Green-light

For other uses, see Green Light.

Traffic lights display green to indicate "go ahead".

To green-light is to give permission or a go ahead to move forward with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead."

In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to formally approve its production finance, and to commit to this financing, thereby allowing the project to move forward from the development phase to pre-production and principal photography.

The power to green-light a project is generally reserved to those in a project or financial management role within an organization. The process of taking a project from pitch to green light formed the basis of a successful reality TV show titled Project Greenlight.

Other uses of the term

In organized crime, gang and prison slang to green-light a person is to authorize the assassination of this person. An example of this use of the word can be found in the 2008 film Felon spoken by Val Kilmer's character, John Smith. Another use occurs in the 2012 film End of Watch, where a gang member warns two police officers that they have been green-lit.

In baseball, the term green-light is when the player is given permission from the manager to be aggressive,especially in situations involving baserunning.

In the novel The Great Gatsby, a green light at the end of Daisy Buchanan's dock in the old-money East Egg is barely visible across the lake from Jay Gatsby's mansion in nouveau riche West Egg. The green light famously symbolized hope and the American dream, a struggle for success and happiness.