When first entering a new career, it can be difficult to absorb all of the information. The sections below are designed to help you, the development beginner, understand the strange things D-people say, and prevent you from appearing to be a novice in the presence of your co-workers -- even if you are one. The following can also be used to keep your interns from asking the same dumb questions over and over again ("What do you mean, 'incoming'? or "What's 'tech avail' mean?")... No offense, interns. Everyone loves you - you give them free labor.

Definitions -- On The Phone

• "Incoming" An abbreviated way of saying that a person called into the office and is now owed a call in return.

• "Rolling Calls " The process (sometimes in the office, sometimes when the boss is in the car) of the assistant announcing their boss' call. Usually assistants remain on calls (headset, muted out) to either take notes (phone numbers, dates, etc.) or disconnect and start a new call. All bosses require different etiquette while they are "rolling" - some like to announce themselves to hide the fact that the assistant's still "on" the call. However, some don't bother and prefer the assistant to do it. In either case, as always, when you start a new job, check with the boss or previous assistant to find out preferences. Be careful when offering this practice to non-assistants/non-executives ("Can I roll you?"). They may think you are coming onto them.

Translating & Utilizing Phone Lingo

• "Leaving word" The process of "leaving word" involves leaving a message for someone to call you (or more likely, your boss) back.  For example:

You:    "I have Mr. Smith (your boss) calling for Ms. Robinson."
Them:   "She's out of the office."
You:    "Can we leave word?"

A rather simple process, it's just been given a fancy Hollywood name in order to trick "outsiders". This practice also takes the form of one of the freakiest phenomena in Hollywood - assistants "clearing" their boss's phone sheet without the boss ever having returned the calls. Let me explain.

Some bosses actually have their assistants call everyone on their phone sheet (usually early in the morning, at lunch, or after everyone has gone home) and leave messages, secure in the knowledge that it's 10:00pm and they probably won't be there to take the call. A technique in returning unwanted calls, the obligation's now transferred to the person originally logging the call. After this is completed, and the phone sheet is "clear", then your boss (theoretically) has no more calls to worry about. No matter how bizarre and confusing this is, if you catch an assistants attempting to do this to you, string them up -- even though it's really they're boss' fault. Even better, if your boss is "available" when the assistant attempts to drop the call (they will ask to leave word before they even ask if your boss is in) leave word, then call them right back.

• "I have him/her (your boss)" This means you either A) have your boss on the line and are rolling calls with him/her or B) are able to get your boss on his/her cell phone or in the car and connect calls in this way.

• "Can he return? /We'll return." Yet again, a complicated method of saying something simple - "My boss is busy (or doesn't want to take your call) and will call you back later."

• "He's in a meeting." This is a typical phone call avoidance technique and can mean many, many things:

  1. My boss hasn't read your script yet and needs a minute to read the coverage so s/he can pass and sound like s/he did read it,
     
  2. My boss doesn't recognize your name so I have to research it before s/he takes your call,
     
  3. S/he is still at lunch but its 3 PM so I can't really SAY that,
     
  4. S/he doesn't like you or,
     
  5. S/he is actually in a meeting.
     
• "Do we owe you?" Good way to cover your ass (in a somewhat subtle way) if you fear that you accidentally dropped a call.

Definitions -- With Scripts

• "Going out" This usually refers to the distribution of a spec script to many companies at once, for their consideration to produce and/or purchase.

• "Wide" vs. "Limited" These are terms to describe the amount of producers and production companies that receive a spec. If the spec goes out limited, then only a few, very select number of companies receive it. If it goes out wide, then nearly everyone in town receives it. Often, specs go out limited first, and then wide later. However, if buzz gets out that the script's bad, agents risk killing the spec by going this route. Often, to avoid this, agents "slip" the spec into the market quietly.

• "Going in" : This term refers to spec scripts and the studios. When a person or company seeks to attach themselves as producer on a spec script (or book), they "take the script in" to their respective studio (usually somewhere they have a first look - or similar - deal) to try to get the studio to agree to pay for the spec/book to get made.

• "Sample" A sample (or writing sample) is usually a movie or TV script already owned (and often being produced) by another company, it's sent to potential buyers for consideration of the writer for a project (or blind deal) that you already own. When companies buy books, they often accept "writing samples" to try to find a writer to adapt that book into a screenplay. Samples also help determine who to hire for rewrite and polish assignments.

• "Available material" Agencies often deem their clients' scripts available when 1) the script went out on spec and didn't sell, or 2) they don't "go out" wide (to a lot of potential buyers) with it.

Translating & Utilizing Script Lingo

• "It wasn't bad" or "it's pretty good" In most cases, when this is said about a spec, it's exactly what's meant. If the script was GREAT, this person wouldn't tell you about the script (unless you are sleeping with them -- and you know how I feel about that [see rule #13 in the "15 MOST IMPORTANT RULES FOR BEING A PERFECT ASSISTANT" section if you don't know what I mean]), they would have purchased it for their own company.

Definitions -- Around The Office

• "Scribe": Writer

• "Slip" A representative forwards someone a script in secret, sometimes (in the case of agents) before anyone else gets to review an/or consider it, and sometimes (in the case of production companies) as an unofficial submission to prepare for co-production, casting, rewrites or going out to directors. A "slip" is always kept secret.

• "Open assignment" This term refers to projects in search of writers (either for rewrite, adaptation or a first draft on an already established idea) or directors. Usually open assignments are projects a company is looking to assign a rewrite and/or get into production.

• "Weekend read" This term should tip you off to the fact that D-People have no lives outside of work. It refers to the batch of scripts (anywhere from 4 - 25) that you (or your boss) are supposed to read over the weekend. This batch often consists of non-urgent samples, however, there will be the occasional weekend spec mixed in.

• "Hot projects" A non-formal method of describing projects receiving a lot of &quo;theat" (see below) around town. In most cases, A-List talent is in involved in the project.

• "Heat" If a project garners heat, it usually means people are talking about it and are actively tracking its progress.

• "Query letter" A short letter (usually one page) that describes a script or scripts that the writer of the letter is interested in submitting for consideration.

• "Available" A description of talent's (writer, director, actor) status to fill assignments open on additional projects. Often, availablity will be marked from a specific, future date (whenever their current project finishes).

• "Technically (tech) available" The artist is currently contracted on other current projects (which are either finishing soon or require minimal time commitment) but can be hired for additional projects depending on price, entities involved, and other external factors.

• "Not available" Other obligations prevent the person from accepting other job offers.

Translating & Utilizing Office Lingo

• "At the end of the day" An industry version of, "when everything is said and done," Agents and execs implement this when prefacing aggressive comments about someone's project not being commercial enough to consider.

• "I'll see what I can do" Translates as, "I don't really want to do it, and your case is probably hopeless. But because I'm such a nice person and want you to owe me a favor, I'll try to help you out anyway."

• "Make the deal" The most exciting thing for a D-person to hear from a producer's mouth... Whoever is in charge of securing a project/writer/director to the company slate receives given the green light to move forward.