Appendix B. Glossary
18% GRAY CARD/BLACK AND WHITE (B&W)/GRAYSCALE: A card placed in front of a camera by the camera assistant to set a standard middle range of exposure and white balance for the shot.
180° RULE: States that once a stage line (main axis through the action) has been set, all other coverage shots of the scene should be shot from the same side of the stage line, unless the stage line is somehow crossed.
35MM FULL FRAME: A camera where the sensor (which converts the analog image) is the same size as the frame of the picture.
ACT BREAK: The end of one act and the beginning of the next in a screenplay, treatment, or media project.
ACTION-SAFE: The area of the frame that can be filmed to not cut off the edge of the television screen.
ACTOR RELEASE: A document an actor signs allowing their performance and likeness to be recorded for a media project.
ACTORS/TALENT: Performers who appear onscreen or whose voices are recorded in association with a media project.
ACTUALITIES: The earliest film subjects, single-shot documentaries depicting recorded moments from everyday life or news events.
ADDITIVE/SUBTRACTIVE COLORS: With additive colors, we begin with black and build to white; with subtractive colors, we begin with white and get to black.
ALIVE: A space where sound echoes.
ALLY: A character who helps the protagonist achieve their goal.
AMBIANCE: The sound of the room or environment being recorded. Also known as ROOM TONE.
AMBIENT SOUNDS: The sound in the background of recorded dialogue that can be added to the sound mix to smooth over the difference in background sounds of different shots.
ANTAGONIST: The character who most attempts to get between the protagonist and their goal.
ANTI-HERO: A protagonist who acts in a nonheroic, evil, or selfish manner.
APERTURE: The size of the hole in the iris; making it larger allows more light to strike the lens and brightens the image.
APS-C SIZE: The smaller-sized sensor on some Canon cameras.
ART DIRECTOR: Person who oversees the art department on a media project under the direction of the production designer.
ASSEMBLY: The rough cut of a project before all the fine tuning of each scene begins.
ASSISTANT EDITOR (AE): Person who logs and organizes all the media recorded for the project; helps the editor and may cut scenes.
ATMOSPHERIC: Background sounds such as fluorescent lights or computer hum.
ATTRIBUTION: Giving credit to the original creator of a work licensed for use in another work.
AUDIO LEVELS METER: Measures the volume of recorded sound and must be constantly checked by the production mixer.
AUDIO STEMS: Distinct separated tracks of audio that can be remixed, for instance, for international distribution involving dubbed dialogue.
AUDIO TRACKS: Individual channels of sound, broken down by categories, including production track, music, sound effects, ADR, and ambience.
AUDITION: To attempt to gain a role acting in a media project.
AUTEUR THEORY: The belief that the director of a project is the sole primary creator of a media piece.
AUTOMATIC DIALOGUE REPLACEMENT (ADR): Replacement of dialogue originally recorded during production to improve sound quality or performance and matching to synced picture; also known as looping the performance.
AVANT-GARDE: New and experimental work that challenges the status quo or the way things are done.
B-ROLL: Extra footage shot to support an existing scene such as an interview; for instance, if a respondent referred to the poor conditions in a village, we might cut to B-roll of the village.
BACK FOCUS: An adjustable control on certain lenses, such as ENG lenses, that keeps sharp focus consistent at different focal lengths.
BACK LIGHT: Designed to separate the subject from the background by giving an outline around the head and shoulders.
BACKGROUND (TALENT) OR EXTRAS: Actors in the background of a scene.
BALANCED AUDIO CONNECTION: A connection such as an XLR that allows for less noise added to the signal along the length of the cable.
BEST BOY: The chief assistant of the key group and underboss of the grip department.
BIN: An organizational unit of nonlinear editing (NLE) systems for a group of clips from the same scene or project.
BLADE TOOL: The tool used to cut a clip in an NLE system.
BLOCKING: The movement of actors or the camera during a scene.
BLOWN OUT: A scene that is recorded too bright, or sound that is recorded too loud.
BODY MIC: A microphone, generally wireless, placed on the body on the actor or media subject.
BOOMING (CAMERA MOVE): See PEDESTAL SHOT.
BOOM OPERATOR: The sound technician who holds the boom microphone on a boom pole over the performers or subject and is in charge of getting a high-quality recording of the dialogue during production.
BOUNCE BOARD: Usually a white or silver board used to bounce existing light to fill for existing light; alternately, foamcore.
BROADCAST RIGHTS: The right to broadcast work that is copyrighted by someone else
BUG: A company logo that appears at the bottom-right side of the screen.
BUREAUCRAT: A character who represents the status quo and opposes the protagonist but is more of an obstacle than an antagonist.
CALL SHEET: A document that lists the call time for each cast and crew member and other important information about each day’s shoot.
CALL TO ACTION: Either refers to the moment in a story when a protagonist is offered the opportunity to pursue their goal or the challenge put forth by a public service announcement.
CALLBACK: A second or third audition for a role by an actor; a positive sign that they are close to being cast.
CAMCORDER: A video recorder that can be held in the hand.
CAMERA ASSISTANT/ASSISTANT CAMERA (AC): Assists the camera operator with various jobs associated with the camera, including changing rolls of film, marking or swapping tapes or memory cards, changing focus during a shot, and slating.
CAMERA OBSCURA: A sealed box with a hole in one side; an early precursor to the camera.
CAMERA OPERATOR: The crew member responsible for getting the shot exactly as designed by the director.
CAMERA REHEARSAL: Rehearsal of the entire shot with action, including all camera and actor blocking.
CAMERA STABILIZATION: Any device such as a tripod or feature on a digital camera that enables a still, clear composition.
CAPTURING/DIGITIZING: Importing media into a computer or NLE system.
CASSETTE TAPE: An early electronic format for recording audiovisual signals.
CAST: The collection of actors portraying the characters of a media project.
CASTING: The process, overseen by a director or casting director, of finding the best actors to play each role in a media project.
CASTING BREAKDOWN: A list of roles in a project to be cast.
CASTING DIRECTOR: The crew member who finds the best actors for each role in a media project.
CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICE (CCD): A circuit developed for video cameras that allowed for higher-quality image capturing and smaller cameras.
CHECKERBOARDING: Alternating which track to lay down audio clips to minimize the popping sound on audio cuts.
CHINA BALL: A paper lantern used to soften a light source.
CHROMINANCE: The value of how much color is in an image.
CHYRON/CHARACTER GENERATOR: A device used to create titles in the days before NLE systems.
CINEMA VÉRITÉ: Media style that attempts to portray real life as it is and minimize the artificiality of the recording process
CINEMATOGRAPHER/DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY (DP): The crew member in charge of the look and lighting of the media project.
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The art and craft of lighting a media project.
CLAPBOARD/SLATE: A board held in front of the camera before each take containing all the key information about the scene, shot, and take; may also be used to sync audio to the video.
CLEAR: To obtain a license for the use of any music in a media project.
CLIMAX/CLIMACTIC SCENE: The biggest scene at the end of the project that leads to the major resolution of the narrative.
CLIP: A piece of audiovisual media.
CLOSE-UP (CU): Shot where the face of an actor fills the frame.
COLD: An image that is bluish and may need to be color-corrected.
COLOR CORRECTION: Adjusting the color scheme of certain clips to match other clips from the same scene.
COLOR GRADING/GRADING/COLOR TIMING: A subtle adjustment in the color of a clip.
COLOR WHEEL: A circular illustration of the relationships between different colors.
COMPLEMENTARY COLORS: Colors that, when combined, make black or cancel each other out, for instance red and green.
COMPLEMENTARY METAL-OXIDE-SEMICONDUCTOR (CMOS): A sensor that captures images with a very high dynamic range or differential between light and dark areas.
COMPOSER: The writer of the original music in a media project.
COMPRESSION TYPE/CODEC: The storing and transfer of digital files using fewer bits of data.
CONDENSER MICROPHONE: A recording device that requires a power source to operate.
CONSENT FORM: A legal form that allows producers to right to film a subject or record in whatever manner is agreed to.
CONTINUITY: The flow throughout clips of a scene in a media project as if there were no break in time or space.
CONTRAST: The ratio between the lightest and darkest portions of a scene.
COPYRIGHT/COPYRIGHT LAW: Covers the rights of an individual for works they create.
COSTUME DESIGNER: The crew member who oversees the design and creation of any costumes in the production.
COVERAGE: Any shots other than the master shot that must maintain continuity with the master shot.
CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE: A license to make one’s creative work available to others for reuse or redistribution.
CREDITS: A list of the cast and crew positions in a media piece and who filled those roles.
CUE/CUE SHEET: Audio elements such as music or sound FX, or a list of them showing where they occur on the soundtrack.
CUT POINT/EDIT POINT: A frame (still image) in which to cut out of Shot A and another frame to cut into Shot B that will hide the edit and maintain the action with no break in time.
CUTAWAY: A shot other than the main action that is inserted into a scene.
DATA DEGRADATION/DATA ROT: The disintegration of stored data over time.
DATA MIGRATION: Transferring the location of archived media files in order to avoid data rot.
DAYLIGHT: A white balance setting calibrated to midday sunlight.
DEAD: A shooting space that is not reverberant and absorbs sound.
DECIBELS/DB: The unit of intensity of a sound.
DELIVERABLES: Whatever is promised to a client as specified by a contract; typically, the finished, exhibit-worthy, or broadcast-quality version of the project.
DEMO REEL: See SHOWREEL.
DENOUEMENT: The wrap-up after the climax, clarifying the resolution for the audience.
DEPTH OF FIELD: The amount of a shot from what is closest to the camera to what is farthest that is in focus.
DIALOGUE: Spoken communication between two or more characters in a production.
DIALOGUE EDIT: Cutting together the dialogue from a production, trying to smooth out changes in audio or background noise so as to use as much of the production track as possible.
DIGITAL CINEMA CAMERA: Digital cameras that shoot in a progressive mode at the same frame rate as film with a large sensor that simulates the high contrast ratio of film, such as the RED or Blackmagic Cinema Camera.
DIGITAL SINGLE-LENS REFLEX (DSLR) CAMERA: A camera that combines the single-lens reflex mechanism common to film cameras with a digital sensor.
DIGITAL VIDEO (DV): Audiovisual signal recorded in binary code.
DIRECTOR: The creative boss of a media project through whom the creativity of the rest of the cast and crew flows.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY (DP): See CINEMATOGRAPHER.
DOCUDRAMA: A fictionalized version of a purportedly true story that may adhere to the stylistic parameters of a documentary.
DOLLY: A cart the camera travels on to create a smooth-moving shot.
DOLLY COUNTER ZOOM: A specialized shot in which the movement of the dolly and camera toward or away from the subject counteracts the zoom lens, leaving the subject the same size but deepening or flattening the space around them.
DUAL-SYSTEM SOUND: Independent recording of audio as is done with film and that requires picture and sound to be synced up.
DUPLEX CABLE: A sound cable that sends the audio signal simultaneously to the boom operator’s headset and the recording device.
DYNAMIC MICROPHONE: A transducer that changes sound to an electrical signal and does not require power to deliver sound to the recording device.
DYNAMIC RANGE: The range in f-stops between light and dark areas that a camera can record faithfully; see f-STOP/f-NUMBER.
EDIT POINT: See CUT POINT.
EDITOR: The crew member primarily in charge of cutting the media project together, finding the best takes in the footage, creating cohesive and coherent scenes and creating rhythm as needed.
ELECTRONIC NEWS GATHERING (ENG): Used for news and many other forms of video production; among the earliest video cameras designed for portability.
ENCODING: Compressing an audiovisual file for easy transfer.
ESTABLISHING/EXTREME WIDE SHOT: A type of shot on a wide-angle lens designed to show or establish what the location of the scene is.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER (EP): The big boss of a production who decides to go forward with the project and hires the key personnel.
EXPOSURE: The brightness of a recorded image.
EXPRESSIONISM: A style of media creation that attempts to reflect how the world feels more than to document it realistically.
EXTRACT OR RIPPLE DELETE: A type of edit that allows the user to trim a clip without leaving gaps with the previous clip.
EXTREME CLOSE-UP (ECU): A shot where the camera shows the subject closer than the eye could typically see it.
EYE-LEVEL: A shot at a neutral camera height that may appear to be a point-of-view (POV) shot.
EYELINE: The angle at which a character looks at another character who is off-screen.
FAIR USE/FAIR DEALING: An exception from copyright law, allowing work to be distributed or exhibited.
FALL-OFF: The transition from light to shadow in a shot, which may be described as fast or slow.
FAST LENS: A lens with a larger maximum aperture which allows in more light.
FAST MOTION/UNDERCRANKING: Shooting fewer frames per second and playing back at standard speed (24 fps) to achieve a fast-motion effect.
FESTIVAL RIGHTS: Limited exhibition rights, typically granted in a music license to be used in arts festivals only.
FILL LIGHT: In studio lighting, fills in the shadow created by the key light and lowers the contrast ratio on the subject.
FILM BUDGET: The total line-item document denoting each encumbrance and expenditure of a media project.
FILM CAMERA: A camera that exposes photographic film to light in order to record an image.
FILTER: An device attached to a lens to restrict, reduce, or change the quality of light striking the lens.
FINAL CUT: The completely picture-edited version of a media project on which sound and effects work proceed, or the right to say when a media project has completed picture editing.
FIRST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (1ST AD): The crew member who runs the set, maintains the schedule, and writes up the call sheets.
FISHPOLE: An extending pole that holds a boom microphone over the head of performers for maximum audio recording.
FLASHBACK: During chronological continuity, a moment or scene from an earlier time.
FLAT LIGHTING: A lighting style with no or little shadows or contrast.
FLESH-TONE LINE: On a vectorscope, the line that runs between red and yellow that represents the tone of human skin.
FOAMCORE: See BOUNCE BOARD.
FOCAL LENGTH: The number of millimeters from the optical center of a lens to the sensor with the lens focused at infinity.
FOCAL PLANE: The element of the lens where light comes into focus.
FOCUS: To create a clear image.
FOCUS RING: The control on the lens that moves the glass elements inside to focus on one area within the frame.
FOOTCANDLES: The measurement of light falling on a subject.
FOUND FOOTAGE: Finished fictional works that are presented as if documentaries.
FRAMES PER SECOND (FPS): The number of individual images recorded each second by the camera.
FREEZE FRAME: The same frame plays continuously, giving the audience extra time to think about what’s going on.
f-STOP/f-NUMBER: The aperture setting on the lens that determines how much light will strike the lens.
GAFFER: The head electrician of a production.
GAIN: The electronic amplification of a video signal.
GAUGE: The width or thickness of a film roll, with 35mm the standard.
GEL: A piece of colored plastic placed in front of a light to change the color of a scene.
GENRE: A category of film or other media with its own specific tropes, conventions, or storylines including westerns, historical epics, and science fiction.
GIMBAL-BASED STABILIZER: A device to steady the camera, such as a Steadicam.
GOAL: What the protagonist needs to achieve.
H.264: A commonly used codec or compression software for web video.
HAIRSTYLIST: The crew member who oversees hair design on a video project.
HANDHELD: A style of recording in which the camera is held by the operator and moves freely.
HANDHELD MICROPHONE: A dynamic microphone used by PA systems or during a musical performance.
HARD SOUND EFFECTS: Specific isolated sound effects on the soundtrack of a media project.
HIGH FRAME RATE (HFR) FORMAT: A recording format shooting more than 24fps.
HIGH KEY LIGHTING: A style of lighting that is very bright, without much contrast.
HIGH-ANGLE: A shot where the camera is above the subject.
HIGH-DEFINITION (HD): Video with a higher degree of resolution than standard definition (SD).
HIGHLIGHTS: The brightest parts of an image; see MIDTONES, SHADOWS.
HOT: Refers to an image that is overexposed.
HUE: The quality or variance of a color away from a primary color.
HYPER-CARDIOID: The heart-shaped pickup pattern of a unidirectional microphone.
HYPER-REALISM: Magnification of sound or visual aspects of the scene to create an expressionistic effect.
IMAGE NOISE: The graininess of a recorded image.
IMAGE PLANE/IMAGE SENSOR: The electronic sensor of a camera.
IMAGE STABILIZER: See CAMERA STABILIZATION.
IMPROVISATION: Acting spontaneously in character without a script.
INCIDENT METER: Measures the light falling on a subject.
INGESTING: Bringing any form of media into the editing system.
IN POINT/B-SIDE/HEAD: In editing, the first frame of an incoming clip.
INSERT: See CUTAWAY.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: An individual’s original, creative work, which they have exclusive rights to exploit and distribute.
INTERIOR MONOLOGUE: A character’s thoughts are heard by the audience.
INTERROTRON: A device created by filmmaker Errol Morris where the filmmakers and the subject look at each other through the lens.
INVESTIGATIVE STYLE: A style of documentary filmmaking where the structure of the project depends on the truths unearthed by it.
IRE: A scale that rates from 1 to 10 at least and most values on the camera’s 1:32 contrast range.
IRIS DIAPHRAGM/IRIS: A ring of metal leaves which draws open or closed to create the aperture or hole that allows light into a lens.
IRONY: The subversion of what is expected into the opposite of our expectations, generally to humorous effect.
ISO: The speed of a film stock, its sensitivity to light, or how much light it needs to expose properly; a higher number reflects more sensitivity to light.
J-CUT: A cut in which the audio transition occurs before the video transition.
JONESY: The first shot of the day.
JUMP CUT: A cut from shot A to shot B within a scene that creates an ellipsis, a break in the time continuum either forward or backward.
KEN BURNS EFFECT: The effect of panning and zooming into photographs with an animation camera.
KEY GRIP/GRIP: Boss of the grips, the team that builds up or breaks down the lighting rigs on a production.
KEY LIGHT/KEY: The main light illuminating a scene.
KICKER: A back light that hits a bit of the side of the subject’s face.
KULESHOV EFFECT: The phenomenon that two images, having no intentional connection or relation to one another, will create new meaning when seen sequentially.
L-CUT: An edit where the video transition occurs before the audio transition.
LAVALIERE: A wireless body mic that can be clipped directly on the talent.
LEITMOTIF: A recurring theme or visual element in a media production, often varying throughout the narrative to reflect developments in the story.
LENS: A curved piece of ground glass that focuses light passing through it.
LICENSING AGREEMENT: A contract to license certain rights to copyrighted work under agreed-upon terms and conditions.
LIFT: In editing, the removal of media from the middle of a clip that may leave a gap.
LIGHT METER: A device that records either light falling upon an object or light reflecting off the subject in order to achieve proper exposure.
LOCATION PERMIT/LOCATION RELEASE: A legal agreement under which a property owner or legal representative allows a media crew use of a property for recording purposes under agreed-upon terms.
LONG LENS/TELEPHOTO LENS: Has a longer focal length than a normal lens and a narrower angle of view, which compresses space and makes objects further away seem closer.
LONG SHOT (LS): A shot where the subject is at a distance from the camera.
LOOPING: See AUTOMATIC DIALOGUE REPLACEMENT (ADR).
LOVE INTEREST: A type of character, often an ally, occasionally a traitor-type, who adds a romantic storyline to the narrative of a media project.
LOW KEY LIGHTING: A lighting style that uses shadow areas and low light to dominate the frame.
LOW-ANGLE: A type of camera shot where the camera is angled up at a subject, emphasizing its power.
LOWER-THIRD: Onscreen text that identifies a person when they appear, as in a talking-head shot.
LUMINANCE: The measurable intensity of light or brightness in an image.
MAIN CHARACTER: See PROTAGONIST.
MAKE-UP ARTIST: The member of the crew in charge of designing and applying make-up, from everyday and stage make-up to prosthetic effect make-up.
MANUAL FOCUS: The control on the camera that allows the user to control which part of the frame is in focus.
MARTINI SHOT: The last shot of the day.
MASK: To cover or affect a specific area of a clip as with color correction during post.
MASTER SCHEDULE: The overall schedule of production, indicating which scenes are going to be shot where, on which day, and starting when.
MASTER SHOT: The main shot of a scene, usually the widest shot containing all the elements in the scene allowing the viewer to orient themselves as to where everything in the scene is, relative to one another.
MASTER USE: Also known as synchronization rights agreements; allows full use of a copyrighted musical work to be synchronized with another creator’s project.
MASTER/MASTER FILE: A completed project in a high-quality format.
MATCHING SHOT: See REVERSE.
MEDIUM (MED): A head and upper-body shot, used frequently for scenes of dialogue.
MEDIUM CLOSE-UP (MCU): A shot that is tighter on the subject than a medium shot and allows visual variety without cutting to a close-up.
MEGAPIXELS: A million pixels or individual picture elements, related to the quality of a visual image.
MEMORY CARD: A data storage device for audiovisual clip recording (among other uses).
MENTOR: A type of character in a narrative who offers advice, experience, or training to the protagonist.
METAFICTION: Fiction that is self-reflexive, commenting on its own existence or where characters seem aware they’re in a movie or book.
MIC’ING: Placing a recording device on a talent/subject/actors.
MIDTONES/MIDS: The middle third of the exposure range on an image; see also HIGHLIGHTS, SHADOWS.
MINI CONNECTOR/MINI PHONE CONNECTOR: The 3.5mm audio connectors found in most consumer headsets.
MINI TRS CONNECTOR: A mini-connector with a stereo output.
MIRROR: A character similar to the protagonist in many respects who may show the audience an alternative conclusion to the narrative.
MISDIRECTION: A device employed by media creators to fashion a false impression in the mind of the audience.
MISE-EN-SCÉNE: Can either refer to the sum total of the effect of all the elements in a shot/scene or a directing style in which one shot recomposes to cover the action instead of editing from angle to angle.
MOCKUMENTARY: A narrative comedy project in the style of a false or faux documentary crafted with a tongue-in-cheek style of humor; for instance, This Is Spinal Tap.
MONOLOGUE: A speech delivered by a character in a media project.
MONOPOD: A one-legged stand for a camera.
MONTAGE: Series of related clips that may show a sequence or compress a progression of time.
MOS: Stands for “mit out sound,” for shots that are recorded without synchronized sound.
MOTION BLUR: The lack of sharp clarity on an object when recorded at a slower shutter speed.
MULTICAMERA: Recording a program using several cameras at different angles that are synchronized to each other.
MUSIC SUPERVISOR: The crew member who helps the director choose prerecorded music that matches the feeling of the scene or comments on it.
MUTE: To turn certain audio tracks off when sound editing or mixing in order to listen to other tracks more closely.
NARRATION: A storytelling device allows either a character from the narrative or an omniscient (all-knowing) character who is outside the story to speak directly to the audience without being seen.
NETWORKING: Socializing with other professionals and possibly clients at conventions or social meetups to create future opportunities for employment.
NEUTRAL DENSITY: A filter that cuts the amount of light striking the lens to help the operator control the exposure or brightness of the image.
NEWSREEL: In the days before televised news, short motion pictures that played in front of feature films depicting topical news stories.
NONLINEAR EDITOR (NLE): An editing system that allows the editor to move shots or clips around in any order without losing any previous work.
NORMAL LENS: A lens with a focal length causing its representation of a scene to approximate the perspective of human sight.
NOUVELLE VAGUE: Also known as the French “new wave”; a movement in filmmaking in which crews used lighter cameras and gear for quicker production to make more vital, less formal films with storylines that challenged conservative sensibilities.
OBLIQUE/DUTCH ANGLE: A shot that is rotated left or right with a tilted horizon to give the audience a sense of disorientation.
OBSTACLE: Something that comes between the protagonist and their goal; a narrative may involve the main character encountering many obstacles.
OPTICAL REFLEX: A type of viewfinder on a film camera that shows the camera operator almost exactly what is being recorded on to the film negative.
OPTION: A contract that gives the purchaser a specific right to represent or exploit a property for a certain period of time, typically in order to find the funding to produce the property.
ORIENTATION: The viewer’s understanding of where the various characters and other elements in a scene are relative to one another, as clarified by the director’s choice of shots to cover the scene.
OUT POINT/A-SIDE/END/TAIL: In editing, the last frame of an outgoing clip.
OVER-THE-SHOULDER (OTS): A two-shot across one character’s shoulder focusing on a second character.
OVER/UNDER METHOD: A method of wrapping cables in even and consistent loops, avoiding any figure-eight shapes, knots, or bending, using “cable memory” to let the cable “tell” the wrapper how to wrap it.
OVERSCAN: The amount of each captured image cut off by most displays; the standard overscan of 16:9 video is 5 percent.
PAN: A camera movement from left to right, or vice versa.
PAPER CUT: In editing, marking down the numbers of the first and last frames of each shot and arranging them before actually editing them together.
PEAKING: Refers to the highest point of the video or audio signal.
PEDESTAL SHOT: Moving or booming the camera straight up or down without tilting.
PERSISTENCE OF VISION: The optical phenomenon in which the retina retains an image for a brief moment after the image is actually seen.
PHANTOM POWER (48V): Is the direct current (DC) voltage sent through a microphone cable to power a microphone or associated device.
PICKUPS: Shots recorded after principal photography.
PICTURE LOCK: Editing term referring to the end of changes to the visual elements in a media project, commencing the finalization of sound editing and visual effects editing.
PITCH: A summary of the most original or exciting aspects of a project, designed to excite potential participants or investors to become part of the production.
PLOSIVES: The distracting pops from the speaking of hard letters, such as P.
PICKUP PATTERN/POLAR PATTERN: The pattern in which a microphone picks up or records the clearest sound quality.
POINT OF VIEW (POV): A shot where the camera, instead of giving us an objective view of the scene, shows us what a character is seeing; alternatively, the important individual perspective of the media creator that will determine the thesis or underlying idea of their project.
POP FILTER, POPPER-STOPPER: An audio filter that reduces plosives or hard, popping sounds in speech.
POSTPRODUCTION/POST: The third and final stage in production; everything that must be done to complete a project after principal production has concluded including picture and sound editing, visual effects work, scoring, and pickups.
PRACTICAL LIGHT SOURCE or PRACTICAL: Lights that illuminate a scene which are actually in the shot as part of the scene.
PRELIGHT: Doing a preliminary lighting of a set before making specific adjustments based on blocking.
PREPRODUCTION: The first stage in production including choosing the script, budgeting, casting, hiring crew members, scheduling, choosing locations, costumes, and props for production.
PRIMARY/SECONDARY COLORS: Video uses the additive color system in which the primary colors are red, green, and blue, and in which the secondary colors are yellow, cyan, and magenta.
PRIME LENS: A lens that has a single fixed focal length, either wide, normal, or telephoto.
PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY: Also known as production, when the bulk of the shooting takes place.
PRODUCER: A day-to-day boss of a media production, responsible for making sure everyone else is doing their job.
PRODUCTION: Can refer to a media project or specifically to the shooting of a media project.
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT (PA): An all-purpose utility player who may be called on to help out with any job that needs doing on a production.
PRODUCTION DESIGN: The design or purchase of various elements for a production based on the particular aesthetic or look of the piece: overall dark or light, bright colors or muted, sharp or dream-like, and so on.
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: The crew member who determines, along with the director and producers, the particular aesthetic or look of a media project.
PRODUCTION SOUND: Audio recorded along with the picture during principal photography.
PRODUCTION SOUND MIXER: The crew member in charge of recording clear audio on the set, typically focusing on the voices of the actors.
PROP MASTER: Designs or procures objects seen onscreen as indicated by the script or otherwise appropriate for the production.
PROSUMER-LEVEL: Gear that is designed, priced, and marketed for the consumer market but with some higher-level controls as on professional-level gear.
PROTAGONIST: Another name for the main character, the character we most identify with in a narrative, the one we go through the story with and the individual most in charge of achieving the goal, such as Marlin in the film Finding Nemo (2003).
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Refers to a work which the public has the unlimited right to use, exploit, or distribute.
PUBLICIST: The crew member who determines the best strategy for getting the word out about any screenings or exhibition of a finished media piece.
PULLING FOCUS: Changing the focus during a shot and also the area of the frame the audience is directed to watch.
PUSH IN/PULL OUT: Physically moving the camera during a shot to change the image size during a shot.
RACK FOCUS: To change focus during a shot; see PULLING FOCUS.
RADIO EDIT: A dialogue edit that is done without watching the video track.
RAW STOCK: Predeveloped motion-picture stock in its negative form.
REACTION SHOT: A type of shot whose purpose is to show a character’s reaction to the action in a scene.
RECEIVER: Device that receives an audio signal from a wireless transmitter attached to a lavaliere microphone.
REEL: See SHOWREEL.
REFLECTANCE METER: A type of light meter that measures the light in footcandles coming off the subject.
REPETITION AND VARIATION: See LEITMOTIF.
RESHOOTS: During postproduction, the reshooting of a scene when some fundamental element does not work.
RESOLUTION: The result of the conclusion of the climax of the narrative, a new status quo.
RÉSUMÉ: A document listing one’s work experience, education, awards won, and any other relevant information a prospective employer might want to know.
REVERBERANCE/REVERB: The echo on a sound element or an environment that can be enhanced or adjusted in postproduction.
REVERSE/REVERSE ANGLE: A shot recorded from the opposite angle as its matching shot.
REVISION: A new draft of version of a project after notes have been given.
RIM LIGHT: A type of back light that separates the subject from the background by giving an outline around the head and shoulders.
ROCKER SWITCH: Control on a zoom lens to change from a wide-angle to telephoto setting.
ROLES: Characters in a script or screenplay to be portrayed by actors.
ROLL EDIT/DUAL-ROLLER TRIM: A trim that affects two adjoining clips simultaneously. If the A-side is lengthened, the B-side is shortened.
ROOM TONE: Also known as ambience; the background sound of the environment a crew is shooting in.
ROYALTY-FREE: Refers to music that can be used in a commercial media production without need of compensation.
SAFETY TAKE: An extra take done after an acceptable take is captured.
SATURATION/DESATURATION: The level of intensity or brightness of a color; the less intensity, the grayer the color will appear.
SCENE DESCRIPTION: The list of images in a screenplay written out clearly and concisely as to best visualize the scene for the reader.
SCORE: Music written for a media project to synchronize with the visuals and the soundtrack.
SCREEN DIRECTION: The specific orientation of the viewer tracking objects moving left, right, up and down onscreen consistently throughout the piece.
SCRIM: A piece of fabric hung in front of a light to diminish its intensity.
SCRIPT BREAKDOWN: A marked-up script showing what is going to be needed to record every scene and when the individual cast, crew, and objects will be required for a shoot.
SCRIPT/CONTINUITY SUPERVISOR: The official note-taker on set; is responsible for making sure that the script is filmed in its entirety.
SEPIA TONE: A color grading, filter, or effect that lends a project an aged feeling.
SERVO MOTOR/SERVO: A mechanism that allows the operator to control both the direction of the change of focal length and the speed of the movement.
SET DECORATOR: The crew member who decides what needs to be bought and what needs to be made for the sets on a media production.
SHADOW: An area of the frame where light strikes the subject minimally or not at all.
SHARP: A high degree of clarity of a recorded image.
SHOCK MOUNT: A microphone holder who holds the mic with elastic suspension to keep vibrations on the boom or stand from creating unwanted noise.
SHOOTING SCHEDULE: A document that tells the cast and crew when, where, and for how long they will shoot at each location throughout their production.
SHOT: A specific camera angle designed by the director.
SHOT LIST: A document prepared by the director that explains to the crew which shots will be recorded on a shooting day.
SHOTGUN MICROPHONE: A microphone with a long, cylindrical shape that is placed on a mount with a handle similar to that of a firearm.
SHOULDER-MOUNT: A device that holds the camera steady on an operator’s shoulders.
SHOWREEL/DEMO REEL/REEL: A portfolio of audiovisual samples of one’s best work.
SHUTTER: Mechanical device on a camera that allows light to travel from the lens to the image sensor for a specified amount of time.
SHUTTER SPEED: The amount of time per second that the shutter is open to expose an image, letting in more or less light.
SIDEKICK: A type of ally who frequently contributes humor or a sense of lightness to a narrative.
SIDES: Pages from a script read during an audition.
SITUATION COMEDY/SITCOM: A genre of television programming that is humorous in nature and typically centered around a household or workplace.
SLIDE TRIM: A type of edit that lets the user move the location of the clip, without changing the duration of the clip.
SLIP TRIM: A type of edit that lets the user change the content of a clip without changing the duration or location of the clip.
SLOW DISCLOSURE/SLOW REVEAL: A type of tracking or moving shot that communicates more information to the audience throughout the shot.
SLOW MOTION/OVERCRANKING: Shooting more than a standard number of frames (24) per second and playing back at standard speed (24 fps) achieves a slow-motion effect.
SLUGLINE: A capitalized heading that comes before each new scene in a screenplay telling when and where the scene takes place, such as INT. PINEAPPLE HILL PUB – NIGHT.
SOFT: A low degree of clarity or sharpness of a recorded image.
SOFT SKILLS: Personal traits that are key to success, including communication skills, time management, reliability, accountability problem-solving, collaborative capacity, and work ethic.
SOLO: Isolating one audio track to work on it to the exclusion of other tracks with which it will later be mixed.
SOUND DESIGN: The overarching design of all the various audio elements in a media project including dialogue, ADR, music, sound effects, and room tone or ambience.
SOUND EDITOR: The crew member who cuts the music, sound effects, and rerecorded (or “looped”) dialogue (ADR) into the film.
SOUND EFFECT: Sounds that are added to a media project, often designed by the sound designer and edited onto the soundtrack by a sound effects editor.
SOUNDTRACK: Most commonly this term is used to refer to prerecorded songs used in a motion picture, as opposed to a musical score.
SOURCE MUSIC: Music that would authentically be playing where a scene in a media production takes place.
SPEC SHEET: A list of technical specifications and standards that a project has to fit, agreed upon by the client.
SPLIT EDIT: An edit where the audio and video are cut at different, or discrete, points. Also called L-cuts or J-cuts because of the shape the clips resemble after the trim is made.
SPORTS AND ACTION CAMERA: Consumer-level cameras that specialize in capturing high frame rates that make movement look clearer and sharper with clear slow-motion playback.
SPOTTING: Identifying audio cues, listing how many cues are needed, and writing a description and purpose for each cue.
STAGE LINE/THE LINE/THE 180° RULE/THE AXIS: Is an invisible line through the main axis of the action that provides the main orientation for the viewer. The 180° rule states that once the line is set, all shots must be taken from the same side of the line unless the line is legitimately crossed.
STANDARD DEFINITION (SD): Refers to video which runs at a frame rate of 29.97 frames per second (fps) at a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines; in North America, also known as NTSC.
STAR SYSTEM: Part of the studio system that standardized the development of and investment in certain actors, transforming them into celebrities while indenturing them via onerous contract into prolonged servitude to one studio.
STORYBOARDS: A comic book-style depiction of a media project.
STUDIO LIGHTING: Lighting style with a moderate contrast without domination by dark or light areas of the frame.
STUDIO SYSTEM: A group of protocols by which the largest Hollywood studios, starting in the 1920s, exerted maximum control over the production and eventual commercial success of their projects.
STUDIO/BROADCAST CAMERA: Television cameras featuring a single-cable connection to a live switcher that includes communication to the operator and a video signal of the program choices of the director.
SUBTEXT: Refers to what is really being said or meant beneath the dialogue.
SUPERIMPOSITION: Two shots or clips laid one on top of the other so we can see both images at the same time.
SURREALISM: A style of storytelling that visualizes the workings of the subconscious mind; see also EXPRESSIONISM.
SYMBOL: These are something, usually visible, used to represent something else, usually invisible.
SYNC/SYNCING/SYNCHRONIZING: Refers to sound that matches the image because it was either recorded simultaneously at the same rate of speed or recorded afterward carefully to match the image.
SYNCHRONIZATION RIGHTS/SYNC RIGHTS: Allows full use of copyrighted musical work to be synchronized with a media project.
TALKING HEAD/TALKING HEAD SHOT: Another name for interview shots, typically medium shots or MCUs with the subject looking slightly off-axis to the camera.
TALLY LIGHT: A light on a television camera that indicates which camera (angle) the program is switched to so that the operator and the talent are informed.
TELEPHOTO LENS: See LONG LENS.
TEMP TRACK: A track of temporary music created by the director to give the music supervisor or composer a sense of what they are aiming for stylistically.
TEMPORAL MEDIUM: A means of communication that requires time to be perceived by an audience member such as film or music.
THEME: Can refer either to the underlying idea explored by a media piece or to a musical composition associated with a character or storyline.
THREE-ACT STRUCTURE: The set of rules that governs all narrative storytelling.
THREE-POINT LIGHTING: A classic style of Hollywood studio lighting including a key light, fill light, and back light.
TITLE CARD: Text that stays static on a media presentation screen, popularized during the early silent era of movies originally printed on actual cards.
TITLE ROLL: The end credits of a media presentation listing the names of the cast and crew and other credits.
TITLE-SAFE ZONE: On a 16:9 image, 10 percent from each edge of the frame. Keeping a project’s text within this zone assures it won’t be cropped off by a video display or television.
TOTAL RUNNING TIME (TRT): The length of a media project, which may need to meet a specific requirement for broadcast television, festival inclusion, or distribution.
TRACK-BASED: Editing software such as Avid Media Composer or Adobe Premiere Pro that requires an audio editor to add audio tracks before attempting to add audio clips.
TRAITOR: A type of character who begins as an ally to the protagonist (or antagonist) but changes sides during the narrative, typically flipping the balance of power.
TRANSCODING: The conversion of media from one codec to another.
TRANSITION: In a screenplay or media project, how the writer or director want to go from scene to scene, for example using a cut or a dissolve.
TRANSMITTER: Part of a wireless audio kit that stays with the talent in a pocket or clipped to a belt or waistband and sends the audio signal to the receiver.
TRIMMING: Cutting frames off a clip either to go to another clip or to improve the rhythm of a sequence of clips.
TRIPOD (STICKS): A three-legged stand that stabilizes a camera.
TRRS CONNECTOR: An audio connector for mobile phones that have a built-in microphone.
TUNGSTEN: A standard warm indoor light at the lower end of the Kelvin scale and a standard white balance preset on most camera.
UNBALANCED AUDIO CONNECTION: A connection that cannot support phantom powering the microphone and requires the microphone either be dynamic or powered by another source such as an AA battery.
UNIDIRECTIONAL: A type of microphone with a pickup pattern or polar pattern that allows the mic to pick up sounds from a narrow angle or a single direction.
VECTORSCOPE MONITOR: A device that measures the hue, saturation, and chrominance of an image.
VICTIM: A type of character who will be primarily affected if the protagonist does not successfully achieve their goal.
VIDEO ASSIST/VIDEO TAP: A small charge-coupled device (CCD) built into the camera to tap into the view of the lens, allowing directors to see what the camera operator sees.
VIEWFINDER: A display that allows the operator to determine the limits or edges of what is in their shot.
VIGNETTE: An effect that darkens the corners of an image to bring the audience’s attention toward the center of the frame.
VISUAL EFFECTS (VFX): The manipulation of images using optical effects in a photo lab or computer software.
VLOG (VIDEO BLOG): Multimedia journaling for the Internet.
VOICEOVER: See NARRATION.
WALLA: Crowd noise in the background of a scene.
WARM: Refers to the color of light including indoor practical house lamps.
WAVEFORM MONITOR: An oscilloscope that measures the strength of a video signal.
WIDE SHOT (WS): A short-lens shot used to establish space, as in a master shot, or a whole location.
WIDE-ANGLE LENS: A short lens that shows a lot of the space right in front of the camera.
WRITER: The original creator of a story or project, the first one to envision a narrative or concept around a particular theme. The writer visualizes the plot and theme; creates the characters, visual descriptions, and dialogue.
XLR CONNECTOR/XLR CABLE: A three-pin audio cable/connector used in professional audio recording.
ZOOM: To change focal length during a shot from wide to telephoto, or vice versa.
ZOOM LENS: Allows the operator to change focal length from wide to telephoto without switching out the lens; see also PRIME LENS.