There’s a lot of short-form in our industry. Wondering what SOC or WIPO stands for? Look no further!

ACRONYMS

Our Acronyms

AABP ACTRA Additional Background Performer
ACA Association of Canadian Advertisers
ACTRA Alliance of Canadian Cinema Television and Radio Artists
ADISQ Association Québecoise de L’industrie du Disque, Du Spectacle, et de la Vidéo
AFM American Federation of Musicians
AFBS ACTRA Fraternal Benefit Society
AFTRA American Federation of Television and Radio Artist
AFL-CIO American Federation of Labour – Congress of Industrial Organizations
ALAI Association Letteraire et Artistique Internationale
AMIS Acting and Modelling Information Service
AMPTP Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers
AMS ACTRA Membership System
APFTQ Association des Producteurs de Films et Télévision de Québec
ASL American Sign Language
QITCT Association Québecoise des Industries Techniques du Cinema et de la Television
AVLA Audio-Visual Licensing Agency Inc.
BEM UBCP/ACTRA Background Extra Member (equivalent to AABP)
CAEA Canadian Actors Equity Association
CCAU Coalition of Canadian Audio-Visual Unions
CAPPRT Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal
CAVCO Canadian Audio Visual Certification Office
CAW Canadian Auto Workers
CBC Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
CCC Coalition of Copyright Creators
CCA Canadian Conference for the Arts
CEP Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union
CFC Canadian Film Centre
CFTIC Canadian Film and Television Industry Coalition
CFM Canadian Federation of Musicians
CHRC Canadian Human Resources Council
CIMA Canadian Independent Music Association
CIPIP Canadian Independent Production Incentive Program
CLC Canadian Labour Congress
CMG Canadian Media Guild
CMPA Canadian Media Production Association
CMRRA Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency Ltd.
CPCC Canadian Private Copying Collective
CPE Canadian Programming Expenditure
CRA Creators Rights Alliance
CRC Canadian Retransmission Collective
CRIA Canadian Recording Industry Association
CRTC Canadian Radio-Telecommunications and Television Commission
CUPE Canadian Union of Public Employees
DGA Directors Guild of America
DGC Directors Guild of Canada
EIC Entertainment Industry Coalition
FIA Federation International des Acteurs (International Federation of Actors)
FIM International Federation of Musicians
GRP Gross Rating Point
IATSE International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees
ICA Institute of Communication Agencies
IPA Independent Production Agreement
IPDA International Performers’ Database Association
IPN International Performer Number
LGBT Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender
LWG Legal Rights Working Group
MDC Ontario Media Development Corporation
MPAA Motion Pictures Association of America
MROC Musicians Rights’ Organization of Canada
NABET National Association of Broadcasting Employees & Technicians
NSI National Screen Institute
OMDC Ontario Media Development Corp
OTT Over-the-top services (Netflix, Apple TV etc)
PNI Programs of national interest (CRTC term for TV drama, comedy, awards shows)
PAL Performing Arts Lodges
PRS Performers’ Rights Society
RACS Recording Artists’ Collection Society (previously SRD & NR)
RAWG Rights Administrative Working Groups
Re:Sound Re:Sound Music Licensing Agency (previously NRCC)
RRM Revenue Receiving Module
SAG Screen Actors Guild
SAMI Swedish Artists & Musician Interests Organization
SCAPR The Societies’ Council for the Collective Management of Performers’ Rights
SOCAN Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada
SODRAC Société du Droit de Reproduction des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Éditeurs du Canada Inc.
SOGEDAM Société de Gestion des Droits des Artistes-Musiciens
SOPROQ Société Collective de Gestion des Droits des Producteurs de Phonogrammes et de Vidéogrammes du Québec
TAMAC Talent Agents and Managers’ Association of Canada
TIPPS Total Integrated Payroll Planning System (CBC – payroll slips)
TJC Technical Joint Committee
Tri-Guild Audit Group: SAG/WGA/DGA
UBCP Union of B C Performers
UdA/ARTISTi Union des Artistes
USW United Steelworkers
WGA Writers’ Guild of America (East and West)
WGC Writers Guild of Canada
WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization

Miscellaneous
ACTRA STAFF Unions : COPE – Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union; USW – United Steel Workers; CAW – Canadian Auto Workers
AGM Annual General Membership Meeting
CDI Compact Disc Interaction
EDI Electronic Data Interchange
GM General Membership
MOW Movie of the Week
OSLO On-Set Liaison Officer
VB6 Visual Basic 6

Commonly Used Terms under the National Commercial Agreement:
Television section
AWT Additional Work Time – covers 9th & 10th hours of work
C Cartoonist
DEMO Demonstrator
E Extra
GD Group Dancer
Grp E Group Extra
GS Group Singer
NCA National Commercial Agreement
NS Network Spot-Cycle of use
O/T Overtime – covers 11th hour of work and on
P Program-Cycle of use
PP Principal Performer
PT Puppeteers
SA Speciality Act
SB Standby
SD Solo Dancer
SI Stand-in
SOC Silent-On-Camera
ST-C Stunt Coordinator
ST-P Stunt Performer
US Understudy
VO/SS Voice Over or Solo Singer
WS Wild Spot-Cycle of use

Radio section
SV/SS Single Voice or Solo Singer
MV/GS Multiple Voice or Group Singer

Common used terms in the IPA:
A, M, S, D Actor, Model, Singers or Dancers in groups greater than four (4)
BGP Background Performer
CP Chorus Performer
N or C Narrators and Commentators – Off Camera.
PA Principal Actor, Includes: Announcer, Cartoonist Dancers (1 or 2), Host, Narrator, Commentator, Puppeteer, Singer (1 or 2), Specialty Act, Sportscaster, Stunt Performer, Panelist.
PD Photo-Double
S or D Singers or Dancers in groups of up to (4)
SI Stand In
SS Special Skill
ST-A Stunt Actor
ST-C Stunt Coordinator
VRA Voluntary Recognition Agreement
VP Variety Principal

Other terms
A Accountant
AD Assistant Directors
PC Production Coordinator
PM Production Manager