Film and Acting Glossary

The language of filmmaking and stardom, explained simply. Many of these terms appear in our How a Film Is Made guide.

A film crew at work on location: Thukuk, CC BY-SA 4.0

Term	Meaning
ADR	Automated dialogue replacement: actors re-record lines in a studio after the shoot.
Above the line	Budget costs for key creative people such as stars, director, writer and producers.
Audition	A tryout where an actor performs for the casting team.
Blocking	Planning where actors stand and move in a scene.
Box office	The money a film earns from cinema ticket sales.
Call sheet	The daily schedule telling cast and crew when and where to report.
Callback	A second audition for actors who made the shortlist.
Cameo	A brief appearance by a famous person.
Continuity	Keeping details consistent between shots, tracked by the script supervisor.
Coverage	Filming a scene from several angles so the editor has choices.
Dailies	Raw footage from each day's shoot, reviewed by the director.
Dolly	A wheeled platform that moves the camera smoothly.
Foley	Everyday sounds like footsteps, recorded in sync with the picture.
Gaffer	The chief lighting technician.
Greenlight	The official decision to fund and make a film.
Grip	A crew member who rigs and moves camera support and equipment.
Headshot	A professional portrait photo actors send to casting directors.
Method acting	An approach where actors draw on real emotions and stay deeply immersed in a role.
Picture lock	The point when the edit is final and no more cuts are made.
Premiere	The first public screening of a film, often with a red carpet.
Principal photography	The main period of filming.
Screen test	A filmed audition to see how an actor looks and sounds on camera.
Stand-in	A person who takes an actor's place while lights and cameras are set up.
Stunt double	A trained performer who does risky action in place of an actor.
Table read	The cast reads the whole script aloud together before filming.
Take	One recorded attempt at a shot.
Wrap	The end of a day's filming, or of the whole shoot.

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