Producing for TV and New Media: Glossary - A

Above-the-line

People on a project are paid a fixed amount, such as producers, writers, directors, primary actors, and legal counsel. Each requires a negotiated fee, including union affiliation, the time required, special perks, and star power. This group is also known as the “creatives.” This category includes acquisitions to script rights

Account (or Key Budget Category)

The accounts on a budget, including all the departments, all costs above and below the line, and all expenses

Acoustics

The quality of sound and noise in an enclosed environment used for recording sound during a shoot, such as a sound stage, or a room

Actual

In a budget, the amount actually spent as opposed to an estimated amount

ADR (Automatic Dialogue Replacement)

Also known as looping, this process involves actors recording, or rerecording, dialogue. In the controlled conditions of a recording studio or sound stage, clean dialogue is recorded to replace lines with noise interference, a bad reading, or a new line not in the original performance. The actor matches
their performance in the scene by synchronizing with lip movements in the picture on a monitor in the studio

AEA

Actors Equity Association, a union for on-stage actors

AFTRA

American Federation of Television and Radio Actors, a union that represents
actors in television and radio

Agent (for talent)

A talent agent suggests the actors or performers that they represent to casting directors, producers, and/or directors. The agent sets up auditions, negotiates contracts, and is responsible for the actor’s schedule, makeup,
wardrobe calls, call times, and so on. The agent is generally franchised by the
Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Actors (AFTRA), and commonly receive 10 percent of the actor’s earnings

AGVA

American Guild of Variety Artists, a union that represents performers such as fire jugglers, sword acts, etc

Ambient sound

Sound effects or noise in the background that are natural to the location
and don’t include dialogue or production audio

Angle

The direction in which a camera or microphone is aimed at the subject that it is recording

Art director

Assists the production designer or, when there is no production designer, serves as the production designer

Assistant director (AD)

Depending on the project, the AD might hire and be in charge of
background extras, as well as direct any action in the background. In a studio shoot, the AD works with the director in the control room and communicates the director’s orders to the crew on the studio floor

Associate producer (AP)

Also called the assistant producer, he or she does specific
jobs that the producer assigns, such as creating production schedules, providing budgets to departments, booking talent and/or crew, research, interviewing talent, finding locations, supervising union-related functions, etc.

Attached

An actor, director, or other talent who has committed to an involvement in a project, thus adding extra value to a project’s viability

Audio crew

The mixer and boom operators on the set/location

Audio editing

Includes editing, positioning, and mixing dialogue, music, sound effects, and other audio components

Audio log

A form kept by the producer and/or postproduction supervisor with details pertinent to the audio mix, such as the tape number with time codes (in and out point numbers), the scene number, and the take number with a short description of what’s been recorded

Audio mixer (or audio editor)

The person responsible for mixing all audio sources, such as dialogue, music, and sound effects

AP

Associate producer

AD

Assistant director

ADR

Automatic Dialogue Replacement