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Glossary
A-B | C-D | E-L | M-P | Q-Z
CAS: Cinema Audio Society.
Cash Break-Even: Point in time when a motion picture’s gross receipts are equal to net profits but using a low distribution fee. Thus there there can be several levels of cash break-even using progressively higher distribution fees until actual break-even. Once again, one of the many definitions used to "define" profit so that you, the writer, never sees any back-end.
Cash Method: Accounting method in which expenses and income are reported when paid or received rather then incurred or accrued. Compare to Accrual Method above.
Cast-Contingent: Deal in which a buyer makes a commitment to finance and produce a project based on specific casting requirements.
CDG: Costume Designers Guild.
Chopsocky: Term coined by newspaper Daily Variety for a martial arts film form perfected by Hong Kong stars and directors such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li.
Cliffhanger: Melodramatic adventure or suspense film or TV show; usually a serial with a to-be-continued ending.
(The) Coast: Hollywood, California.
Coin: Money, financing.
Completion Bond: Contractual commitment issued by a completion guarantor agreeing to either (a) complete and deliver a picture on time or (b) repay the bank if the picture is not delivered on time. The completion bond fee is generally calculated as a percentage of the combined above-the-line and below-the-line costs but excludes costs related to rights acquisition and actor payments.
Conforming: Also called “A and B rolling,” the process by which the cuts between scenes are unified.
Co-Production: Technically a joint production between two companies in two separate countries pursuing a co-production treaty between the two countries. Term can also refer to any form of partnership or joint venture relating to film or TV production.
Cutaway Shot: Shot seemingly unrelated to the current action but interjected to reveal significant information to the audience or disrupt continuity in order to establish a new 180 degree line.
Dailies: Work prints of the previous day’s footage that each day the producer, director, and cinematographer review before continuing with the current day’s filming.
Deal Memo: Term sheet or letter of intent -- usually binding -- that will be used to define a deal before the long-form contract has been hammered out.
Deferment: Fixed payment to talent payable at a certain point (out of gross receipts usually after reaching cash break-even). For "passion" projects, talent will sometimes take a small fee upfront with the rest of the fee to be deferred.
Demographics ("Demos"): Data on the television-viewing audience organized by categories such as age and gender. Collected data is converted into numbers representing ratings and households, total audience, and audience share.
DGA: Directors Guild of America.
Distribution Fee: Retained share of profits by the distributor usually charged as a percentage of gross receipts that a distributor will take off the top.
Distributor: Owner or licensor of film’s rights that licenses such rights to a third party. Compare to Sales Agent.
Docudrama: Film or TV movie primarily based on fact combining documentary and fiction elements. Often denoted as "a true story," "based on," "inspired by" or in some cases even "inspired by true events."
DP: Director of photography -- synonymous with cinematographer.
Dramedy: Genre originated in the mid-to late 1980s that is a cross between drama and comedy, such as the film "Little Miss Sunshine' and ABC's "Grey's Anatomy."
Documentary: Genre of film intended to record an aspect of real life as truthfully as possible, such as "March of the Penguins."
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