Abner E. "Abby" Singer (December 8, 1917 – March 13, 2014) was an American production manager and assistant director in film between the 1950s and the 1980s.
[1][2] According to Burt Bluestein of the Directors Guild of America, "It all began when Abby was a 1st AD and people on the crew would ask him how many shots were left to do before lunch.
'"[3] Singer himself explained that he had a very specific reason for calling out the second to last shot; "In television, we would make maybe five or six moves during the day — going from one set to another, or from one stage to another.
This would give the crew a chance to begin wrapping up their equipment or to call transportation for gurneys, so they'd be ready to get out quickly...
Abby Singer died of cancer on March 13, 2014, in California at the age of 96.