Production Terms Explained

Us production people tend to use words that are uncommon to normal people in the world. In fact, a typical sentence could go like this:
“I need the grip to gaffe that Edison to the stand that the leko is on, then strike it in 2 hours.”
Chances are, you have no idea what that means. So I thought I would give you some definitions of the commonly used words in our industry.

-GOBO: This is short for "go between." This is usually a piece of metal or glass that goes in the light (leko) to project an image. For example, your company’s logo could be cut out of the metal part of the gobo - it would then be placed in the light and your company's logo would be projected onto the wall or floor.

-LEKO: This is short for a light that holds the gobo. They come in all different sizes and shapes, but their general purpose is for light projection.

-Gaffe: This is simply the tape that we use to hold down cables. It is unique because this tape generally doesn’t leave any residue when pulled up.

-Strike: This is the term used when it is time to take the equipment down/apart.

-Grip: This is person on site to help the management on the show set up and strike.

We have terminology for everything. Even clothespins. That’s right, a clothespin. It is referred to as a C47.

Now you know a few more terms from the production world.

-Jason