TCF145 Glossary

180 Degree Rule - a basic guideline in film and TV production which states that the camera must remain on the same side of an imaginary line, called the axis of action, perpendicular to the camera's viewpoint. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle.

Action - "Action" is called during filming to indicate the start of the current take.

Amplitude - The value of the displacement from zero value during one period of an oscillation. The loudness of a sound is determined by amplitude.

Aperture - an opening, usually circular, that limits the quantity of light that can enter an optical instrument. Also called iris.

Aspect Ratio - the ratio of the width of an image to its height. A 4 to 3 ratio is usually referred to as standard. A 16 to 9 ratio is usually referred to as wide screen. Also stated as 4 x 3 or 16 by 9.

Auxiliary (Aux) Sends – Volume controls on an audio mixer channel which allow you to adjust the amount of sound from each channel that is sent to a particular output. Aux mixes are commonly used to feed stage monitor speakers.

Available Light - refers to any source of light that is not explicitly supplied by the photographer for the purpose of taking photos. The term usually refers to sources of light that are already available naturally as opposed to lights added by a production crew.

Back Light – in three point lighting design, the back light provides a rim of light around the subject to help it stand out from the background.

Bank or Bus – a horizontal row of buttons on a video switcher. Each button represents a video source.

Barn Doors – Flaps placed on the front of spotlights which frame the circular pattern projected by the light into square or rectangular shapes.

Best Boy – The assistant to a department head. The gaffer’s first assistant is the “best boy electric” and the key grip’s first assistant is the “best boy grip.”

Blocking - a process during which the director and actors determine where on the set the actors will move and stand, so that lighting and camera placements may be set. 2

Boom – vertical movement of a camera’s supporting mechanism. A camera may boom up or boom down when its support is moved up or down. See also pedestal.

Boom Microphone - a long pole with a microphone on the end. The boom is extended out near the actors. The microphone at the end should be placed outside of the view of the camera.

Body Mic – a small microphone designed to be placed on an actor’s upper body.

B-Roll – supplemental or alternate footage intercut with the main shot in an interview or documentary. The term originated in film production where a second or “B roll” of film contained supplementary shots to complement the main subject on the “A roll.” The term is used commonly in TV news to refer to cut in and cut away shots recorded to go with an interview.

C-47 or CP-47 – A wooden clothespin commonly used in lighting to hold lighting gel on barn doors.

Crawl – a graphic presenting information moving from side to side across the screen.

C-Stand – A type of metal stand developed by Century Lighting which can be used to hold lights and lighting accessories.

Camera - a device for recording images.

Capture – (capturing) to record media (pictures and sound) to a digital editing system.

Channel (audio) – An audio mixer is divided starting on the left side into individual channels for individual sound sources.

Character Generator – a device used to create text to present in a video production.

Cinematographer - a person with expertise in the art of capturing images either electronically or on film through the application of visual recording devices and the selection and arrangement of lighting. The chief cinematographer for a movie is called the director of photography.

Clip – in the Final Cut editing software, individual pieces of media that can be placed on a timeline.

Close-up – (CU) a film or television shot in which the subject is tightly framed and shown at a relatively large scale.

Color Temperature – the color characteristics of various sources of light. Studio lights are white. Sunlight is blue. Incandescent lights are yellow and florescent lights are green. 3

Cross Dissolve - to fade out one shot while simultaneously fading in the next, overlapping the two during the process. Also called dissolve or cross-fade.

Cue - anything said or done, on or off stage, that is followed by a specific line or action. Actors may be cued to begin by a verbal cue, “Action,” or by a silent pointing finger cue.

Cut – a) to stop the shot being filmed ("Cut" is called during filming to indicate that the current take is over.), or b) to edit, or c) an instant change in either camera angle or placement, location, or time by moving directly from one shot to another.

Cut-Away - a shot that does not focus on some detail of the shot before or after it but cuts away from the action at hand. The best cutaways are the ones that have some logic to them, that relate to the scene.

Cut-In - a technique used in film editing, involving two shots. The first shot shows a distant view of a scene, and the second shot shows a closer view of the same scene.

Condenser Microphone – a sensitive microphone that requires a power source to work. The power may come from and internal battery or external phantom power supplied by a sound mixer or camera.

Continuity - the degree to which a movie is self-consistent. For example, a scene where an actor is wearing a hat when seen from one camera angle and not from another would lack continuity.

Development - the process of working on a script in hopes that it will be greenlighted for production.

Dialog - conversation between two or more persons.

Director - the principal creative artist on a media production. A director is usually (but not always) the driving artistic source behind the shooting process, and communicates to actors the way that he/she would like a particular scene played. A director's duties might also include casting, script editing, shot selection, shot composition, and editing. Typically, a director has complete artistic control over all aspects of the movie, but it is not uncommon for the director to be bound by agreements with a producer or studio.

Documentary - a non-fiction film. Typically a documentary is a journalistic record of an event, person, or place.

Dolly – a) a camera support device that can be rolled, or b) the act of moving a camera support device in toward the actors or out away from the actors. A person who pushes or pulls a dolly is a dolly grip. 4

Dynamic Microphone – a rugged type of microphone which does not require a power source to operate. Dynamic mics are typically less fragile than condenser mics.

DV - a digital video format created by Sony, JVC, Panasonic and other video camera producers, and launched in 1995. Its smaller tape form factor MiniDV has since become a standard for home and semi-professional video production. It is sometimes used for professional purposes as well, such as filmmaking and electronic news gathering (ENG). Our class uses MiniDV tapes for our productions.

Editing - the process of selecting and joining together shots, connecting the resulting sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling. The person who performs the editing is called an editor.

Equalization or EQ - The process of adjusting the balance between frequency components within an electronic signal. EQ controls on an audio mixer allow you to adjust low frequencies, midrange frequencies, and high frequencies.

Establishing shot – a shot that introduces the audience to the location in which the forthcoming scene will take place, usually the first shot of a new scene.

Extreme Close-up - (ECU or XCU) The shot is so tight that only a fraction of the focus of attention, such as someone's face, can be seen.

Fade - a smooth, gradual transition from a normal image to complete blackness (fade out), or vice versa (fade in).

Fader Bar – a handle-like control on a video switcher which is used to transition (dissolve or wipe) from one bank to another.

Fill Light – in three point lighting design, a fill light is used to soften shadows created by the key light. A bounce board or reflector which catches and reflects some of the key light can also serve this purpose.

Filmmaker - a term used to refer to people who have a significant degree of control over the creation of a movie: directors, producers, screenwriters, and editors.

Final Cut – the last and complete edit of a production often preceded by a rough cut or off-line edit.

Final Cut Pro - a professional non-linear editing software application developed by Apple, Inc. It can be used only on Apple/Macintosh (Mac) computers.

Floor Director – the floor director in a multi-camera studio production is the director’s representative in the studio. The floor director receives the director’s cues through a headset and relates cues to talent and the production crew. 5

Frequency - the number of cycles or completed alternations per unit of time of a wave or oscillation. The pitch of a sound is determined by frequency.

Frontal Angle – when the camera is looking straight on to an actor. The frontal angle tends to flatten the three dimensionality of facial features and environments.

Focus - the positioning of a viewed object or the adjustment of an optical device necessary to produce a clear image: in focus; out of focus. Focus is affected by the distance between a camera lens and an object being viewed. Camera operators should zoom all the way in to an object to adjust focus. If the camera or object is moved, the focus will change.

Gain Trim or Sensitivity – A control, usually at the top of an audio mixer channel, which adjusts the gain or volume of the sound entering the channel.

Gaffer – The head of the electrical department in film production.

Gobo Arm – An accessory used with C-stands. A gobo arm allows a light to be extended to the side of a C-Stand. The bottom of the stand must be weighted with a sand bag so the stand does not topple over.

Green Screen - a technique for layering two images together. The green in the top layer is made transparent, revealing another image behind. This effect is commonly used on TV weather forecasts.

Grip – The term used for stagehands in film and video production. Grips arrange scenery, lighting equipment, and assist with setting up cameras.

Handheld Microphone – a microphone held by a person who is speaking. Handheld mics are frequently used in news reporting.

Headworn Microphone – a microphone designed to be worn much like a headset so that the mic is positioned close to the actor’s mouth.

Iris - a mechanical device found in cameras, which mimics the function of the iris within an eye. It controls the amount of light entering the camera. Also called aperture.

Jib - a mechanical crane used to support a camera.

Jump Cut - a cut involving an interruption to the continuity, where the image in a shot closely matches the image of the previous shot but also shows something different which seems to jump.

Key – the process of superimposing a graphic over an image.

Key Grip – The head of the grip department… The supervisor of grips. 6

Key Light – in three point lighting design, the key light is the main source of illumination.

Lav - (short for lavaliere, a French word for necklace) any small microphone that is made to clip on an actor’s clothing or hang around their neck.

Lens - an optical device used by a camera to focus an image.

Lens Cap – a device for covering a lens to provide protection. It can be built into the lens or an attachment to the lens.

Lighting Gel – Translucent material which can be placed in front of lights to diffuse the light or to add color to the light.

Linear Editing – editing from beginning to end. This was the only way to edit before computer assisted editing.

Linked Clips – in the Final Cut Pro software, clips that are locked together and cannot be manipulated separately unless they are unlinked.

Location Shooting – (On Location) Shooting which occurs at a place not constructed specifically for the production as in a studio.

Log – to make notes (usually recording timecode numbers) regarding which shots should be used in editing. In final Cut Pro, Logging and Capturing are accomplished using the Log and Capture window.

Looking Room – (also called Leading Room) extra room provided in the frame in front of an actor’s face seen in three-quarters frontal or profile view.

Long Shot – a shot taken from a great distance, usually showing the characters as very small in comparison to their surroundings.

Lower Third - a graphic placed in the title safe lower area of the screen.

Mark In – in Final Cut Pro software, the method for marking the beginning of a shot.

Mark Out - in Final Cut Pro software, the method for marking the end of a shot.

Master Fader – The main volume control on an audio mixer. It is usually found on the extreme right side of an audio mixer.

Media – a) the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines, that reach or influence people widely or b) the tapes or other storage devices upon which a production is recorded. 7

Medium Shot – (MS) a shot taken from a medium distance, usually showing the characters from the waist up, or mid-chest up. It allows the audience to see body language, but not as much facial expression as a close-up.

Microphone – (Mic) a device which converts sound into electrical impulses, usually for recording or amplification.

Mute or On/Off button – A button on an audio mixer channel which turns the channel on or off.

Narrative Film – a film that tells a fictional story.

Narration - spoken commentary to a film, television program, etc.

Neutral Density Filter – (ND) a "grey" filter which reduces light of all wavelengths or colors equally. The purpose of standard photographic neutral density filters is to allow the photographer greater flexibility to change the aperture or iris, allowing for more control, particularly in extremely bright circumstances.

Noddy – a reaction shot showing an interviewer nodding while the interviewee answers a question. Noddy shots can be recorded after the interviewee has left the set and edited into the final presentation.

Non-linear Editing - The computer-assisted editing of a movie without the need to assemble it in linear sequence.

NTSC - the standard for TV/video display in the US and Canada, as set by the National Television Standards Committee. It is jokingly referred to as Never Twice the Same Color.

Off Book - when an actor has completely memorized their lines and cues, they are described as being off-book -- no longer in need of their script.

Off-line Editing - the process of preliminary editing done in a lower-cost editing facility, to prepare a list of edits for on-line editing. This is process of choosing shots and preparing a rough cut that can be refined at a later time by an editor.

Omni-directional Microphone – a microphone designed to pick up sounds from all directions.

On-line Editing - the process of final editing and preparation for distribution of film, with edits often from a list of changes created during off-line editing and evaluation.

Out-Take – (Out take, Outtake) a take of a scene not used in a movie. In some movies, out-takes are shown under the closing credits. Also called bloopers. 8

Over the Shoulder Shot - a camera shot over the first character's shoulder capturing the second character opposite them; commonly used to show a conversation from the first character's perspective.

Pan – (Panning) left or right movement of a camera upon an axis. On tripods and pedestals, cameras are mounted upon pan heads and their movement is controlled by panning handles.

Phantom Power – Power for condenser microphones supplied by an audio mixer rather than a battery within the mic.

Point of View – (POV) a camera angle in which the camera views what would be visible from a particular actor's position thereby showing the how the actor sees the subject matter.

PD170 – a MiniDV camera manufactured by Sony. Our class uses PD170 cameras.

Pedestal – a camera support device commonly used in studios, pedestals feature a central column upon which the camera is mounted. Movement of the camera up or down may be called pedestaling or booming. Pedestals also feature steerable wheels.

Pre-roll – time allowed at the beginning of a recording for images, sound, and timecode to stabilize. Once pre-roll has been achieved, “Speed” is called.

Profile – a camera angle showing the actor’s face viewed from one side.

Post-Production – (Postproduction, Post) work performed on a production after the end of principal photography. Usually involves editing and visual effects. This is the third stage of production.

Pre-Production – (Preproduction, Pre) arrangements made before the start of filming. This can include raising money, script editing, set construction, location scouting, casting and more.

Producer – the chief of staff of a movie production in all matters except the creative efforts of the director. A producer is responsible for raising funding, hiring key personnel, and arranging for distribution of the production.

Production – (In Production, Production Date) in the movie industry, this term refers to the phase of movie making during which principal photography occurs. Popularly, however, "production" means the entire movie project.

Razor Blade – in Final Cut Pro, the razor blade tool can be used to cut clips into sections, some of which will be used and some discarded. It mimics the use of an actual razor blade to cut film into sections which can be spliced (attached) together. 9

Reaction Shot - a shot which cuts away from the main scene in order to show the reaction of a character to it. A reaction shot usually implies the display of some sort of emotion on the face of the actor being shown, and is thus most commonly a close-up shot.

Roll – a graphic presenting information that moves vertically across the screen as in a credit roll.

Room Tone - different sets and locations have different audio characteristics. A sound recordist will typically make a recording of the natural ambient "silence" in a set/location for use as a reference point, or for when silence is required.

Rough Cut – the preliminary edit of a production which is used to gather input and suggestions before a final cut is made based upon feedback. Also called off-line edit.

Rule of Thirds - a compositional rule of thumb in visual arts such as painting, photography and design. The rule states that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections. Proponents of the technique claim that aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply centering the subject would.

Safe Area - a term used in television production to describe the areas of the television picture that can be seen on all television screens. Information around the edges of the screen may be lost to some viewers.

Scene - a continuous block of storytelling either set in a single location or following a particular character. The end of a scene is typically marked by a change in location, style, or time.

Screenplay - a motion-picture or television script usually involving dialog. Locations and actions are described and actors lines are detailed following a particular form of presentation.

Script - a written work detailing story, setting, and dialogue for a media production.

Sequence - a continuous or connected series of shots or scenes. In Final Cut Pro, an edited presentation is called a sequence and multiple sequences (several versions of a production) may be generated within a single project.

Set - an environment constructed to be used for production.

Shooting in Sequence - shooting your shots in the exact order that they will be seen on screen. 10

Shooting out of Sequence – shooting shots in an order that does not directly correspond to the order they will be used on the screen but allows more effective or economical use of equipment and crew.

Shot - a continuous block of unedited footage from a single point of view.

Shotgun Microphone - a type of microphone with a long barrel and a narrow sound pick-up angle. A unidirectional microphone.

Skycam – a means of supporting a camera by suspended cables so it can move over a large area. Often used in the production of football games.

Soundbite – an editing term particularly used in TV and radio news to indicate a clip of a person speaking.

Speed - an announcement made by either the director of photography or camera operator indicating to the director that the camera or recorder is operating at the correct speed and has recorded enough pre-roll.

Standup – a shot or scene in which a reporter directly addresses the camera while standing in front of a location relating to the story.

Stereo Panning – The pan control on an audio mixer channel allows you to determine where within a stereo image that channel will appear. You can pan from left, to center, to right.

Steadicam – a stabilizing mount for a motion picture or TV camera, which mechanically isolates the operator's movement from the camera.

Storyboard - a panel or panels on which a sequence of sketches depict the significant changes of action and location in a planned production, as for a movie, television show, or advertisement.

Submaster – By routing several audio mixer channels to a submaster, you can control several channels with one submaster control. Submaster controls are generally found on the right side of an audio mixer.

Take - a single continuous recorded performance of a shot or scene. A director typically orders takes to continue until he or she is satisfied that all of his or her requirements for the scene have been made. When the take should end “Cut” is called. Multiple takes of shots or scenes may be recorded and the best take is selected in editing. Unused takes are called out-takes.

Talent - a general, informal term for actors or anyone who will be seen by the camera. 11

Teleprompter – a device that can be mounted on the front of a camera lens to prompt the talent with the text of their script. Using a teleprompter is similar to the practice of using cue cards. The screen is in front of and usually below the camera lens of a video camera, and the words on the screen are reflected to the eyes of the talent using a sheet of clear glass in front of the lens.

Tilt - the action of rotating the camera either up or down on an axis… movement of the camera up or down on the panning head.

Three Point Lighting – This often used approach to lighting involves the use of a key light, a fill light, and a back light.

Three-Quarter Frontal Shot – a shot wherein an actor is seen from an angle just to the side of directly straight on. A three-quarter frontal shot provides more depth than a frontal shot. Three-quarter frontal shots are often used in dialog scenes where rather than looking directly into the camera, actors look at each other and are seen by cameras placed to their sides.

Timecode – an electronic guide track added to film, video or audio material to provide a time reference for editing or synchronization with other media. Timecode denotes hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. A second is divided into 24 frames in film and 30 frames in TV and video.

Timeline – the arrangement of media clips in linear order by time from beginning to end of a production. When editing of a production is complete the timeline is said to be locked. The area upon which clips are placed together in Final Cut Pro is called the timeline.

Track – a mechanism upon which a tripod or dolly can be mounted to control the movement of the camera along a straight or arced path.

Treatment – a synopsis of a story indicating characters and locations and prepared according to a particular format.

Tripod – a three legged device for supporting a camera on a panning head.

Truck – left or right movement of a camera support mechanism such as a tripod on wheels or a pedestal.

Two Shot – a shot showing two actors or objects.

Unidirectional Microphone – a microphone which only picks up sound directly in front of it. They are usually long and slender and are also called shotgun microphones.

Viewfinder – a camera part or attachment enabling a photographer to determine what will be included in the picture. 12

White Balance – a camera adjustment so that it will display the proper color in various color temperatures of light. The white balance (or white set) button is pressed while the camera sees only a white piece of paper. The camera automatically adjusts the balance of red, green, and blue so the image is white.

Wide Shot – (WS) a wide view of the action.

Windscreen – a device placed on, around, or in front of a microphone to protect it from moving air of wind or an actor’s breath.

Wipe - an editing technique in which one shot is fully replaced by another, outlined by a definite border that moves across or around the frame.

Zebra Stripes – a method for indicating image brightness in a viewfinder. In the PD170 camera, the zebra stripes can be set to display at 100 percent (the brightest an image can be without distorting) or at 70 percent.

Zoom - to bring a subject into close-up or cause it to recede into a long shot using a zoom lens and while maintaining focus.