Equipment and materials · equipment
C47
Also known as wooden clothespin, film clip.
A wooden clothespin used to hold diffusion, gels, or small fabric pieces without transferring heat like metal can.
Name origin
C-47 is set slang for a wooden clothespin. The story that crews renamed bulk clothespins on a purchase order so an executive would approve them is a recorded oral-history account, but not verified history. Other explanations—an aircraft, a patent, or a catalog code—also circulate. Use the term confidently; do not present any origin story as settled fact.
Confidence: disputed.
Explore related entries
Sources
- C-47s · USC Digital Folklore Archives
- Lighting handbook · ARRI
Educational reference only. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, employer, venue, and production context.