So what does a producer mean, during shooting, when she says to the talent, “Hold the role”? Or is she even talking to the talent?
No guesses please. Only answer this if you know, I am quite capable of making guesses and suppositions on my own.
Are you sure it’s “Hold the role” and not “Hold the roll”?
The latter would make more sense and be fairly obvious.
If you are sure it is indeed “Hold the role” then I’ll bow out.
TV and doc producer. I have never heard anyone say this, but I’m pretty sure it’s “roll,” as in “don’t roll film/tape, don’t begin shooting.” “Role” doesn’t make sense, and “hold the roll” does makes sense because a director on the productions I’m familiar with will usually ask of both camera and sound, before beginning a scene, either “rolling?” or “speeding?” to which the responses are “camera/sound rolling” or “camera/sound speeds.” Now that we don’t use tape and rarely use film, “speeding” is the generic term for “recording picture/audio,” but “roll” persists from the days when an actal wheel turned in the recording medium. “Speed” I think refers to the need for recording media to actually crank up to the right speed from a standstill, but I don’t know that for sure.
On a bigger production than I’ve done the producer may well be looking at a larger overall ‘picture’ than the director, who is focused on actors and the shot, so it may fall upon her to hold up filming for, say, a train scheduled to pass by in 45 seconds.
Okay, “hold the roll.” I googled both ways and did not get an answer. I’ve only heard it. “Hold the roll” is still not that obvious to me. “Stop rolling” would make sense, if that’s what “hold the roll” means.
“Hold the roll” would presumably mean “don’t start the roll”. I’m no expert but my impression is that if you want to stop the command is just “cut”.
If you Google " ‘hold the roll’ film term" you should get better results.
Here’s a few definitions:
And so on.
I also remembered it from school as hold the “roll” - referencing the roll of film.
From what I remember, it was the “hold on, something went stupid at the last minute but it won’t take long to fix, just gimme a jiffy and we’ll be back on again in a sec” call. Usually followed by frantic action from various crew.
Actually, the producer is talking to Craft Service.
