Hollywood Glossary

ABOVE-THE-LINE – creative talent (actors, directors, producers, and writers) OR the part of the budget which includes costs and fees associated with the above talent.

ATTACHMENT – a piece of talent (actor, director) that has committed to being in/working on a film.

BACK-END – deferred payment of fees and/or percentage of net profits paid to certain above-the-line players once a film turns a profit.

BELOW-THE-LINE – collectively refers to all the workers on a film crew that are not considered “above-the-line” (creative) talent; ALSO refers to the part of the budget that includes costs and fees associated with these cast and crew members.

BUZZ- word-of-mouth

DEVELOPMENT – the process of perfecting a script so that it is ready to shoot.

DISTRIBUTION – process by which prints of a film are sent to theaters for exhibition.

EXHIBITION – a commercial presentation of a film for the public.

FEATURE – a full-length motion picture.

FIRST-LOOK-DEAL – the most common arrangement between a studio and a production company in which the studio provides all overhead expenses in exchange for a “first look” at viable material from the production company.

FRONT-END – cash fee

GREENLIGHT – term used by studios indicating they have decided to put a development project into production.

HYPE - excessive and manufactured “buzz”, sometimes to the extent of challenging the credibility of the information (and the source).

INDEPENDENT FILM – film financed without the financial assistance or creative input from a major studio.

NEGATIVE PICKUP – this occurs when a studio or distributor purchases the rights to distribute a film after the movie has been produced independently.

NET PROFIT/NET POINTS – contractual payment to certain above-the-line players equal to a percentage of profits minus expenses for such things as prints and advertising.

ONE-SHEET – movie poster (approx. 2” x 3”) used for advertising purposes (smaller versions also used at film markets and festivals).

OPTION – to take a project off the market for a specified period of time by paying a deposit against a set purchase price when the film is set up.

PACKAGE – a general term used when two or more elements are attached to a project (such as a star and a director).

PAY-AND-PLAY – a relatively rare deal in which the talent will be paid and will perform no matter what (they cannot be replaced under any circumstances). The only two recent examples of this are Good Will Hunting where Ben Affleck and Matt Damon attached themselves as actors to a script they wrote themselves (thus launching two very successful careers). They were inspired by Sylvester Stallone, who used this same strategy to launch his career in 1976 with Rocky, which he also wrote to secure the starring role.

PAY-OR-PLAY – much more common deal in which the talent with either perform or get paid not to perform.

PITCHING – verbally presenting a story idea or concept to a production company or studio.

POLISH – a slight rewrite of a screenplay.

POST-PRODUCTION – the final phase of the filmmaking process.

PRE-PRODUCTION – everything that takes place before filming commences.

PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY – the actual filming period.

PRODUCER – person who is ultimately responsible for the success or failure of a film, the person who generally oversees a project from initial conception to release.

PRODUCTION – the actual filming of the movie.

PRODUCTION COMPANY – a firm that develops and produces movies.

production manager – person responsible for supervising and coordinating all of the technical and administrative details of a production.

SPEC SCRIPT – a script written (but not commissioned) in order to sell to potential buyers once it is finished.

SPIN – the ability to control buzz.

STUDIO – a company that produces, finances, and distributes films. Larger studios also have their own soundstages and filmmaking facilities.

TRADES – daily and weekly industry magazines that cover the film business. The Hollywood Reporter and Daily Variety are the major ones in Hollywood.

TREATMENT – a prose synopsis of a screenplay that gives the reader a general understanding of the storyline, the plot elements, and the characters.

TURNAROUND – the period in which a studio decides not to proceed with the production of a film and the rights revert back to the owner of the material so that they may set it up elsewhere.

UNIT PRODUCTION MANAGER - see production manager.