Video & Film Production Glossary of Terms

Title suggestion: The Complete Guide to Film Lingo for Filmmakers and Actors

A glossary of terms for filmmakers and actors

For filmmakers starting out on their career, the set of a feature film, TV commercial, or corporate video can be an intimidating arena. What can be especially alienating is the use of a strange language made up of familiar-sounding words but used in a mystifying context. Some film and video lingo may seem downright weird, but these terms and phrases have evolved over more than a century of filmmaking to quickly and accurately describe the practices, tools, and people that are essential to any shoot.Â For those starting out on a film and video journey - be it in branded content, production services or video marketing - basic knowledge of this language will not only allow you to better understand what's happening on set but ensure that you can play your part in making every shoot you attend a success. To help you get started, we've cleared up some of the most commonly-used terms in the glossary below.

Ambient light

Ambient, or available, light is any light source that occurs naturally or incidentally. Indoors, this includes candles or standard light bulbs. Outside, ambient light sources are sunlight, moonlight, streetlamps, fires, or even starlight. Typically softer than artificial light, a director may choose to rely on ambient lighting alone for a more natural look, although it's generally too weak or unpredictable for many productions.

Anamorphic format

A widescreen shot created with an anamorphic lens, which can â€œstretchâ€ the image to capture a wider field than a standard camera could normally support. Essentially, they compress the scene in focus by a ratio of 2:1, thus allowing more to fit onto the screen.

Background actor

A background actor or extra, is a performer in a film, television show, TV advert or corporate video production who appears in a non-speaking capacity, usually in the background of a scene. Background actors are sometimes expected to bring their own wardrobe to the set. In the UK, once an extra says 13 or more words in any scene, they must become a contracted actor in that production.

BacklightingÂ

Lighting a performer from behind. Placing the light behind an actor contradicts traditional lighting techniques, but it can deepen the depth of field, cast the performer in sharp relief, and visually separate the foreground from the background.

Barn doorsÂ

One of the most versatile tools in lighting is a Fresnel lantern, which incorporates a lens with concentric rings across its inner surface. The light it produces is powerful enough to cover an entire set, so to control it, lighting technicians equip them with barn doors, a set of flaps that can be adjusted to change the shape of the beam. This keeps the light focused on the desired area rather than spreading out.

Beat

Actors' slang for a second in time, or a short action that causes a break in the dialogue. A similar, but distinct, concept is a story beat, a point marking a shift in tone.

Best boy

There are two types of best boy on set. One is the best boy electric: the second-ranking electrician, who works as the Gaffer's assistant and is responsible for managing the lighting department's day-to-day operations. The other is the best boy grip: second to the Key Grip and responsible for running other grips and the operations of the grip department (eg setting up dollies and lighting rigs). A woman who performs the duties of a best boy is sometimes called the best girl, while all are sometimes called a best person.

Blimp

Any housing used to muffle camera noise. Examples include large metal or fibreglass varieties, which were used to quieten the mechanical racket produced by cameras in use from the 1930s to 1960s. Modern video cameras make less sound than old film cameras, but some still have noisy fans. Today blimps are typically made of foam.Â

Bounce boardÂ

A white surface used to reflect light onto a subject being filmed. Reflecting light off a bounce board diffuses the harshness of the light and makes it softer and more even.Â

BracketingÂ

Taking several shots of the same subject, using different settings each time. Bracketed shots can be merged to make a more exciting composition, or to ensure that at least one usable shot is achieved.

Call time

The time at which each crew member, contributor or performer needs to be on set for the start of their shooting day. Crew members often have earlier call times than the cast, as they need to set up the equipment for the day. Sticking to call times allows the 1st AD to keep the production on schedule and within the budget.

Call sheet

A schedule handed out at wrap by the film or video production company for the next day's shoot. A call sheet can include instructions for crew members and actors, emergency information, weather conditions, parking regulations, and most importantly the call time for individuals and departments.Â

Cheat

When an actor is asked to cheat, they're being guided to position themselves in an unnatural way, but one that looks good on camera.Â

Chiaroscuro

Literally â€œbright-darkâ€ in Italian, chiaroscuro is the use of heightened shadows to accent and contrast with lighter subjects. Originating in Italian Renaissance painting, chiaroscuro is used in film to enhance the dramatic tone of a shot, adding a sense of mystery, tension, or volume.

ClapperboardÂ

A hinged film-stick attached to a board and bearing key information about each shot, such as the title of the film, director, DOP, the date and time of shooting, scene and take number. The film-stick is â€œclappedâ€ onto the body of the board, normally by the 2nd AC, giving the film editors simultaneous visual and audio information to help them synchronize picture and sound in post-production.

CoverageÂ

Coverage is the collection of shots taken in addition to the master shot which will allow the editing team to assemble a smooth, coherent story from a collection of disparate segments of footage. Coverage typically requires different angles and shot sizes, such as two- and three-shots, close-ups, reverse shots, Point of View (POV) shots, and Over the Shoulder (OTS) shots. With good coverage, an editor can disguise continuity issues and build pace and rhythm in a cut sequence.Â

Cutaway shot

A cutaway is a brief shot which â€œcuts awayâ€ from, and isn't immediately linked to, the rest of the action. Often this is a close-up or detail shot, filmed by the second camera unit. With corporate video production cutaways are interchangeable with b-roll, being shots that support or illustrate the content covered in an interview.Â

Cyclorama

A cyclorama, or â€œcyc,â€ is a curved, often white, wall that merges with a soundstage floor, rather than standing at a right angle to it. The curves make the background seamless and smooth without rendering it flat, creating the impression of an endless and indefinable space in which the subject takes center stage. These are frequently used in commercial and corporate video productions, as well as stills photography.

Day-for-night shot

Filming during the day while making sunlight look like moonlight. In the days of black-and-white film, lighting wasn't as powerful as it is now, making outdoor night scenes difficult, if not impossible, to capture. A day-for-night shot is typically produced by underexposing a shot in sunlight, or by darkening a shot in the editing stage.

Deep-focus shotÂ

Using a large depth of field to bring every object in a shot into sharp focus. In a deep-focus shot, every detail and figure can be seen clearly, an effect referred to as â€œdeep stagingâ€ or â€œdeep spaceâ€ by directors. It can display important action or objects in a single scene all at once.

Depth of fieldÂ

The distance between the nearest and farthest objects in focus in a shot. With a shallow depth of field, only a small segment of the potential focal plane is in focus. With deep depth of field nearly everything in the frame will be in focus.Â

Diffusion

Sometimes, the lighting in a shot is powerful enough but too harsh for taste. For softer lighting, technicians will position paper or fabric screens between light and subject to diffuse it (i.e. to break it up).Â

Dirtying the frameÂ

Dirtying the frame is a way to frame your subject, add a sense of depth, and enliven otherwise uninteresting shots by placing objects in the foreground, partially obscuring the image in the process. The â€œdirtâ€ should be kept out of focus to avoid distracting the viewer. For example, a frame depicting a scene in a park might be dirtied with foliage at the edge of the shot.

Dolly shot

Any shot captured with a camera mounted on a wheeled cart called a dolly. Dollies are typically mounted on track and can move forward, backward, or laterally, allowing the camera operator to move toward or away from a subject, as well as alongside them. It's also possible to film a 360Â° dolly shot with curved tracks. While a dolly typically sits on track, on smooth surfaces a dolly can capture effective shots by rolling directly on the floor.

Dutch tilt

Also known as a â€œDutch angleâ€ this refers to tilting the camera to one side to add drama or emotion, such as menace or excitement, to a shot. The Dutch tilt became extremely popular in European films of the silent and early sound eras, particularly mysteries and horror films.

Establishing shotÂ

Typically this is the widest shot in a sequence, used to set the scene, establish the setting, and show the characters' positions relative to each other. The Establishing Shot is sometimes referred to as the Master Shot. Once the establisher has been filmed, the unit moves on to film two-shots and singles.Â Â

Eyeline

The direction an actor looks in. On screen this might be towards the person they are talking to, while in reality there may not actually be anyone there, so an eyeline needs to be created. On a drama set, cast and crew members try to stay out of an actor's eyeline to minimise distraction. In corporate video production and documentaries, the eyeline typically relates to an interview.Â

Filter

Coloured glass filters are mounted in front of the lens to change the warmth, colour or exposure of a shot.Â

First Assistant Director (1st AD)

Second-in-command to the director, tasked with Health & Safety, maintaining the schedule, and communicating with and coordinating the crew. The 1st AD may also be charged with breaking the script into storyboarded sections, estimating how long scenes will take to shoot, and maintaining on-set discipline.

First positionsÂ

Marks used to let actors and background talent know from where to start their action at the beginning of a shot. If more than one take is needed, the 1st AD will ask the performers to return to first positions.

Fish-eye lens

A lens with a short focal length yielding a wide, distorted image, with the center of the picture appearing to bulge out towards the viewer. Named after the way in which fish supposedly see the world, it can be used to emphasise scale, the strangeness of a setting or situation, or to evoke a nostalgic feeling for the 1990s, when it peaked in usage. A particular favourite of pop promo directors.Â

Fourth wall

The imaginary boundary between the action on film and the audience, forming an invisible â€œfourth wall.â€ When an actor speaks to or interacts directly with the audience, they're said to have â€œbroken the fourth wall.â€

Frame rate

The rate at which a sequence of images appear on screen, typically 24 frames per second (fps) for film, 30 fps for digital television, and 25 fps for PAL analog broadcasting. Capturing a higher frame rate than the subject is projecting will result in slow motion footage, while the inverse will result in fast motion. An example of this effect can be seen in early silent films, which were shot at 18fps. When projected at the modern standard of 24 fps, the action seems hectic and hyperactive.

F-stop

Inside of a lens is an adjustable opening called an aperture. It can be narrowed or widened as needed to regulate the amount of light let into the camera. That width is denoted by its f-stop, or f-number. Larger f-stops, like f/16, will admit more light and result in a larger depth of field, whereas a smaller f-number like f/4 will produce the opposite effect.

Full-frame camera

A camera equipped with a full-frame sensor, about the same size as traditional 35mm film. The larger frame size allows the camera to capture more of the image in frame. Full-frame cameras are better at creating shallow depth of field and focusing on the subject.Â

GafferÂ

The head lighting technician and electrician. Gaffers are responsible for maintaining, deploying, and adjusting all of the lighting on set, and may be called upon to design the lighting plan. They work closely with the Director of Photography (DoP), supervise the sparks, or lighting technicians, and are assisted by the Best Boy, the second-ranked electrician. In corporate video production Gaffers are typically used on medium to large-sized shoots, otherwise the Lighting Cameraman/ DoP will manage lighting requirements.

Gate

A metal frame inside a camera which fulfills two functions: holding the film in place, and allowing light to penetrate to produce an exposure. Over time, the gate's metal edges can shave off little slivers of film resembling hairs that can distort the shot. The focus puller checks for these after each take and if he sees them calls out â€œHair in the gate!â€,Â before cleaning it with orangewood sticks and canned air.Â

GripÂ Â

Grips are technicians on a film set entrusted with managing and operating camera support equipment. Perhaps most notably, it's the grips who lay track for and move the dollies. There are dolly grips, construction grips who build sets, and just plain grips, who work under the direction of the key grip, similar in stature to a gaffer.

HoneywagonÂ

Arguably the least fragrant but most important element of a film set, a honeywagon is a truck or trailer equipped with portable toilets for use by cast and crew. The name, presumably, refers to the consistency and appearance of its eventual contents. Ewwww!

Jump cut

A cut is any transition from one shot to another, Â so named for the cutting of physical film once needed to achieve the effect. A jump cut is one which abruptly shifts the action in a single scene, visually implying the passage of time.Â

Key light

The key light is the primary source of light in a given scene, which all other lights will support. This could be a powerful electric light, or it could be the sun, a reflector board, or any other source of light. Different levels of lighting are described as low-, medium-, or high-key. The key light is usually placed in front of a subject at an angle, but it may also be positioned behind or to the side for a heightened dramatic effect.

Lavalier microphoneÂ

Also known as a lapel mic or personal mic, this tiny microphone can be clipped to lapels or other parts of a costume, allowing the sound crew to record crisp audio of an on-screen subject without the use of a boom mic. These are typically worn openly by reporters on news and sports programmes; in corporate video, drama and film, they tend to be concealed under the speaker's clothing, attached with a sticky pad.

Locked-off shotÂ

When a camera is fixed in place on a tightened tripod, the resulting image is said to be locked-off. Wider shots tend to be locked-off as the action can be contained within the frame without adjustment, which is why a locked-off wide shot can even be left to run without an operator.Â

Lunch penalty

Lunch is typically the midday meal, although on a film set it's eaten whenever the shooting day is halfway finished. The timing and length of the meal is set according to industry regulations, and when this period is delayed or shortened, the crew is entitled to a lunch penalty, monetary compensation for overtime.

Magic hourÂ

Also called the â€œgolden hour,â€ magic hour is the period just after dawn or just before sunset, when sunlight is softly and evenly diffused over an entire landscape. Shots captured during the magic hour can bear vibrant reds, oranges, and pinks, but since the length of each â€œhourâ€ varies based on time of year and location, the rush to capture as many as possible is often hectic.Â

Mirrorless camera

Most manual cameras incorporated a component called a reflex mirror, which reflected light - and thus the image - from the lens through to the eyepiece. With the transition away from film in recent decades, digital mirrorless cameras have become common, which consist of a single lens and a digital display.

Non-speaking role (extra, cameo, walk-on, bit part)Â

There are numerous types of non-speaking roles in film and video production.Â

Extras, also known as â€œatmosphereâ€ or â€œbackground actors,â€ are those who fill out crowds or real-world settings, acting as everything from pedestrians to construction workers to servants.Â Â
A cameo, on the other hand, refers to a well-known actor or other figure making a brief appearance in a film as a nod to knowledgeable viewers.Â
A slightly more expanded version of a cameo is a walk-on, which can be performed by an established actor or by an extra and is often very short. A speaking walk-on is known as a bit part, and typically comes with no more than five lines.

Over-exposedÂ

Exposure is the process by which film or a digital light sensor is 'exposed' to light to record images. Naturally, there is such a thing as too much: over-exposed footage is excessively bright and low on details. To avoid it, the camera operator must adjust the camera's aperture, shutter speed, and ISO (brightness) settings.Â

Over-the-shoulder shotÂ

An over-the-shoulder (OTS) shot is a camera angle in which the camera is situated behind and above an actor's shoulder, allowing the audience to get a sense of what they are looking at. For on-screen conversations, the close-up shots of one performer might be recorded with a bit of the shoulder of the person they are speaking to in the frame. This might also be called a 'dirty single.'

Pan

When a camera swings right or left, taking in more of a scene to either side or following the movement of a contributor, it's panning. This is often confused with tilting, in which the camera moves along the Y-axis - up and down. The in-house joke at video marketing agencies, probably unfairly, is that clients refer to all shots as pans.Â

ParallaxÂ

An effect in which background images seem to move more slowly than foreground images in order to create the illusion of three-dimensional depth.

Pick-up

A shot that is recorded after principal filming, typically after the director and editor have reviewed a sequence in post-production. It might be a previously unnoticed technical error, an issue with an eyeline or a lack of continuity that requires a reshoot of a shot or shots. This is why during filming notes are made on lens selection and lighting set-ups and costumes are photographed, making it easier to replicate a scene months later. It then falls to the editor to seamlessly blend in the pick-up shot with the primary recording.

Plate

â€œPlateâ€ is shorthand for the backdrop used in compositing techniques like rear projection, chroma-keying, or matte paintings. After first shooting the plate, the foreground action can be filmed and the two composited into a single combined shot.

POV shotÂ

A point-of-view, or POV, shot shows a character's perspective. The effect allows the audience to see the action through the eyes of that character and is often combined with reaction shots of the character in question. Classic examples include Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, as well as more modern examples like the television hit Peep Show.

Push-inÂ

Also known as a slow zoom, a push-in shot involves tightening the frame, either through zooming in or dollying the camera closer to the subject. This can build tension or drama or add emphasis to important or serious moments.

Rack focus

To rack, or pull, focus is the technique of changing the focus of the lens during a continuous shot. Typically the focus puller aims for a smooth, almost imperceptible, shift through focal planes. A sudden rack of focus between two focal planes brings dramatic attention to a person or object, such as a gun on a table in the foreground.Â

Reverse angle shotÂ

A shot taken from about 180Â°, or directly opposite, to the previous shot. In effect, it refers to a shot that shows the scene from the opposite angle to the one already shot.Â

Rigger

Stunt coordinators, grips, or other technicians who build movie equipment like booms, hoists, and wire-flying systems are called riggers. Frequently found on the sets of action films, their title descends from the ship's rigging used to create early theatrical physical effects.

RushesÂ

Also known as dailies, rushes are the unedited, raw visual and sound footage from the day's filming. Their name derives from the speed with which the exposed film stock was transferred and synced with sound so the director and key crew could review it the following day. As sound and footage are now usually recorded simultaneously in a digital format, the director might review the rushes on the same day they are shot, while the set and cast are still available for retakes.Â

Setup

The setup is the masterplan of every physical element on a movie set, covering everything from camera placement to the position of the lights. Setups can be single-camera or multiple-camera, and if well-placed, several shots can be captured without moving anything.

Shot list

To keep track of every desired shot, whether during a single day of filming for a marketing video or throughout the entire production of a documentary series, a producer or director will compile a shot list. Think of it as a plan of attack for getting a corporate video or feature film made, containing information such as camera angles, shot sizes, and lighting requirements.

SlateÂ

See 'Clapperboard'

Snack wagon

A truck, trailer, or van out of which tea, coffee, and snacks are sold on set. Typically these are smaller services offering light fare, unlike craft services, which involve more sizeable meals provided as a courtesy.

Spark

Without light, any video production or film set would come to a grinding halt. â€œSparks,â€ or lighting technicians, are on hand to make sure that doesn't happen, handling all lighting equipment and the associated electrical gear under the direction of the gaffer.

Stand-in

Before the cameras start rolling, while the star of the production is in makeup or having a break, the camera crew want to be ready to film at a moment's notice. So to prepare the set, they'll call upon a stand-in, a double for an actor who is of similar height and colouring. Directors of photography will use the stand-in to mimic the actor's pre-established blocking, ensuring that the star is properly lit upon arrival.

SteadicamÂ

A camera stabilising rig comprising a sturdy body harness with a camera mounted onto it. The rig mechanically isolates the camera from the movement of the operator, allowing for smooth shots, even when the operator moves over an irregular surface at speed. It's often used in drama for capturing dynamic moving shots, such as passing through crowds, while it's a staple at sporting events, allowing the camera operator close-up, steady shots of the action from the side-line.Â

Storyboard

A collection of photos or illustrations used to map out the desired shots and sequences in a film. Storyboard artists may be dedicated professionals, but since the point is to enable a director to visually plan the film, the images don't have to be fine art.

Talent

Anyone who appears on-screen is talent, from top-billed actors to extras. All others on set make up the film crew.

Talking headÂ

A television term for shots of a speaker's head and shoulders. Frequently seen on news programs when experts are interviewed for explanations of sports, natural disasters, or political events.

Three-shotÂ

A medium shot with three actors or contributors in the frame.Â

Ten plus one (10+1)

A Basic Working Day, lasting eleven hours, with two five-hour periods of work broken up by a one-hour lunch break. While the call time is usually set between 7 and 11 am, call times can be scheduled at any other time of day. However, a call time at 5 pm has to be compensated with overtime, with anything after 5 pm considered night work and paid at double rates, while call times after 11 am and before 5 pm are considered late calls. This applies more to feature film, television drama and commercial work than corporate video production.Â

Time-lapseÂ

By slowing down the frame rate (the frequency at which a subject is photographed), a camera operator can capture images spread out over a much longer time frame. When played back at a normal frame rate of 24 frames per second, the activity will progress much faster than in reality. For example, if the operator sets the camera to capture 1 frame every second, then 24 minutes of action would have been condensed to just 1 minute. Time-lapses are handy for quickly showing the viewer that a period of time has passed without saying it in dialogue or having to watch it in real-time.

Tracking shotÂ

While a tracking shot has come to include shots filmed on a Steadicam or gimbal, tracking vehicle or drone, traditionally it refers to those which are captured with a camera dolly mounted on a track. With a tracking shot the camera physically moves forward, backward or sideways through a scene. Tracking shots tend to run for longer than other shots, and often follow a moving object such as a person, animal or vehicle. The term tracking shot traditionally referred to a shot achieved with a camera dolly mounted on a dolly track, but modern filmmakers shoot tracking shots using stabilised gimbal mounts, Steadicam mounts, motorised vehicles, and even drones.

Two-shot

A camera shot with two figures in the frame. Characters can be side by side, or one can be in the background. If a character turns their back to the camera, the shot turns into an over-the-shoulder shot.

White balanceÂ

When the white balance on a camera is set correctly it takes into account the â€œcolour temperatureâ€ of the light in a scene. To do this a white card or other surface is placed in front of the lens and the camera's white balance function is activated. This tells the camera what white looks like in the specific lighting conditions, allowing it to also accurately record the true hues of other colours.

Wrap

Think â€œwrap it up.â€ At the end of a shooting day, the Assistant Director (AD) will call out â€œThat's a wrap!â€, letting the cast and crew know the last shot of the day is â€œin the can.â€ After the final wrap on the last day of photography, it's traditional to hold a wrap party to celebrate a job well done. Actors or producers may even give wrap gifts to the crew as a token of appreciation for their hard work. On feature films wrap gifts include crew jackets emblazoned with the film title. On corporate video productions, it's more likely to be a pint of ale. Â

Zolly ZoomÂ

Otherwise known as a â€œVertigo shotâ€ (after the film in which it first appeared), dolly zoom, zolly shot, or just zolly,Â this technique is among a cinematographer's best-loved tricks. As the camera is dollied towards or away from a subject, the zoom is adjusted in the opposite direction (e.g., dolly in, zoom out, and vice versa). The result is slightly unnerving, as the subject stays the same size even as the field of vision shrinks.Â NextShoot is a video marketing agency in London. We have more than a decade of experience in creating content for internationally known brands and organisations and a reputation as one of the best corporate video production companies in London.