gaffer and other studio terms

[Mullins, Bill]

[OED]     gaffer, n. orig. U.S. The chief electrician in a film or
television production unit, esp. in a lighting crew.
  1936 Words Oct. 6/2 The head electrician is the 'gaffer'..'best boy'
is the gaffer's assistant.


"The Lancer" Harry Carr, _Los Angeles Times_; Nov 18, 1927; pg. A1 col
8.
"I never go onto a movie set that I do not find a bosom pal in the head
"gaffer." "

best boy

[A.] [I.]    [1.] e. best boy orig. and chiefly U.S., the principal
assistant to the chief electrician or 'gaffer' in a film crew.
1937 J. ARNOLD in N. Naumburg We make Movies xi. 158 The gaffer's
assistant..answers to the amusing title of best boy!
[note the 1936 cite in "gaffer" above]

THE ARGOT OF THE STUDIO WORKERS By GLENDON ALLVINE.
New York Times; Feb 3, 1935; pg. X4 col 4.
"BEST BOY -- First assistant to head electrician."

"Hollywood" By Sidney Skolsky, The Washington Post; Feb 21, 1936; pg. 18
col 6-7.
"Amazing the number of people on a  set when a scene is being shot ...
There's the director and the two assistant directors ... The cameraman
and the two assitant cameramen ... the sound man and his helpers ... The
script girl ... The juicer and "his best boy" ... The wardrobe girl ...
The hairdresser ... "

miscellaneous; most of these are either antedates for the OED, or are
senses/terms which are not in the OED

THE ARGOT OF THE STUDIO WORKERS By GLENDON ALLVINE.
New York Times; Feb 3, 1935; pg. X4 col 4.
"AQUARIUM -- Booth in which sound mixing is done."
"ASH CAN -- Large multiple-arc lamp swung from overhead."
"BLIMP -- Housing for sound camera to keep sounds from microphone."
"BOOMY -- Sound in which low frequencies predominate." [see 1939 quote
in OED under boomy, a.]
"BREAKAWAY -- A prop made of light yucca wood which falls apart easily
in contact with the actor's head or other point of conflict."
"BROAD -- A reflector housing two 1,000-watt lamps side by side."
"BUTTONS -- Short dough:  as "made for buttons," produced for around
$100,000 or less."
"BUZZARD -- Bad photographic take."
"CANARIES -- Unidentified high frequency noises in the recording
system."
"CAREER -- More than a month's work on a picture."
"COOKED -- Over-developed (negative)."
"DRESS PEOPLE -- De luxe extras with evening gowns and tuxedos who are
paid $15 for a day's work; also vulgarly known in some casting offices
as stuffed dummies."
"FIG BAR -- Comic registering embarrassment."
"FIRST BROOM -- Head property man."
"GENERAL ATMOSPHERE -- Extras wearing ordinary street dress and earning
$10 per day."
"GRUNT -- Electrical linesman's helper."
"HERDER -- Third assistant director, who handles mobs or crowds of
atmosphere people."
"HIT THE BABY -- Turn on the small spotlight."
"IT'S A LILY -- An O.K. take or a scene that measures up to the
director's requirements."
"OFF TO BUFFALO -- Hurry up, or exit with all possible speed."
"PICKLE -- Small spotlight."
"PIG -- Current transformer."
"SCENE STEALER -- An accomplished actor intent upon playing up dramatic
business to enlarge his part in a picture."
"SIMONIZE THE DUCO -- Powder your face."