Every one knows that Hollywood is different than the rest of the
world. And when I say Hollywood, I mean not only the city proper,
but also living and working in the entertainment industry. Like
any industry, Hollywood has its own buzz words for its business
of motion picture, words that are relevant only to those other
people in the same business who know what those words mean. Just
as some may not know a lot of geek speak when it comes to
computer techie talk, so too may many not know what words are
being thrown around by those in the ‘biz’ and what
they mean.
If you are going to have a career in Hollywood, you have to know
the language. The best thing to do is to pick one or both of the
main trade publications that are a must read in this business to
help get that part down, study your Yiddish, and read this
article here each issue. I give you here some basic phrases and
words that you should know the meanings of, if you are going to
operate smoothly in this town. This list is endless. You can
never know every thing in this business. You can only know too
little. So get ready to do your homework.
Breakdowns: few line or so job description
issued by casting or the producer or director or production
company, describing the acting role available, including detail
of character name, age range, gender, character description, when
casting, when shooting, union status, production company, CD,
etc.
Baby: These days, even straight men may call
other straight men baby in this town. Usually, it is reserved for
talk between different genders, as in “Baby, you’ve
got what it takes.”
The business: The motion picture and
entertainment business. Also called ‘the biz.’
Catch 22: Hollywood is full of these. This means
that some one needs a certain condition met to get another
condition fulfilled, and that one can’t condition that
other thing fulfilled without the first thing being fulfilled.
One can’t get one without the other, yet at least one of
the things is needed.
CD: Casting Director
Eagle: Legal eagle, attorney
EP: Executive Producer. May stand alone on the
team, or be on production team with one or numerous other
EP’s in which case they may be Co-EP’s.
Exclusive: An exclusive deal or contract. One
party is bound to work only or be represented (repped) only by
one other party in a certain area.
The Eye: CBS studios
The Fox: 20th Century Fox Studios
The Frog: Warner Brothers Studios
Girl: Any female in the business that is, or
looks, under 30.
Honey: It is common in the music, fashion, and
film biz for executives (execs) to call other business associates
honey, sweetheart, or any other number of sweet-talk words
generally reserved for lovers. Usually this is isolated to
members of the opposite sex, or gays to those who are gay
friendly. It is also not isolated to men only. Many female
professionals regularly use this language too. One female agent I
once knew, used to call every body she liked ‘schnooky
putz.’
Honeywagon: the porta-potties on a backlot or
set. I once pointed out to a talent what direction the
honeywagons were, and she proceeded to rub her tummy and tell me
“Mmmm! Good, thank you, I’m hungry!”
Don’t make that same mistake! It pays to know your honey
from your honey wagon, right babe?
ND NC: A Non disclosure, Non Circumvent
agreement. Also called a confidentiality agreement. A legal doc
stipulating that two parties will not cut each other out of a
deal when working together, and will keep each other a part of
new deals if one party introduces the other party to some
one.
Non-Exclusive: A more open, casual agreement in
which one party is free to be represented by more than one entity
as stipulated.
Par: Paramount Pictures
The Peacock: NBC Studios
Rep: Representation. Usually an agent, manager,
or attorney.
They’re SAG: If spoken about an agent,
this means that they are franchised with the Screen Actors Guild.
If spoken about a talent (actor), this means that they are an
active, dues paying member of the Screen Actors Guild.
Sides: lines that an actor has to memorize
Town: Los Angeles, California, the second
largest city by population in the United States of America.
Hollywood proper.
The U: Universal Studios
UPM: Unit Production manager, also called the
showrunner, and sometimes the line producer. May also be the
EP.
We’re all going to go to bed together:
This does not mean what you might think. It does not mean sleeping
with one person, or even a group of people. Instead, it is
Hollywood’s way of saying, we are all talking about doing a
serious business deal together, with heavy, legally binding
contracts. Also referred to as ‘getting married.’
Common among producers.
We’re getting married: Similar to going to
bed together, this means that two parties are signing heavy
legally binding documents (docs), and may be ‘joined at the
hip’ legally for a number of years, or with lifetimes
residuals on a film, even for life, like a marriage. A group
marriage involves the same with more than two people.
Let's do a sleepover: A sleepover simply means
lets test the waters slowly in working together, to see if going
to bed together (doing a deal) and getting married (a lifetime
deal) is a good idea.
What do you want me to do for you? What can you do for
me? I called some big shot in town once, and this was
the first thing out of his mouth. Be prepared to answer this
question with any one you go in to a meeting in person or on the
phone with. It is after all, the only thing most any one really
cares about, and every one is trying to get to in other
words.
We ME: William Morris Endeavor
Entertainment