies cannot refuse to hire an actor because they do not belong to a union or do not want to join a union. This does not mean that a union actor in one of these states my do both union and nonunion work; union actors must still abide by union rules. The right-to-work states are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.

Ritual. A prescribed form or ceremony. Drama began in religious ritual and now, because ritual provides structure, much present-day drama attempts to develop new rituals or revise old ones.

Road Manager. Traveling supervisor hired by artist to coordinate details of concert tours on behalf of the artist.

Rolling. Camera have been turned on and film is rolling.

Roomtone. The sound a room makes without anyone in it. Everyone has a different sound, so recording in the same room is sometimes critical when trying to match voice parts from one session to another.

Royalty. Money earned from use of the record or song.

Run Throughs. Rehearsals before the actual filming of a scene.

Runway modeling. Live modeling on a stage or walkway where clothing is the central focus of the show.

Rush Calls. A last minute call by an agency to an actor for an audition or a job.

SAG-eligible. A non-union actor who is eligible to join SAG by being cast in a principal role, being a member of an affiliated union and having had a principal role under that union’s jurisdiction, or performing three days of union extra work. Also known as a "must join."

SAG-franchised. Status of an agent or agency that has signed papers with SAG and agrees to operate within SAG guidelines.

SASE. Means "self-addressed, stamped envelope."

Scale. Minimum SAG daily wage for principal actors.

Scansion. The analysis of verse to show its meter.

Scene Study and Analysis. A pre-audition practice of studying a few pages of a script ahead of time.

Score. The compilation of pages of sheet music that contains all the music for a show.

Scoring. Music added to help fill scenes or dialogue cut by a director during post-production.

Screen Test. A type of audition during which an actor will be filmed performing a particular role, often not on the set or in proper wardrobe or makeup.

Second Meal. The meal served six hours after the end of lunch.

Second Take. Being taped or filmed an additional time in a scene or audition allowing an actor to change his or her performance.

Second Team. A group of stand-ins who take the primary actors’ places allowing them to rest during lighting changes and camera rehearsals.

Self-Contained Artist. An artist who writes and performs his or her own material. Also refers to artists who require no production or personnel assistance from promoters.

Session. Meeting during which time musicians and vocalists make a recording.

Session Fee. The money you are paid for the initial day’s work on a commercial. It is usually a sale amount.

Set. As a noun, the physical design of the stage area within which the actors perform; as a verb, to make permanent the way in which a scene is being played.

Set Call Time. The moment the actor is expected to be in front of the camera in full make up and wardrobe, ready to begin working.

Set Dressing. Items placed in the scene to complement the story.

SFX. Abbreviation for sound effects. Sometimes also written as EFX. or FX.

Sheet Music. The pages containing the music and lyrics to a single song, as opposed to a score containing all the music for a show.

Shoot Around You. Shooting other scenes in a script until a particular actor is available.

Showcase (theatrical). An evening of scenes either prepared and rehearsed ahead of time or done as a cold reading for industry professionals who may cast the actors in roles.

Showcase (musical). A presentation of new songs and/or talent.

Sibilance. A drawn out or excessive "S" sound during speech. In extreme cases, the "S" sound is accompanied by a whistle. Sibilance is annoying and a hindrance to some voice actors. "S" is a popular letter with copywriters and is found in most lines except the last one.

Sides. Designated scenes pulled out of an entire script to be used for auditions.

Signator(y). A company which has signed an agreement with a union, agreeing to adhere to all the rules of that union, whether it be SAG, AFTRA, DGA, etc.

Signature Song. A song that is primarily associated with a single famous singer, as "Singing In the Rain" was with Gene Kelly.

Sign-in Sheet. Exhibit E SAG/AFTRA Audition Report which an actor fills out and initials upon arrival at a casting office.

Signing Out. The act of entering the time you exit an audition on the Exhibit E Sign-in Sheet.

Silent Bit. When an actor or extra performs a noticeable or required action in a scene, but with no lines.

Singing voice. Refers to the person who performs an actor's vocal parts. This is done in the dubbing process in post-production.

Slate. An audible announcement of the take number recorded ahead of your read. The slate aids the engineer in finding the favorite takes for editing.

Small. A very subtle performance by an actor.

Single. A small record played at 45 rpms containing two selections, one on each side; record released because of the expectation by the record company that "A" side would achieve success.

Sister Union. One or more additional unions you join after the first one. The first union you join is your parent union.

Size Card. A form filled out at commercial casting sessions to inform wardrobe people of your clothing sizes.

Slate. The act of stating your name and agency on a commercial audition while being videotaped.

Slice-of-Life Commercial. A miniature play that quickly identifies a problem and just as quickly offers a solution.

Sloppy Border. A type of border surrounding a photograph that looks as though it were painted on with a paint brush and has an uneven quality.

Song Plugger. One who auditions songs for performers.

Song Shark. One who profits from dealing with songwriters by deceptive methods.

Spec. Short for speculative. It usually means volunteering your services and postponing payment until a project sells.

Spec Script. Several writers may work together to put words to an idea, and in the process create a script in hopes that someone will buy and produce the script concept. Also, a production company may hire writers to create a script from a story idea that they already own.

Speculation. The recording of a song with payment to be made to the recording studio, musicians and vocalists when a deal is consummated.

Speed. Exclamation that indicates the film and the audiotape are running simultaneously at the correct speed.

Split Publishing. When the publishing rights to a song are divided among two or more publishers.

Spokesperson Commercial. Uses an authority figure (usually very recognizable or with professional credentials) to lend credibility to a product right away.

Spot. A commercial for radio or television.

Squibs. Radio-controlled explosive pockets of fake blood attached to an actor’s body.

Stable. The roster of models an agent represents.

Stage Left. The side of the stage that is to the actor’s left as he or she faces the audience.

Stage Right. The side of the stage that is to the actor’s right as he or she faces the audience.

Standard. A song that continues to be popular for several years.

Stand-in. After a scene has been set for the next sequence of filming -- moving props, checking the sound, adjusting the lighting, and arranging different camera angels -- a crew of actors other than the principal ones are used to go through the actions that the principal ones will follow, such as walking through a door, sitting in a chair, picking up a object, etc.; an actor who has a similar height, build and look of the principal actor, is used (instead of using the time of the principal) where the principal is going to stand while the crew makes sure that lighting and camera angles are okay.

State-of-the-Art. Contemporary or current.

Station 12. Report which a casting director must obtain from SAG before employing one of its actors.

Statutory Copyright. Status acquired by a composition when it is registered with the Copyright Office or is published with the proper copyright notice.

Storyboard. A frame-by-frame artist’s drawing of key scenes with the dialogue printed underneath serving as a rough plan for the way the commercial or film should appear and what camera angles the director should use.

Strike. To remove something from a set, or tear it down.

Studio (film). Monolithic "Hollywood" entity that oversees the approval of concepts leading to the creation and production of major motion pictures.

Studio (sound). An audio isolation room where the talent performs, with an adjoining control room.

Studio Hire. Union term for actors who work in the same area in which they are hired or reside.

Studios/Studio School. Acting schools usually founded by and built around a single master teacher and his or her vision or theory of the acting craft. They generally offer a variety of classes that can be taken in eight- or ten-week segments, or longer terms.

Stunt. A dangerous scene; alternately, a publicity event designed to call attention to a project or a particular actor.

Subpublisher. The company that publishes a song or catalog in a territory other than that under the domain of the original publisher.

Subpublishing. When the original publisher contracts his song or catalog to be handled by a foreign publisher for that territory.

Subtext. The subtleties between the lines of a scene.

Supporting Role. Usually a small role where you had some acting and speaking parts.

Stunt Pay. Additional hazard money paid to a actor or stuntperson to perform dangerous scenes.

Sweeten. The addition of new parts to existing rhythms and vocal tracks and horns.

Synchronization. The placing of music in timed-relation to film.

Synchronization Right. The right to use a musical composition in (timed-relation to) a film or video tape.

Syndication. A popular television show is sold to be broadcast in a local or regional market.

Taft-Hartley Law. A law that allows non-union actors to work under a union contract for their first role. After that, they must join the union.

Tag. A short portion of a spot, usually placed at the end. A tag may say something such as, "Available at all OfficeMax outlets through Sunday." Tags are often delivered by a voice talent different from those in the main body of the ad.

Tails Out. Recording tape wound on a reel so that the end of the soundtrack is on the outside. A tape wound "tails out" is usually marked with blue adhesive tape, while one wound "heads out" is usually marked with red adhesive tape.

Take. The attempted shooting of a scene. The "attempted" refers to the usual circumstance in which it usually takes several takes to get the scene right from the actor, director, camera person and sound mixers standpoint.

Talent Scout. Hired by studios and casting agencies to search for fresh star talent.

Talkback. The system that allows people in the control room to talk with the talent in the studio.

Tear Sheets. An actual copy of a print ad torn out of a newspaper or magazine and put in a model’s portfolio.

Telegraphing. Broad charade-type actions used by inexperienced actors to get a point across.

Teleprompter. A machine placed in front of the lens of a camera on which an actor’s dialogue is projected. The dialogue scrolls by and is read when at eye level.

Test Audience. Special screenings used to gauge the reaction of the group, and help determine certain scenes to be dropped and new ones added.

Test Commercial. A commercial that will be aired in a small area and monitored for its effectiveness. You must be told that the commercial will be a test commercial before the audition.

Test Photographers. Photographers willing to barter their services at a reduced rate to help themselves and a new model build their respective portfolios.

Theatrical Head or 3/4 Shot. A shot that captures a view of you from your head to your knees. The shot generally does not portray the subject with a full smile, but rather an intense look, or showing attitude.

Thespis. A Greek poet (550 - 500 B.C.) usually considered the founder of drama because he was the first one to use an actor in addition to the chorus in his plays. Some theatre historians believe that Thespis was that first actor. Although none of his plays remain, some titles are known: Phorbus, The Priests, The Youths, and Pentheus.

Thrust Stage. A stage that projects outward, with the audience seated on three sides.

Time Reversion Clause. Contractual agreement in which a publisher agrees to secure recording and release for songwriter’s material within a certain period of time. Failure to secure recording and release triggers reversion of the song rights to the writer.

Top Forty. Radio station format where records played are only those contained in lists of the best-selling records.

Top One Hundred. Lists published in the trades of the topselling singles for a particular market.

Track. One of the several components of special recording tape that contains recorded sounds, which is mixed with the other tracks for a finished recording of the song; the recording of all the instruments or voice of a particular music section; music and/or voices previously recorded.

Trades. Industry newspapers and magazines read by all professionals to keep up with trends and news in the entertainment business.

Trailer. A mobile dressing room for an actor sometimes in a camper. Also known as Honey Wagon.

Transparencies. The slide form of a photograph.

Treatment. A shortened version to a full script which includes a short description of the story and the characters involved, and typically ranges from one to six pages in length.

Turnaround. Cast and crew rest time, from wrap until next day’s call time.

Two-Shot. Camera shot with two people in frame.

Type Casting. Assigning a role to an actor on the basis of his or her surface appearance or personality.

Typed-out. The elimination of an actor during auditions because of such obvious features as height, weight or age.

Under-Five (U/5). An acting role designation calling for five lines or less on AFTRA shows. This category has a specific pay rate, which is less than a day-player.

Understudy. An actor, often playing a small role, who learns another role, so as to be able to perform it if the regular actor is ill.

Union Scale. Minimum wage scale earned in employment by members of AFTRA, AF of M, SAG, etc.

Upgrade. A pay-rate increase, usually from "extra" status to "principal" status.

UPM. Unit Production Manager.

Upstage. The rear area of the stage farthest from the audience; also used to describe an actor’s attempt to distract audience attention from what another actor is doing.

Usage Fee. The practice of assigning each city in the U.S. points based on population. An actors residuals on television commercials are calculated based on the accumulation of these points in 13-week cycles.

Vamp. All printed copies of songs begin with a few bars of music called the Vamp or Intro. It is recognizable as the first musical statement at the top of the copy and it is further identified by the absence of a logic.

Verse. The selection of a song that precedes the chorus or is the A section in AABA pattern songs. The Verse follows the Vamp and is the first vocalizing of the text of the song. The Verse seldom contains heavyweight musical material. Since it is so scored in order to give preeminence to the information contained in the lyric, most often Verses can be ad libded without effort.

Video Toaster. A popular computer editing system for actor’s demo tapes.

Voice Over. The act of providing one’s voice to a media project. Called voice-over because the voice is usually mixed over the top of music and sound effects.

Walk Through. To perform a role at less-than-usual intensity, such as during a technical rehearsal; also used critically, as in "he walked it," for a lazy performance at a matinee.

Walking Meal. Usually second meal; company doesn’t actually stop filming, but food is provided.

Walla. The sound of many voices talking at once, such as at a party or in a restaurant. Also known as "walla walla," this old sound effects term is derived from the idea that if a group of people got together and just kept saying "walla" over and over, it would create a good sound ambiance for a crowded scene.

Wardrobe List. The important list of clothes to wear for different styles of pictures.

Weather Day. If the weather is not right for the shoot and it does not take place, it will be postponed until the weather day. When this happens, you will receive a half day’s pay for each canceled day.

Weekly Player. Actor being paid on a weekly contract.

Wet. A voice or sound with reverb added to it.

Wild Line. A single line from the script that is reread several times in succession until the perfect read is achieved. Wild lines are often done in a series. The slate may say something such as, "This is wild line pick-up take twelve A, B & C." This means you will read the line three times on this slate without interruption by the director. It is considered "wild" because it is done separately from the entire script. In video or film work, they are lines that occur when the camera is on something other than you. They are "wild" because it is not necessary for them to be in sync with your mouth.

Wild Spot. A commercial that runs on a non-network station, or a spot that runs on a network sation but airs between scheduled programming.

Will-Notify. A call given to actors when call time is uncertain, indicates an actor will work, but no specific call time has been determined.

Windscreen. A foam cover or fabric guard placed over a microphone to help prevent popped "P’s" and other plosive sounds. Sometimes called a "windsock" or "pop filter."

Woodshed. To rehearse or practice reading copy out loud. This term is said to come from old theater days when actors would have to rehearse out in the woodshed before going into the theater to perform.

Workshop. A place for putting together and polishing a production. Also, a place where one can receive instruction and practice in directing, acting, and stagecraft.

Work Vouchers. A paper given to an Extra at the time of check-in. It must be filled out and turned in at the end of the day of shooting to receive wages.

Wrap. The end of the days shooting of film.

Writer’s Signature. Unique style of the writer.

This list was obtained from The Actor’s Checklist with reproduction permission granted from Cool Fire Technology LLC.