Acting : Showbiz Terminology 101! by Aaron Seals

Show business is full of colorful terminology. Here is a short list of Showbiz terms that an actor might want to be familiar with! ANTAGONIST – The main character, person, group, society, nature, force, spirit world, bad guy, or villain of a film or script who is in adversarial conflict with the film's hero, lead character or protagonist; also sometimes termed the heavy. ARCHETYPE – A character, place, or thing, that is repeatedly presented in films with a particular style or characterization; an archetype usually applies to a specific genre or type classification. BIG HEAD CLOSE UP – Face and head fills the screen or lens; from bottom of chin to forehead. BIO – Short for “biography”. A resume in narrative form, usually for a printed program or press release. BLOCKING – The movement of the performance. Where you walk, sit, cross the stage, enter, exit, etc. A director will usually 'block' a scene early in the rehersal process. Blocking can range from being very general (enter here, exit there) or very specific (pick the pen up on this line, sit on the sofa at this line, etc.) BOLLYWOOD – Refers to the burgeoning film industry of India, the world's biggest film industry, centered in Bombay (now Mumbai); the etymology of the word: from Bo(mbay) + (Ho)llywood; unlike Hollywood, however, Bollywood is a non-existent place. - See more at: http://www.nycastings.com/dmxreadyv2/blogmanager/v3_blogmanager.asp?post...