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Silhouetted figures sit in director's chairs in front of a curved LED wall showing a beach.

Play · Quiz

Speed. Marker. Action. Who says what?

Eight calls you will hear on set, and the grade that makes each one.

  1. Who calls "Speed" when recording is running? The sound mixer. Sound confirms the recorder is running at speed, so the take can be slated.
  2. Who calls "Marker" and claps the slate? The 2nd AC (clapper loader). The clapper loader slates each take so picture and sound can be synced.
  3. Who usually calls "Action"? The director. Action and cut belong to the director; on some setups the 1st AD calls background action first.
  4. Who calls "Moving on" and "Back to one"? The 1st AD. The 1st AD runs the floor: resetting for another take and moving the unit to the next setup.
  5. "Striking" is a warning that… A light is about to be switched on. Sparks call it before switching on a lamp, so nobody looks straight into it.
  6. Who checks the gate when the director is happy with a setup on film? The 1st AC (focus puller). The 1st AD calls for the check; the 1st AC looks for a hair or debris before the unit moves on.
  7. "Points!" means… Someone is carrying something sharp or heavy past you. Grips and crew call it when moving kit with corners or edges through a crowd.
  8. The "Martini" is… The last shot of the day. The 1st AD calls it. The one before it is the Abby Singer.

Watch: the people who make the calls