In honor of your survival of "the most depressing day of the year" - which, according to widespread media coverage, was January 22 - here is a light-hearted glimpse into the
backstory of the jargon and/or lingo PR professionals hear, speak and read every day. It is excerpted from a new book, The Skinny About Best Boys, Dollies, Green Rooms, Leads, and
other Media Lingo (Random House) by Richard Weiner, a PR consultant and author of 23 books and recipient of a PRSA Gold Anvil for lifetime achievement. It is printed with his
permission.
Geometry: The Shape Of Things
One of the most common styles of journalistic writing is the inverted pyramid, in which the most important news elements (such as some of the 5 W's - who, what, where, when, and
why) are presented first, in the lead, with increments of detail added in successive paragraphs. The structural image of a pyramid resting on its point seems misleading, as the
beginning, or top, of a news story should be sharp and pointed. The image is apt, however, in that an editor can chop off less important material, starting at the bottom.
The pyramid is an appropriate lead-in to an essay about geometric shapes in the media. For example, circle describes a variety of items. In a theater, a circle is a tier of seats,
such as the dress circle that encircles the main floor (the orchestra). Patrons of this section used to dress formally. A circle also is a group of people with common interests, such
as family circle. (Now you know the reason for the title of that magazine.)
In photography and film, a circle often designates selection. Circled numbers on a contact sheet or a camera report (a list of takes) indicate those that are to be printed. These
are called circles takes or OK takes. On the other hand, in broadcasting, portions of a script that should not be read, such as cues and times, are circled.
A circle of illumination is the area of an image that is seen through a camera lens. Within this circle, the area that is the clearest is called the circle of best definition.
In film and television, a circle wipe is an optical effect in which an image first appears as a dot in the center and then grows to full size while covering (wiping out) the
preceding scene.
Circle-in is an optical effect in which a picture diminishes and disappears as it is replaced by a second picture that grows in a circle from the center. It's the opposite of a
circle-out and is also called iris in (whose opposite is iris out).
In broadcasting, a director may signal a performer to speed up by quickly moving the index finger in a circular motion. If you're giving a speech and someone gives you this signal,
it can be unnerving.
Arc (a curved shape) is a multi-media term. In film and theater, it is a high-intensity light, generally with a carbon filament (called carbon arc light or carbon arc). The arc-
(arch-) shaped flame between two adjacent electrodes connected to a powerful source of electricity is the lighting agency in the light. An arc follow spot is an arc spotlight that
focuses on or follows a performer. Arc out is an instruction to move a dolly (mobile platform) on a curve away from the action. It is also an instruction to a performer to move on a
curved path in front of the camera.
Arc of fashion is the general pattern of acceptance of a fashion or other item among different types of customers. Market researchers refer to early accepters, early followers,
general accepters, and laggards. A cone (a circular base and curved sides that taper to an apex) is a common type of floodlight (high-intensity light) in various sizes, such as senior
cone, junior cone, and baby cone.
In pre-computer days, artists used a metal or plastic triangle to draw straight lines and right angles. A triangle also is a musical instrument that consists of a steel rod bent
into a triangular shape. A common plot device is a love-triangle, which is a situation involving three people.
It used to be that an old-fashioned or boringly conventional person was called a square. What's the current slang? Nerd?
Square is a common word in printing, typography, and publishing. Square capitals are simple, straight-line, all-capital (upper case) letters, as in early Latin manuscripts. They
still are used on tombstones, monuments, and for some company or product names.
Square serif is a group of typefaces with uniform strokes and vertical or horizontal, rather than curved, serifs. It's also called a block letter or slab serif.
You know that a serif is a short, thin line that projects above and/or below the main strokes of letters, such as a, b, and v, so that the letters do not have uniform thickness.
Studies indicate that serif letters are easier to read (and more graceful) than sans serif, which is why such excellent publications as The New York Times use serif typefaces. In
2003, The New York Times changed its headlines in the news and other sections to a new family of typefaces based on Cheltenham. The body text still is Imperial, a serif typeface
created in 1957. It is not Times Roman, which is named after the English newspaper The Times of London.
American squares have serifs heavier than the main strokes, whereas Egyptian squares have serifs the same thickness as the main strokes.
A square book is just that. Technically, its width is in excess of three-fourths of its height but not greater than its height. It's common among art books or other large-size
books, sometimes called coffee-table books. Squares are the edges of a book cover that project beyond and protect the pages of the book.
At TV stations, squares are spaces on a grid that are filled in with the names of television programs on a proposed or actual schedule for each day. In transit advertising, a
square end is a large area near the doors of a train or bus that is square or almost square, in contrast to the rectangular units in the middle of the vehicle.
A sphere is a round solid figure, such as a ball or globe. A sphere of influence (or interest) is an area in which an individual or organization has power to affect events and
developments.
A parabola (pronounced pa-rab-a-lah) is a two-dimensional curve formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane parallel to its side. I hope that you can envision this. It's
slightly different from a hyperbola, which is formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane at a smaller angle.
A PAR light is a commonly used sealed trademarked spotlight with a parabolic aluminized reflector. PAR is an acronym made up of these first three letters or short for parabolic.
Developed by Clarence Birdseye (1886-1956), who is better known for his development of quick-freezing foods, it sometimes is also called birdseye.
An ellipse is an oval shape. An ellipsoidal spot is an elliptical or curved spotlight. Though not a geometric shape, an ellipsis is a media term that merits discussion. From the
Greek elleipein, or leave out, an ellipsis is the omission of a few letters, a word, phrase, sentence, or more that is considered to be superfluous or able to be understood. It also
may indicate a pause or passage of time and sometimes is called suspension points. The omission or pause is indicated by a mark or series of marks, such as three dots or
asterisks.
Here's a rule about ellipsis points: three dots refer to an omission within a sentence; if the omission is at the end of the sentence, use four dots (the fourth dot is the period
at the end of the sentence). Ellipsis (plural, ellipses) sometimes is used by columnists to separate brief items. The best-known elliptic, or user of ellipses, was Walter Winchell
(1897-1972) in his newspaper column.
Let's return to hyperbola. The origin is from the Greek hyperbole, or excuse. This brings us to hyperbole (pronounced high-PURR-bow-lee), a figure of speech in which emphasis is
achieved by exaggeration. It usually is designed for effect and is not meant to be taken literally. Speakers and writers generally should avoid being hyperbolic. On that note, we
conclude our geometry lesson. You're on your own with trigonometry, algebra, and calculus.
Contact:
Richard Weiner can be reached at [email protected].