Walkie Talkie Lingo Cheat Sheet

Channel assignments, copy phrases, and on-set acronyms a new PA needs on day one. Designed to live in a hip pocket, fold into a binder, or pin on the production-office wall.

Format: PDF
Pages: 2 — front and back
Best for: PAs, new ADs, onboarding
License: Free for commercial use

Why this cheat sheet

Walkies are how a film set runs.

Every department on a working set lives on a walkie. The 1st AD pages the DP; locations checks in with transportation; the script supervisor wants confirmation on a slate. When everyone is on the right channel and the etiquette is clean, the day moves. When new PAs are guessing, the channel turns into a group chat.

This cheat sheet gives a new PA — or any crew member starting on a new show — what they need to know on day one: which channel each department lives on, which phrases mean what, and which behaviors will get the radio taken away.

What it looks like

Channels on top, phrases below — designed to be scanned at speed.

Single page, hand-typeset so the most-asked questions on a busy set are answered in the first second.

Channel-first layout
Standard department channels at the top so a new PA knows where to listen.
Plain-English phrasing
Every callout written the way working sets actually say it.
Hip-pocket sized
Designed to fold and survive a 14-hour day in the rain.
Print-ready PDF
Letter and A4 friendly, no scaling required, no watermark.

What's on the page

Channels, phrases, and the etiquette every set assumes you know.

Common radio phrases

"Radio check"
Verify the radio is working.
"Copy" / "10-4"
Confirm receipt of a transmission.
"What's your 20"
Where are you?
"Eyes on"
Visual confirmation of person or item.
"Stand by" / "Standing by"
Hold the channel; awaiting instructions.
"Lock it up"
Restrict access to the location for a take.
"Final checks" / "Last looks"
Final verification before rolling.
"Roll camera" / "Turnover"
Begin recording.
"Reset" / "Back to one"
Return to starting positions.
"First team" / "Second team"
Principal cast vs. stand-ins.
"Strike" / "86"
Remove an item from set.
"Stinger"
Extension cord.
"Hot brick"
Fully charged battery.

Etiquette

Think — press — speak.

Hold the radio a few inches from your face. Speak clearly at conversational volume. Begin with name-for-name ("Chris for Ben") so the person you are calling knows it is for them. Keep the transmission short — if it is going to be a conversation, ask to switch to an open channel.

Treat the radio with care; they are expensive. Do not joke during filming. If a senior crew member needs the radio, surrender it without arguing. The PA who learns this in the first week is the PA who is on set in week six.

01
Print-ready
Sized to print on letter or A4, fold once, and tuck into a hip pocket. Stays legible after a day in the rain.
02
Professional
The same channels and phrases working sets actually use — not the shorthand you'd find on a forum thread.
03
Beautiful
Hand-typeset so the page is easy to scan in low light, mid-call, or in the back of a van.
04
Free
Download it, print a stack, and hand them out at every onboarding.