On Set Lingo

Do you need your "juicer" to bring some more "C47s"? Did your "crafty" leave a "Gary Coleman" in the shot? Will you know what to get when your supervisor asks for a "stinger"? The world of film has its own set of traditions, practices, and of course, language. Crews have created their own shorthand for everything from positions to clothespins. And if you're going to be successful in the film world, it would be best to become familiar with the language as well.
Here's a few words to know before heading on a professional set:

• C47 – a clothespinCrafty – craft services area and/or person
• Day Player – a crew member hired for only one day or a handful of days worth of work
• Furnie Blanket – a furniture blanket or sound blanket
• Gary Coleman – a small C-stand
• Hot Points – yelled when carrying something with the potential to hit somebody like dolly track or a C-stand. Usually said when going through a narrow hallway, doorway or around a corner
• Juicer – an electrician
• Last Looks – phrase to call in hair/make-up to give a final touch-up to actors before a scene is filmed
• Magic Hour – the time right before sunrise/after sunset in which the sky is somewhat dark but still illuminated. Often lasts only 20 minutes despite its name
• Martini – the last shot of the dayPicture’s Up – phrase to alert all on set that cameras are almost set to start rolling
• Scripty – the script supervisor
• Sides – a half-sized script that contains only the scenes being shot that day
• Sparks – an electrician; see “juicer”
• Stinger – an extension cord
• Video Village – the area in which viewing monitors are placed for the director and other production personnel. Referred to by this name because of the propensity to fill with people, chairs, and overall “too many cooks in the kitchen”

This is only just the iceberg of the filmmaker's language. It takes practice to become fluent, but just like real languages, it comes with many different dialects. Each crew will have their own, special code that develops organically throughout production. Knowing what to say and what's being said will go a long way to being taken seriously on set, and moving up the ranks, from Scripty to Director.