In short: The art department designs, builds and dresses the look of a shoot. This glossary defines the roles, the objects and the construction terms you will hear on set, from set dressing and flats to hero props, recces and continuity. Terms are listed alphabetically, with a short definition for each.
Art department
The team that designs and builds the look of a production, working under the production designer. It usually covers the art director, set decorator, props, construction and greens.
Art director
The person who turns the production designer's plans into drawings and runs the build and dressing day to day. They manage the budget and the team that makes the sets.
Background plate
A recorded image or film of a real place, used behind actors or as the base for a visual effect. It is shot to match the lens, height and light of the main shot.
Breakaway
A prop made to break easily on cue, such as a glass, bottle or chair leg. It looks real on camera but is built so that nobody gets hurt when it breaks.
Build
The construction of a set or set piece from timber, board and paint, as opposed to dressing a space that already exists. A build needs its own list, drawings and a strike plan.
Chroma key
Colour-based compositing, usually with a green or blue screen, which removes the background so another image can be placed behind the subject.
Continuity
Keeping objects, positions, costume and props the same from shot to shot, so that scenes shot out of order cut together. The script supervisor usually leads on it.
Dressing
The objects placed in a room or set to make it look lived in. Dressing is what separates a convincing room from an empty one with the furniture in it.
Facing
The visible surface of a wall, cabinet or piece of furniture, which is the only side the camera sees. A facing can be built or dressed on one side only, which saves time and money.
Flat
A lightweight panel, usually a timber frame covered in fabric or board, used to make a wall on a set. Flats can be joined and moved, which is why they are used for most studio sets.
Greens
Live or artificial plants and trees used in dressing. The term covers pot plants, hedges, trees placed outside a window and the greenery in a set.
Hero prop
An object that appears in close-up or is handled on camera, so it has to look right at close range. Hero props usually need spares and extra care in handling.
Practical
A light or working item in shot that actually works, such as a lamp or a television. Practicals are often used to light a scene as well as to dress it.
Production designer
The head of the art department, who designs the look of the film or programme and works closely with the director on how places and objects should feel.
Prop
Any object an actor handles or interacts with on screen. Props are usually chosen for the performance, not just the look.
Props buyer
The person who finds, hires or buys the props for a production, and keeps the receipts and the return list. On a small shoot this job is often done by the producer or the art director.
Props master
The head of the props team on a larger production. They look after the props on set, from handing them to the actors to returning them at the end.
Recce
A visit to a location or set before the shoot. It checks access, parking, power, light, space and what needs building or bringing in.
Set decorator
The person who furnishes and dresses a set, sourcing the furniture and objects that fill the room to the art director's plan. On a larger job they lead the set dressers.
Set dresser
A crew member who places, moves and maintains the dressing on set, under the set decorator. They reset the room between takes and keep the continuity photographs up to date.
Set piece
A built element of a set that is more than a prop, such as a staircase, a fireplace or a bar. Set pieces are usually designed and built by the construction team.
Storyboard
A series of drawn or painted frames showing the planned shots in order. It is used to plan the build, the camera moves and the lighting before the day.
Strike
Taking down a set or dressing after the shoot, and returning or disposing of what was used. A strike needs its own time in the schedule.
Tracking marker
A marker placed on a set or green screen so that a camera's movement can be tracked for a visual effect. Markers must be planned with the visual effects team before the shoot.
Related guides
Questions we get asked
What is the difference between a prop and set dressing?
A prop is an object an actor handles or interacts with. Set dressing is the furniture and objects placed in a room to make it look lived in. Some items move from one to the other depending on the scene.
What does a set dresser do?
A set dresser places, moves and maintains the dressing on set, working to the plan from the set decorator. They reset rooms between takes and keep a record of where things went.
What is a recce in film production?
A recce is a visit to a location or set before the shoot. It checks access, power, light, space and what must be built or brought in.
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