Apple box

A standardized wooden riser used to change an actor, camera, prop, furniture, or support height in repeatable increments. Full apples are commonly about 8 × 12 × 20 inches and can be placed in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles orientations; they are not substitutes for rated access equipment or engineered support.

Use cases

Choose the tool based on the required result, environment, and manufacturer limits.

Setup

Inspect before use, secure the setup, and keep paths clear.

Alternatives

apple
full apple

Safety notes

Follow manufacturer instructions and local workplace rules.

Common full-apple orientations

New York / A: Commonly the tall orientation of a full apple, about 20 inches high.
Chicago / B: Commonly the middle orientation, about 12 inches high.
Los Angeles / C: Commonly the flat, lowest orientation, about 8 inches high.

Apple-box family

Full apple: The standard 8 × 12 × 20-inch box; its orientation names refer to placement, not a different box.
Half apple: A 4-inch-high modular box, often used to fine-tune height.
Quarter / pancake: A 2-inch-high modular box; “pancake” is the common set nickname.
Eighth: A 1-inch-high shim-like box for small adjustments.

Name origin

The apple-crate explanation is common industry lore, but the exact origin is not documented by a primary historical record. Treat it as an unverified origin story rather than a proven etymology.

Confidence: Unknown