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My Twenty What?

“What’s your twenty?”

This is a question you will be asked frequently when you’re a set PA. If you don’t know what that means, you’ll be recognized as the greenest greenie who ever greened. Luckily, you read this blog, and I’ll tell you what it means!

Your “twenty” is your location. It comes from CB radio slang, as does the ever popular “ten one.”

You’ll often hear it in the context of “Does anyone have a twenty on the director/lead actor?” They get lost. All. The. Time. I have no idea where they go; no one does, least of all, them. It’s a thing you’ll get used to.

Some people get so used to talking this way, they’ll say things like “copy” instead of “okay” or “ten one” instead of “taking a piss” even when they’re not using the walkie talkie. Personally, I think this is like someone say “LOL” out loud. Save the walkie speak for the walkie.

Do you copy?

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7 Responses

  1. So funny that I read this post last night and got this email this morning from a “costumer”
    “Copy that and thanks”

  2. True — using “Ten-one” and “copy that” off-walkie around the set is standard on most of the crews I’ve worked with. You can take the walkie-talk too far, though. One of the juicers on a show last year insisted on letting us all know when he was going “Ten-two hundred.”

    Sometimes there really is such a thing as too much information…

  3. Forget set, I’ve heard several people use set talk in everyday life. “Can you pass the salt?” “Copy… I mean yes.”

  4. On set saying copy or 10-1 sans walkie is totally normal. Maybe you should get out of your air conditioned, comfy chair, printer toner world and come see what we go through in order to help the day get done.

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