Every Field develops its own specialized in-group jargon, and the film industry is no exception.
A number of lexicons of this terminology have been compiled—Harry M. Geduld’s An Illustrated Glossary of Film Terms, Tony and Patricia Miller’s “Cut! Print!,” and the University Film Association Journal’s “Terms Used in Production of 16mm Non-Theatrical Motion Pictures,” for example. Indeed, there’s even a handy pocket volume (Film Vocabulary, published by the Netherlands Government Information Service, Film Division, 43 Noordeinde, The Hague, Netherlands) which gives the equivalents for 1,024 film terms in French, English, Dutch, Italian, German, Spanish, and Danish.
The glossary I offer here is indebted to these others, but obviously makes no pretense to being anywhere near as comprehensive as they are. However, it does place special emphasis on terms the beginning scriptwriter is likely to encounter and hence may save him at least a few moments of bafflement.
action. Movement of the subject within the camera’s field of view.
adaptation. A script in which fact or fiction is translated into a presentation suitable for filming.
angle shot. A shot continuing the action of a preceding shot, but from a different camera angle.
animation. The cinematic creation of an impression of movement by inanimate objects or drawings.
answer print. The first combined picture and sound print, in release form, of a finished film.
antagonist. The person, element, or force which opposes the central character of a film in his efforts to attain a goal.
anticlimax. An inadvertent drop in tension following the climax of a film because of the scriptwriter’s attempt to top the climax with additional material dealing with some secondary issue. The cause ordinarily is the writer’s failure to recognize the key element of danger which threatens his central character’s desire. Once this threat is resolved, the film is over, save for the tying up of loose threads in the denouement.
art director. The person who designs and supervises construction of a film’s sets.
audio. Sound, including dialogue, voice-over narration, music, and effects. The “audio side” (that is, the right side) of a two-column script is the side which tells what sound elements are to be included.
back light. A light thrown on foreground actors or objects from farther back in the set, separating them from the background and giving an impression of depth to the picture.
back lot. That portion of a studio’s property equipped with streets, false-front buildings, and the like for use in simulated location shooting.
background. Action, objects, or setting farthest from the camera in a given shot or shots.
background light. A light used to illuminate a shot’s background.
beat. A momentary, predesignated pause in an actor’s action or delivery of a speech.
big closeup. British term for extreme closeup.
business. Action introduced in order to build up or reinforce characterization, a sequence, a plot point, or the like.
busy. A shot or sequence in which inclusion of too much unnecessary action or setting detail distracts from the impression desired.
camera angle. The point of view from which the camera surveys a subject. Thus, “high angle” means that the camera is looking down on the subject; “low angle,” that it is looking up, and so on. “Another angle” means simply that the camera continues to film a given action, but from a different position.
caper film. An adventure film centering on a major theft; generally presented from the thieves’ point of view.
cast list. List (and, frequently, brief description) of the roles in a film.
character. A person in a film.
characterization. Any and all details of appearance and behavior devised by a scriptwriter to define a given story person as an individual.
chase. Use of pursuit of one character by another to build suspense in a film.
cheat To shoot or edit film in a manner that simulates reality by falsifying the relationship between people and/or objects.
climax. The point in a screenplay at which the conflict between desire and danger reaches its ultimate peak.
close shot. A loose term that says only that the camera is close to the subject. Read it as somewhere in the neighborhood of a closeup or medium closeup.
closeup (CU). An emphasis shot that calls attention to some aspect of the subject—a facial expression, a Fist-clenching, an inscription on an object.
commentary. Narration for a film, spoken by an off-screen voice in voice-over situations.
complication. A new and unanticipated story development that throws the central character/protagonist for a loss where the attaining of his ultimate ob jective is concerned. In effect, a confrontation, complete with goal, conflict, and disaster.
composition. The framing of a picture area to achieve a desired distribution and balancing of light, mass, shadow, color, and movement.
conflict. The interplay between forces seeking to attain mutually incompatible goals.
confrontation. A unit of conflict and the main structural component of plot. A time-unified clash between opposing forces in which one person or group attempts to attain an immediate goal and another person/group attempts to prevent attainment of said goal; its basic pattern is one of goal-conflict-disaster, with disaster representing an outcome which has consequences further endangering first person/group’s desire.
continuity. 1. A detailed shooting script. 2. British term for story line.
continuity cutting. Editing film to present action in a smooth, logical flow that preserves the illusion of reality for the audience.
contrast. Comparison of one element (situation, object, person, emotion) with another markedly different.
contrived. A pejorative label which implies that some script phase, element, or device is unbelievable, artificial, and for author convenience. Since everything in a script actually is contrived, the label is meaningless and indicates only that someone doesn’t like something about the story or presentation. The issue, for the writer, then becomes one of contriving more satisfactorily.
credit Title acknowledging work done by some specialist (producer, director, writer, actor, technical staff member) on a film.
crisis. A peak in a screenplay’s development, brought on by a major threat to the protagonist’s chances of attaining his story goal.
cut. Instantaneous change from one shot to another by splicing the two pieces of film together.
cutaway. In continuity cutting, a shot which does not include any part of the preceding shot, as when a character glances out a window and the shot that follows shows what he sees.
cutback. The shot which follows a cutaway if it returns to the preceding action, as when a cutaway shot of what a character sees out a window is followed by a shot that includes the character as he turns away from the window and resumes the action in which he was previously engaged.
cut-in. A medium shot, closeup, or the like, filmed for cutting into a master scene.
cutter, cutting. Editor, editing. More narrowly, the person who actually cuts and splices the film, as differentiated from the editor, who selects the footage to be used and decides where it is to be cut/spliced.
day for night. Daylight exterior shots simulating night by means of filters.
denouement. The tying up of a film’s loose ends following the climax and during or following the resolution. Here questions are answered, lingering tensions released, an ending given an emotionally satisfying twist, and so on.
Deus ex machina. When God or the scriptwriter intercedes to save a film from its logical conclusion.
director. The individual who interprets a script and supervises its filming.
dissolve (lap dissolve). An optical effect in which a fade in is superimposed over a fade out so that one shot replaces the other. Its most common use is as a transition through time and/or space between sequences.
documentary. A word with as many interpretations as there are people talking. In general, it refers to a film that avoids artifice and dramatization in favor of extreme realism, shooting in actual settings with non-professional actors who live the parts of the play.
dolly. A small, wheeled platform used to move a camera smoothly while it shoots.
dolly shot. A shot filmed from a moving dolly.
double system. A sound film system in which picture and sound are recorded on separate but precisely synchronized reels of film, thus, enhancing sound quality and simplifying editing.
down. Reduce volume of music or sound effects, as in such script instructions as “MUSIC: DOWN TO BG” or “MUSIC: DOWN & OUT.”
dramatic scene. A confrontation.
dub. 1. Mix; re-record various sound tracks onto one composite track. 2. To record dialogue or other sound to match action in shots already filmed.
edit (editing, editor). To select, arrange, trim, and splice together film shots for optimum effectiveness.
effects (FX, SFX) track. Sound track on which a film’s sound effects are recorded. These may range from footsteps to gunshots to the racing of a car’s motor.
empathy. The tendency of viewers to share the experiences of filmed characters, as when they tense at some threat jeopardizing a person in a picture.
episodic. Script or film structure giving strong emphasis to incidents; less to continuity and the building of a sense of rising action. Kiss of the Spider Woman is an episodic film.
establish. To make clear any element important to understanding and appreciation of a sequence or film, and that element’s relationship to the sequence or film’s other elements.
exploitation film. A low-budget picture for a specialized audience—horror fans, bikers, or the like.
exposition. Introduction of information from the past necessary for understanding of a film story.
exterior (EXT.). Shots made out-of-doors.
extreme closeup (ECU). A strong emphasis shot, as when a shot of an eyeball fills the frame.
extreme long shot (ELS). A shot that reduces the size of the subject in relation to its background markedly more than a long shot.
fade. An optical effect used as a transitional device, in which the picture on the screen gradually goes to black (fade out) or takes form from black (fade in). Every film opens with FADE IN: and closes with FADE OUT. Between, fades may act as punctuation, separating major segments of a film. As punctuation, a fade is much stronger than—and not to be confused with—a dissolve.
fill light. A light used to fill in shadows cast by the key light and thus balance the picture.
flashback. The introduction into a film of a shot or sequence revealing something from the past, as when a character recalls a past event.
flat. A wooden framework supporting stretched and painted cloth used as a background for action.
follow action (follow shot). The camera moves horizontally or vertically on its tripod or on a dolly in such a manner as to keep attention centered on key action.
foreground. Action, objects, or setting closest to the camera in a given shot or shots.
frame. 1. One single picture on a piece of motion picture film. 2. To compose a shot to include, exclude, or emphasize certain things, as in “This shot is so framed that the narrowing distance between the two riders is immediately apparent.”
freeze-frame. Repetition (via optical printing) of a single frame of a film so that its image is held on the screen for whatever time is desired.
French scene. A dramatic unit under a system of designation which decrees a new scene to begin with each non-incidental entrance or exit.
full shot. A shot that takes in all of a subject, be it an individual, a group, a car, or a house.
gimmick. A clever plot device, especially one that helps to resolve the film’s problem.
head-on shot. Movement straight into the camera, as in the case of someone striding down a hall.
heavy. A villain-type character.
high-key lighting. Lighting in which light, highly illuminated areas predominate, as in most comedies.
hook. 1. A striking incident, unique action, or the like, used to capture audience attention at the beginning of a picture. 2. A linking device (question-answer, repetition, agreement-disagreement, etc.) used to render dialogue cohesive by tying each speech to the one ahead of it.
identification. The tendency of a screenplay’s audience to take sides, in effect cheering the hero and booing the villain.
insert. A shot, frequently an extreme closeup, of some object or detail (a letter, a picture, a hand, a tattoo) which can be filmed in such a manner as to eliminate setting. Thus, it may easily be shot out of sequence and cut into the picture during editing.
interior (INT.). A shot filmed indoors.
jeopardy. Anything which endangers a character’s chances of attaining his story goal and fulfilling his desire.
jump cut. Splicing together two shots taken from the same angle, especially if some element of the action is omitted. The effect is one of jerkiness and discontinuity.
key light. A shot’s primary light source.
lead. The central character or main acting part in a film.
lighting set-up. The placing of lights to illuminate a given shot or shots. Since this task ordinarily takes at least an hour, it constitutes a major expense. Anything the writer can do in his script to limit the number of set-ups will count as a star in his crown.
limbo shot. In effect, a shot staged in space, with props but without a normal set. Often the action takes place in front of a large, blank fabric backdrop called a cyclorama.
lip sync. Dialogue recorded in precise synchronization with the filming, so that speech and lip movements match.
location. A natural setting for action, as differentiated from a sound stage.
long shot (LS). A shot that relates the subject to the background. Frequently, it constitutes an orientation or establishing shot.
loop. A strip of film with its ends spliced together so that it can be projected continuously as a guide for actors in dubbing lines to match lip movements or other action.
low-key lighting. Lighting in which dark, shadowy areas predominate, as in most horror pictures.
MacGuffin. The bone of contention in a film; the thing everyone is trying to save or steal.
mask. To block out a portion of a camera’s field as it shoots, as in masking to simulate the view through binoculars or a keyhole.
master scene. An orientation shot (frequently a long shot) taking in all or a considerable part of the action in an entire sequence. Closer shots (cut-ins) of repetitions of the action then are filmed to build the sequence via emphasis on appropriate details.
master scene script. A script which details the action and dialogue of a film, but by and large does not include shooting instructions or camera angles or break down the action shot by shot.
medium closeup (MCU). A shot whose image size on the frame is between a medium shot and a closeup.
medium long shot (MLS). A shot whose image size on the frame is between a medium shot and a long shot.
medium shot (MS). A shot of the subject in and of itself, with only incidental background.
miniature. Small-scale model of an object or set, used to cut the cost of filming floods, train wrecks, airplane crashes, and the like.
mise-en-scene. A film’s environment. The sum total of its setting.
mix (mixing, mixer). The combining of sound elements (voices, music, effects) from various tracks in desired proportions on a single rerecorded track.
montage. A combination of brief shots and optical effects, used for transition or to create emotional effects. It may condense months of searching into seconds or minutes, for example, or reveal the distortions of a character’s thinking in insanity or a drug experience.
MOS. “Mit out sound.” A gag-line reference to shots or sequences to be filmed silent.
motivation. The logical basis for a character’s action.
moving shot (travel shot). A shot made from a moving vehicle.
Moviola. A sound/picture viewing device used in film editing.
music track. Sound track on which a film’s music is recorded.
narration script. Commentary prepared for use of a film narrator in a voice-over recording situation.
narrator. A commentator (most often unseen) who voices appropriate interpretive remarks for a film’s sound track.
nontheatrical film. Ordinarily, a film shown in schools, churches, clubs, and the like, and used to inform, influence, and inspire, rather than to entertain.
oater. Western film.
obligatory scene. A film’s climactic confrontation, the elements for which have been planted. Unless these plants are paid off in an appropriate clash, the audience will be frustrated and disappointed.
one-shot (two-shot, three-shot, etc.). A shot that includes one or whatever people.
optical effects (opticals). Systematic progressive alteration of a motion picture shot by means of an optical printer, generally for transitional purposes. Common optical effects include fades, dissolves, wipes, superimpositions, and the like.
pan. To turn a camera from right to left or vice versa on its tripod while taking a shot. The vertical version of a pan is called a tilt.
parallel action. Footage in which action in different locations at the same time is shown as a series of successive sequences by cutting back and forth from one setting to the other.
pay off. To make significant use of something previously planted, as when at the climax of a film the protagonist faces down the villain with a previously planted pistol.
persistence of vision. The retention of an image of a viewed subject on the retina of the viewer for the fraction of a second after the subject has been removed. This phenomenon makes possible the motion picture, in which the audience sees a succession of still photos as a continuing flow of motion.
picaresque. A film—frequently episodic costume drama—which recounts the adventures of a rogue. Example: Tom Jones.
plant. Apparently offhand establishment of an idea, character, or property to be used more significantly later in the film. The fact that a gun is seen in a drawer when said drawer is opened to get a pad or pencil is an example.
plant, false. An apparent plant which is never paid off, as when Hero discovers a Yugoslav dinar in the change on Mysterious Stranger’s nightstand—but no reference is ever made to it again. The audience has a right to irritation in such circumstances.
plot. A writer’s dramatized plan of action for manipulating audience emotions.
plot line. 1. A line of dialogue essential to development/understanding of the plot. 2. A film’s story line.
point of view (POV). 1. A shot in which the camera’s position approximates that of a particular character and the audience sees what said character would have seen. 2. Attitude.
predicament. A situation so emotionally disturbing to the central character in a screenplay that he is impelled (that is, motivated) to take action directed at changing said situation.
premise. A hypothetical “What if—?” question that provides the basic idea for and springboard to a film story.
process shot. A shot in which foreground action is staged against a translucent screen on which a filmed background is projected.
producer. The individual who plans, coordinates, and supervises production of a film.
progression. Forward movement of a screenplay towards its climax through incorporation of new information and developments.
proportioning. The matching of emphasis to importance in a film script, building some segments large while holding others down.
proposal outline. A brief statement of purpose, target audience, concept, and specifications for a proposed fact film.
protagonist. A film’s main character; the character in whose fate the audience is most interested.
quick save. Resolution of a film’s problem in less time than seems believable, generally under circumstances that smack of author convenience.
rear projection. Projection of film onto a translucent screen from behind in order to provide background for live foreground action.
relief. A sequence or sequences designed to reduce audience tension (often through humor) after a period of high excitement.
resolution. The defeat of desire by danger or vice versa in consequence of the protagonist’s behavior in the ultimate conflict that is the climax; the payoff for the hero’s trauma; the method of solving the screenplay’s main problem.
running gag. The building up of the humor of some incident or fragment of behavior by repetition as a film progresses.
rushes (dailies). Film processed overnight (or as soon as possible) for immediate viewing to check quality of photography and performances.
scenario. A largely obsolete term for a script form giving a general description of the action of a proposed film.
scene. A term today so loosely used as to be largely meaningless. Thus, it may refer to (1) a setting, (2) a shot, (3) a sequence, or (4) a confrontation.
script. A set of written specifications for the production of a motion picture.
seat-slammers. Throw-away lines at the beginning of a picture when, it is assumed, viewers will be more preoccupied with getting settled in their seats than with the film.
segue. Smooth transition from one sound (particularly, one musical number) to another.
sequence. 1. A related series of shots, unified by some element they hold in common—setting, concept, action, character, mood, or what have you. 2. A major segment of a film, on the order of a chapter in a novel.
sequence outline. A list and brief description of the sequences to be included in a film.
set (setting). An artificially constructed scene in which action to be photographed takes place.
set list. A list of all settings to be used in a film. If included (it isn’t always), it ordinarily will follow the cast list and precede the script’s text.
setting. The physical surroundings in which a given segment of a film’s action is supposed to transpire—bedroom, ballroom, dairy, dock, or whatever.
sexploitation film. Film (probably X-rated) whose appeal is primarily based on explicit sexual activity.
shooting script. A detailed script which describes a film’s action shot by shot and serves as a blueprint for production.
shot. The series of still pictures taken by a motion picture camera between the moment it starts and the moment it stops in a single run.
situation. The fictional circumstances prevailing as a film opens.
skin flick. A sex film.
sound effects (SFX, FX). Any sound from any source other than voice over narration, lip-sync dialogue, or music.
sound stage. A building or portion of a building designed for the shooting of sound film.
space opera. A science fiction film.
special effects. Techniques for achieving unusual photographic effects unattainable by ordinary procedures.
speculation. Writing on a contingency fee basis; the writer doesn’t get paid unless the producer or other person in charge likes the product. Forbidden under Writers Guild rules.
spine. A script’s skeletal backbone; its basic plot.
splice. The joining of two pieces of film by any of various techniques.
split screen. Film so manipulated that different shots appear simultaneously in different sections of the screen when projected.
step outline. A sequence outline for a feature or TV film, specifying the action to take place in each sequence as the story develops.
sting. A striking sound (music, shout, etc.) which is used as emphasis or punctuation in a film.
stock shot. Footage of locales, action, or the like, drawn from film libraries to eliminate the need for shooting the sequences involved.
story. 1. In fiction films, the record of how somebody deals with danger. 2. Loosely, the plan of presentation of any film’s contents.
story analyst. A studio story department employee who appraises and synopsizes potential screenplay material.
storyboard. A series of sketches, generally with comment, of proposed film action. It is designed to present the picture’s line of development in visual terms.
story line. A screenplay’s main line of development. Read the term as story outline and you won’t go too far wrong.
story treatment. A semi-dramatized, present-tense, preliminary structuring of a screenplay or, more broadly, any script.
structure (structuring). A script’s framework, its pattern of organization. The combining of story elements into such a pattern.
subjective camera. A technique sometimes used in instructional films in which the camera approximates the learner’s point of view. It’s also occasionally seen elsewhere, even in feature films; the outstanding example probably is Lady in the Lake (1946), in which the viewpoint character virtually never appears on screen.
subplot. A story-within-a-story, generally involving subordinate characters and developed in terms of action parallel to that of the main plot. A subplot’s purpose ordinarily is to provide relief from main-plot tension.
superimposure. One or more shots in which one photographic image is printed on top of another, as in ghost effects, titles, etc.
suspense. Uncertainty of outcome; the fear something will or won’t happen.
swish pan (blur pan, whip pan). A transitional device in which a pan so rapid that the images blur is used to change from one setting to another.
synchronization. Exact matching of a film’s sound and action, as of speech to lip movements.
synopsis. A brief outline of a proposed film’s content.
tag line (curtain line, punch line). The final speech in a confrontation, episode, or sequence; generally, one that tops those lines which have gone before.
tail-away shot. Movement directly away from the camera, as when a shot is of the back of a man departing.
take. One filming of a shot.
target audience. The group to which a film is designed to appeal.
teaser. Intriguing pre-title action used to capture audience attention, especially in a TV picture.
technical advisor. A person with detailed knowledge of a film’s subject matter, assigned to assist the scriptwriter in preparation of his script.
tempo. The impression of pace in a film.
theme. A screenplay’s implicit message.
tilt. Vertical movement of a camera on its tripod head while making a shot.
time-lapse photography. A technique by which filmed action is speeded up by allowing a greater length of time than usual to elapse between photography of successive frames. By this process, a plant may be made to appear to bloom in minutes, or the seasons to change before an audience’s eyes.
titles. A film’s listings of who did what in its production.
transition. 1. The bridge from one confrontation to another. 2. Anything that links together sequential units or elements in a film.
treatment outline. A third-person, present-tense summary of a proposed fact film script or, more broadly, any film.
trucking shot. Dolly shot. Shot from a moving vehicle, ordinarily a wheeled platform which in most cases moves with the subject at an approximation of set distance.
up. Increase volume of music or sound effects, as in such script instructions as “MUSIC: IN AND UP.”
video. The side of a two-column script describing the action to be filmed. The visual (left) side.
videotaping. Electronic recording of images on a magnetically coated mylar tape.
viewer. A mechanical/optical enlarging unit used by editors to examine film.
voice-over. A narrator’s commentary recorded for incorporation on a film’s sound track.
weenie. An objectification of the hero’s desire in simplistic films—and some not so simplistic. The thing sought: the jewels, the formula, the stolen money.
wild. Film shot or sound recorded with no synchronous relationship to each other.
wipe. A transitional optical effect in which one image appears to push another off the screen in any one of dozens of patterns.
workprint. A copy of film footage used in editing so that the original will not be damaged.
zoom. Simulation of camera movement toward or away from the subject, by means of a lens with variable focal length.