Traditional Entertainment Definitions
ATL - Above the Line
(Live Action) The ”line“ is basically when pre-production starts. Before this happens negotiations are finished and salaries are locked in place for the writers, directors, producers and lead actors.
(Marketing) General audience, wide release advertising and campaigns. Includes multiple city buys for mediums such as billboards, radio, tv and newspapers.
BTL - Below the Line
(Below the Line) : This is for roles with direct, hands-on work for a specific project and not covered as ATL. Covered roles begin at preproduction and end with the finished, delivered project. Everyone from location scouts to final sound effects. There are already industry standard pay rates or negotiated union rates, depending on the type of production it is.
(Marketing) Direct, targeted marketing to a niche audience or consumer base via mediums such as email, push notifications, streaming or event sponsorships, direct mail, etc.
IP - Intellectual Property: The creation of an original idea or cohesive group of ideas that have value to a business. The creator owns the rights to their creations unless they are under creative contract or sell their IP. For example, Jim Henson created Kermit the Frog and owned the IP until he sold the muppets, as a cohesive group, to the Disney company.
Licensing: The payment for limited use of someone else’s IP on items like consumer products. (Example: if Stanley paid for the right to use an image of Huntrix (from K-pop Demon Hunters) on a limited edition cup. Licensing fees can either be collected before use or as a percentage of total sales. )
On Spec: Short for On Speculation. It means a company is funding and creating a project with no guaranteed buyer (or distributor). It can apply to any experiential work, but traditionally, it was a term used most often for scripts or films (like at Sundance). Technically, I came up with and wrote this plan on spec.
Optioned: Paying to exclusively use something for a very specified time. Again, this was traditionally used as a film and tv industry phrase. For example, if someone writes a popular novel, a film studio may pay them for the exclusive right to use it as the basis for a script for three years. It doesn’t guarantee a film will even go into production during that time. It just means no one else can make something based on the source material.
Production Company: Falls into one of two categories.
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A stand alone company that produces content start to finish.
If they are working “On Spec”, they develop scripts, hire talent and produce from start to finish, hoping someone will pay for their work once it’s finished.
They can also produce for hire projects where they work under contract producing a specific project. (These may be called an unlimited liability enterprise or conglomerate - they are a permanent, broad scale company)
2. A studio can create a new, separate production company (as an LLC) for every new production they create. LLCs are limited liability companies making each production a project separate and apart from the main studio, generally to protect the studio from liability and other issues.
Studio: can either create their own productions from start to finish, buy already finished productions, or a combination of the two. If a finished project is not optioned or based on an existing IP, they may also own the IP for that project. The usually handle all contracts, location, distribution, etc.
Transitory: something that does not have a permanent location.
This is usually either a pop up or travelling experience. Generally used for either entertainment, marketing/support or retail.
Pop-ups are included because they are sometimes re-used at a later date.
For example, the Backstreet Boys engagement at Sphere also has a corresponding free experience in the space between Venetian and the Palazzo. Their show at Sphere would fall into entertainment. The corresponding experience is both marketing/support and retail.
There are various photo opportunities (marketing/support) as well as a fully stocked pop-up shop with exclusive merchandise on the second floor (retail).
Film: Also refers to productions shooting other than where their main studio or base is "out of town".