What's Your 20?
Radio shorthand used on film sets to ask a crew member's current location, derived from the police and CB radio ten-code '10-20' meaning 'location'.
What's Your 20?
exclamation | Production & On-Set
A radio shorthand question used on film and television sets to ask a crew member where they are currently located. Derived from "10-20," the ten-code for "location" in police and CB radio communication, "What's your 20?" or simply "What's your 20" is a standard way of asking "Where are you?" when coordinating crew positions across a set, location, or base camp area. It is one of the most frequently used radio phrases on a professional production.
Quick Reference
| Domain | Production & On-Set |
| Full Form | "What is your 20?" or "What's your 20?" |
| Origin | Ten-code "10-20" = location |
| Also Said | "What's your location?" or simply "20?" |
| Typical Answer | A specific location description: "At base camp," "Camera truck," "On set by the monitor," "Heading to the grip truck" |
| Related Terms | 10-1, Copy That, Crossing, Striking, Production Assistant |
| See Also (Tools) | Shot List Generator |
| Difficulty | Foundational |
The Explanation: How & Why
Film productions spread across multiple physical areas simultaneously — the shooting set, the camera truck, the grip truck, the electric truck, base camp (where actors' trailers are parked), the production office, and sometimes multiple unit locations. Knowing where specific crew members are at any given moment is essential for the 1st AD, the production coordinator, and department heads who need to deploy personnel quickly.
"What's your 20?" provides a fast, efficient way to ask for location information over radio. Because the question is a recognisable, standardised phrase, the recipient understands immediately what is being asked and can answer with a location without any preamble. A standard exchange might be:
"[Name], what's your 20?"
"I am at the camera truck, be on set in two minutes."
"Copy that."
Three transmissions, complete location information, communication loop closed.
Why location matters on a film set:
Film productions involve continuous movement of people and equipment between the shooting set, support vehicles, holding areas, and adjacent locations. A department head who cannot be found delays setups; an actor who is not at their trailer when the 1st AD needs them delays the day; a PA who is not where they are supposed to be creates a gap in the production's logistical chain. "What's your 20?" is the fastest way to locate anyone on the production without resorting to phone calls, messages, or physically searching.
The 10-20 origin:
In the official police and CB radio ten-code system, 10-20 means "location" or "what is your location?" The informal contraction "What's your 20?" retains the number while dropping the "ten," making it faster to say over radio. This contraction follows the same pattern as other ten-code adaptations on film sets: "10-4" becomes "four" or "copy"; "10-1" becomes "I need a 10-1" rather than "I need to stop transmitting and rest my equipment."
Set-specific use:
On a large production, the 1st AD uses "What's your 20?" constantly throughout the day — locating the director between setups, checking on the talent's position relative to set readiness, confirming department heads are where they need to be before calling the next setup. Production assistants field "What's your 20?" calls and respond with their positions. The phrase is so integrated into set communication that it functions almost reflexively — asked and answered without either party breaking their stride.
Beyond the set:
"What's your 20?" has entered broader popular culture beyond film production — it appears in action films, police procedurals, and everyday speech as a casual way of asking "Where are you?" This broader adoption reflects the penetration of CB radio and emergency services vocabulary into American popular culture from the 1970s onward.
Historical Context & Origin
The ten-code system was developed in 1937 by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials to standardise radio communications for law enforcement. "10-20" for location was part of the original code set. CB radio enthusiasts in the United States adopted ten-codes extensively from the 1960s through the 1970s, popularising them in mainstream culture — particularly through the CB radio craze of the mid-1970s and films like Smokey and the Bandit (1977). Film productions adopted radio communication as standard infrastructure during the same period and brought the ten-code vocabulary with them. "What's your 20?" became standard set vocabulary and has remained so, even as the CB radio culture that originally popularised it has receded.
How It's Used in Practice
Scenario 1 -- Talent Coordination (1st AD / PA): The set is ready for the next setup and the director asks where the lead actor is. The 1st AD radios the PA stationed at base camp: "What's your 20 on [actor name]?" The PA responds: "Talent is in hair and makeup — about ten minutes." The 1st AD adjusts the setup sequence to fill the time productively, returns to preparing the set, and calls the actor's PA back in eight minutes.
Scenario 2 -- Equipment Location (Key Grip / Grip Department): A key grip needs a specific piece of rigging equipment. They radio the grip department: "Where are the 1-ton combo stands? What's their 20?" A grip responds: "On the grip truck, second bay on the left." The key grip dispatches a PA to retrieve them without leaving the set.
Scenario 3 -- Director Communication (1st AD / Director): Between setups, the director has stepped away from the set to make a phone call. The lighting setup is complete and the 1st AD is ready to proceed. They radio: "Director — what's your 20? We are ready for you on set." The director responds: "Coming from the production trailer — two minutes." The 1st AD holds the set and calls the talent to stand by.
Usage Examples in Sentences
"Camera department, what's your 20? We need you on set."
"PA 2, what's your 20 on the stunt coordinator?"
"What's your 20 is the most-used phrase on any radio on set. Everyone gets asked it and everyone asks it."
"If you do not answer 'What's your 20?' quickly, you are going to hold up the whole set."
Common Confusions & Misuse
"What's Your 20?" vs. "What's Your ETA?": "What's your 20?" asks for current location. "What's your ETA?" asks for estimated arrival time at a specific destination. Both are coordination questions but they ask for different information. The answer to "What's your 20?" is a location; the answer to "What's your ETA?" is a time. On set, both are used frequently and in combination — "What's your 20 and what's your ETA on set?"
"What's Your 20?" vs. "10-20": The full ten-code form is "10-20" or "what is your 10-20?" The informal "what's your 20?" drops the "ten" for speed. Both are understood on professional sets; "what's your 20?" is the more common conversational form.
Related Terms
- 10-1 -- A related radio code from the same ten-code system; used for a bathroom break request on film sets
- Copy That -- The standard acknowledgement that closes the communication loop opened by "What's your 20?" once the location is confirmed
- Crossing -- Another on-set communication term used on radio; spatially oriented like "What's your 20?"
- Striking -- A related on-set safety call that also uses radio communication for awareness of location and movement
- Production Assistant -- The crew member most frequently asked and asking "What's your 20?" as part of their coordination role
See Also / Tools
The Shot List Generator provides the framework that makes "What's your 20?" a necessary question — the coordinated movement of crew, equipment, and talent between setups requires knowing where everyone is at every stage of the shooting day.
