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Glossary: Production
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Aa
A & B Roll
Alternative shots in a film production go on to two separate reels — the first to roll A, the second to B, the third to A etc. Makes the joins less obvious and makes effects like wipes and mixes easier. Also called "chequer-boarding".
Aerial Shot
A shot taken from a high building, crane, plane or helicopter. Not necessarily a moving shot.
Ambience
The noise that is in the background of the sounds you want to record.
Bb
Barn Doors
Metal flaps attached to the front of a lamp that give the user much more selectivity over the lighting.
Best Boy
Term used by the lighting gaffer and the senior grip for their number two.
Blow Up
An optical enlargement of a film from one gauge to another, such as 16mm up to 35mm. The opposite of a blow up is a reduction print.
Boom
Long pole used to mount microphones above people's heads and out of shot. The holder of the pole is called the boom operator.
Bridging Shot
A shot used to cover a jump in time or place or other discontinuity. Common examples are falling leaves, maps, changing calendar pages and newspaper headlines.
Buzz Track
A recording of the ambient sounds present at any location — distant traffic, bird sounds, air conditioners etc. Can be used to cover any gap, or to disguise a jump when dialogue has been recorded with two slightly different background levels.
Cc
Close-up
A shot in which a character's face and shoulders are the main image, or where a single object or parts of objects are the main image.
Crane
A camera platform that can be raised and lowered. Generally mounted on a rolling base.
Dd
Digital Betacam
Digital videotape format that records video on half-inch tape.
Dissolve
This type of transition can suggest the passage of time and refers to a soft transition between two sequences or scenes. The first image gradually dissolves or fades out and is replaced by another that fades in over it.
Dolly
A set of wheels and a platform upon which the camera can be mounted to give it mobility.
Dubbing
Replacing the dialogue of a film. Can be done to translate the film into another language or to replace dialogue not recorded (deliberately or accidentally) during the shoot.
Ee
Edge Numbers
Numbers printed on the edge of film stock (every foot). This allows the editor, director, laboratory or computer to find a specific frame very easily.
Effects Track
Separate soundtrack that contains all the non-dialogue sounds. Can be recorded synchronously with the picture or recorded wild.
Ff
Filter
Glass attachments usually put in front of the lens to modify the light entering the camera. They can change the colour of the light or give a soft feel to the picture.
Flare
Bright white or coloured blob or streak on the image caused by a light shining directly on to the lens.
Foley
System for adding sound effects to a film and generally making the soundtrack more interesting. The person responsible for this is called a foley artist.
Frame
One complete video image, or two video fields. There are 25 frames in one second of PAL video. Also a single film image.
Gg
Gaffer
Chief electrician. Works to the DOP/cinematographer.
Grip
Person (or people) in charge of moving camera dollies, tripods etc. The main grip is often referred to as the key grip.
Hh
High Key
Scene lit so that it contains few dark areas. Contrast is low and shadows are not very deep.
Humidity Sensor
A device in a video camera that prevents it working when there is too much moisture present.
Ii
Inter-positive
A colour master positive print.
Jj
Jump Cut
Cut where there is no match between the two shots. A jump cut ignores continuity of time, place and action. It can make the viewer jump and wonder where the narrative has got to.
Junior
A 2-kilowatt lamp with a fresnel lens.
Kk
Key Light
The main light on a subject. In drama it simulates natural light. It reveals the shape of people and objects.
Kinescope
A film recording of a video image displayed on a specially designed television monitor. Also called Kine. Only means of recording TV programmes before video recorders and tape were invented.
Ll
Lip Sync
Relationship between the movements of a performer's mouth and the words you hear. If they occur simultaneously, the shot is said to be in sync.
Loop
Short piece of magnetic tape joined end-to-end so as to provide constant sound when played.
Low Key
Scene lit so that areas of darkness predominate. Contrast is high.
Mm
Master Shot
A shot that tries to contain the majority of the action. A long take of an entire scene, generally a relatively long shot that facilitates the assembly of component closer shots and details.
Montage
An edited sequence of two or more shots that have no logical connection, but which, when put together, suggest something not specifically shown.
Nn
Negative
Most film productions are shot on negative film — on the actual tape the image that goes through the camera is black where the scene was white and vice versa.
NTSC - National Television Standards Committee
Television standard used in USA, Canada, Japan and Mexico.
Oo
Overcranking
Shooting film faster than the usual 24 or 25 frames a second to produce a slow-motion effect.
Pp
Pan
Movement of the camera from left to right or right to left around the imaginary vertical axis that runs through the camera.
Point of View Shot (PoV)
A shot that shows the scene from the specific point of view of one of the characters.
Prime Lens
A non-zoom lens. Generally gives better picture quality and can enable the camera to shoot with less light than a zoom lens requires.
Qq
Quick Release
A latching device for quickly mounting and removing the camera from the tripod.
Rr
Radio Microphone
A microphone that works with a receiver to allow the user freedom of movement.
Raw Stock
Unexposed film.
Reverse Angle
A shot that complements a previous shot — in a drama, a shot of the second participant.
Rough Cut
The first edit.
Rushes
The first quick print of a film.
Ss
Saturation
The purity of a colour.
Second Unit
Additional crew used when more than one camera is needed on a scene (e.g. a car crash) or to pick up additional shots in which the main cast doesn't appear (an airliner landing, for instance).
Shooting Ratio
Ratio of amount of film or tape shot to that used in the final production.
Shutter
The device that allows light on to a film for a short time, closes off the light while the film is moved to the next frame, then allows the light through again.
Steadicam
A system that permits hand-held shooting with an image steadiness comparable to that of a tracking shot done on a dolly.
Storyboard
A sequence of sketched frames showing the basic shots for a scene of a film or television programme. It is drawn during the planning/ development stage, and gives the director a chance to try out ideas without spending much money.
Sync (synchronisation)
Picture and sound exactly in time with each other.
Tt
Tilt
The camera looks up or down, rotating around the axis that runs from left to right through the camera head.
Timecode
A numerical code expressed as hours, minutes, seconds and frames to give each frame a unique address for location purposes as well as being vital for synchronising VTR for example.
Tracking Shot
A shot where the camera is moved by means of wheels. The movement is normally quite steady and can be fast or slow.
Uu
Undercrank
Shooting film slower than the usual 24 or 25 frames per second in order to make action in the finished shot appear faster.
Vv
VCR
Video cassette recorder.
Voice-over (V/O)
The voice of an unseen narrator.
Vox Pop
Technique of asking a number of people for their views on one subject. The result is a series of short shots showing the replies.
Ww
Walk-through
Rehearsal of a scene without trying for a performance.
Whip Pan
A fast pan in which the shot deteriorates to a blur.
Wide Angle
Lens with a short focal length, therefore a wide angle of view. Used close to a subject, it can distort the view.
Wild Track
Sound recorded on location independently of the picture.
Wipe
An optical effect in which an image appears to wipe over or push aside the previous shot.
Xx
Xenon
A very bright, daylight-balanced projection lamp, or a projector with a xenon lamp. A xenon lamp is not interchangeable with a tungsten lamp or arch lamp, but requires a different lamp housing on the projector. Because xenon lamps are daylight-balanced it is sometimes advisable with colour film to have the lab make a print that is balanced for xenon. This is sometimes called a 5,400K print, the colour temperature of daylight.
Zz
Zoom
A shot using a lens whose focal length is adjusted during the shot
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