Acting area The area within a setting where action takes place.
Action Any performance in front of the camera.
Action line (imaginary line) If shots from either side of an imaginary line connecting two subjects are intercut, the direction of the action and performers’ positions are laterally reversed (mirrored). See Reverse cut.
AGC Circuits self-adjusting the video and/or audio to a preset level (strengthening weak signals; holding back strong ones.)
Amp (I) Ampere. Measurement of the strength of a current flowing through a circuit. (Also sub-units – milliamps (mA), microamps (mA)).
Angle of view The coverage of a lens; its horizontal and vertical angles.
Asymmetrical balance A pictorial arrangement in which a larger object close to picture center is balanced by smaller object(s) near the screen edge.
Aspect ratio The proportions of the screen: For regular TV, 4:3 (1.33:1). For Super 16mm TV film, 1.66:1. For HDTV, 16:9 (1.77:1). Some TV cameras can switch between the 4:3 and 16:9 standards.
Audio dub Replacing the soundtrack of a videotape recording with new audio program.
Auto-black balance Circuitry automatically adjusting the picture’s darkest tones to a preset black level.
Auto-exposure Circuits adjusting the lens aperture and shutter speed to correctly expose the picture technically. May be able to be locked or manually controlled.
Auto-fade An in-camera facility for gradually reducing a picture’s intensity to black at the end of a shot (either by closing the iris, or reducing video gain).
Auto-white balance Circuits automatically recalibrating the camera’s color balance, to suit changing light conditions. Inaccurate where a single color predominates in the shot. Can be locked to a particular setting or manually controlled.
Back focus The distance between the rear element of a zoom lens and the image sensor, at its shortest focal length (widest angle).
Back light Light directed behind a subject. Outlining the subject in light, separating it from its background and creating a three-dimensional effect.
Barndoor A spotlight fitting with two or four flaps, used to restrict the light beam’s coverage. (Folding a top flap down, can prevent back light causing lens flares.)
Barrel distortion A form of distortion on a wide-angle lens, in which lines near the center edges of the picture bulge outwards.
Base station A central control unit for digital video cameras. Similarly BSU (base station unit).
Battery DC power source in which chemical changes produce a standard electrical voltage. Power can be drawn until these changes cease (exhausted, discharged battery). Batteries used for video equipment are rechargeable. Typical cells include NiCad (nickel cadmium), lead-acid, silver-zinc.
Battery belt A series of NiCad batteries carried within a pocketed waist-belt; typical voltage 12 V (10.5 – 17 volts).
Beam splitter A prismatic device that splits the lens image into three filtered paths – the red, green and blue components of the scene’s colors.
Bean bag Sometimes used to support a lightweight camera which is resting on an uneven surface.
Blocking Working out performers’ positions, moves and action, relative to the setting and cameras’ positions.
Bloom (block off, crush, burn out) When an excessively light surface reproduces as a blank white area; due to over-exposure, or the video hitting the system’s maximum limits.
Body brace A strut or framework pressing against the chest, or into a belt, to help steady a shoulder or hand supported camera.
Boom shot (crane shot) A high-angle shot taken from a jib or camera crane.
Burn-in Titling or timecode information that is ‘solidly’ imposed on a picture. Also An image of a bright area retained temporarily or permanently on a camera tube, defacing subsequent pictures.
Burning When an excessively bright light is focused onto the camera’s image sensor, that area may be destroyed. Although CCDs are far less vulnerable than camera tubes, sustained focused sunlight can damage them.
Cable correction Electronic correction circuits that compensate for the progressive loss of the highest video frequencies as a camera cable’s length is extended.
Cable guard An adjustable vertical metal strip attached to the base of a dolly, to prevent floor cables from being overrun or trapped beneath its wheels.
Camera angle Broad term for the vertical or horizontal angle of the camera’s viewpoint relative to the subject (high angle, low angle).
Camera cable The cable connecting the camera head’s circuits to the remainder of its associated electronic equipment (e.g. CCU). It carries video, power, scanning and synchronizing signals, intercom, etc.
Camera card See Shot sheet.
CCU (camera control unit) In an analogue video system, a central video control unit from which most of the circuitry providing power, scanning and sync signals, etc., is distributed. Adjusted and controlled by an operator (shader) or video engineer to ensure consistent camera performance.
Camera sled A low-angle dolly.
Camera light (video light) A small lamp attached to the camera head to provide local illumination close to the lens. Used as a ‘key light’ in underlit situations, or as ‘fill light’ to reduce contrast and illuminate shadows in lit surroundings.
Camera tube An electronic vacuum tube type of image sensor, with a light sensitive surface (target) which is scanned by an electron beam to generate a video signal.
Canted shot (tilted shot) A dramatic visual effect (created optically or electronically), in which the picture’s verticals lean over to left or right, to suggest instability
Capping-up Placing a cover (lens cap) over a lens to protect it from accidental damage or excess light. Electrical capping-up, similarly places the electronics in a standby mode.
Caption General term for a graphic or title set up before a camera.
CCD (Charge coupled device) A solid state image sensor superseding camera tubes as a device for generating video pictures.
Cheating Changing the position of any item in between shots (person, object, scenery) in order to improve the composition from another camera angle.
Chinese dolly The combined effect of pulling back (dollying back) and panning, along a tracking line angled to the subject. Typically a frontal view of the subject that progressively becomes a rear view as the camera moves past.
Chroma key (CSO) Electronic equipment for inserting a ‘subject’ with a special color background (usually blue) into any video ‘background’, to create a seamless composite.
Color bars An electronically generated test signal comprising vertical bars of standard primary colors: white, yellow, cyan (blue-green), green, magenta (red-purple), red, blue, black. Used for checking cameras and other video equipment.
Color terms Brightness (luminosity): the impression of the amount of light received from a surface. Hue: the predominant sensation of color. Luminance: the true measured brightness of a surface. Saturation (chroma, intensity, purity): a pure undiluted hue has 100% saturation. Paled out with white, its saturation falls to a tint below this figure (e.g. pink at 15%). Value: the subjective brightness of a surface.
Color temperature A measurement in Kelvins (K) of the color quality of a light source. To reproduce color accurately, the color balance of the video camera and the prevailing light must match.
Convergence The accurate superimposition of the component red, green and blue images in a television display device. (In a camera tube, termed registration.)
Convertible camera A camera in which selected modules (lens, viewfinder, VTR,) are combined to suit a particular application.
Cover shot (protection shot) A wide-angle view of action, usually showing general activity from which other cameras are selecting specific detail.
Crabbing (trucking) Sideways movement of the camera mounting.
Cradle head A heavy-duty camera mounting head.
Crane arm See Jib arm.
Crash zoom A very rapid zooming action.
Crop To cut off. A shot framed to omit subjects or parts of subjects near its borders.
Cut An instant visual change, as one camera’s picture is replaced by another’s.
Cutaway A separate shot introduced within a main sequence, to deliberately interrupt its continuity (e.g. shots of the crowd during a game to disguise missing or omitted material, editing cuts, etc.).
Cut-in A shot interjected within the main action. Often used when parts of the action have been repeated and shot from another angle, or with a different shot size.
Dedicated VTR An arrangement in which each camera has its own associated videotape recorder in a multi-camera shoot.
Defocus dissolve (defocus mix) During a mix between two shots, one camera defocuses, while the other which was defocused, sharpens on its shot.
Depth of field The range of distances over which things appear to be in sharp focus.
Depth of focus The extent to which the distance between a lens and a light-sensitive surface (e.g. a film) may be altered and still maintain a sharp picture.
Detail shot A cut-in shot showing particular detail otherwise not clearly visible.
Developing (development) shots A continuous exploratory shot which moves around different viewpoints, to show various aspects of the action or the scene.
Diascope An illuminated device containing a slide of a TV test pattern, that may be attached to the front of the camera lens to assess the system’s performance.
Differential focusing Positioning the focused plane so that a chosen subject is sharp relative to defocused surroundings.
Direction, camera Subject directions are usually referred to relative to the camera; hence ‘move the vase camera left’.
Dockable Detachable units fixed to a camera head (battery, VTR).
Down stage Towards the camera. See Up stage
Electronic cinematography camera (ECC) A video camera designed with mechanical and electronic features that provide performance similar to 35 mm cine cameras, and produce typical ‘film look’ picture quality.
ENG (electronic news gathering), EFP (electronic field production), ESG (electronic sports gathering) Names given to various types of production using lightweight video cameras in the field. See SNG.
Establishing shot An opening shot (usually an overall view) which reveals the location, relative positions, establish atmosphere, etc.
Exposure Adjusting the brightness of the image falling onto the CCD, so that scenic tones are reproduced with particular values. Usually by adjusting the lens aperture, but also by altering light levels, or using ND filters.
Eye line The direction in which a person is looking (or appears to be looking).
Favor To give greater prominence to one person than another in the same shot.
Fill light (filler) A light (usually diffused/soft) intended to illuminate shadow and reduce contrast, without casting additional visible shadows.
Filter A transparent material placed over or behind the camera lens to modify the lens image in some way: alter image clarity, change color values, affect exposure, etc.
Filter wheel A multi-opening disc within a camera, into which corrective or effects filters can be placed for instant selection. A blanked-off section ‘caps up’ the camera.
Floor manager A member of the production team who supervises production activities (responsible for floor personnel, discipline, safety, scheduling), relays the director’s cues and instructions to the talent. (The camera and sound crew hear directly on intercom.)
Floor marking Chalked, crayoned, or taped marks indicating the positions of cameras, talent, furniture, scenery.
Focal length The distance between the lens system’s optical center and the image sensor (CCD) when focused at infinity (far distance).
Follow focus To maintain focus on a subject during movement (of subject or camera).
Follow shot Dollying alongside a moving person, keeping a constant shot size.
Foreground The part of the scene nearest the camera.
Formats, camcorder Designs include both analogue (i.e. continuously variable signals) and digital (regularly sampled) systems. The video signal may be in composite form (total video information including syncs) or component form (luminance and chrominance signals kept separate).
Frame jumps If two adjacent cameras shooting the same action have a subject common to both shots, it may appear on the left of one shot, and the right of the other. Then it will appear to jump across the frame on intercutting between the cameras.
Framing Adjusting the subject size in a shot, relative to the picture area. Hence ‘tightly framed’ subjects fill more of the screen, and ‘loosely framed’ subjects less.
Gain The amount of amplification of an audio or video signal (gain control). Video gain may be increased to strengthen the weak video signal resulting from low light levels.
Gamma A logarithmic measurement of reproduced tonal contrast. It relates the brightness of subject tones to the equivalent tones in the picture. ‘High gamma’ pictures have high contrast (crushed shadows and highlights). ‘Low gamma’ pictures contain subtle half-tones over a more limited overall tonal range.
Gassing The adjustment of gas pressure in certain designs of lightweight pedestal mountings, to vertically balance the weight of the camera, prompter, etc.
Genlock A facility allowing individual pieces of video equipment (e.g. cameras) to be synchronized by a communal sync generator, so that all units scan in unison.
Grip In TV an operator (tracker) responsible for moving larger camera dollies, and cable control. In Film, an operative who assists the gaffer (responsible for lighting rigging), moves the dolly, is involved in setting camera rails, and may assist other technicians.
HAD (Hole accumulation diode) A form of CCD image sensor. (Also HyperHAD).
Hard focus Sharply focused. Opposite of soft focus.
Headset Worn by camera and sound crew; one earphone/earpiece carries program sound, and the other intercom (talkback) or private line (PL) information. A small attached microphone enables the operator to talk to production and engineering personnel when necessary.
Hyperfocal distance When the camera is focused at its hyperfocal plane, everything between half that distance and infinity (the furthermost distance) will be in acceptably sharp focus.
Hydraulic lifting platform A truck-mounted hydraulic platform which can raise the camera from e.g. 1.8 – 26 m (6 – 85 ft) above the ground. Used to support high cameras for remotes (e.g. golf matches), or mount high microwave dishes (radio links).
Image intensifier An electronic lens attachment enabling a camera to provide monochromatic pictures at extremely low light levels (e.g. 0.2 lux – moonlight).
Imaginary line See Action line.
In-camera editing Operating a camcorder so as to deliberately join shots together while shooting. This technique produces program material that requires no further editing, but in practice it is inflexible and lacks finesse.
Insert shot A brief shot introduced during a sustained shot or sequence; e.g. as a cutaway or detail shot.)
Intercom (production talkback) Circuits enabling the director and production team to intercommunicate with the studio crew, unheard by the talent or the studio microphones. Reverse talkback circuits (private line, PL) allow operators of cameras and a sound boom to contact the production control room.
Interline transfer (IT) CCD A form of CCD producing low smear, and low inherent background pattern noise over the picture.
ISO (isolated) camera An arrangement in which a separate VTR continuously records the output from one chosen camera. During a live remote, this can be replayed onto the program wherever necessary (for replay inserts, cover shots, or standby shots).
Jib arm A counterbalanced centrally-mounted beam, supporting a remotely controlled camera at its far end. This single-operator facility provides variable camera heights up to plus 3 m (9 ft), and can swing sideways over a wide arc.
Key light The main light illuminating a subject. (Supported by fill and back light.)
Knee The upper part of the camera system’s exposure curve, in which the lightest picture tones progressively compress; and at maximum clip off to white. Some cameras have automatic knees (auto contrast) which self-adjust arbitrarily to picture contrast.
Lens angle The horizontal and vertical coverage of a lens. To find it for a lens used with a ⅔ in. CCD: double the focal length in use, divide 8.8 by this figure. Find the inverse tangent (arctangent) of the result. Double this for the horizontalcoverage angle.
Lens axis An imaginary line from the center of the lens system towards the scene, passing through the exact middle of the shot.
Lens flare A spurious colored blob or streak resulting from a bright light or reflection shining into a lens system, and being internally reflected.
Lens hood (sun shade) A round or rectangular tube fitted to the front of a lens barrel, to shield off direct light rays, where light is shining towards the camera.
Lens mount A device enabling the lens to be attached to the camera head. Typically it is a 1 in. or 0.66 in. screwed C-mount, or a 0.5 in. D-mount. Quick-release bayonet mounts require a partial turn of a locking ring. The standard VL bayonet mounts on camcorders, allow 35 mm. still camera photographic lenses to be fitted.
Light levels Light intensity (light level) is measured in foot candles or lux. A camera requiring e.g. 186 fc (2000 lux) at f/8, will need only 1.2 fc (13 lux) when the lens is opened up to f/1.8 and 18 dB gain, or only 0.7 fc (7.5 lux) at f/1.4.
Location ‘On location’ – shooting anywhere away from the studio. Hence ‘selecting a location’ is choosing a geographical site for a location scene. A remote (outside broadcast) is a program operation on location.
Loose shot A shot in which an appreciable amount of space is left round the subject.
Macro A lens setting providing high enlargement. Items can be focused very close to the lens surface (sometimes even touching it). ‘Zooming’ may adjust picture focus.
Matched (matching) shot Arranging subject size and position in one shot to match those of another camera’s shot; e.g. to provide a mix-through transition comparing old and new versions.
Matte (foreground matt) A mask or vignette. A silhouetted shape (graphic, stencil or electronically generated) which enables part of a shot to be isolated and inserted into another picture.
Matte box A box mounted in front of a camera lens, to hold mattes (masks), gelatin filters, effects devices. It also provides an efficient sun shade/lens hood.
Matte shot (1) Part of a shot is blanked out, and filled in with part (or all) of another shot. (2) A shot in which a painted or photographic image set up in front of a camera obscures part of the scene and blends with it; e.g. appearing as a ceiling on a studio set.
Minimum focused distance (MFD) The nearest distance at which a lens can focus.
Mixed feeds Circuitry allowing a camera’s viewfinder to display another camera’s picture superimposed on its own, in order to compare or align shots. (Neither camera’s video output is affected. It is purely a monitoring process.)
Monitor, picture High-grade video display equipment, providing accurate, stable, high definition pictures. (Program sound is reproduced through a separate audio system.)
Monitor sound A high quality sound system (loudspeaker, amplifier) used to judge audio quality, or to reproduce sound in the studio.
Motorized dolly A form of camera dolly in which electric motors control all movements (forward/backward drive, speed adjustment, craning, etc.) instead of manual effort.
Objective camera treatment The productional approach, in which the camera is an onlooker watching (not taking part in) the action. See Subjective.
Off stage Outside the staging area; beyond the setting.
On stage Within the staging area; towards the center of the setting.
Over-expose Abnormally bright reproduction of a subject. In extreme over-exposure, lightest tones crush off to blank white.
Over-scan Adjustment of the picture size on a TV receiver or monitor, so that the picture extends beyond the screen edges. Pictures look bigger, but peripheral information is lost.
Overshoot (shooting off) A shot seeing past the studio setting and accidentally revealing other subjects; e.g. overshooting the top of a set and seeing hung lamps.
Over-shoulder shot (OS) A shot including part of the back of someone’s head, as it shoots the person or scene they are facing.
Panning handle (pan bar) A metal tube attached to the panning head, enabling the camera’s direction to be controlled. Single handles may have an adjustable central joint. Some operators use two handles (either side of the panning head), held at arm’s length.
Panning head (pan head, camera mounting head) Bolted to the top of the camera mounting, this device allows the attached camera head to pan and tilt, or to be locked in a fixed position. Ease of movement can be adjusted (drag). There are several types.
Parallactic movement As a camera moves through a scene, distant subjects appear to be displaced sideways more slowly than nearer ones. We judge depth from this effect.
Pepper’s ghost The camera shoots the subject through a 45° angled plain glass sheet. Reflected in the glass, a lit object to the side appears as a ghostly image. This device can also be used to reflect light onto a multi-layer graphic, to avoid inter-layer shadows.
Perspective distortion An effect in which the apparent perspective in the picture is greater or less than in the actual scene. It may be an accidental or deliberate effect.
Pick-up shot A situation where a person in one shot appears to continue speaking into the next, although the time or place has obviously changed. Also an inserted detail shot.
Picture noise A random speckling or ‘snow’ pattern, due to electronic circuit noise.
Point of view shot (POV) Subjective camera treatment, in which the camera shows the scene from a participant’s viewpoint.
Polarizing filter A special plastic filter which can differentiate between light from different directions. It darkens blue skies, and kills reflections in glass/water/metal.
Post production Treatment of videotape program material after shooting has been completed. Editing, sound sweetening, tonal/color correction, video effects added, etc.
Prefocus Momentarily zooming in and focusing on a subject while off shot, in anticipation of a later zoom in. (To avoid focusing inaccuracies due to depth of field variations.)
Private wire A speech phone line between single individuals; e.g. camera to CCU.
Prompter A device attached to the camera head to provide a performer with visual cues or full script which they read to camera. From simple cards to a TV display of the script reflected on a 45° glass sheet in front of the lens. (Teleprompter, Autocue.)
Pull back To dolly or track backwards away from the subject.
Pull focus To refocus (usually rapidly) from a far subject to another that is closer.
Quick release A plate bolted beneath a camera head, allowing it to be rapidly attached to a panning head. See Wedge mount.
Reaction shot A shot showing a person’s response to an event.
Registration The process of adjusting two or more pictures, so that they are exactly on top of each other (coincident); as when combining separate red/green/blue images.
Resolution The size of the smallest detail that a camera or videotape system can reproduce; measured in black-and-white vertical lines or maximum video frequency. Typical high grade camera 750 to 850 lines. Hi-8 and S-VHS 410 lines. VHS 260 lines. NTSC home receiver 350 lines. HDTV over 1200 lines.
Reverse angle A shot showing a subject from the reverse direction; e.g. showing a person from full face, then from behind.
Reverse cut The effect seen when a subject points in one direction in one shot, but appears to face the opposite direction in the next.
Rise To get up; e.g. from a chair. A warning that a performer is about to stand up.
Safety harness Webbing straps worn by a camera operator on a high camera crane.
Safety lane (fire lane) A marked-off area around a studio’s walls, free from scenery or equipment, to provide an emergency escape or access route.
Safe title area Area of the TV screen within which all important graphics information must be framed to avoid edge cut-off.
Segmented shot A shot made up of a pattern of two or more other shots.
Set (setting) An arrangement of scenic units to produce an overall design.
Setup (line-up), camera Circuitry adjustments of the camera’s video level, white and black levels, gamma and color balance to proscribed standards. (In tube cameras, also registration.) In digital camera systems, a memory card may be inserted to automatically align cameras to a universal standard setup.
Shader An engineer/operator who remotely adjusts exposure and various video parameters (color balance, gamma, etc.) for the best or most appropriate picture quality.
Shoot-off See Overshoot.
Shot box A push-button unit that allows any pre-set lens angle to be selected on a zoom lens system. You can use a line-up chart to adjust it to specific angles.
Shot sheet A card/sheet clipped to the camera head, showing its shots, positions, etc.
Single-camera techniques Production treatment in which a single camera provides all or most of the pictures during a production.
Size of shot The proportion of a subject filling the screen.
Slate A small black chalkboard held up to the camera to identify each shot for reference. It may include a countdown clock or a timecode display to assist cuing.
SNG (satellite news gathering) Field cameras connected to satellite up-link equipment, for direct transmission to a news center.
Soft focus Slightly defocused.
Sound sweetening The final, post-production process of compiling and adjusting the program’s sound: adding music, sound effects, etc.
Split focus A compromise focus setting when depth of field is limited and two subjects at different distances cannot both be sharply focused; both are left slightly soft focused.
Split screen A bisected picture. Its left half shows the left part of one camera’s shot, and its right half shows the right-hand part of another’s.
Spring-loaded head A design of fluid panning head, in which internal springs provide resistance (drag) to camera movements.
Stabilizer A device that suppresses random movement, judder, vibration, to provide a steady picture. Designs include: a camera support (Steadicam-Jr), a body harness (Steadicam), and an optical lens attachment (prismatic, gyroscopic).
Staging The process of designing and arranging scenery within a studio.
Staging area (setting area) The main area of a studio floor in which scenery may be positioned. (It is surrounded by the safety lane/fire lane.)
Subjective camera treatment Using the camera to simulate the reactions of someone within a scene; imitating their movements (e.g. pushing through a crowd, getting dizzy).
Superimposition (super) Fading up two cameras’ pictures at the same time to produce a transparently superimposed effect.
Supplementary lens A clip-on lens that will increase or decrease the existing focal length (lens angle).
Switcher, production A video unit enabling the outputs from various video sources (cameras, VTRs, telecine, etc.) to be inter-switched, faded, mixed, inserted, etc.
Switcher, routing A central switching panel which connects various program sources to their destinations.
Sync pulse generator Circuits generating the various synchronizing pulses required to ensure uniformly stable picture scanning and consistent color values.
Tally light A small low-powered indicator light fixed to the front of a camera to show when it has been selected on the production switcher (i.e. ‘on-air’).
Technical Director (TD) Engineering crew chief, who may also operate the switcher.
Thirds (rule of thirds) A rule-of-thumb concept for arranging pictorial composition, in which the picture area is divided into thirds, and principal subjects arranged on this grid.
Throw focus To refocus (usually rapidly) from a close subject to another further away.
Tight shot A shot in which the subject fills or nearly fills the screen.
Tilt wedge A wedge-shaped attachment fixed to a panning head, enables the camera to tilt downwards at a greater angle than normal; e.g. when shooting down from balconies.
Time base corrector (TBC) A unit that removes inaccurate or distorted sync pulses from a defective television/video signal (e.g. during reception from remotes, or caused by videotape jitter), and inserts accurate ones to correct color and sync errors.
Timecode A signal counting elapsed hours, minutes, seconds, frames; incorporated during video or audio recording (may be added). The 8-digit display gives precise timing for identification and editing. VITC (vertical interval timecode) is used professionally and on some small-format camcorders. RCTC (rewritable consumer timecode) on Hi8.
Tracker (grip) An operator who pushes a dolly, controlling its speed and direction.
Tracking, lens Ideally the selected focus of a zoom lens should not drift while zooming.
Transmission (1) The picture(s) selected by the director at the switcher, and displayed on the ‘transmission monitor’, to be recorded or transmitted.
Traveling shot Any shot from a moving camera.
Trickle charge Low current battery charging rate.
Trucking shot A dolly shot. Often used to refer to extensive dolly movement, particularly a follow shot.
Twin speed A videotape recorder capable of recording at SP (standard play) for the highest quality, and LP (long play) for double the running time (although with increased noise, and lower definition).
Under-expose Abnormally dark reproduction of subject tones. In extreme underexposure, darker tones crush off to black.
Up stage In a direction away from the camera.
Video light A small lamp attached to a consumer camera.
Video control (vision control) The process of continually adjusting the exposure and electronic parameters of the camera system for optimum picture quality.
Vision mixer See Switcher, production.
Volts (V) The electrical potential of a power source. It may be AC (alternating current) which fluctuates in polarity, or DC (direct current) which is of constant polarity. An AC supply may be up or down converted by a transformer, and rectified to provide a DC source of supply.
Watts (W) The power used by an electrical device. To find the power consumed in watts, multiply the current flowing (in amps) by the voltage applied. (One watt equals one thousand kilowatts.)
Wall outlet (wall point) An electrical socket attached to a wall, into which the plug at one end of a cable is fitted (camera, sound, or lighting). The outlet is permanently wired to associated equipment.
Wedge mount A type of quick-release camera attachment, that slides into a wedge-shaped housing in the panning head.
Whip pan (swish pan, blur pan, zip pan) A very rapid panning movement, showing the scene clearly at its start and finish, but blurring all intermediate detail.
Wild track Atmospheric or environmental sound, recorded (usually without picture) as potential background effects to be inserted into a program (‘Atmos’).
Wipe (1) To demagnetize (neutralize) any part of an audio or video recording.
Also: (2) A picture transition in which one picture is progressively hidden by all or part of another.
Wrap up To finish activities; to clear away.