L.A. SPEAK : A Selection of Film-ese

Abby Singer-- n. the second-to-the-last shot of the day; named for an assistant director famous for calling, “Last shot,” then changing his mind.

beach it-- v. to secure film equipment or items with a sandbag at the base.

French hours-- n. a 10-hour workday with a working-lunch break of 30 minutes. (“The crew of ‘Soapdish’ pulled French hours for almost two months.”)

green out-- v. to place trees, shrubs, flowers in front of or behind something. (“Green out the freeway with some palms. This is supposed to be a seaside resort!”)

hero-- n. a prop used by the actor or actress in the film.

honey wagon-- n. the restroom trailer on location shoots.

hot set-- n. a set ready for shooting, and not to be messed with. (“Miss Jackson’s kitchen is a hot set.”)

key-- n. the head of his or her department, the boss.

keying-- v. to work as the head of your department. (“So, I heard you were keying.”)

line out-- v. Watch your head--a rope was dropped from above.

martini shot-- n. the last shot of the day.

move or bleed-- v. electrician /grip talk for “Get out of my way fast, or I’ll drop a 300-pound light on your shoulder.”

walk it north-- v. get it out of here.

wring it out-- v. to go to the bathroom. (“Where’s the honey wagon? I’ve got to go wring it out before we set up the next shot.”)