ANIMATION

Cartoon-like images for special communication (Aflac)

AFTRA

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists – Union that represents performing talent: actors, singers, dancers, and broadcast announcers

ASCAP

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers – Organization that protects the rights (intellectual property) of musical artists

BEAUTY SHOT

Close-up of the product by itself

CAMERA ANGLE

Position of camera in relation to the subject (object, person, or scene) when filming or photographing

CAMERA PERSON

Films all the scenes and beauty shots

CASTING AGENT

Person who auditions and selects the talent

CHYRON

Character generator that creates the supers (on-screen text)

COLOR BARS

Striped bar of test colors preceding the commercial are used as a reference point to allow for color adjustments to ensure playback will match recorded spot

CLAP BOARD

Chalkboard used to identify the “take” number for post-production (Camera assistant holds the clap board up to be filmed, announces the take number, and closes the hinged top bar, producing a “clap.”)

CRAWL

Words or images move along the screen horizontally, like a baby crawling across the floor

CU

Close-up, camera is near object or actor

DEMO

DVD demonstration of talent’s range of abilities or production house’s samples of best commercials

DIRECTOR

Person in charge of supervising the production

DISSOLVE

One image fades as another one comes up; if done very slowly, it’s called a “slow dissolve”

DOLLY

Camera is mounted on a small truck that smoothly moves across tracks to follow action in scene and carries the camera crew and director

ECU

Extreme close-up, camera is right beside object or actor

FLOW

How smoothly and effortlessly the copy reads

FRAME

One scene or shot in the commercial

FREEZE FRAME

Action is completely stopped

GAFFER

Head electrician who oversees lighting apparatus

GRIP

Carpenters who build and repair the set during production

HAIR STYLIST

Person who styles the actors’ hair for the shoot

HUMOR

Uses comedy for entertainment and retention

ICON

Drives brand recognition (Geico’s gecko)

IN SYNC

Sound track and actors’ mouth movements (sound and action) are synchronized

INSERT

(1) Image showing a specific detail is inserted on screen, sometimes in a box; (2) Another shot is inserted into the spot

KEY FRAME

A single, instantly recognized image from a spot

LIFESTYLE

Shows product in everyday use (mini vans)

MAKE-UP ARTIST

Person who applies and checks actors’ make-up throughout the shoot (person may also be the hair stylist on the set)

MORPH

When one image slowly becomes (blends into) another

MS

Medium shot of scene (camera’s not close or far away)

MUSIC

Helps reinforce message like an auditory punctuation mark

MUSIC POST

Where the music comes in and punctuates spot

OS

Overhead shot

PA

Production assistant (handles details of the shoot)

PAGE TURN

An effect that changes one scene to another, resembling someone turning a page in a book

PAN

Camera moves slowly to give a wider (panoramic) view

PICTURE SAFETY

During post-production, check that images and text within a pre-set area on the screen will appear on at-home TVs (the “safe zone”)

PRE-PRODUCTION

Everything that needs to get done before filming (casting, booking studio, choosing location or studio, creating props, hiring production team and caterers, attaining script approval, etc.)

POST-PRODUCTION

Finalizing the spot (putting the scenes together, editing out superfluous copy or images, correcting colors, adding music, superimposing text, etc.)

PRODUCT COMPARISON

Highlights product’s advantage (spot removers)

PRODUCT DEMONSTRATION

Features product advantages and how it works (detergents)

PROPS

Objects on the set to help create the scene (lounge chairs, seashells, sand for a beach scene)

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Illustrates a charitable cause or organization, usually created pro bono – without creative and/or production fees – to showcase a need to the public

QUICK CUT

One image is replaced by another, without a transition

SAG

Screen Actors Guild – Association of union talent

SCROLL

Words or images move vertically from the top down or from the bottom up

SEX APPEAL

To make products seem sexy, to create the cool factor (Axe), or to include sexy celebrities for attention

SFX

Special effects designed to create an illusion

SHOOT

Production of a TV spot or infomercial

SLICE OF LIFE

Emotional sell (Hallmark)

SLO-MO

Slow motion (of camera)

SNIPE

Type on the bottom of the screen like promos for TV shows

SPLIT SCREEN

Screen is divided with side-by-side images usually for a comparison

SPOKESPERSON

Creates awareness (Catherine Zeta-Jones – T-Mobile)

STORYBOARD

A visual representation of a spot that shows the action and spoken lines in a frame-by- frame portrayal

SUPER

Superimpose text or image on screen

TAGS

Closing lines that are recorded and inserted at the end of a spot to announce different locations, sale dates, and special offers

TAKE

A specific shot in a commercial, numbered and recorded on the clap board for future reference

TALENT RELEASE

A written agreement with a talent as legal proof of payment, indicating a buyout, that is signed by the talent, stating the amount paid, client name, title of spot, date of spot, name and location of studio

TALK VALUE

Spots that generate consumer conversations about them

TALKING HEAD

Focuses attention on what’s being said about product

TESTIMONIAL

People talk about the product to establish credibility

TONE

1,000 hertz tone plays before commercial as a pre-test for audio track levels

UNION SIGNATURE

Authorized union representative who completes, signs and sends in paperwork for each spot using union talent

UNION TALENT

Actors who are union members of SAG or AFTRA

VIGNETTE

Presents a little story like a short play

VOICEOVER

Off-camera actor

WARDROBE

Person in charge of selecting (styling) and maintaining the actors’ clothing during filming

WIPE

Image is swept off screen as if it’s wiped away

WRAP

The word to describe the completion of a spot, “That’s a wrap.”