Glossary

 

Acrylic plastic The transparent, rigid plastic known as Perspex or Plexiglas.

Animation Stand (16) Another name for a rostrum camera.

Asbestos Since the prohibition of certain types of asbestos for industrial use substitutes have had to be found for special effects work. These replacements include rock wool, fibreglass matting and glass filament rope.

AutoFocus (26) Modern camcorders have an automatic focusing system which homes in on the subject nearest the camera – this can prejudice glass shots, fog and smoke sequences.

Beam-Splitter A semi-transparent sheet of optical glass that diverts some of the light that would normally pass through it.

Blaster (80) An imaginary hand-held weapon popularised in science fiction.

Blue Screen (66) The blue screen used for chroma-key insertion. The term ‘blue screen process’ is occasionally used instead of chroma key or CSO.

Bomb Release (138) A solenoid-operated hook for releasing heavy weights or cables under tension.

Bowden Cable (82, 160) A flexible stranded steel cable in an outer sheath. Used for automobile brakes and aircraft controls, etc.

Breakaway Glass (134) Plastic material used to imitate window glass where it has to be smashed. Made by pouring heated plastic onto metal sheets.

Bullet Hit (112) Plastic-cased detonator used to simulate a bullet striking its target. Electrically fired.

Case Mould (40) A flexible mould in two or more pieces backed with a rigid case to prevent it deforming.

Cel (16) Transparent plastic film on which is painted the pictures used in filmed animations.

Charcoal Tablet (86) Small circular tablets of compressed charcoal used for the burning of incense or for fuelling portable cooking stoves. Often impregnated with chemicals to facilitate lighting.

Chip (20) A miniaturised encapsulated circuit found in all modern electronic devices. It forms the basis of the computer, but can be found in many other things including electric drills, telephones, calculators, watches and so on.

Chroma Key (53, 66) An electronic method of combining parts of television pictures received from separate cameras or other sources. Used chiefly for putting backgrounds behind action. Also known as colour separation overlay.

Clone (172) a copy of anything which has been produced to faithfully resemble an original.

Cobweb Gun (146) Hand-held dispenser of latex ‘cobweb’ filaments.

Colour Separation Overlay (66) See Chroma Key.

Crab (54) Term used to describe camera movement when the dolly or pedestal is moved sideways.

Deflagration (98) The explosive effect of burning gunpowder.

Depth of field (26) The front to back area of a subject which is in focus when seen through the camera lens.

Detonation (98) The shock effect which causes the explosion of high-explosive materials.

Dolly (54) A wheeled truck on which cameras are mounted. Has steering and a moving arm which raises and lowers camera.

Dry Ice (74) Frozen carbon-dioxide gas in solid form. Used commercially for cold storage. When mixed with hot water generates large quantities of water vapour in form of heavy mist.

Dry-lce Generator (74) A box or vessel designed to liberate dry-ice mist under controlled conditions.

Expanded Polystyrene (32) Attenuated, lightweight, rigid-foam, plastic material principally used for thermal insulation and packaging. Has many uses in the making of film and TV props.

Fade Term used to describe the effect where picture fades into black. Cross-fade implies that as one picture fades down another fades up to take its place.

Fifty-fifty Mirror (26, 64) A mirror which has been only partially silvered or aluminised on one surface. Used for beam-splitting or superimposition effects.

Film Loop (148, 154) Term derived from the days when an endless loop of film was run through a back-projection machine or telecine equipment to provide a continuously running effect. Frequently used for rain, snow, fog and blizzard effects, but now as a conventional reel of film.

Flame Ark (92) Pitched-roof-shaped wire-netting frame on which impregnated cloth is burnt to provide high flames.

Flame Drum (88) Motorised, transparent-plastic cylinder on which can be painted designs to throw shadows. Particularly useful for the simulation of leaping flames.

Flame fork (88, 90) Trident-shaped pipe for the burning of gas during fire sequences in the studio.

Flash Pot (102,110) Cardboard carton containing pyrotechnic flash-powder for ‘wizard’ appearances and other flash effects in the studio. Usually electrically fired.

Frame (12) This is the outer confines of the TV picture or a camera viewfinder.

Front-Axial Projection (64) (also called AXIAL-FRONT PROJECTION). A system of projecting photographs from a point near the camera to give large background scenes in the studio.

Fuller’s Earth This is a form of powdered yellow clay. It is a benign powder with many uses in special effects. It is relatively heavy and does not stay suspended in the air.

Gimbal (82) A support which allows the object supported to be rotated in any direction.

Glass Fibre (46) Fine filaments of drawn glass having very high tensile strength. Used in conjunction with polyester resin to produce the material commonly called fibreglass. Used in this form to make lightweight scenery and property items.

Glass Shot (48) A sheet of glass positioned between the camera and the scene can have part of the scene painted on it to extend the picture.

Hanging Miniature (53) A miniature used to augment the picture.

Heat Exchanger (84) A device which transfers heat from gas or liquid to similar materials of a lower temperature.

Inlay (48) Electronic method of combining part of one television picture with another. As the system requires the use of a cut out mask to define the area inlaid, the subject material must have finite edges.

Joystick (159) An operating lever that moves in different directions – left, right, forwards and backwards, etc.

Latex Latex is natural rubber which can be re-constituted in different ways. It can be made to mix with water or with spirits. It can be cured to dry hard or be allowed to dry naturally and remain flexible. It can be mixed with various fillers.

Lay-Up (46) Term used to describe the laminating of glass fibre and polyester resin.

Lichen Moss (58) A natural moss found on rocky soil in sub-arctic countries. Softens in water. Used extensively in architectural and landscape model making.

Maroon (106) A large explosive firework used to simulate the effects of shellfire. Also called a Ground Maroon.

Matte Line (56, 58) The join between parts of the picture where each part comes from a different source.

Miniature (50) A model designed to look like a real scene.

Morphing (22) A computer technique which changes (or metamorphoses) one subject into another without using superimposition.

Mortar (106) A steel or heavy cardboard tube used to fire objects into the air.

Mortar or Mortar Pan (106) The heavy metal pan used for firing ground maroons and bomb simulators. Because it has a similar function to the tube mortar it has the same name.

Motion Control (20) A method of storing camera movement details in an electronic memory in order that they can be repeated automatically.

Overlay (48) An electronic method of combining part of one television picture with another. Able to handle moving subjects in infinite arrangements. Uses black and white as triggering factors instead of the colour separation principle associated with colour separation overlay or chroma key.

Pan Term used to describe camera movement where it is swung to either side.

Paper Snow (152) Snow used in overhead dispensers is sometimes made of macerated paper – so too is snow used for ground dressing. The two are not interchangeable.

Pedestal Wheeled mounting for TV camera. Camera raised and lowered on a central column.

Periscope (30) An arrangement of two mirrors which allows a higher or lower viewpoint to be obtained. Shots very close to the studio floor can be taken by a camera fitted with a periscope.

Perspex British brand-name for clear acrylic resin.

Photocopier (174) An office machine for copying documents. Modern equipment which can reproduce in colour has several applications in effects work.

Piece Mould (40) A mould constructed in two or more pieces to facilitate the removal of the cast.

Plexiglass American brand-name for clear acrylic resin.

Polyester Resin (46) Resinous compound that when mixed with reagents hardens and solidifies. Used both for casting purposes and for the bonding of glass fibre lay-ups.

Pyrofuse (112) A small electrical fuse designed for the ignition of pyrotechnic materials.

Pyrotechnics (102) Fireworks, rockets, flares, thunderflashes, etc., containing powdered materials which burn or explode when ignited.

Reflex Screen (64) Glass-beaded material supplied in the form of sheets or rolls can be applied to a backing or to a studio wall to form a projection screen. Known as a reflex screen it reflects almost all the light that hits it back to the point from which it came. This characteristic is the basis of the front-axial projection system.

Release Agent (36, 46) Substance applied to the surface of moulds to prevent adhesion of the casting compounds.

Rostrum (Animated Screen) Camera (16) A fixed movie camera mounted vertically above a work table. The camera, able to record one frame at a time, is used for film animation purposes.

Scenic Projection (64) The system of projecting large photographic images onto screens placed at the rear of the scene. A convenient method of providing realistic backings.

Slave Unit (159) Every radio control system has a master unit controlled by the operator which feeds one or more slave units that perform the distant tasks.

Smoke Gun (84) (or Smoke Machine) Portable machine to be carried in the hand or placed on the studio floor for the purpose of furnishing controlled amounts of smoke. Smoke is generated by the heating of oil.

Smoke Pot (86) Pyrotechnic smoke maker.

Snorkel (30) This is a term normally associated with the air-pipe used for underwater swimming. In filming it is applied to special lenses which are housed in tubes.

Solenoid (160) An electromagnetic device which imparts a limited movement to a steel core or armature.

Stop Frame (18) The process of filming something a frame at a time for animation purposes.

Telecine Machine Equipment used to transmit movie film in the form of television pictures.

Thermoplastic (34) A material which softens when heated.

Tilt Term used to describe camera movement when it is tipped up or down.

Track Term used to describe camera movement when the dolly or pedestal is moved towards or away from the scene.

Vacuum Forming (34) The method of sucking a heated sheet of plastic over a master item to reproduce its shape.

Whoofer (108) A compressed-air cylinder used to discharge pieces of material and dust into the air to resemble an explosion.

Zooming (20) The act of moving in and out of a picture by simply altering the characteristics of the camera lens.