What do you call out on set?

Richard J. Johnson

Richard J. Johnson

Joystick Member
I was wondering if there was a technical term for calling out commands on set and what do you guys say.

Do You say action!, rolling, quiet on the set, do you countdown from 5 and do the finger thing for 3 2 and 1?

I say different things all the time but I do say action and cut because it sounds cool.

And do you call out take numbers and scenes?
 
The person who yells is the AD.

It will change depending on what you are shooting, where, etc.

Typical short film protocol.

AD: Quiet on set/Pictures Up
<quiets down>
AD: Sound Ready?
<sound replies 'ready'>
AD: Camera Ready?
<camera replies ready>
AD: Roll Sound.
<sound replies sound rolling/speed>
AD: Roll Camera.
<Camera replies camera rolling/speed.... might yell 'camera set' when ready, if they have to refocus and reframe after slate.>
Director: Action!

The 2nd will either read off the slate after audio is speeding, then wait to shout marker and clap sticks after camera speed, or does it after camera speed.

Like I said, this all varies. If there is spfx rigs like rain, smoke, etc, those can be called out as well. AKA. Quiet on set. Cue spoke, Cue fire. Etc.
 
There's also "Print It"

If you are shooting P2 you might say "Delete that!"


If you are looking for inspiration, I think Christian Bale could give you lots of ideas of things to shout out on a set :D
 
Instead of "action" I say "whenever you're ready." I never yell cut, I'll just give some sort of feedback. When I start talking, they know that take is over.
 
How I call.

Moments away, final looks please.
-- Everyone is basically set, makeup has their last chance to do an adjustment
Lock it up, pictures up.
--Stop moving and settle. Actual shooting is up. (or rehearsals up for rehearsals)
Though, pictures up is also used when video village has an image from the camera
Quiet on set
Sound ready?
Wait for reply.
Camera ready?
Wait for reply.
Roll Sound
Wait for reply
Call it
State the slate information
Roll camera
Wait for reply
Mark It
Slate is clapped and slate loader says "marker" after the clap. Or camera signifier and marker on a multicamera shoot. ("A" Marker)
Settling.
Wait for everyone to clear. Camera to settle into final position if focus needs to be pulled from slate to action.
Set
Control is now over to the director.

After the cut. We either go again. Or we "print it" keeping the take and we move on.

Though with a video only production. You can call the slate and clap it without delay. But as aforementioned. Calls differ really from production to production. In intimate settings without a full crew. We skip most of the junk. And only say what is necessary. "Camera" and "Sound". We tail slate for stuff like that to not jar the actors.

Counting down from 5 is a TV thing. Because the show is live.

And my favorite phrase is "Next shot is Martini". Because we are soon to go home. Second favorite is "Next shot is Abbey Singer". Meaning we are two away for wrapping. And my least favorite call while ADing is calling for the dreaded "Lunch-a-half" Meaning we are behind. Everyone only has a 30min lunch and the production is paying for that 30 minutes for each and every single member on set.
 
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HorseFilms said:
Instead of "action" I say "whenever you're ready." I never yell cut, I'll just give some sort of feedback. When I start talking, they know that take is over.
Click to expand...

I do the same. I only call "action" and "cut" if we're shooting something purely visual, like a piece of a sequence, that doesn't have dialogue (like a car pulling up, or driving away, etc)
 
Billy Pilgrim said:
I do the same. I only call "action" and "cut" if we're shooting something purely visual, like a piece of a sequence, that doesn't have dialogue (like a car pulling up, or driving away, etc)
Click to expand...

A full crew will require you to adhere to industry standard commands. Cut is a must for camera and sound.

Basically only Clint gets away with not saying action but even he says cut.But then again, he's Clint....
 
I had a DP once who tried to make my shoot hollywood. Had to send him kickin rocks.
I was interviewing folks who had obviously never done interviews before so the deer in the headlights syndrome was bad enough without hollywood bellowing "Speed!" everytime I asked him to roll. Dude was barking at his sound guy like, well like there was something to bark about. It was a sit down interview. A full crew is just not required all the time.

to the point, when I'm ready to rock I say something like "ok lets rock."
I have cued talent with "action" but never in my life have I yelled "lights" so the gaffer will move as I start to roll or "camera" as if I have to cue what's in my hands.

Large crews have nothing to do with production. They have to do with budget.
 
I think Roll Camera, Action and Cut are expected on most sets. I know when I work as a camera op they kinda let me know what I'm supposed to be doing.

Keep rolling, Let's go again is another important one. Most of the folks I know who won't say those things are worried that people will think they take it too seriously, or are putting on an act. But they fail to realize that those words are used for a reason: They are very clear and work very well.
 
I don't use "action" and "cut," I prefer "Let's get it on" and "What was your name again?" to start and end the scenes.

haha, j/k.
 
Jim Brennan said:
I think Roll Camera, Action and Cut are expected on most sets. I know when I work as a camera op they kinda let me know what I'm supposed to be doing.

Keep rolling, Let's go again is another important one. Most of the folks I know who won't say those things are worried that people will think they take it too seriously, or are putting on an act. But they fail to realize that those words are used for a reason: They are very clear and work very well.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I follow standard protocols for the most part, though it's kind of odd if I don't happen to have a 1st A.D. for the project because I'm not used to yelling out all of the rest of the stuff, you know the roll sound, (sound speed back), roll camera (camera rolling), etc. Plus with music video shoots it's also different, more like roll cameras, cameras rolling, and then I say something like ok get ready or positions, then roll playback (3-5 seconds of beeps). There is no "action." The action starts when the song starts, it doesn't start when I say it starts, haha. That's only for the narrative elements we film for a music video.
 
Usualy I say " would you please shut the F... up?" at the end of a shot I pick from a nice selction 4 letter words. :D

Frank
 
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