Creator Speak that has to do specifically with TV scripts, script-writing, and production. Compare and contrast Fan Speak and Creativity Leash.
Script Speak:
See also:
- Act Break - Splitting up a program into segments
- Aside Glance - Brief look at camera
- Beat - Short pause
- Blipvert - High speed montage
- Book Ends - Matching scenes at both ends of a story
- The Climax - High point of a story
- Establishing Shot - Wide shot covering an area
- Fade In - Marking the start of a scene by dissolving from black/white.
- Fade Out - Marking the end of a scene by dissolving to black/white.
- Fade to Black (see also Smash to Black) - Marking an important moment by dissolving to black.
- Fade to White - Marking an important moment by dissolving to white.
- Flyaway Shot - Slow zoom out
- Harpo Does Something Funny - Space in the script for performers to improvise.
- Hat-and-Coat Shot - Closing shot of the movie
- The Heavy - An antagonist with a big part. He's known as "the heavy" because, having so many lines, his actor's script is literally heavy.
- 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
- Kishōtenketsu - Traditional East Asian four-act plot structure without a driving conflict
- 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
- Surprise Car Crash - Fast abrupt ending involving a vehicle crash
- 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: A story arc is established, only for the series to forget about it and leave it unresolved.
- All Just a Dream: The story ends with the revelation that the events were all only being dreamed by the protagonist.
- Backstory
- Breather Episode: A more lighthearted episode so that the audience can take a break from the current serious storyline.
- Canon: That which is confirmed to have officially happened in the work's continuity.
- Character Focus
- Conceit
- Concepts Are Cheap
- Entrance
- Exposition
- Fabula and Sujet
- Flashback B-Plot
- Flat Character: A character who lacks depth.
- Foil: A character who is like the opposite of another character.
- Framing Device: A secondary story at the beginning and end to present the work as a story or flashback.
- Forgotten Framing Device: When the Framing Device is not seen again after the story.
- Four Lines, All Waiting
- Fridge Logic: Logical inconsistencies within the story that the viewer doesn't notice until after the fact.
- Half-Arc Season: When interspersing a Story Arc with a mostly episodic show.
- High Concept
- The Hollywood Formula
- In Medias Res: When a work begins in the middle of the story.
- Lead In
- "Lesson of the Day" Speech
- Meanwhile, Back at the…
- Meanwhile Scene
- Mid-Season Upgrade
- Mirror Character
- Myth Arc: A story arc that spans the entire series.
- Negative Continuity: There isn't a consistent canon, so expect tons of inconsistencies or for certain endings being undone by a return to the status quo by the next episode.
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: An important change happens in the series that does away with the status quo from then on.
- One-Shot Character: A character who only appears once.
- Opening Monologue
- Opening Scroll
- Out of Focus
- Plot Tailored to the Party
- Recurring Character: A character who makes at least one reappearance after their debut.
- Regular Character
- Reset Button: The story gets reset to restore the status quo.
- Retool: The show's format is suddenly changed to appeal to newer viewers.
- The Reveal: Something not known to the audience at first is made known to them.
- Rotating Arcs
- Sequel Hook: The ending teases toward a sequel coming up.
- Series Goal: A goal someone has to accomplish for the show.
- Shoo Out the Clowns: The comical or more goofy characters are suddenly absent during the show's more serious moments, specifically the Darkest Hour and Final Battle.
- Show, Don't Tell
- Snap Back: When events suddenly revert to the way they were before in the next installment without explanation.
- Standalone Episode
- Story Arc (See also: Aborted Arc; Half-Arc Season; Myth Arc; Rotating Arcs)
- Subtext
- Tableau
- Take That!: Making a jab toward another work or something in real life that the author dislikes.
- Third Line, Some Waiting
- Two Lines, No Waiting (see also: Third Line, Some Waiting; Four Lines, All Waiting; Flashback B-Plot)
- Understatement: A statement that describes something as if it was less severe or grand than it actually is.
- The Unreveal: Even when it looks like we'll find out the big secret, it never is revealed.
- Wham Episode: A single episode that drastically changes the series' tone from then on.
- Willing Suspension of Disbelief
- Writing by the Seat of Your Pants: The author just makes up the story as they go along.
- You Bastard!: The audience is chastised for enjoying the characters' suffering.
Production Lingo
- Audio Description
- Blue Screen or Green Screen (slang for Chroma Key)
- Bottle Episode: An episode goes easy on the budget money by limiting the number of characters, locations, etc. that can be used.
- Closed Captioning
- Concept Art: Sketches drawn to try and decide what the characters will look like in the final product.
- Episode Code Number
- Five-Episode Pilot: The series begins with a multi-part episode. In spite of the name, it can be in more or less than five parts.
- Fix It in Post
- Laugh Track: Pre-recorded laughter plays during scenes that are supposed to be funny.
- Looping Lines: The actors redo their lines until they get them just right so that the best takes can be used for the final shot.
- Model Sheet: A study of the different facial expressions and movements the character can do.
- MOS
- Multi-Part Episode: A single story is divided between two or more episodes.
- Precap: A story begins with a prologue showing what's going to happen in it.
- Scully Box
- Shoot the Money
- Squib
- Storyboard: A series of drawings that are intended to illustrate the script and give the production team an idea of what the final work should look like.
- Studio Audience
- Stunt Double: During dangerous scenes, the actor is substituted with an experienced and more physically strong person made to look like them to avoid the regular actor getting hurt.
- Stock Footage: Reusing footage that has already been shot.
- Syndication Title
- Talent Double: An actor has a stand-in for when their character needs to demonstrate a skill that they lack in real life.
