film producer | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

128 entries found.

c. 1600, "to cover with a film or thin skin," from film (v.). Intransitive sense is from 1844. Meaning "to make a movie of" is from 1899. Related: Filmed; filming.

producer (n.)

1510s, "one who or that which produces;" agent noun from produce (v.). Of entertainments, from 1891; in political economy, "one who causes any article to have an exchangeable value" (opposed to consumer), by 1714 (John Locke).

film (n.)

Old English filmen "membrane, thin skin, foreskin," from West Germanic *filminjan (source also of Old Frisian filmene "skin," Old English fell "hide"), extended from Proto-Germanic *fello(m) "animal hide," from PIE root *pel- (3) "skin, hide."

Sense of "a thin coat of something" is 1570s, extended by 1845 to the coating of chemical gel on photographic plates. By 1895 this also meant the coating plus the paper or celluloid. Hence "a motion picture" (1905); sense of "film-making as a craft or art" is from 1920.

film noir (n.)

1958, from French, literally "black film," from noir (12c.), from Latin niger (see Negro).

film-strip (n.)

also filmstrip, 1930, from film (n.) + strip (n.).

film-maker (n.)

also filmmaker, 1859 as a solution used in developing photographs, later "a producer of film for cameras" (by 1889), from film (n.) + maker. As "producer of a cinematographic work, movie-maker," from 1905.

Goldwynism (n.)

1937, in reference to the many humorous malaprop remarks credited to U.S. film producer Samuel G. Goldwyn (1882-1974); the best-known, arguably, being "include me out." Goldwyn is perhaps less popular as the originator of such phrases in American English than baseball player Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (1925-2015), but there doesn't seem to be a noun form based on Berra's name in popular use. Also see bull (n.3). The surname typically is Old English goldwyn, literally "gold-friend."

first-hand (adj.)

also firsthand, "direct from the source or origin," 1690s, from the image of the "first hand" as the producer or maker of something.

sing-along

1959, noun and adjective, from verbal phrase; see sing (v.) + along (adv.). Originally associated with U.S. music producer Mitch Miller (1911-2010).

prequel (n.)

"a film, book, etc., portraying events which precede those of an existing film, book, etc.," 1973, from pre- "before," based on sequel (n.).

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