systems cue an audio, visual, or spoken signal for local station identification.
tabloid TV a pseudo news program featuring sensational stories.
take a 42 an order to take a 42-minute meal break, as prescribed for crew members by union rules.
talent coordinator on talk shows, one who auditions, interviews, and schedules guests.
tally light a red light illuminated on a camera when shooting.
tape to record a program on videotape.
teaser a brief preview or promo of an upcoming show to attract viewers.
technical director the assistant director who oversees the technical aspects of a studio and studio control room.
teleplay a play written or adapted for TV.
TelePrompTer tradename for a brand of prompter, now used generically. See prompter.
tight two-shot director's order to cameraman for a head shot of two people.
tongue left/right a command to extend a cranemounted camera out horizontally to follow the action.
topic box a window or visual on the screen above a newscaster's shoulder to identify the topic.
trades, the the trade publications of show business, such as Variety, and Hollywood Reporter.
trailer a brief, promotional piece of a coming attraction.
transportation captain the head of a studio's transportation and moving department.
truck shot a moving dolly shot. Also, to move the camera sideways.
tulip crane a crane on which a camera platform can be mounted for aboveground shots.
12-14 unit a mobile, remote news truck capable of transmitting at 12 gigahertz and receiving at 14 gigahertz.
two-shot a closeup of two people.
upcutting the unethical practice of cutting off part of a network program in order to insert more local commercials.
V-chip a computer chip in a television set that has the ability to "read" the ratings of television shows and, when programmed, can automatically block the viewing of certain programs by children.
veejay video disk jockey.
video operator the control room engineer who operates the camera control units and monitors and is responsible for the overall picture quality.
videotape magnetic tape on which sound and pictures can be recorded.
voice-over a narrator or announcer's voice heard over a commercial or program.
white coat rule an FCC rule that prohibits actors from wearing white lab coats while pitching a medical product unless it is clearly stated that the actor is not a physician or related professional.
wild shot a camera shot taken without accompanying sound.
wild sound real or natural sounds that are recorded, as distinguished from studio sound effects.
wild track a sound track recorded independently of the visual track.
wild wall a set wall that can be dismantled quickly, usually for the insertion of a TV camera.
wind machine a large fan used to simulate wind.
wipe any optical effect that cleans or wipes off the image on the screen.
ELIGIONS
ancient religions
Ancient Egyptian worship
Amun the king of the gods.
Anubis the jackal-headed god of the dead and guardian of tombs and cemeteries.
Aten the sun, worshiped exclusively for a time by order of Pharaoh Akhenaten.
Geb earth god.
Hathor cow-headed goddess of the sky and, later, goddess of love, dance, and the underworld.
Horus hawk-headed god of the sky and light.
Isis queen of gods; goddess of motherhood and fertility.
Khnum ram-headed god of the upper Nile and the creator of humankind.
Maat goddess of justice.
Nepthys goddess of the dead.
Nut goddess of heavens.
Osiris the supreme god of Egypt and the judge of the dead.
Ra (Re) the sun god; the king of the gods and father of humans; portrayed as a lion, cat, or falcon.
Sebek god of water.
Seth evil god of darkness and storms, often portrayed with the head and a pig.
Thoth originally, the moon god, but later associated with wisdom and magic; portrayed with the head of an ibis.
Greek and Roman Mythology
(The Romans adopted many of the Greek deities; those that are exclusively Roman are noted as such.) Acheron the underworld river of woe.
Achilles the Greek warrior who slew Hector and who was himself killed by a wound to his vulnerable heel by Paris.
Adonis the beautiful youth loved by Aphrodite.
Aecus a judge of the dead in Hades; son of Zeus.
Aeetes keeper of the Golden Fleece.
Aegeus he drowned himself after thinking his son had been killed; Aegean Sea named after him.
Aeolus keeper of winds.
aether the pure upper air breathed by the Olympians.
Ajax the Greek warrior who killed himself because the armor of Achilles was given to Odysseus.
Amazons the women warriors who lived near the Black Sea and who supported Troy against the Greeks.
Amphitrite the wife of Poseidon.
Andromeda the daughter of Cepheus and Casio- peia; she was rescued from a sea monster by her husband Perseus.
Anteros the god who avenged unrequited love.
Aphrodite (Venus) goddess of love and beauty; the daughter of Zeus; and mother of Eros.
Apollo the god of the sun, prophecy, music, medicine, and poetry.
Arachne the woman who challenged Athena to a weaving contest; she was changed to a spider.
Ares (Mars) god of war; son of Zeus and Hera.
Argo the ship Jason sailed on his quest for the Golden Fleece.
Argus the hundred-eyed monster slain by Hermes; his eyes were said to have been placed in the peacock's tail.
Arion the musician saved from drowning by a dolphin.
Artemis (Diana) goddess of the moon, hunting, and chastity.
Asclepius the god of medicine; the son of Apollo.
Astraea the goddess of justice; daughter of Zeus and Themis.
Athena (Minerva) goddess of wisdom and the arts.
Atlas he was condemned to support the world on his shoulders for warring against Zeus.
Bacchus god of wine; son of Zeus and Semele.
Bellona Roman goddess of war.
Briareus the monster with a hundred hands; son of Uranus.
Calliope the goddess of epic poetry.
Calypso a sea nymph who delayed Odysseus on her island for seven years.
Cassandra the prophetess who was never believed; daughter of Priam.
centaur a half-man, half-horse.
Cepheus the king of Ethiopia; father of Andromeda.
Cerberus the three-headed dog guarding the entrance to Hades.