Über editor: N to P

© 2004 Ginny Lowndes

Naturalism/slice of life
Naturalism or slice of life is an extreme form of realism, which stated it is the natural and social environment, more than individual willpower that controls human behaviour.

New media
New media is an umbrella terms used to describe interactive audio and or video services on the Internet, cell phone or games.

Narration
Narration is the dialogue that is spoken off camera to explain a scene or sequences of action. It is most used in documentary but is currently used to great effect in the television series, Desperate Housewives.

[ Desperate Housewives. (2004). Writer: M. Cherry]

Narration script
A narration script is used in documentary. It is prepared out of all the material that will be used in the making of a documentary. It may have a number or narrators either speaking to or off camera.

New writer
A new writer is an individual who has insufficient produced credits, as laid down in their guidelines, to become a full-time member of the Australian Writers Guild.

Non-certified budget
A non-certified budget is one that has no completion guarantor. The producer signs a letter that accompanies this budget to attest that it is the final one before principal photography.

[Jeffrey, T. (2006). Film Business. Sydney : Allen & Unwin]

Outline
An outline is usually requested by a producer. It is a short proposal for a television project that contains the idea, the main characters and the location written in the style of the proposed genre.

OPC/One person crew
OPC is a term that means One Person Crew. OPC is the result of digital technology that has lowered production costs with cheap, broadcast quality equipment. Writing, acting and production has been adapted to fit this, i.e. reality shows, movies shot on cell phones and other new media. See hunter-gatherer, documentary.

Option
An option is the agreement that rents the rights to a script, novel or other written material from an author for a specific period of time and fee in order to create another genre from it.

Other productions
Other productions are sponsored industrial or other short films including audio visual productions that are not produced for television broadcast.

Off screen (OS)/out of shot or sight (OOS)
Off screen (OS) is the dialogue or sounds heard while the camera is on another subject. The actor cannot be seen by the audience.

Outside broadcasting ( OB )
Outside broadcasting ( OB ) or location is when a series or serial uses a location outside the studio. OB or location is usually shot a week ahead of studio production so continuity plays a major role in these scenes.

Packaging
Packaging is the process of putting ‘star talent' (accredited writer, editor, director, producer) together on the same project. These artists are generally represented by the same agency that present them as a package to a studio.

Parody
Parody is dramatic material that makes fun of a dramatic genre or mode or of specific written works. It is often highly entertaining but rarely has lasting value. Parody is used in magazine-style programs.

Pen
To pen a work means to author, compose or write. Your pen to your paper equals your copyright.

Performance capture
Performance capture, designed by Imageworks, allows an actor to get into the skin of another performer and recreate them. There are no traditional sets, no locations, no crews or employment of the large amount of personnel that film employs. It is completely computerised process. This virtual film will still have the look of a conventional movie. It has the potential to restore the writer and the story and script editor to prominence in making film and television projects. Virtual movies will need superb writing and editing in order to succeed as well as a great scenographer or designer.

[ Imageworks. Retrieval July 26 2006 from http://www.imageworks.com/ ]

Pilot
A pilot is the sample episode for a proposed television series that sets up the initial premise, characters and format. 

Pitch
A pitch occurs when one party will attempt to interest another party or hiring body in a particular work or in a version of a particular work. A pitch sells a story in such an exciting manner that the interested parties will either buy the work or pay the pitching party to write the work. An iconic and self-suggesting pitch is preferred by some production companies. Others ask that a pitch be kept to 60 words or under or the length of time it takes to ride an elevator with a captive audience.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is theft of an individual's intellectual property and it is very common. It occurs when an individual takes someone's idea and then presents it as their own or takes credit for someone else's work or refuses to give credit to another's work.

However, it is not plagiarism when two (or more) people independently come up with the same new ideas. This is commonly termed simultaneous inspiration . It happens when several people, usually scientists, have been exposed to the same source and interpret it similarly. Reference should be made to original source material as much as possible because it helps writers to avoid taking credit for others' work. The use of facts in non-academic settings (e.g. journalism, speeches), rather than works of creative expression, does not usually constitute plagiarism. However, if those giving a speech (e.g. politicians) have power over the lives of others, then they usually have a moral duty to ensure their claims are seen to be based on reliable and easily sourced evidence. Anti-plagiarism software that uses key-phrase comparison is now used to check submitted work.

[Wikipedia. Retrieval July 27, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/]

Plot
A plot is the basic storyline about the characters and what happens to them, expressed as a series of linked dramatic actions.

Plot point
A plot point is an incident or event that ‘hooks' into the action and spins it in another direction. It moves the story forward towards its resolution.

Point of view/POV
Point of view or POV is the camera angle in which the camera views a subjective shot from the actor's point of view.

Polish
A polish is writing changes to dialogue, narration or action. It is not a rewrite of the script. They are the minor improvements to the script details within the basic structure of the scenes as written. A polish does not include changes in the structure, addition or deletion of characters, alterations of plot or reworking of more than five percent of the dialogue. The specifications can be written out in a deal memo.

Post-modern
Post-modern is a wide-ranging term that describes some post-World War II artistic works, characterised by nonlinearity, self-referentially if not self-parody, and multiple/simultaneous sensory impressions. It is sometimes referred to as PoMo.

Post-production
Post-production is work performed on a film or television project after principal photography ends.

Pre-production
Pre-production is the arrangement made before the start of filming that includes but is not limited to story and script editing, set construction, location search and casting.

Premiere/opening
A premiere is the first official public screening of a production.

Premise
Premise is the basic idea for a story often taking the form of a question or the posing of a problem, what if …..?

Prequel
Prequel is a film that presents the characters and/or events chronologically before the setting of a previously filmed movie.

Principal photography
Principal photography is the filming of major or significant components of a movie that involve lead actors. This is where payment of the writer takes place.

Print
Print is the version of a production that consists of one or more reels.

Problem screenplay/pushing a wheelbarrow or cause/worthy script
A problem screenplay is a realistic script that deals, often narrowly, with a specific social problem. Today it describes certain movies for television or documentaries.

Producer (film)
Producer (film) is the chief executive on a film production in all matters save the creative efforts of the director. The producer writes a budget, obtains funding, hires key personnel, and arranges distribution. They are not ordinarily involved in the day-to-day artistic direction of the production but can control a production through their authority over personnel selection and budgeting.

[ Screen Producers Association of Australia from http://www.spaa.org.au]

Producer (television)
Producer (television) is usually a current or former writer or editor who has successfully written a production over a number of years as a staff member. They are responsible for the creative aspects of the show but must have in-depth knowledge of the production process.

Production assistant
Production assistant is the i ndividual responsible for various odd jobs, such as stopping traffic, acting as couriers, etc.

Production bonus
Production bonus is the cash bonus given to the writer of a screenplay who receives a shared or sole screenplay or written by credit when the screenplay is turned into a film.

Production buyer
Production buyer is an individual who purchases supplies, equipment and property necessary for a production.

Production company
A production company is headed by a producer, director, actor or writer for the purpose of creating general entertainment products such as film, television, infomercials, commercials, gaming, publishing and multimedia.

Production date
Production date is the time nominated to begin principal photography.

Production designer
A production designer is the a rtist responsible for designing the overall visual appearance of a film or television production. See scenographer.

Production manager
A production manager is the i ndividual responsible for the practical matters such as ordering equipment, getting near-location accommodations for the cast and crew, etc.

Production schedule
Production schedule is a detailed plan of the timing of activities associated with the making of a production.

Program writer
A program writer is an individual who is hired to work on magazine-style formats.

Protagonist
A protagonist is the principal character in a screenplay or script, usually opposed by an antagonist.

Public domain
Public domain is the state in which the creator of a work loses the copyright on it through the passage of the copyright period, failure to renew the work or problems with the original registration of the work with the copyright office.

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