An "Abby Singer" shot is a phrase used to describe the next-to-last shot of the day. (See Martini Shot)

Above the line refers to the “creative” members of the production team, such as the Director, Writer, Actors and Producer. The costs of their services appear on the top half of the budget summary, above a heavy line that divides the page; hence, those few who are “above the line.”

An air date in television and commercial production is the specific date on which a series episode, a TV commercial or a television movie is to be aired, broadcasted or televised.

Basecamp is the staging area for equipment and large vehicles when filming in one or more nearby locations or when parking adjacent to the filming location is not possible. Basecamp can be the site of activities not directly related to the filming process, such as a holding area for the extras or caterers.

Blanks, or blank cartridges, are an explosive charge used in guns for the movies to give the effect of shooting a gun or rifle. 

A break-away is a set, hand prop or other item (such as a beer bottle, chair, table or window) designed and constructed to break in a specific and harmless way upon cue.

A call sheet is a printed form specifying all scenes to be filmed the next day, listing crew members, phone numbers, directions to the location, special notes and equipment required to film those particular scenes on a given day. 

Call time is the precise time that an individual member of the cast or crew is expected to report to location and to be ready to work. 

A camera car, or an insert car, is usually a large pick-up truck designed and specifically rigged to carry camera equipment and crew as a camera mount.

A company move is a filming day in which the morning is devoted to filming at one location. Then around lunch, the cast and crew move to a second location for the remainder of the day. (See Split Day)

A cover set is an alternative set or location to be used if bad weather or unexpected problems force a cancellation of the filming of any scenes that were planned for that day.

Any scene filmed outside, and not in an enclosed building, structure or stage.

FilmLA is a non-profit public benefit organization and the official film office of the City and County of Los Angeles. It is your one-stop shop for acquiring a film permit in Palmdale and the greater Los Angeles area.

A film permit is a legal license issued by FilmLA, LA County’s governing organization that authorizes a production company to legally film specifically determined scenes as outlined and designated within the description of said film permit.

The first unit is the primary cast and crew: the individuals needed for filming scenes that require recording dialogue.

A generator provides electrical power for a production when filming on location.

Greens are real and artificial plants, bushes and trees used to dress a set; they are often used on location to hide or camouflage equipment.

A green screen is a green backdrop to allow for digital effects.

A honey wagon is a large “moving-van-size” trailer containing large restrooms and toilets for the crew as well as small dressing rooms (often with a desk and a bed) for supporting (non-A-List) actors. Unused dressing rooms are often used as “on location” offices for department heads.

A hot set is a set that is completely ready for filming. It can also refer to a set in which the crew has broken for lunch in the middle of filming a scene.

Filming inside a building or structure, generally using artificial light.

Intermittent Traffic Control (I.T.C.) occurs when the production requires uniformed police officers or highway patrol officers to stop and hold traffic on a road in one or both directions for a period, generally not to exceed five minutes, to film a scene on a street or freeway.

A location is any place away from the studio used as a background for filming.

A picture car is a vehicle the transportation department has provided to be filmed as a prop vehicle in the story.

Postproduction is the process and period of time in a production schedule during which the film is processed, cut and assembled into all the scenes required to deliver the finished print. 

A prep day is a work day preceding a filming day. It is used for various purposes, including set construction, set dressing and/or the pre-rigging of lights or grip equipment.

Pre-production is all the activity leading up to the first day of filming. This includes budgeting, casting actors, creating a shooting schedule, script changes, set design and construction, prop and set dressing rentals, costume rentals and fittings and the final choices of locations.

Production is a generic term for all types of film, TV, commercials, music videos, infomercials, advertising shoots and other forms of film projects. It also refers to the portion of the schedule that starts on the first day of filming and ends on the last day of principal photography.

Props, or properties, are movable hand-held objects for use on a set (i.e., keys, cell phones, cigarettes, etc.). 

"Rolling!" is the command called out by the ADs at the beginning of filming a scene or a shot. This means no talking or movement on set while filming.

When a shoot day goes over 12 hours a “Second Meal” arrives.

A set piece is a prefabricated partial set usually built into sections by the art department’s construction crew and eventually assembled in advance at a location.

Shooting, or filming, is using a motion picture camera for filming, i.e., “shooting a picture.”

A shot or take is when one camera is used for a single angle or part of a scene.

A slate (aka clapboard) consists of a short stick with black and white stripes hinged above a wood tablet, and it contains information regarding the filmed shot (date, scene number, take number, project title, and director). It helps synchronize the picture with the sound during editing.

A sound cart is a wheeled cabinet on which the sound department's recording equipment is kept and placed to allow easy movement and repositioning on set or location.

A sound stage is a large building specifically designed for the filming of motion pictures.

A split day is a production day split between two or more locations. (See Company Move)

Striking is the removal, dismantling or change of set or equipment from a location or stage at the end of a shot or shoot. 

This is when a Director, Producer and Department Heads visit and evaluate a potential location.

A Video Village is an area set aside during the filming of TV commercials for the director and producers – consisting of director chairs, a craft service table and large flat-screen TV with a “video tap” showing on the TV exactly what the camera sees.

Wetting down streets and sidewalks for filming to reflect the glow of streetlights and neon signs.

A term that describes any portion of a set that has been specifically designed and built in such a way that it can easily be removed. (See Set Pieces)

“That’s a wrap!” signals that the day of filming is over.