• P&A -- prints and advertising, the often-sizable expense that goes on a film's financial ledger after production is complete; "The film's budget has soared past $65 million, and P&A costs may add another $30 million."
• p.a. -- personal appearance; "Harrison Ford will make a p.a. at the premiere to promote the pic."
• pact -- (n.) a contract; (v.) to sign a contract; "The new pact calls for 6% pay raises across the board" or "The actress is expected to pact with the studio by the end of the week."
• Par -- Paramount; "The director maintains offices on the Par lot."
• passion pit -- drive-in theater, so called owing to their privacy factor and romantic allure for teenagers; "The pic is playing at two passion pits in Miami." (See also: ozoner)
• payola -- bribery or under-the-table payments; "The proliferation of payola rocked the music industry in the 1950s."
• Peacock web -- the NBC television network, named for its colorful mascot; "Must-See TV has been a highly successful promotional campaign for the Peacock web."
• pen -- (v.) to write; "Alan Smithee has been inked to pen the biopic about Abraham Lincoln."
• percenter (also tenpercenter) -- agent; "Mike Ovitz was a percenter before becoming a talent manager."
• percentery (also tenpercentery) -- talent agency; "The director's previous percentery was the William Morris Agency."
• perf -- performance; "Martin Landau was much lauded for his perf in 'Ed Wood.'"
• PGA -- Producers Guild of America.
• pic(s) (also pix) -- motion picture(s); "The studio plans to release four pics this summer."
• pinkslip -- to lay off or fire from a job; "The company pinkslipped 60 staffers in its New York office Monday."
• pitch -- Not a Variety creation, anything from a one-line description to a two- to three-page treatment of an idea, and as such, is not yet a script, nor is it a "spec;" "Felines of Death -- "It's 'JAWS' with paws!"
• plex -- multiplex theater or cable channel; "The company plans to build three plexes comprising 30 screens in the Dallas area" or "HBO has plexed its programming for the convenience of subscribers."
• post-production -- stage at which editing, scoring and effects are executed on a motion picture or TV production; "Post-production on 'Titanic' was escalated to meet the release date."
• pour -- cocktail party; "Universal held a pour for the press in New York to promote its upcoming release."
• powwow -- a meeting or gathering; "NBC held a powwow with its affiliates last month."
• PPV -- pay-per-view; "The fight will be presented as a PPV event in the spring."
• PR (also p.r.) -- public relations
• praiser -- publicist; "A praiser for the star had no comment on the deal."
• praisery -- public relations firm; "The studio is retaining an outside praisery to augment its p.r. chores on the film."
• pre-production -- stage at which a motion picture or TV project is prepared to go into production; "The pic has been greenlighted and goes into pre-production Monday."
• pre-sales -- Territorial sales of planned motion pictures to distributors worldwide; usually conducted to raise funding for lower budget, independent pictures; "The producers conducted pre-sales to Australia, the U.K. and the Far East at the recent film market."
• preem -- (n.) an opening-night or premiere performance; (v.) to show a completed film for the first time; "Several of the pic's stars were on hand for the preem" or "The pic will preem Dec. 18."
• prep -- to prepare; "The studio is prepping for the premiere of its new pic."
• prexy (also prez) -- president; "The studio has no plans to fill the prexy post in the wake of the exec's resignation."
• product -- completed film or TV productions; "TV series usually are not sold into syndication until the producers have at least three years' worth of product."
• production -- Industry term: This involves building sets, designing costumes, measuring and fitting actors for costumes, and rehearsals.
• promo -- sales promotion; "The pic has promo tie-ins with Burger King and Nike."
• pubcaster -- government-owned broadcaster; "The PBS exec declined to comment on the pubcaster's plans for fall."
• put pilot -- A deal to produce a pilot that includes substantial penalties if the pilot is not aired; a virtual guarantee that a pilot will be picked up; "CBS is getting back into business with Jerry Bruckheimer, inking a blind put pilot deal with the mega-producer."

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