Script Speak

''Creator Speak that has to do specifically with TV scripts, script-writing, and production. Compare and contrast Fan-Speak and Creativity Leash.''

Script Speak:


 * Act Break - Splitting up a program into segments
 * Arms Up - Camera movement not as strong as boom up
 * Aside Glance - Brief look at camera
 * Beat - Short pause
 * Blipvert - High speed montage
 * Book Ends - Matching scenes at both ends of a story
 * Boom Up and Over - Camera moved high over subject
 * The Climax - High point of a story
 * Establishing Shot - Wide shot covering an area
 * Fade In - Dissolve from black
 * Fade Out - Dissolve to black
 * Fade to Black (see also Smash to Black) - Slow dissolve to black
 * Fade to White - Slow dissolve to white instead of black
 * Flyaway Shot - Slow zoom out
 * Hat and Coat Shot - Closing shot of the movie
 * An Insert - Close-up shot of a specific object
 * Internal Reveal - Something known to the audience is now known by a character
 * Iris Out - Black edges move inward toward the center of the screen
 * Landing Gear Shot - Quick airplane landing shot
 * Mandatory Line - Strange or quirky piece of dialog probably added for contractual reasons
 * Market Based Title - Title of a work in a foreign language is changed for marketing reasons
 * On the Next - Montage to encourage watching the next episode
 * Previously On - Montage showing scenes from one or more previous episodes
 * Script Life Cycle - How a script is created
 * Show Parts - The structure of a TV program
 * Smash Cut - Abrupt change in the middle of a scene
 * Smash to Black - Immediate cut to black, typically at a commercial break
 * The Tag - Short mini-act near end of the show
 * The Teaser - Short cold opening used at the beginning to establish a show
 * Three Act Structure - Constructing a program to be set up and finished in three acts
 * Title In - Indication that words describing something related to the scene are to appear
 * Where When Who - The three primary components of scene setting

Writer Speak


 * Aborted Arc
 * All Just a Dream
 * Backstory
 * Breather Episode
 * Canon
 * Character Focus
 * Concepts Are Cheap
 * Entrance
 * Exposition
 * Flat Character
 * Foil
 * Four Lines All Waiting
 * Framing Device
 * Fridge Logic
 * Half Arc Season
 * High Concept
 * The Hollywood Formula
 * In Medias Res
 * Lead In
 * Meanwhile Back At The
 * Meanwhile Scene
 * Mid Season Upgrade
 * Myth Arc
 * Negative Continuity
 * Nothing Is the Same Anymore
 * One Shot Character
 * Opening Monologue
 * Opening Scroll
 * Out of Focus
 * Plot Tailored to The Party
 * Recurring Character
 * Regular Character
 * Reset Button: Examples (see also): All Just a Dream; Negative Continuity; Snap Back
 * Retool
 * The Reveal
 * Rotating Arcs
 * Script Salve
 * Script Wank
 * Sequel Hook
 * Series Goal
 * Shoo Out the Clowns
 * Show Don't Tell
 * Snap Back
 * Stand Alone Episode
 * Status Quo Is God
 * Story Arc: See also: Aborted Arc; Half Arc Season; Myth Arc; Rotating Arcs
 * Subtext
 * Tableau
 * Take That
 * Third Line Some Waiting
 * Two Lines No Waiting: see also: Third Line Some Waiting; Four Lines All Waiting
 * Understatement
 * The Un Reveal
 * Wham Episode
 * Willing Suspension of Disbelief
 * Writing By the Seat of Your Pants
 * You Bastard

Production Lingo


 * ADR
 * Audio Description
 * Blue Screen or Green Screen: slang for Chroma Key
 * Bottle Episode
 * Closed Captioning
 * Concept Art
 * Episode Code Number
 * Five Episode Pilot
 * Fix It in Post
 * Laugh Track
 * Looping Lines
 * Model Sheet
 * MOS
 * Multi Part Episode
 * Precap
 * Scully Box
 * Shoot the Money
 * The Slug
 * Squib
 * Storyboard
 * Studio Audience
 * Stunt Double: see also Talent Double
 * Stock Footage
 * Syndication Title
 * Talent Double