1. Comedy and Film Production

2. Comedy Terms

3. “looking at the grim with a grin” or finding humor in serious matters

4. black comedy

5. a delayed comic reaction to an event in a film, for humorous effect

6. double take

7. a combination of drama and comedy, also known as “serio-comedy”

8. dramedy

9. acting out a scene without script or rehearsal, to ad lib

10. improv

11. a recording of laughter used in television shows, also known as “canned laughter”

12. laugh track

13. the speechless acting out of a character and his actions

14. mime

15. falling on one’s bottom for comedic effect

16. pratfall

17. a film that mocks some other serious work

18. satire

19. a Yiddish term for a comedian’s trademark

20. shtick

21. a television comedy that focuses on the humor of a particular setting

22. sit com

23. a short comedy routine

24. sketch

25. violent actions used for humorous effect

26. slapstick

27. a film that playfully imitates the style of a serious work

28. spoof

29. Film Production Terms: Pre-production

30. the planning stage in a film’s production before principal photography begins: script treatment, set design, casting, etc.

31. pre-production

32. a novel, play, or original work adapted or written for filmmaking

33. screenplay or script

34. a filmed audition

35. screen test

36. a comic-style illustrated chart which maps out a film as it will be shot

37. storyboard

38. a detailed summary of a film’s story often used to sell a film project

39. treatment

40. Production

41. the movements that a director coaches an actor to make

42. blocking

43. filming done with only the essential crew present

44. closed set

45. advertising space within a film to showcase a commercial product, often a method to partially fund filming

46. product placement

47. Post-production

48. the final stage in a film’s development, including editing, sound, distribution, etc.

49. postproduction

50. a printed English translation of foreign dialogue on film

51. subtitles

52. a character’s narrative voice heard over the action

53. voice over

54. recalling acting to replace unclear or garbled voices in a soundtrack

55. postsynchronization

56. the last, complete edited version of a film, ready for release or “in the can”

57. final cut

58. an early edited version of a film used for focus-group screening

59. rough cut