Glossary

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Q Rating: Advertising research rating that gauges how easily a celebrity is recognized -- and how well the celebrity is liked.
Recoupment:  Return of an investment, frequently with interest.

Release Print: Film print used by exhibitors.

Rep: (n.) Representative; (v.) Represent.

Re-Up: Renew a contract; usually refers to employment or overhead deal.

Residuals: Payments to the creator of performance art (or the performer in the work) for subsequent showings or screenings.
 
Rolling [Actual or Cash] Break-Even: Re-calculated actual or cash break-even amount that considers cumulative expenses rather than being based on the initial actual or cash break-even.  For example, 100% of gross receipts after rolling actual break-even is the same as net profits.  And once again, more definitions used so the writer never sees any additional money.

Royalties: Usage-based payments to one party (the "licensee") to another (the "licensor") for ongoing use of an asset.

SAG: Screen Actors Guild.

Sales Agent: Party that acts as agent for the owner of the rights in arranging for distribution or exploitation of a motion picture.  Contrast to Distributor.

Screen Direction: Direction of action that must be maintained to keep up the illusion of continued action for the audience.  For example, if the actor on the screen is running from screen-left (towards the left side of the screen), then in the next shot he cannot run from screen-right because he would appear to be running the opposite way.

Scribbler: Writer; also "scribe."

Scripter: Screenwriter; also "scribe."

Shingle: Production company; often referring to a company with an overhead deal. 

Six Degrees to Kevin Bacon Game: Game in which you randomly pick a name in Hollywood and attempt to connect that person back to Kevin Bacon with points to the person who can connect the dots in the fewest steps. It's fun -- try it.
Shopped: Spec script taken out to prospective buyers.


Showrunner: Executive producer of a television series -- the person who actually runs the show. Often this is not the creator but someone very experienced who is the day-day person in charge of the show.

Sitcom: Originally coined by the newspaper Daily Variety, shorthand for situation comedy TV series.

Sock (also socko): Very good; usually refers to box office performance.  See also Boff.

Sleeper: Film or TV show that lacks pre-release buzz or critical praise but turns into a success after it is released/aired; usually due to good word-of-mouth.

Spec(s) (also spex): TV special(s).

Spec script: Script "shopped" or sold on the open market as opposed to one commissioned by a movie studio or production company. While it is very hard to sell a spec script, if you can generate heat and create a bidding war, you can sometimes sell a spec script for a lot of money.

Sub-Distributor: Party licensed by a distributor to exploit a film; usually in a foreign country.

STCPDS: Story, trailer, cast, production notes, downloads and stills -- the basics of every movie website ever.

Strip: Putting a show on air five-or-six-days-per-week in the same time slot; usually happens in syndication.

Talent: Generally refers to writers, directors, and actors. 

Telefilm (also telepic, telepix): Feature-length motion picture made for TV.

Television Academy: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences -- awards the Emmys.

Trades: Industry-related publications such as Daily Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.

Tent pole: In the feature business, this is referred to a movie that a studio hopes will be a big summer (and year) blockbuster, such as "Transformers."

Title role: Lead part in a movie or TV production for an actor named after the title of the film; Angelina Jolie played the title role in "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider."

Topliner: Star of a particular TV show or film.

Tubthump: Promote or draw attention to; from the ancient show business custom of actors wandering the streets banging on tubs to drum up business.

Turnaround: No longer active; a project put into "turnaround" has been abandoned by one studio and may be shopped to another.

U: Universal Pictures.

Vertical Integration: Process of one media company acquiring another media company elsewhere in the production chain process in order to produce and distribute content and product. Following the elimination of the Financial Interest and Syndication Rules (Fin-Syn Rules) in 1995, many large media corporations formed conglomerates, such as Walt Disney Studios buying Capital Cities/ABC, Viacom buying CBS, and General Electric acquiring NBC. In many of these cases the corporate parent has eliminated entire divisions or existing portions of companies, slashing staffs and costs in the process.

WGA: Writers Guild of America.

Wrap: Finish production.

Yawner: Boring film, television show, play, etc.

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