AGC — Automatic Gain Control. A circuit that automatically adjusts the recording level of video or audio signals.
AMBIENT SOUND — The background sounds within a scene (also atmos or buzz).
APERTURE — An adjustable hole in a lens through which the light passes. Used for controlling the amount of light.
ARTIFICIAL LIGHT — Any light that is not derived from daylight. Tungsten light has a colour temperature of 3200°K.
ASSEMBLE EDIT — Joining one scene to another using the existing sound, picture and control track.
ATMOS — The background sounds within a scene (also ambient or buzz). AUDIO DUB — Copying or re-recording audio, without erasing the original track, or the video track.
AUXILIARIES — Additional outputs on a sound mixer. May be used to feed effects units or for foldback to the studio floor.
BACK LIGHT — A luminaire placed behind the performer to give depth, and separation from the background.
BARN DOORS — Metal flaps (like doors) in front of a luminaire to control the direction of the output.
BI-DIRECTIONAL MICROPHONE — A microphone that is essentially dead to sounds arriving from either side.
BITC — Burnt-in timecode. Used with off-line editing to give a visual display of running time within the picture area.
BLACK LEVEL — A measurement of the video signal with no exposure. BOOM — Long pole with a microphone fitted on the end.
BUZZ TRACK — Audio recording of background sounds. Also Atmos or Ambient.
CAMCORDER — Complete hand-held video recording system. Contains camera and recorder in one unit.
CAMERA CARD — Cue card for each camera listing just that camera’s shots. CAPACITOR MICROPHONE — Microphone working by detecting changes in the space between two plates. Needs a voltage to make it work. CARDIOID MICROPHONE — Directional response pattern of a microphone where the sound is essentially gathered from the front and the sides. CCU — Camera control unit. Remote control used by the vision engineer to control the exposure and colour output of a studio camera. CCD — Charge coupled device. Light sensitive chip in a video camera.
CHIP CAMERA — Video camera which uses CCDs instead of tubes. CHROMAKEY — Visual effect where areas of blue in a scene are replaced with another picture. Also colour separation overlay. COLOUR BALANCE — An adjustment made to the camera or lighting to ensure that white is seen as white and grey as grey. Ensures that all the colours are faithfully reproduced.
COLOUR BARS — A test signal of eight colours used to adjust cameras and monitors.
COLOUR TEMPERATURE — A scale used to determine the colour quality of light. The unit used is Degrees Kelvin. 5500°K is taken as daylight, 3200°K is artificial light.
COMPONENT VIDEO — Video signal where the brightness and colour signals are kept separate.
COMPOSITE VIDEO — Video signal containing all the picture and synchronization information on one signal.
COMPRESSOR — Audio device that reduces the dynamic range of a signal to a pre-determined range.
CONTRAST — The overall balance between light and dark in a picture. CONTROL TRACK — A track on the videotape recorder where synchronization and servo speed information is recorded. Also used to display running time.
CRAB — A camera movement where the whole camera is moved sideways. CRANE — A camera movement where the whole camera is moved upwards. CUT — A visual transition when one picture is instantly replaced by another. CUTAWAY — A non-specific shot used to bridge two images that otherwise would not cut together.
DAYLIGHT — Light from natural sunlight. Has a colour temperature of 5500°K.
DECIBEL (dB) — Logarithmic measurement of sound pressure.
DEPTH OF FIELD — The distance between the closest and furthest objects
within a scene that are in focus.
DIAPHRAGM — The membrane within a microphone vibrated by the sound waves.
DIFFUSER — A device used in front of a luminaire to soften the light output.
DIMMER — Piece of equipment used to alter the intensity of light output. DOLLY — Movable platform on which cameras or microphones can be mounted.
DOWNSTREAM KEYER — Circuit in a vision mixer which allows caption superimposition without affecting the previous controls. DYNAMIC MICROPHONE — Microphone which works on the dynamo principle, converting sound waves to electricity by the movement of a coil within a magnetic field.
DYNAMIC RANGE — The level of sound measured between the loudest and quietest usable sounds.
EDITING — Selecting and assembling the required audio and/or video pictures into the required order.
EDL — Edit decision list. A list of the actual times, type of visual transition and source that takes place between listed shots.
ELECTRET MICROPHONE — Microphone working on the capacitor principle but using static electricity instead of a DC voltage. EQUALIZATION — Control on an audio mixer. Used to make small adjustments to the tonal quality of a sound.
FLOODLIGHT — Type of luminaire that produces a wide spread of soft light. FOLDBACK — A system for feeding audio signals to the performers. GALLERY — The name used for the studio control area. GEL — A lighting accessory. Flameproof coloured sheets that can be placed in front of a luminaire to change its colour. Or a coloured sheet placed in front of a window to change the colour temperature of daylight. GOBO — A lighting accessory. Shapes that can be fitted to focusing spotlights to change the shape of a light beam.
GREY SCALE — Test card that allows a camera to produce known output levels from black through grades of grey to white. GRIP — Member of camera crew. Responsible for helping to move the camera. GROUP — Facility on an audio mixer allowing several channels to come under the overall control of one fader.
GUIDE TRACK — An audio track that is in sync with the picture but not of sufficient quality to be used for reproduction. Used at the post-production stage to allow accurate replacement with good quality audio. HARDLIGHT — A luminaire which has a housing and bulb designed to produce light with well-defined shadows. HIGHLIGHT — The brightest part of the picture.
HYPER-CARDIOID MICROPHONE — A microphone with a very narrow response angle.
INSERT EDIT — An edit where a new picture or sound is used to replace an existing one.
JUMP CUT — A video transition where a picture cuts to a similar picture producing a jarring visual cut.
KEYER — Part of a vision mixer. Produces an effect where a hole is cut in the main picture and replaced with another picture or caption. KEY LIGHT — The main luminaire that is used to light a performer. LIGHTING GRID — The gantry above a studio floor from which the luminaires are suspended.
LINEAR — Term used to suggest that images are time sequential.
LONG SHOT — Camera shot which shows the whole of a person or the
general view of a scene as if viewed from a distance.
LOW KEY — Lighting which has high contrast but few bright areas.
LTC — Longitudinal timecode. Timecode recorded along the length of
a track.
LUMINAIRE — An artificial light source contained within a housing. LUMINANCE — 1. Video signal containing information about the brightness of a scene. 2. The brightness reflected from a surface. MICROPHONE — A device which converts sounds in the form of changing air pressure into electrical pressure.
MIX — 1. A visual transition where one picture is slowly replaced by another. 2. Combining of audio sounds to add, for example, voice and music on one track.
MIX DOWN — The final audio mix where all the sounds are combined. MULTI-TRACK — An audio recorder which has more than two tracks all of which can be played back or recorded on independently. NEUTRAL DENSITY (ND) — A filter which cuts down the light level but does not affect the colour.
NODDIES — Mute pictures of an interviewer or guest used as cutaways.
NON-LINEAR EDITING — Computer based editing system which allows editing in random order.
OFF LINE — Linear editing on low-cost equipment to produce a rough cut version and a log to be used for the final edit.
OMNIDIRECTIONAL — Directional response of a microphone where sounds are picked up from all directions around the microphone. PAN — A camera movement where the camera is swung horizontally left or right.
PAN AND TILT HEAD — Mounting fitted between the camera and the tripod to allow vertical or horizontal movements.
PEDESTAL — Camera support with wheels and smooth vertical movements. PHANTOM POWER — A system allowing electricity to be fed to a capacitor microphone along the audio cables.
PLUGE — Picture line-up generating equipment. Test equipment used to produce known video test signals.
POLAR DIAGRAM — Visual representation of the directional pick-up response of a microphone.
POST-PRODUCTION — The final stage of programme production where all the special effects, graphics and audio mixing are carried out. PRE-ROLL — The time needed for a video tape recorder to go from rest to the correct speed with stable pictures.
PREVIEW — In editing, viewing an edit without it being recorded. PROPS — Term used for all the property required by the set and performers. RADIO MICROPHONE — Microphone which is fed to a small radio transmitter. Enables microphones to be used without cables trailing around the set. REVERBERATION — Audio effect of recording in large spaces. Similar to echo. RIFLE MICROPHONE — Type of microphone with a very narrow directional response angle.
RUN THROUGH — Full-speed rehearsal. Last rehearsal before recording. SAFE AREA — Area within the frame of a picture that will be reproduced by a domestic television set.
SCENE — The minimum length of continuous action that can be recorded. SCRIM — Lighting accessory designed to diffuse the output of a luminaire. SHOT — A scene which is recorded as one continuous take. SOFTLIGHT — A luminaire with its housing and bulb arranged to give a diffused, almost shadowless, light output.
STAGGER THROUGH — The first stage of rehearsal, where technical problems can be ironed out.
STORYBOARD — Pictorial representation of the programme. It should also contain the outline script and music or effects.
SYNC — Shorthand term for synchronization. Refers to sound that is in sync with the picture as in lip-sync.
TAKE — Part or all of a scene that is recorded without a break. TALKBACK — Intercommunication system by which the director can talk to the crew.
TALLY LIGHT — Red light fitted to cameras, monitors and vision engineering panels to indicate which camera is in use. TELECINE — A system for converting film images to video. TELEJECTOR — A system for converting images from slides to video. TILT — A camera movement where the whole camera is tipped vertically downwards or upwards.
TIMECODE — A digital signal recorded onto a video or audio tape to locate the exact time position in frames, seconds, minutes and hours. TUNGSTEN LIGHTING — Artificial lighting derived from bulbs with tungsten filaments.
VECTORSCOPE — Special type of test equipment which can display the video signal in the form of amplitude or colour phase. VITC — Vertical interval timecode. Timecode that is recorded on the picture track between each frame.
VOICE OVER — Audio recording made to support the pictures but without the performer being seen.
VOX POPS — The voice of the people. A collection of opinions or answers to questions from a representative group of the public. WALK THROUGH — Second stage of rehearsal, carried out after the technical problems have been sorted out, to check camera angles and shots are correct. WINDSHIELD — Cover fitted to a microphone to cut down on wind noise. WIPE — A visual transition where one picture is replaced by another either vertically, horizontally or diagonally.
ZOOM — A camera lens movement increasing or decreasing the image size.