There are lots of reasons why you'd find yourself on a film set without knowing who anyone is, what their roles are, or understanding what anyone is saying.

Maybe your marketing agency has hired a top Los Angeles and San Diego video production company for a new commercial. Maybe you're a fresh-faced graduate or maybe you stumbled onto the set by accident. Whatever the reason, you might want to brush up on your film terms.

Just like any industry, there are specific job titles and vocabulary that only really apply to filmmaking. And the type of film set, whether it's a blockbuster or a corporate video production, will affect the roles and film terms you might hear.

But don't worry! This is a simple, easy to understand guide to the main crew titles and film terms you could hear on any film set.

Film Crew: Who's Who on Set?

This is, by no means, an exhaustive list of every crew member who might be on set. It totally depends on the type of production, schedule, and the filming requirements of the day.

For example, you wouldn't expect car video commercials to have an animal wrangler on set but you might if it was a pet food commercial.

Director

A director is responsible for the creative direction of a script and overseeing everything that happens in pre-production, production (on-set), and post-production. They are also the main person that liaises between the production, creative and technical teams.

What a Director's team might look like:

First Assistant Director (1st AD)
Second Assistant Director (2nd AD)
Third Assistant Director (3rd AD)
Script Supervisor

Producer

Producers are often the first to be involved in new film productions and they organize the finances, the creative teams, and the logistical team.

What a Production team might look like:

Line Producer
Production Manager
Production Coordinator
Production Assistant
Unit Production Manager

Director of Photography

A DOP or Cinematographer is tasked with designing the lighting, selecting camera equipment, and camera framing in collaboration with the director as well as recording it, too. If they aren't as experienced or don't have a lot of creative control on a shoot, they might be referred to as a Camera Operator.

What a camera crew might look like:

DOP/Cinematographer
1st Assistant Camera (or Focus Puller)
2nd Assistant Camera

Sound

The sound team is responsible for capturing sound on the shoot. They need to make sure the sound is clear and use creative solutions for capturing sound without obstructing the camera.

What a sound crew might look like:

Boom Operator
Sound Mixer/Recordist

Other potential on-set crew members include drivers, location managers, runners/assistants, stylists, and an electrical team. But the requirements are different for every shoot.

Film Terms: Camera, Lighting, and Sound

Dailies: These are the shots captured by the film crew at the end of any particular day of shooting. They are generally raw and unedited scenes that are synced to sound and watched by anyone who wants to keep up with the progress of the shoot. In some countries, they would use the film terms "daily rushes" or simply "rushes" instead.

Magic Hour (or Golden Hour): The hour after sunrise or before sunset which is generally a saught-after time to capture footage because of the soft lighting.

Pick-Ups: This name is given to footage taken during a minor reshoot of part of a scene, instead of a complete reshoot. The footage could also be to supplement a scene that's already been shot.

Dolly: A device that is mounted to a camera to create smooth movements and tracking shots.

Speed: To check everyone is ready before a scene take, the 1st AD will generally "call the roll." This is where the camera and sound operators will say "speed" in turn to state they are both recording. It is the 1st AD that usually calls "action!"

B-roll: This is any type of footage that is supplementary to the primary footage. Primary footage could be of two actors talking in a cafe, and b-roll footage could be an establishing shot of the cafe.

Crossing: This is when a crew member walks through a set. Hopefully, they have made certain the cameras aren't rolling!

Film Terms: General Vocabulary

Crew Call/Call Time: Crew members are often scheduled to be on-set at different times, so a "crew call" or "call time" is a crew member's specific start time communicated to them via a daily call sheet.

Craft Services: The most-loved team on any set, the catering department!

Tech Scouting: This is a pre-shoot walkthrough of a filming location by specific members of the production team. Usually, the director, producer, 1st AD, and production designer.

Blocking and Marks: The first film term is to rehearse a scene before shooting it. And the second film term refers to pieces of gaffer tape that are (generally) used to "mark" certain props or character positions on the ground during blocking/rehearsals.

Unit Base/Basecamp: This is a location where all the trailers, stylists, catering, and other facilities are based during an on-location shoot. On a Los Angeles video production, you might hear Unit Base be called "Basecamp."

Talent: The actors, models, or any other on-screen performer is referred to by this term.

Copy That: This is an expression used by a crew member to signal that they have understood a request and will carry it out. It's a radio/walkie-talkie term that has transferred onto film sets.

Wrap: An expression you're probably already familiar with but a great one to end with. The director or 1st AD calls it to mark the end of a scene, an actor's time on-set, a shooting day, or the end of production. And that's a wrap!

Once you have been on set for awhile, you will start to learn the terms of different pieces of equipment. For example:

Apple Box: are wooden boxes or crates of varying sizes with holes on each end used chiefly in film production.

Stinger: another name for an extension cord.

Having this understanding will make you more valuable on set because you’ll be able to react and respond when asked a question.

Want a Production Company That Cuts Through the Jargon? Check Out Blulight Films

We hope this guide to film terms in the video production industry helps you feel at ease the next time you visit a film set.

It's impossible to list them all as crew members with different experiences may use different terms, but these are some of the basics. And if you feel confused by any of the language used, just ask! Any professional company will be happy to explain in plain English.

And if you're looking for a San Diego or Orange County video production company, consider Blulight Films. We're a team of approachable and professional filmmakers who will keep you in the loop during every step of the production process.

Get in touch to find out more about what we can offer.

Filming 101: Film Terms Everyone Should Know Before Stepping on Set