Hollywood Glossary (Running List)
The entertainment industry can be so inaccessible, not just because of a general lack of resources, but because there are so many industry-specific terms that it can be hard to keep up! Here is a glossary of terms you might read in our articles, in the trades, or encounter as your career progresses.
*Note: click the terms for more information from our sources.
If you have suggestions for new terms to add, submit them HERE.
Actors' Equity Association - the labor union representing American Actors and Stage Managers in the theatre.
Advance - "Up-front payment that counts against monies that may be payable at some time in the future. Non-recoupable advances are payments that are not refundable even if future monies are never due."
AGA - Art Directors Guild: “a labor union that represents professionals in motion picture and television, such as directors, designers, and artists."
Agents vs. Managers - most importantly, but not limited to:
Licensing: Agents are licensed by the state and managers are not.
Producing: Managers are legally allowed to produce, but because agents are licensed by the state, they are not legally allowed to produce.
Rosters: Agents have significantly more clients than managers.
Responsibilities: Managers help manage their clients' careers more closely than agents. Agents pitch their clients for opportunities and negotiate deals, but don't work on the details of projects or the day-to-day of clients' careers.
Click HERE for more information from Masterclass.
AMPTP - Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers: “AMPTP is the trade association responsible for negotiating virtually all industry-wide guild and union contracts, including those with Directors Guild of America (DGA); International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE); Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA); Teamsters, Local #399; and Writers Guild of America (WGA) among others.”
The Animation Guild (TAG) - "TAG represents an estimated 5,000 artists, technicians, writers and production workers in the animation industry."
Anthology Film - "An anthology film is a movie with multiple parts or segments devoted to differing narratives. They are sometimes linked together by a theme, but it is not necessary."
Antitrust Laws - "Federal laws that prohibit anticompetitive conduct and mergers that deprive American consumers, taxpayers, and workers of the benefits of competition."
Associate Producer - "An associate producer, often referred to as the 'AP," is a below-the-line producer that performs under the supervision of another producer. An Associate Producer job duties and responsibilities will vary from project to project and may include organizing production personnel, coordinating set construction, operating a teleprompter, supervising lighting or sound plans, editing scripts, or writing news items."
AVOD - Advertising Video On Demand: “A media distribution model that provides free or reduced-cost streaming services to viewers, who in return are shown advertisements during their viewing experience.”
Below-The-Line Costs - “The technical expenses and labor including set construction, crew, camera equipment, film stock, developing, and printing."
Black Comedy - "a sub-genre of comedy that takes typically serious subjects, such as death and war, and treats them with macabre humor."
Blockbuster - "a standout movie that is a major box office success. Generally, a movie has to gross at least $200 million to be considered a blockbuster."
Bollywood - "Bollywood is the Hindi-language film industry in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India. The largest of the Indian film industries, Bollywood (the word is a portmanteau of "Bombay" and "Hollywood”) makes up a majority of the films produced in India. The Indian film industry is the largest film industry in the world in terms of number of films released per year with 1,500 to 2,000 movies released a year across twenty languages."
Breakdown - "A list of the types of characters needed to be cast for a project. Agents receive breakdowns and then submit you for an audition if you fit their descriptions. It can include gender, age, ethnicity, personality traits, small character background, and even accents preferred."
Buyers - Buyers "buy" projects (TV, film, podcasts, etc.). They provide content directly to their consumers. (ex. Netflix is a buyer because when they buy a project, they put it on their own streaming service rather than distribute it to others).
Carriage Deals - “Carriage deals are agreements between content providers (such as networks, studios, or production companies) and distributors (such as cable or satellite providers). The distributor agrees to carry the content on its platform in exchange for a fee." "These agreements also detail what channels the distributor is permitted or required to retransmit and how these channels are distributed to viewers and subscribers."
Carriage Dispute - “A carriage dispute describes a disagreement over the right to 'carry' (retransmit) a broadcaster's signal. Understandably, in the pre-streaming era, these disputes were mainly seen between broadcasters and cable companies. They now encompass direct broadcast satellite as well as other multichannel video programming distributors, including streaming media services. Carriage disputes are often resolved via financial compensation, with the distributor paying the TV station, streaming service provider, or network for the right to carry the signal."
Carriage Fee - "Carriage fees are the fees that pay-TV providers pay to TV network owners to carry the network owners’ linear TV channels on the providers’ cable, satellite or streaming pay-TV services. These fees are sometimes referred to as “affiliate” or “distribution” fees and annually bring in hundreds of millions to billions of dollars in revenue for TV network owners."
Co-Producer - "A co-producer is a producer who performs jointly with another producer on a production. A co-producer title may also be awarded to any key player (such as a DP, department chief, or talent) who does not have a direct hand in producing the project, but is instrumental in funding the project through their involvement, equipment, or services rendered."
Counter-Programming - "In broadcast programming, counterprogramming is the practice of offering television programs to attract an audience from another television station" airing at the same time.
Cord-Cutting - “The growing trend of customers canceling their traditional cable and satellite subscriptions in favor of only using these streaming or VOD formats.”
Coverage - An agent collects information in order to pitch the right clients and projects to buyers. Agents with coverage (most agents) "cover" different buyers on behalf of their department by meeting with executives to get this information (aka mandates), which is compiled and shared with the entire department at the agency. Note: unrelated to Script Coverage
Crossover Film - A crossover is a film marketed toward one audience but would also be enjoyed by a completely different demographic.
CTV - Connected TV: “CTV is an internet-connected device a customer uses to watch TV/video content online. It could be a smart TV, gaming console, or some other sort of internet-connected device. The device may be used to stream OTT content, but the two terms are not interchangeable.”
Current Programming - "Current programming executives work on projects that are currently on the air. They are the liaison between the network/studio and the actual production."
DGA - Directors Guild of America: An entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry.
Development - "The process of creating new movies, TV series," and other projects (such as podcasts, for example). Development executives balance the business with the creative - they oversee the process of giving notes and making creative changes that also work commercially to prepare a project for public distribution.
Director's Cut - "A Director's Cut is a version of a movie a director is able to make without any studio interference. This is the version the director would like audiences to see the film."
Distribution - "The process of getting a finished film or television show to audiences through theaters, streaming services, or other channels."
Elevator Pitch - A condensed version of a pitch for your project, usually about 30 seconds long, that you should have ready to go at any time so you're prepared when someone says "tell me about your project."
Entertainment Labor Unions - organization that protect workers in different sectors of the film and television industry. The rights unions protect include workers rights to: "Negotiate talent contracts, Ensure minimum salaries, Regular working hours, Health benefits, Paid Holidays, Legal Support, Safer workplaces, Retirement benefits," and more. Prominent entertainment labor unions include:
DGA (Directors Guild of America)
WGA (Writers Guild of America)
IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees),
SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)
Click HERE for a more complete list of Entertainment Labor Unions.
Episodic - a television show with "continuing characters in which stories run their course in a single episode."
EPK - Electronic Press Kit: "An electronic press kit used to promote a film or television show."
Executive Producer - "The executive producer sits at the top of the production hierarchy as it is their job to source and secure financing for production. EPs manage budgets and serve as high-level supervisors throughout the entire lifespan of a project, including its development, production, post-production, and distribution. Depending on the project, their role can quickly take on a hybrid quality – EPs often find themselves involved in making key creative decisions, especially if they are personally financing a project." "In television, an Executive Producer may also be the Creator / Writer of the series."
FAST - Free, Ad-Supported Television: “Free, ad-supported television is a form of streaming that delivers programming similar to cable, satellite, or traditional TV. You can view FAST TV content on virtually any device at no cost; the only tradeoff is that you have to watch commercials.”
FCC - Federal Communications Commission: “The Federal Communications Commission regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories."
Field Producer - "A field producer is a member of a film, radio, or television production crew who supervises material production on location. Field producers coordinate stories shot outside the studio."
Film Tax Credits - "Also known as movie production incentives, they are tax benefits offered on a state by state basis throughout the United States to encourage in-state film production." "The idea behind a film tax credit is pretty simple: by moving production to a state, you’ll be able to save money on taxes owed, or get some other perks in exchange for shooting on location there. You may have to use a certain amount of local vendors to qualify, but every offer is different."
First Look Deal - "when a producer or production company has an agreement with a studio or network to take any idea they want to develop to that specific network first. Then, if that network passes, the producer can then take the idea out to other buyers."
First Run Syndication - "First-run syndication generally refers to programs that are created explicitly to be sold into syndication." "First Run Syndication is a method of distributing radio and television programs outside of the major networks. If a television show isn't picked up by a network, producers attempt to sell the show directly to the affiliates and independent stations."
Format - Format refers to the general shape of the show, rather than the show's genre. For instance, a Sitcom is in a particular genre. It might be any length from a half-hour up to a miniseries. That's the format. Format can also refer to the technical aspects of a show or electronic media, or what kind of media it's distributed on.
Front Office - "The executives and decision-makers in a film studio or production company."
General Meeting - "General" for short. "An initial introduction between exec and content creator, to help ascertain, or at least begin exploring, whether they would want to work on something, or be in business with each other, in the future."
General Release - "A general release is the widespread distribution and simultaneous exhibition of a movie. This is in contrast to a limited release where a movie only plays at select theaters for its initial run."
Genre - "Genres are stylistic categories that organize films based on criteria such as the setting, characters, plot, mood, tone, and theme. A film's main genre category will be based on where the majority of the content lands. A sub-genre is a smaller category that fits inside a particular genre. Often this is a mixture of two separate genres, which known as hybrid genres. Genres and subgenres change over time and are informed by one another."
Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) - "The Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) was a voluntary cross-industry initiative created in 2019 to address digital safety. GARM was set up in the wake of the Christchurch New Zealand Mosque shootings during which the killer livestreamed the attack on Facebook. In August 2024, they shut down after Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) filed an antitrust lawsuit against them.
Greenlight - "Greenlight is a term used when a film has received the go-ahead to into production. This is in contrast to a redlight, where a film remains stuck on a shelf to not enter production."
Gross - "Gross is the total box office take. The total amount of money a movie brings in during its theatrical release. It does not include earnings from DVD/Blu-Ray sales or rentals."
Guerrilla Film - "A guerrilla film is a low-budget film made without acquiring filmmaking permits and often using non-SAG actors."
Hollywood Basic Crafts - The Hollywood Basic Crafts coalition consists of unions that collectively represent nearly 8,000 workers in bargaining. The Hollywood Basic Crafts comprises five unions and negotiated separately as well as together on common issues. The unions represent drivers and professionals like electricians, mechanics, and animal wranglers.
IATSE - The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees: A union with more than 168,000 members that “covers crew members in the entertainment industry including technicians, artisans, and craftspeople including sound, editing, production design, and more. I.A.T.S.E. is represented by different locals organized according to craft and region covering workers in the arts, media, and crafts under productions.” There are more than 375 local IATSE unions in 13 geographic districts, but all fall into the following 4 overarching departments:
Stagecraft
Motion Picture & TV
Broadcast
Tradeshow
Click HERE for a more information about IATSE's complex structure.
IFTA - Independent Film and Television Alliance: a trade association of independent producers and distributors of motion picture and television programming worldwide.
Independent Production Agreement - The national agreement signed between the ACTRA Performers Guild and the producers’ associations that sets minimum terms and conditions for the engagement of ACTRA members in films, independent television series and other non-network recorded media.
Informational - Short for "informational interview" or "informational meeting." NOT a job interview or a General. "An informational interview is a meeting to learn and gain insights about a person's real-life experiences in a specific career field, industry, organization, school, or fellowship." They usually (but don't always) last 15-30 minutes.
Inked - "Ink is a word used when people sign a contract to work on a film. It is often phrased as “[Actor] inked a deal to star in [film].”"
Interactive Media Agreement (IMA) - a contract between SAG-AFTRA and video game companies, covering roughly 2,600 performers who do voice-over and motion-capture work in the video game industry.
Interim Agreement (SAG-AFTRA) - "A strike means you can't work with companies affiliated with struck networks and studios. But you can work on independent productions, meaning productions that do not get their money from them. These independent entities must adhere to the terms previously proposed by the union during negotiation discussions."
Kill Fee - “A payment made to a writer if their work is not used or accepted."
Limited Partnership - “Form of business enterprise commonly used to finance movies. General partners initiate and control the partnership; limited partners are the investors and have no control of the running of the partnership business and no legal or financial liabilities beyond the amount they have invested."
Linear TV - “Linear TV refers to a classic system when a viewer watches a scheduled TV program when it airs on its original channel. The viewer can watch content through an antenna or by paying for a cable or satellite subscription.”
Line Producer - "A line producer performs the producer functions involved in supervising the physical aspects of the making of a motion picture or television production."
Loan Out Corporations - “A loan out corporation, also referred to as a loan out company, is a business entity created by entertainment professionals. Rather than being paid directly as an employee, entertainment professionals use a loan out corporation to conduct all of their business activities."
Local Programming - "television or radio content that is produced and aired specifically for a local audience, often focusing on news, events, and topics of local interest." "Many local TV stations partner with a broadcast network (such as ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC or Univision, among others), to provide you with top-rated primetime shows and national news in addition to local content."
Local Union - “IATSE is comprised of 360 Local Unions. These Local Unions are organized by geographic region and craft jurisdictions. Each local is an autonomous, independent 501(c)5 nonprofit entity. Each determines their own Constitution and By-Laws, officer elections, dues structure, membership meetings, and more through democratic processes. Locals negotiate labor contracts regarding wages, work rules, and grievance procedures. Some also provide services to their members by administering health and retirement funds, and providing training and education.”
Logline - "A logline, or log line, is a brief (one to two sentence) summary of a movie, tv show, etc. that hooks the reader in and describes the central conflict of the story."
Mailroom / Floater / Rotating Assistant - An entry level assistant position at an agency - even more entry level than being on an assistant on a desk. Floaters rotate between all departments as-needed, helping with overflow of other assistant work and covering desks when other assistants are out. Traditionally called "The Mailroom," but these days the position is usually officially titled "Floater" or "Rotating Assistant," although Mailroom is still used colloquially. Called an "Agent Trainee" at UTA (although the term "Agent Trainee" means a more advanced training program at other agencies).
Used in a sentence: "Floaters / Rotating Assistants are in The Mailroom."
Media Erasure - Media Erasure and Revisionism involves eliminating or modifying parts of the historical record, whereas Speculative Fiction alters the past to imagine what could have been.
Monopoly - "A market structure characterized by a single seller, selling a unique product in the market. In a monopoly market, the seller faces no competition, as he is the sole seller of goods with no close substitute. Monopolies restrict the entry of other sellers in the market." Monopolies typically allow for predatory practices against consumers.
Most Favored Nations (MFN) - In a contract, "when you see that a deal point is treated on a Most Favored Nations basis, it means that No other deal (of its kind)" with any other party "will contain more favorable terms than the one in question, and if any other deal DOES include more favorable terms, then all such deals will be “upgraded” to those better terms. Essentially, parties are hedging their bets that someone else could negotiate a better deal, and everybody would benefit."
Multi-Cam - "Multi-cam productions are a type of production style that involves using multiple cameras simultaneously to capture each scene/shot. With the aid of multiple camera operators, multi-cam productions can capture a multitude of angles and perspectives of the same moment within a scene in order to enhance the audience’s understanding of the setting and characters."
Network Mandates - Mandates "dictate what the network thinks their audiences want and what they think pairs well with what they have on the air." Network executives typically share them with agents, who use them to determine which client projects to pitch and often distribute them to their clients.
NewFronts - "NewFronts is a week in early May where publishers and technology companies put on large presentations to showcase new innovations, upcoming content, and scarce ad products for prospective brand and media buyers in the industry."
Nielsen Rating - "an estimate of the total number of viewers for a particular television program, expressed as a percentage of the total number of viewers whose television sets are on at the time and based on a monitoring of the sets of a preselected sample of viewers." Measured by Nielsen Media Research.
Off-Network Syndication - "Where a program originally created to be aired on a specific network is licensed by another network or smaller affiliates for re-broadcast."
"On a Desk" - When you're an assistant to a specific agent/manager/executive(s), you're "on their desk."
One Sheet - An important tool for pitching a film, TV show, or other project. "A short description of the project, the world, and the primary characters... all on one page."
Open Writing Assignment (OWA) - "a limited open invitation call for pitches for specific projects from a producer or studio. Usually the production entity has a significant property investment already (e.g. a novel), and are looking for a professional writer to express how they would approach converting the property or idea into a workable screenplay."
Option - "An exclusive right to a project for a specific amount of time (anywhere from a month to a year), sometimes involving $, sometimes not. Not a sale."
OTT - Over-the-top: “Over-the-top (OTT) is the delivery of TV/video content directly from the internet. Users don’t have to subscribe to a traditional cable or satellite provider to access this content; they can watch this content on various devices—tablet, phone, laptop/desktop, television, etc.”
Overall Deal - "when a producer or production company gets paid a (usually impressive) sum (either yearly or in otherwise agreed-upon installments) to develop content for one specific network and nobody else. If the producer pitches an idea to the network that they pass on, the idea usually dies on the vine, it can’t be taken out anyplace else."
Packaging - "tying multiple creative elements to a creative project. Those elements can be actors, directors, producers or others in any combination of two or more. How they get tied and what purpose the package is supposed to serve varies."
Pilot Season - "Pilot season is the time when studios create sample episodes for new potential series. Historically, Pilot Season has taken place between January and April (with the bulk of it in February and March) because they would typically air new shows in the Fall, but nowadays with so many online streaming services, pilots are being cast and shot throughout the year."
Pipeline - "The production pipeline refers to the process of filmmaking. A film that's in a production phase is "in the pipeline.""
POD - Production Overall Deal: "Basically a first look deal except anything that the producer develops while under this agreement must stay within the studio and cannot be taken elsewhere even if the studio passes. In return, the studio will pay an annual fee to the producer and cover all of his/her overhead costs."
Post-Production - "Post-production, or post, refers to the filmmaking process that occurs after the film shoots. It includes editing, VFX and captions."
Pre-Production - "Pre-production refers to the filmmaking process that occurs before the film shoots. It includes writing, casting and location scouting."
Press Kit - "A collection of promotional materials created for a film or TV project, often including production stills, interviews, and bios of the cast and crew."
Prime Time Television - The programming slots with the greatest number of viewers at a time. "Traditional primetime is eight to 11 o’clock at night, Monday through Friday, but Nielsen finds that more Americans tune in from 9:15pm to 9:30pm than any other period during primetime."
Producer - "A producer guides a film from its beginning to its completion. They have a hand in organizing and scheduling, budgeting and hiring, creative problem-solving and overseeing, and marketing and distributing. A producer may be a self-employed contractor, or subject to the authority of an employer such as a production company or studio. They are involved throughout all phases of production from inception to completion."
Proof of Concept - "A proof of concept is a smaller sample of what an eventual (often larger) project might look like. In film and television, a proof of concept is a short film composed of scenes that best represent the concept, story, tone and themes of a potential feature film or television series. A proof of concept not only demonstrates the potential of a feature film or television series, but also the skill and vision of a director and/or screenwriter."
PGA - Producers Guild of America: an organization that represents producers and all other members of the production team in film, television, and emerging media.
Pre-Production - "the planning stage of a production after a movie has been greenlighted. This occurs before principal photography begins. Pre-production usually involves script treatment, scheduling, casting, set design, and financial planning."
Production Agreement - "A film production agreement is a contractual statement between two or more parties agreeing to the payment of film-related work."
Production Assistant (P.A.) - "Assists with all aspects of production. Some (Office PA) work in the production office, some (Set PA) on set."
Proof of Concept - "A proof of concept is a smaller sample of what an eventual (often larger) project might look like. In film and television, a proof of concept is a short film composed of scenes that best represent the concept, story, tone and themes of a potential feature film or television series. A proof of concept not only demonstrates the potential of a feature film or television series, but also the skill and vision of a director and/or screenwriter."
Redlight - "A redlight is a film project that had previously been greenlighted but has now been cancelled, either temporarily or permanently. It is also known as a film in turnaround."
Residuals - "Payment made to the writer of a teleplay for subsequent showings, screenings, and reruns of the work."
Revisionism - Revisionism and Media Erasure involves eliminating or modifying parts of the historical record, whereas Speculative Fiction alters the past to imagine what could have been.
SAG-AFTRA - Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists: An American labor union with approximately 160,000 members.
Scale - "If it is a union job, it is the minimum amount the actor can be paid according to the union’s schedule of minimums."
Scale + 10% - "The minimum amount the actor can be paid according to the union’s schedule of minimums" plus the 10% agent fee on top.
Screener - "A screener is a physical copy of a film sent to film critics and awards voters. The movie studios send these out as a convenience during awards season."
Script Coverage - "Writing script coverage or script notes is analyzing synopsis and providing feedback. The studio executives will read the coverage to see the screenplay’s logline (one or two lines that state the central conflict of the screenplay), summary of plot and characters and the script coverage comments on the quality of the writing. In the comments section, the reader will give their impressions in a variety of ways."
Script Doctor - "A script doctor is somebody who specializes in patching up scripts. Script doctors aren’t credited as writers unless they meet the 33% WGA threshold. Many screenwriters serve as script doctors at some point in their careers."
Serial - A TV show "in which stories unfold over multiple episodes"
Shooting Script - "A shooting script is a late-stage draft of a script that’s been marked up by directors, cinematographers, etc. for production."
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."
Show Bible - "A document that outlines the characters, world, and storylines of a TV show."
Showrunner - "The person responsible for overseeing the day-to-day production and creative direction of a TV show."
Single Cam - "Single-cam productions are a type of production style that refers to using one primary camera to capture each scene/shot. With the aid of dollies (camera tracking devices), single-camera productions often move the camera throughout the shot to enhance the visual story without using excessive transitions or cuts to the next shot."
Sizzle Reel - "Typically, a sizzle reel is a three to five minute summation of your story’s main plot points, narrative approach, direction, and introduction to your main characters. Unlike a stylish, marketing-motivated trailer or demo reel, a sizzle is a cohesive, narrative visual approach that gives your audience an ultra-clear look at what your story is about. Typically, the audience for a sizzle is a room of decision-makers who can help make your entire story, film, or series come to life."
Spec Script (Film) - "Writing a script for free with no guarantee that it will be produced. For features, a spec script is an original story. It’s original material, original characters, and an original story."
Spec Script (TV) - "TV spec scripts are speculative episodes of existing and usually ongoing television series. You pick a show you love, develop an idea for an episode of that show, and write the episode using the existing characters, storylines, and settings."
Speculative Fiction - Speculative fiction alters the past to imagine what could have been, whereas Media Erasure and Revisionism involves eliminating or modifying parts of the historical record.
Streaming Wars - "The term that was coined in late-2010s to discuss new era of competition between video streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV+, and Peacock."
Strike Authorization - Before a union goes on strike, union members must vote on whether or not they are prepared to strike. When a union votes to authorize a strike (which requires 50% or more), that does not mean they definitely will go on strike, just that union leaders have permission to initiate a strike if their demands are not met.
Studio - "Unlike production companies, which focus more on the creative and practical aspects of filmmaking including development and post-production, a film studio often encompasses funding, production oversight, and distribution, functioning on a larger corporate scale."
SVOD - Subscription Video on-Demand: “A model of media distribution where consumers pay a recurring fee to gain unlimited access to a streaming platform’s content library, ranging from films to TV shows.”
Syndication - "Distribution of motion pictures to independent commercial television stations on a regional basis."
Synopsis - "A synopsis is a beat for beat retelling of a story's plot."
Tagline - "A tagline is a short sentence or clever phrase that memorably summarizes the film to a general audience. It’s supposed to tease what the film will be about."
Teamsters - “A labor union that represents certain crew workers in the Motion Picture Industry including drivers, location managers, casting directors, and more.”
Tentpole - “A blockbuster. Movie that serves as primary support and finances other projects for a company."
The Black List - “an annual survey of Hollywood executives’ favorite unproduced screenplays. Since it was founded in 2005, more than 400 Black List scripts have been produced, grossing over $26 billion in box office worldwide. Black List movies have won 53 Academy Awards from 262 nominations, including 4 of the last 10 Best Picture Oscars and 10 of the last 22 Best Screenplay Oscars."
Tone - "Tone is the overall atmosphere and mood of a TV show, which is established through dialogue, pacing, and visual cues. Writers use tone to create a consistent atmosphere that sets the mood for the entire show. For example, a dark, brooding tone can evoke a sense of tension and unease, while a light-hearted, comedic tone can make viewers feel relaxed and entertained."
Trades - Industry news sources, including Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Cynopsis.
Treatment - "A treatment is a detailed summary of a movie’s story, including each major scene. It is written in prose form, and it is generally necessary when pitching a film to a studio."
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."
Union vs. Guild - "A union is an organization designed to protect specifically employees while a guild is an organization designed to protect independent contractors."
Upfronts - Every year after pilot season, networks and streaming platforms tease their upcoming slate of new and returning television programs to advertisers through presentations.
Vanity Shingle - A production company mostly in name, usually helmed by a celebrity who has a deal with a studio and wants to produce and have more control over development of their projects.
VOD - Video on-Demand: “A technology that permits users to watch television shows, movies, and other video content at any time, instead of watching at times prescribed by a broadcast television channel or cable TV service.”
Waiver - "Union approved permission for a non-union performer to be allowed to work as union for the day."
