Hollywood Glossary of Terms

by Aadip Desai

Here’s a glossary I’ve written in an attempt to help get your head around the terminology often used across screenwriting, TV writing, and the film industry. It is by no means comprehensive, and there is much debate about what some of the terms may mean. But, it’s a start. Contact me if you have any I’m missing that are must-haves. *Note: a publication plagiarized This document, so if you’re wondering, this is the original, which I’ve worked on for 15+ years.

Above The Line: Expenditures/costs negotiated/spent before filming begins, including source material rights (for adaptations) and salaries for director, producer screenwriter, and actors.
Act: See Syd Field, Blake Snyder. Every feature film script is split into Three Acts – Act I, Act II, Act III. Each act contains the major plot points and scenes that make up the script.
Action: Movement in scene that pushes the story forward. What’s happening on screen.
AD (Assistant Director): Usually the person shouting on set.
Adapt/Adaptation: When you write a screenplay based on pre-existing source material (Includes short stories, plays, articles, novels, comics/graphic novels, video games, etc.).
Against (as in $100,000 against $500,000): You get $100,000 up front and another $400,000 if the film gets made, totaling $500,000.
Agency: Can refer to either a talent or literary agency. They negotiate deals. Can be very small (boutique) to very large (CAA, ICM, WME, UTA).
Agent: For screenwriters, an agent is a literary agent who represents writers and their written works to film producers and “talent.” They rep/negotiate you on deals, sales, etc. They are usu. paid 10% of the sales they negotiate.
“&” vs. “and” (on the title page): If you’ve co-written a script, this is an important distinction on the title page. If John Smith & Jane Doe appears on the title page, it means the writers wrote it together. If John Smith and Jane Doe appears on the title page, it means John Smith wrote the original script and Jane Doe was brought on to do a rewrite or polish or something. They did not collaborate.
Antagonist: The Villain. Can be a person, society, nature, etc. Usually should be manifest by a person or group to fight against.
Arbitration: When there is a dispute regarding credits or pay, the WGA steps in and arbitrates. Not fun.
Archetypes: Usually referred to with respect to characters. A representative, core, or universal character that appears across cultural media. Popularized by Carl Jung. https://conorneill.com/2018/04/21/understanding-personality-the-12-jungian-archetypes/
Assignment or OWA (Open Writing Assignment): Writing for hire.
Attached (or Attachment): Commitment by talent (actor, director, etc.) to being in your film. Crucial to getting films made.
At The End Of The Day: When all is said and done.
Baby Writer: Writer who is new to the industry. Usu. not a pejorative term. Also: newb and tyro.
Back-end: Creator of the source material or other participating folks (like directors, actors, producers), who are eligible for “profit participation.” Back-end is additional money paid out of the profit of the project, after the film has recouped its budget.
Background (or b.g.): Action or characters going on behind the main action.
Backstory: Your characters’ background/history. Often not seen in the film. Happened before the film started.
Bake-offs/OWAs: When studios call a bunch of writers for a rewrite job or to adapt existing IP, where each writer will pitch their own take on the material, for free.
Beat: A plot point, or a turn in the story.
Beat Sheet: A list of all the scenes in the script in the order they appear.
Below The Line: Expenditures/costs associated with physically making the picture. Refers to people who aren’t writers, directors, actors.
Bible (TV Show Bible): When creating an original TV series, this document contains all the information related to the show: concept, setting, characters, their bios, and their interactions with one another, and sample episodes in logline plus one paragraph synopsis format.
Bidding War: Happens when your script is hot and more than one company is interested in your script, and they decide to do battl by offering more $ than the competitor. It’s a good thing for you
Bookends: Scene at the (1) beginning of the movie, defining the setting and plot and (2) at the end of the movie, wrapping everything up.
Bow: Opening or premiere of a movie or production.
B-Story: Major subplot. Usuall carries the theme, the subconscious goal, the secondary characters, and/or the love story. The release valve from the A-story. There are also C, D, and E stories or subplots.
Brads: We used to use these to bind our screenplays. (ACCO-Brand), Now we send pdfs. No. 5 round-headed solid brass fasteners/brads, which are 1 1/4 inches in length. You’d place brads in the first and third holes, leaving the center hole empty. This makes it easy to take scripts apart for copying.
Bump: Element in a script that takes the reader out of the story. A plot hole.
Button: A joke, line, or action that completes the end of a scene in style.
CAA: Creative Artists Agency. Most powerful talent and literary agency in Hollywood. They rep Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Reese Witherspoon, Nicolas Cage, Cameron Diaz, Nicole Kidman, Bruce Willis, etc.
Card Stock: Type of paper you should use for your title page. No colors, please.
Cave (as in the Cave Scene): Midpoint. See Campbell and Vogler.
Character: Humans, animals, aliens, etc. in your movie.
Character Arc (or Arc): The path of your character’s transformation across the entire movie.
Climax: The highest point of the drama in the script. Happens in Act III, right before the resolution.
Clunky: AKA wonky. Usu. refers to awkward dialogue or description.
Complication: An obstacle.
CG: AKA CGI. Means computer graphics. Usually refers to the effects and art in your movie that will need to be generated by computers.
Conflict: When characters’ goals oppose one another, society, the elements, etc. CONFLICT IS STORY.
Contained: A story that has a limited number of sets, often to one.
Coverage: Story analysis that readers write and submit to their bosses. Includes a logline, synopsis, comments, and a pass/consider/recommend rating.
Craft Services: On set catering. The most popular people on set.
Creative Exec: A development executive at a production company.
Credit: What we’re all shooting for when the credits roll or on the poster.
Crisis: Hero faces deepest fears to overcome the antagonist and innermost fears.
Deal Memo: Written follow-up to a verbal agreement. Usu. a done deal.
Deck: A pitch deck. A visual presentation of your pitch.
Description: The more novelistic portion of the script. Describing what’s going on and how it looks.
Deus Ex Machina: Latin for “God from a machine.” A bad quick fix. A contrived solution to a problem in the movie, which challenges our suspension of disbelief and appears to have come out of nowhere. A bad quick fix.
Development: Process of script revisions with the prodco or studio.
Development Hell: When above goes badly and everyone is fighting.
D-Girl or D-Boy: Development Girl or Boy. Usually means Development Executive. Can be derogatory. No longer in fashion.
Dialogue: What the characters say.
Dilemma: Problem for your hero. A choice between two seemingly terrible choices.
Diversity Hire: Pejorative term for writer who is only being considered or hired because they have a particular set of identity characteristics. Usu reserved for BIPOC/POC/BAME, Women, Queer, Disabled, etc.
Dramatic Action: What compels your protagonist to keep moving forward. What keeps the story moving forward and how your protagonist tries to solve the problem.
Earn/Earned: When your characters work hard to overcome obstacles and progress on their journey. They’re earning it.
Endeavor: Agency that reps Dustin Hoffman, Adam Sandler, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Jennifer Garner, Keira Knightley, Tina Fey, and many more. Merged with WME in April 2009. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/wma-endeavor-agree-merger-82999/
Elevated: A story where the writer has approached a basic story/premise/concept in a new manner, thereby creating something wholly original or different. This could be done by combining two genres, adding a twist, or using a novel dynamic or device. Ostensibly, this can appeal to a larger demographic of viewers.
Elevator (as in Elevator Pitch): When you pitch your script/movie to someone in about 30 seconds. It can be done.
Entertainment Attorney: These types of attorneys can actually represent you to a production company, talent, director, or studio. They are not bound by the WGA and can charge you whatever they want. They differ from regular (contract) attorneys, who have no connections or clout in “the biz.” If you are unrepped, this is one way to get around the whole unsolicited submissions thing.
Entrance (Character Entrance): The first time we see your character in the script.
Exhibitor: Movie theater (individual or chain).
Exposition/Expositional: Background information of your b story and characters. Expositional is often a negative note, meaning you’re telling me, not showing me. It is a necessary evil so the audience/reader knows what’s going on. Not to be overused. See Subtext for help.
False Victory / False Defeat:
Fast Track: Script is ready to go into production right away, without extensive notes and changes.
Feature Film: A movie that will be released theatrically. Anywhere from 80 minutes to 4 hours.
Final Draft: Screenwriting Software AND the last draft of your screenplay. Denotes completion. Of course, you’re never done, right?
First Look Deal: When a production company has to take all their projects to a particular studio. Often these prodcos are on the lot at said studio.
Flack or Flak: A publicist or publicity agent.
Flashback: In script when we cut back to a scene in the past. Often stuff that happened before the movie. Sometimes flashbacks happen to points earlier in the film.
For A Price: A movie can be made within a reasonable budget for a particular production company or studio.
For Hire: Like writing on assignment. A one-off assignment where you write a script for a flat fee.
Formatting: The unsatisfying task of making sure your screenplay looks right–margins, fonts, paper, brads, spacing, etc.
The 405: Interstate 405. Main north-south highway in SoCal. (In LA, people put “the” in front of highways and interstates.) It’s the major bypass of Interstate 5 running through the Greater Los Angeles Area. The entire 405 is the northern segment of the San Diego Freeway, despite running no less than 75 miles from downtown San Diego. It’s always a parking lot.
Four Quadrant: The 4Q. Your movie has the broadest audience appeal. 1. men under 25 yrs. old, 2. men over 25 yrs. old, 3. women under 25 yrs. old, 4. women over 25 yrs. old. The ages may change slightly, but it means young, old, male, and female will go see your movie.
Fourth Wall (as in “Breaking the Fourth Wall”): A stage play term. The invisible wall between the audience and the actors. The suspension of disbelief. If broken, means that the character is showing his/her awareness of the audience. Once done, it is very hard to get the audience back. But, can be used creatively and effectively.
Gap: Distance between the expected and actual result between characters in a scene. What the characters want, what they get, and how they react. Very cool.
General: A general meeting. Usually an exec from a production company, network, studio, or POD wants to meet with a writer after reading them.
Genre: (1) The category/type of film or script. Examples: Action/Adventure, Biographical (bio-pic), Character Drama, Comedy, Cutting Edge Independent (i.e. Memento, Secretary), Drama, Epic Drama, Family Animation (i.e. Pixar), Family Live Action (i.e. Disney), Fantasy, Horror, TV (Comedy), TV (Drama), TV (Drama/Comedy i.e. HBO, Showtime, USA, etc), Musical, Period, Religious/Spiritual, Romantic Comedy, Science Fiction, Thriller/Crime Drama, War, and Western. (2) People often
refer to “genre pictures” as horror, sci-fi, fantasy, western, etc. Often
means smaller audience. A curious designation, since every film can fit into a particular category or genre.
Gersh (or TGA): The Gersh Agency. A top talent agency.
Greenlight: Studio is ready to make your film.
The Grove: 189 The Grove Drive Los Angeles, CA 90036. Outdoor shopping mall where many celebrities go. Great movie theatre and people watching.
Hack: A shitty writer. Writes garbage. You know, writers
before we’ve had our coffee
Helm / Helmer: To direct / director.
Hero: Your protagonist. The person who we follow on the journey. We are them!
(The) Hero’s Journey: Coined by Joseph Campbell. An oft referred to approach to storytelling, involving the monomyth, which is said to be a common template of for stories that transcends cultures.
Heat: Interest in your script and/or you.
High Concept: A concept that can be articulated in one sentence, easily marketable, and widely appealing. Ex. Forty Year Old Virgin, Wedding Crashers, Star Wars, Jaws, Alien, Home Alone, Bourne Identity. (No longer in favor)
Hip Pocket Deal: You are repped by an agency, but they haven’t
signed you
Hook: What makes your idea pull us in (hook)? What makes it unique, special, unexpected, ironic? If you have a bad logline, people will ask, “What’s the hook?”
ICM: International Creative Management. Big agency.
Inciting Incident: (aka Catalyst) The one thing that happens
to your hero that forces them to take action and go on the journey. This is crucial.
Indie: Refers to Independent films or prodcos. Often mistaken for being outside Hollywood, but function the same way as a studio, just with a smaller budget.
Industry: The biz. Hollywood.
Ink: To sign a contract.
Intercut: When used, denotes that the action is moving back and forth between two or more scenes or when two people are talking on the phone and appear on screen. Also called Phone Intercut.
Insert: Indicates a close-up on screen without saying it. Quick detail.
Jeopardy: What’s at stake?
Jumped The Shark: The point in a TV series or movie when the characters or plot veers into the inane. Usually means a show has passed its relevance and has moved away from its original premise and appeal. Origin: When Fonzie “jumped the shark” in a 1977. episode of Happy Days.
“Kill all your darlings”: Writerly advice attributed to William Faulkner, Quiller-Couch, and Hemingway. Who knows who really said it?
Leave Behind: One page printed out/emailed, consisting of the title of your movie, the logline, a synopsis, and your contact information. The WGA does not want us leaving behind our leave behinds.
Legs: Longevity, as in, that show has “legs.” Usually used in reference to a TV series going multiple seasons.
Logline: 1-2 sentence description of your movie. Keep to 25-50 words. Writing a great logline is often the hardest part of the screenwriting process. Usually includes the protagonist, the primary (visible) goal/central conflict, and antagonist.
Lunch: Means – “Let’s take a general meeting.” Now includes breakfast, coffee, drinks, or Zoom. Mostly people say, “I have a 10AM.”
Manager: Representative that takes 10-15%, manages your whole career, and helps find you work. Many are also Producers.
Material: Refers to the script.
MacGuffin: Alfred Hitchcock’s term for a plot device that motivates the characters or advances the story, but the details are usu. unimportant. As he put it, “It is the mechanical element that usually crops up in any story. In crook stories it is almost always the necklace and in spy stories it is most always the papers.” Examples include, the letters of transit in Casablanca, the contents of the briefcase in Pulp Fiction, the statue in the Maltese Falcon, etc. It’s what everyone is looking for, but the journey is the most important thing.
MBA: In the context of the Writers Guild, it’s the Minimum Basic Agreement. The MBA is the collective bargaining agreement that covers most of the work done by WGA writers. Relates to their compensation, residuals, health-care, etc. Re: Execs, it means Masters in Business Administration.
Meet Cute (or Meet-Cute): The moment in romantic comedies
(romcoms), when the two potential romantic partners meet in
unusual or comic circumstances, often highlighting their differences in personality, goals, etc.
Mentor: Character in the script that helps the hero learn something about themselves. They often die at Plot Point II. Ex. Obi-Wan Kenobe in Star Wars. There are also False Mentors–characters
who we think are allies, but are really enemies in disguise, working against the hero the whole time. Was a**holes. Ex. Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars.
Midpoint: Usually right in the middle of the film. It’s where the protagonist experiences a false victory or defeat, must fully commit to the journey, experiences a first kiss, a major reversal, stakes are raised, ticking clock kicks in, A and B stories cross. The most important part of the film from a structural perspective.
Montage: Like Series of Shot, but incorporates more visually, used to show a series of related events.
M.O.W. (Movie of the Week): Television movie. AKA Made For TV Movie. They’ve made a bit of a comeback thanks to streamers. Not so prevalent on network TV, more on cable outlets like HBO.
“Nobody Knows Anything”: Quote by William Goldman (Writer,
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Princess Bride, etc.)
Nakamura: A running joke or callback that seemed funny when you wrote it but now that you’ve had a table read, it doesn’t get any laughs.
Notes: Feedback from an executive, member of your writing group, producer, etc. about your script. Can go from general to specific, reasonable to downright illogical.
One Hour: Television show, usu. drama, genre (Horror, Sci-Fantasy).
Obstacle: Anything that stands in the way of your hero achieving
their goal.
Off Screen (O.S.): Denotes that we hear a character’s dialogue,
but they are not on camera.
One Sheet: Two meanings: (1) The movie poster OR (2) one
page printed out/emailed, consisting of the title of your movie, the logline, a synopsis, and your contact information
OWA (aka Open Writing Assignment): Project in search of writers (rewrite, adaptation, or first draft on an existing concept)
in order to get it into production.
Option: NOT a sale. This is an exclusive right to a project for a specific amount of time (anywhere from a month to a year), sometimes involving $, sometimes not.
OTN (aka On The Nose): When dialogue explains in an obvious
manner. Heavy-handed.
Outline: Varies greatly. Basically, a detailed breakdown of all the scenes in your script, before your write it.
Packaging/Packaged: Process of putting talent, and sometimes $ together for a project.
Pace: The rhythm of the script. Are the scenes hitting at
the right time. Are your acts too long or too short. It’s more a feeling than a technical thing.
Page One (or Page One Rewrite): Oh crap, my first draft sucked so bad that I have to basically start over, as in rewrite from page one.
Parenthetical: AKA a wryly. Used with dialogue to convey a specific action or way of delivering dialogue. Use sparingly.
Pass: (aka a Pasadena) NO.
Payoff: Opposite of Set-Up.
Period Piece: Film or script set in a different time period (aka the past).
Pilot: The first episode of a TV series.
Pipeline: The slate of films scheduled for production.
Pitch: The verbal telling of your story/script/movie. Can vary from 30 seconds to 30 minutes depending on the type of meeting.
Plants/Planting Seeds: Stuff that will need to be paid off later.
Plot: The sequence of events in your story. It’s what happens from start to finish.
Plot Points: Moment in script that moves the plot forward and spins it in a new direction. The Three Acts are broken out by major plot points: Inciting Incident (Catalyst), Plot Point I (Break into
2), Midpoint, Plot Point 2 (Break into 3), and Climax. Also important
are the Opening Scene (Opening Image) and Resolution (Closing Image).
Points: Monies accrued according to a pre-negotiated %,
if a profit is made. Some producers/directors/stars forego big initial paydays for points on the backend, meaning they get paid a crap load after the movie brings in a ton of cash at the box office.
Polish: That last rewrite where you just clean up all little errors and make your script perfect. No structural changes. May move some scenes around, punch up some dialogue.
Point Of View (P.O.V.): Shot from the character’s point of view.
Poster: The actual poster for your movie. Try to visualize this when you’re working on your script.
Premise: The concept of your screenplay. The driving force. Related to theme.
Prexy: Shorthand for President (term often used in Variety).
Print and Advertising (P&A): The marketing costs of a film. Is not part of the budget numbers that you hear in the news.
Prodco: Production Company.
Producer: Person with most control on a film. He/she is responsible for every aspect of the film production process from start to finish, including finding the material, securing fundraising, attaching talent, hiring key positions (Director, DP, Costume Designer, etc), and arranging distribution, Includes Executive Producer, Producer, Co-Producer, Associate Producer, Assistant
Producer, Production Director, Line Producer, Production Supervisor, and Administrative Producer. In TV a Producer is also a writer on the show.
Production Assistant (PA): A gopher. Gets coffee, drycleaning, car detailed, and even helps out on the actual making of a movie or TV show. Hard job, low pay, long hours, no glamour. Have you thanked your PA today?
Project: The movie. The script. The show.
Programmers: Known as in-betweeners or intermediates. A genre film made by a studio at a modest budget (which usually means b or c level cast) that they use to fill their release schedule. They can’t survive on tentpoles alone, so if a programmer breaks out, they can do very well for a studio. If they miss, they don’t lose much because they can usually make their modest budgets back on DVD.
Protagonist: Main Character. Hero. Person with the problem.
Purchase Agreement: Contract you sign if someone wants to buy your screenplay. Make sure you have an attorney look at these.
Purple (language): Writing that is overly ornate and flowery. Too novelistic.
Query or Query Letter: A letter a writer sends to a production
company, agent, or manager in order to gain interest in their work.
Raise the Stakes: When you create a situation where the
protagonist has more to lose. Obtaining his goal becomes riskier,
both physically and emotionally. Often happens at the midpoint, but should increase throughout script.
Reader: Also known as Story Analyst. They read scripts and write coverage.
Red Herring: Element intended to distract the reader/viewer from a more important event in the plot, the real killer, or a twist ending.
Release (aka Submission Release): A legal document that
must be signed before submitting material for review by a production company
or other entity. Protects you and them.
Representation (Repped): Refers to someone who works on your behalf to get you work or negotiate agreements. Usually refers to an agent of manager. See Ten-Percenter.
Residuals: Payment made to the writer of a teleplay for subsequent showings, screenings, usu. rerun of the work.
Reversal: An obstacle that sends the protagonist in the opposite direction.
Rewrite: After you’ve put down that shitty first draft, it’s time to do the real writing, rewriting. This can be anything from a page one (wow this thing is broken–main character sucks, structure is all over
the place) to a polish (I think my hero will say, “fragrant” instead of
“smelly.”) of the dialogue and descriptions with no major structural changes.
Rights: Legal permission to adapt source material for a screenplay.
Rings False: Something about a character and/or his/her dialogue does not seem consistent.
Rising Action: Put your characters through an emotional roller coaster across the entire script.
Rolling Calls: Something assistants have to do. Basically means setting up conference calls for your boss while still being in on the meeting AND fielding the incoming calls.
RomCom: Romantic Comedy.
Sale: When a script is bought outright. Lovely when it happens, no?
Scale: When a prodco or studio buys your script, this is the basic minimum amount they have to pay you according to the WGA.
Screenplay By: Credit used to denote that you wrote the
screenplay.
Scribe: What Variety calls a screenwriter or TV writer.
Script Guru/Consultant/Doctor: Usually a former Screenwriter/Story Analyst/D-Girl/D-Boy who works on an independent basis. Often brought in to fix screenplays (“doctor”) without credit. Often have written a seminal book on screenwriting, teach workshops around the world, and help studios with their projects. Include Pilar Alessandra, Michael Hauge, David Trottier, Chris Vogler, Blake Snyder, Syd Field, John Truby, etc.
Sequence: Series of related scenes connected by a particular problem or storyline.
Series of Shots: Similar to a Montage, but are mini-scenes making up a sequence.
Set Pieces: The scenes from your movie that will be in the trailer.
Set Up: Act I (according to Syd Field), Pages 1-10 (according to Blake Snyder). What is the world of your protagonist before he/she embarks on the journey.
Shopping Agreement: “Contract between the owner of the creative work/IP and a producer, which gives the producer the right to shop the work to studios, networks, distributors and financial backers. The producer has the (usually) exclusive right to pitch the work and find backers for a defined period of time set in the agreement.” Source: https://www.romanolaw.com/2021/03/31/shopping-vs-option-agreement/
Shingle: Small enterprise/business, often set up by an actor or established player at a larger company.
Shoe Leather: Exposition.
Single Camera: Usually refers to TV comedies like The Office.
Shooting Script: After your spec has sold, the prodco or studio takes it and adds scene numbers and camera direction.
Shop: Take the script around to producers to get sold or optioned.
Short List: When you’re a known writer in a particular genre. For example, she’s on the short list of horror writers, or he’s on the short
list of romcom writers. These lists actually exist in hard copy format.
Showrunner: The boss/CEO of a TV show–manager of the day-to-day operations, budget, hiring and firing, etc. Often refers to someone (a writer) who is the creator/co-creator, producer, executive producer on a show. They answer to the network and studio.
Sitcom: Situation comedy on TV.
Skein: Slang for TV series.
Slate: List of films scheduled for production.
Slip: As in “slipped your script.” A representative secretly forwards someone a script before anyone else gets to review and/or consider it, or as an unofficial submission for co-production, casting, rewrites, etc. Always a secret.
Slug or Slugline: Text in all CAPS @ beginning of scene. Describes location and time of day. Example: INT. OFFICE – DAY
Slush Pile (or Round File): Shitty screenplays end up here. It’s the garbage pile.
Source Material: Original material adapted for the screen. Includes short stories, plays, articles, novels, comics/graphic novels, video
games, etc.
Spec Script: A “Speculative Script” is written on one’s own (not for hire or under contract). It is a way to show the blueprint of a movie, sell a movie idea, and sell your screenwriting skills. According to Variety, a “spec” is shopped or sold on the open market, as opposed to one commissioned by a studio or production company. Usually written by writers seeking an option, sale, representation, or attention from a producer. Spec Episode means you’ve written an episode of an existing show, usually for practice, a class, or for fellowship applications.
Spine: The through line of your story. The A Story.
Story Analyst: Usually means a reader at a studio.
Story By: Credit can mean outline phase only or credit used when the basic narrative structure was originally written with intent to be used for a movie (as opposed to a short story) and the actual screenplay had different authors. A shared “story by” credit is the minimum awarded to the author of an original screenplay.
Stakes (as in Raise the, or What’s at):
Subplot: B-story of your script. Usually carries the theme,
the subconscious goal, the secondary characters, and/or the love story. The release valve from the A-story.
Subtext: The unstated, unspoken, oblique feelings the characters are having or implying. The experts do a great job of expressing the unexpressed, making their characters lie through their teeth while we know how they feel, and learning about characters through their actions.
Suit: Exec or agent.
Sword and Sandal: Historical adventure films with swords, sandals, chariots, robes, and columns.
Synopsis: Condensed version of the screenplay plot. Usually one page. Includes the main action, major characters, plot points, and indicates act structure via separate paragraphs. References to subplot are brief or non-existent, unless they directly effect the main story. Written in present tense, character’s names written in CAPS the first time they appear (just like a screenplay).
Table Read: A reading of the script, usually with professional actors. Can be done in classes, writing groups, and of course, on networks TV shows, especially comedies.
Tagline: A phrase, slogan, or short sentence on the movie poster that represents the tone and/or premise of a film. Ex. Alien – “In space no one can hear you scream.” Ex. The Fly – “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” Ex. Wayne’s Word – “You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll hurl.”
Take: For writing, means your version, point of view, or even pitch on a particular concept or idea…as in “What’s your take on this, screenwriter?”
Talent: Usually refers to actors, even though we’re all talented in our own way.
Teleplay: Script for a TV show. Each show has its own guidelines
and templates. Dramas usually run around 55-59 pages, while comedies run around 44 pages. But there are no rules. Check the show you’re writing to see what they do.
Ten-Percenter: A representative who takes 10% of your earnings. This usually means an agent or manager. If you have one of each, you’re out 20%. Don’t forget your lawyer on top of that.
Tentpole: A blockbuster. Movie that serves as primary support and finances other projects for a company.
Three Act Structure: Beginning, Middle, and End. According to Syd Field, every feature film script is split into Three Acts – Act I (Set-up), Act II (Confrontation), Act III (Resolution). Each act contains the major plot points and scenes that make up the script. Act I is about 30 pp, Act II is around 60 pp. and Act III is around 30 pp. According
to Blake Snyder, the Three Acts are based on a 110 page script. Act I (Thesis) is about 25 pp, Act II (Antithesis) is around 60 pp. and Act
III (Synthesis) is around 25 pp. See Plot Points for breakdown of three acts.
Three Camera: Usu. means multi-camera sitcom TV show. Ex. Big Bang Theory, Cheers, Night Court.
Ticking Clock: Usually what happens at the midpoint of the script. Your hero is now under the gun to solve the problem before he runs out of time.
Tip: 10-20% left on top of the bill for your server. Writers are notoriously bad tippers. Don’t be one.
Title: The movie’s name.
Trailer: 2-3 minute commercial for a film. Includes major set pieces.
Treatment: Short story version of your screenplay or teleplay. Primarily a sales tool. Usu. more detailed than an outline and synopsis, but shorter than a step outline.
Turnaround: When a studio develops a project, but decides not to move forward with it, other studios can take a crack at making it. If they want to do so, they have to pay all the original fees (turnaround costs) to the original studio.
Twelve Point Courier: The standard and ONLY font used in screenplays. Variations: Final Draft Courier, Courier New. That’s it. Don’t get creative.
Two-hander, Three-hander: A movie with two or three leads.
Tyro: See Baby Writer. Emerging writer. Writer who is new to the industry. Usu. not a pejorative term.
Unsolicited: Sending stuff that has not been requested via official channels, ie. repped through agent, producer, manager, lawyer, etc.
UTA: United Talent Agency. They rep Alan Ball, David Chase, Dick Wolf, Harrison Ford, James Gandolfini, The Coen Brothers, Johnny Depp, Judd Apatow, Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Sarah Michelle Gellar, The Rock, Wes Anderson, and many more.
Valet Parking: How you park in L.A. Get used to it. Leave no valuables in your vehicle. Carry cash for a tip.
The Valley: The San Fernando Valley. Home of the Adult movie biz. Like totally the mythical origin of the like “Valley Girl” accent and stuff.
Voice Over (V.O.): When a character narrates what’s going on, thoughts, etc. Like the force, must be used wisely,
Wheelhouse: A writer’s area of expertise. Can refer to their niche, genre, developing characters, writing dialogue, etc.
Whiff of Death: According to Syd Field, this happen at Plot Point 2, according to Blake Snyder, during All Is Lost. Something, someone, or an idea dies here.
Whitespace: The amount of whitespace on the page itself. Means you’ve given the script room to breathe by not overwriting.
WGA (Writer’s Guild of America): The official union representing working film/tv writers in Hollywood. WGAw = West, WGAe = East.
Willam Morris Agency (WMA): World’s largest talent and literary agency. Has repped Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Will Rogers, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, Dick Van Dyke, Bill Cosby, Louis Armstrong, Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys. Currently reps Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Travolta and Eddie Murphy.
Wrap: Completion of production/shooting of a movie or TV series.
Wrylies: Stuff written in parentheticals under the character’s dialogue, as in BOB (sarcastically). Should not be overused. Most actors cross them out anyway. Try to use action to show the same thing.
Yes…And: The foundation of improv comedy where you must accept what someone else says in the scene as truth, then add onto it. You must never negate what has been established. Huge skill in comedy writers room.
Zoom: Software everyone uses to video chat. Always good to clarify if a meeting is in person or on zoom. (Updated for post pandemic Hollywood)