Walkie-Talkie Lingo

What is walkie-talkie lingo?

On any set bigger than a handful of people, the assistant directors run the day by radio. The first AD is by the camera, the second AD is at base camp or in the trailers, and a string of production assistants hold lockups at doors and street corners. Everyone listens to the same channel, and only one person can transmit at a time. Walkie-talkie lingo is the vocabulary that makes that bottleneck work: short, fixed phrases that mean one thing to everybody, so a call takes three seconds instead of fifteen.

It is part of set etiquette rather than a formal code. Some words come from police and CB radio ten-codes, some from aviation and military radio ('copy', 'standing by'), and some are pure film slang ('flying in', 'first team'). Exact usage drifts between countries and even between AD teams, so on a new show listen for an hour before you key up. More on how a shoot runs is in the filmmaking process hub.

Common walkie-talkie terms on a film set

These are the calls you will hear on almost every production:

• Copy / copy that — I heard and understood. '10-4' means the same and is heard less often.
• Go for [name] — the answer when someone calls you: 'Go for Dana' means 'I'm listening, talk.'
• Stand by / standing by — wait, I'll get back to you; or, I'm in position and ready.
• What's your 20? — where are you? From the ten-code 10-20 (location). The answer is a place: 'My 20 is the honeywagon.'
• 10-1 — a short bathroom break. 10-2 is a longer one. In the original police codes 10-1 meant poor reception; film crews repurposed it, and some shows use 10-100 instead.
• Flying in — on my way right now, or bringing something fast: 'Flying in with the sides.'
• Traveling / walking — talent is moving from the trailer to set: 'First team traveling.'
• First team / second team — the actors / their stand-ins.
• Eyes on — I can see it or them: 'Does anyone have eyes on the director?'
• Go to two (or any number) — switch to that channel for a longer conversation. 'Going to two' confirms.
• Lock it up — stop foot and vehicle traffic at your post; the camera is about to roll.
• Rolling / cut — repeated by lockups so the whole perimeter knows when to freeze and when to release.
• Back to one — reset to the first positions for another take.
• Hot brick — a freshly charged radio battery.

Radio etiquette: how to talk on a set walkie

The words matter less than the discipline around them. A few rules every crew expects:

1. Think, press, pause, speak. Know what you'll say before you key, then wait half a second after pressing the button; radios clip the first syllable.
2. Name first, then yourself. 'Dana, Kyle.' Wait for 'Go for Dana' before you deliver the message.
3. Keep channel 1 for short, useful calls. Anything longer than one exchange goes to another channel. Never argue, joke or complain on the main channel: the whole company hears it, and radio traffic can be picked up by anyone nearby with a receiver.
4. Say nothing while rolling unless it is safety-critical. Lockups whisper 'rolling' and 'cut' and otherwise stay silent.
5. Wear the surveillance earpiece. A walkie speaker going off in the middle of a take ruins it for sound.
6. Close the loop. Answer with 'copy' so the caller isn't left wondering whether you heard.

Channel plans vary, but a common layout is: channel 1 for production and the ADs, channel 2 for private conversations, then separate channels for camera, grip and electric, transport and locations. The plan is usually printed on the call sheet or on a sheet at the radio check-out table, where you also sign for the radio by its number.

Radio lingo vs. the AD's set calls

Radio lingo is how crew talk to each other; set calls are how the first AD runs the shooting routine, out loud and on the radio at the same time. The two overlap, but set calls follow a fixed order: 'picture's up', 'last looks', 'lock it up', 'roll sound', 'rolling', then 'cut', 'reset' or 'moving on' to the next setup. A PA hears those on channel 1 and relays only what their post needs.

A few set calls mark the end of the day and pass straight onto the radio. The Abby Singer is the second-to-last setup, a signal for departments to start packing what they no longer need. The martini shot is the last one, and 'that's a wrap' ends the day or the production.

How to learn set radio lingo fast

If you are new, pick up a radio early, put the earpiece in and listen before speaking. Every AD team has its own habits; match them. Ask the second AD or key PA which channels are in use rather than guessing, and swap batteries at lunch before the radio dies in the middle of a lockup.

If you are running a small shoot, write a one-page radio sheet: channel plan, who carries which radio, the ten or so phrases you want used, and a reminder that channel 1 is for short calls. Fewer radio questions come up when everyone has already seen the plan, so keep that sheet on the same FlashBoards board as the day's storyboard, shot list and location references, so the crew arrives knowing what the setups look like.

Further reading

Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward, The Film Director's Team; Eve Light Honthaner, The Complete Film Production Handbook.