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A&B Rolls – negative built into two rolls (A & B) so when the answer print or inter-positive is created, it can be done without splicing by printing the A roll (which has the odd-numbered shots with black leader where the missing B-roll shots will be) and then the B roll (which has the even shots where the A-roll shots will be), a third pass is made for the soundtrack and then the result is developed

A-List Talent – usually refers to top-tier actors and actresses who are paid $20 million and more per film; also refers to producers, directors and writers who can be guaranteed to have a film made and released

ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) – union covering all English language actors for films, television and radio in Canada

ADR (automated dialogue replacement) – when actors or loop group re-record lines to the film once the picture is locked; can be used to make existing lines clearer, change words, or add material as in a voice-over, etc.

AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) – union covering television and radio actors in the United States

Above-the-Line – refers to costs associated with major creative talent: the actors, the director, the producers and the writer(s); the opposite term is below-the-line

Academy Awards – awards presented each year since 1927 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) honoring the best in filmmaking during the previous year; also the television broadcast of the award ceremony, see also Oscars

Act – a main division within the plot of a film; usually divided by points of dramatic change to the plot or character, most films have three acts and a conclusion

Action – any movement or series of events that propel the story forward toward its conclusion; performance before the camera; the main component of action films

Action! – word called out, usually by the assistant director, at the start of the current take during filming to tell the actors to begin performing

Actor – a male performer or any performer, male or female, who plays a speaking role in a film; alternate gender-neutral terms: player, artist, or performer

Actress – a female who plays a speaking role in a film however in current vernacular actresses prefer to be called actors, go figure

Ad lib – a line that an actor makes up on the spot

Adaptation – a film based upon or derived from another medium such as a short story, novel, stage play, article,  video game, comic book, etc.

Aerial shot – a shot from the air, usually from a helicopter with a special camera mount

Agent – a person who solicits work for and otherwise represents an actor, writer or director (above the line) and some below the line talent