For example, the differences we have in spelling:

Color vs. Colour
Theatre vs. Theater

Or synonyms used for the same items:

Core = Bobbin
Thread = Lace
Trunk = Boot
Elevator = Lift

Or Metric (SI) units vs. "US Customary":

Metres vs. feet
Celsius vs. Fahrenheit
Candelas per square metre vs. footlamberts
Grams vs. ounces
Kilograms vs. pounds

Maybe this thread could serve as a dictionary of terms for the various languages we use to describe our jobs.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Reflector = collector = mirror
Brain = feed unit = payout controller
Rectifier = power supply
Accumulator = tension arm
Field Flattener = field lens (Imax)
Scope = anamorphic
Base = pedestal
Auditorium = house
Show = session
Processor = reproducer
Cue tape = sensing tape = sensing foil

Technicolor = couldn't resist

Here in Canada, for example, most English speaking projectionists and technicians use the terms "open and closed" (electrically speaking) using the physics terms one learned in school. Thus, a "closed" circuit is one that is conducting, and an "open" circuit is one that has been interupted by a switch (or whatever) and is not conducting.

Projectionists and technicians whose first language is French, however, often use the water anology. Thus the term "I closed the breaker means they turned it off while "I opened the breaker" means that the power is ON!

When working backstage in a theatre (vs. cinema) I was called upon to "stub-in" to the electrical service panel. 480 volts (or something like that) going up the lines, through a conduit and into a special distribution transformer. There were a couple of near misses. The hair on the back of my neck stands up just thinking about it.

After that, all of us guys who would be working on the project got together and agreed that before energizing ANY circuit, no matter how inconsequential it may seem, we would shout, "GOING LIVE!!!", and then wait for a response of, "CLEAR!!!", from your partner(s). We were even supposed to shout when we knew there was nobody in the area just to make sure. We would wait for a few seconds to give anybody the chance to shout, "HOLD UP!!!" before energizing.

So... what other conventions might I run into when working in similar situations in other countries?

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Or "spool" vs. "roll." Or "spool-box" vs. "magazine."

videotape: 35mm film

Frisbees: DTS Disks and/or the round holders for them

small nuclear munitions: xenon bulbs

non-sync: What the Titanic was supposed to be

duct tape: aperture plates

cardboard and duct tape: Super Sticky-Poos

non-functioning surrounds: what endless customers will invariably complain about during the run of the latest Woody Allen film

clusterf*ck: brain wrap

intermittent: A good way to describe SDDS digital playback

Century: A good projector, or the average amount of time between cleanings and lubrications on some of the machines I have had to service

Cinemeccanica: An Italian cinema technician

Sneak Preview: What anyone lucky enough to get into the auditorium via the exits gets if not caught and thrown out

UFOs: Miscellaneous fragments of Technicolor reels cominig apart at high speed

Mosaic: What you get when some idiot decides to set up a DLP system with a 70' wide screen

any more of this and Brad is gonna move it to Joke-yak

Aaron

While on the subject of terminology....those of us that deal with live-stage as well as film have to even keep Left and Right straight.

Most of the combo venues are live-stage with film thrown in...as such all orientations are presumed from the stage perspective unless "house-left" or "house-right" is specifically stated. Oh and to give cinema guys more grief...terms like left are often abbreviated "SL" or right as "SR"....which look like Surround Left and Surround Right to the cinema types.

On the different name for the same thing topic...

Splice = patch
rupture = break
chamber = booth
sound drum = impedance drum

Steve

"Quattro" is "Four" in english. "Quadro" is "frame, picture".

John, great thread. When I discovered Film-Tech I spent many time translating your techs words...
I really didn't understand what "house" meant!

Should I post Italian translation of common words?

Aaron: associate the term "Cinemeccanica" with "tech" is a bit rash

Bye
Antonio

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