Acoustics:

The science of the transmission of sound waves. Generally refers to the characteristics of
auditoriums, theatres and studios with respect to their design.

Action Cutting:

The cutting of film from one shot to another in a way yielding the impression that action is
continuous and uninterrupted. (Film Editing)

Aerial Shot:

An extremely high angle view of a subject usually taken from a crane or a high stationary
camera position, but may also refer to a shot taken from an actual airplane or helicopter.
(Production).

Ambient Light:

General, nondirectional, room light. (Lighting)

Ambient noise:

The total sound in a given are which is peculiar to that space (room tone). (Post Production)

Angle of View:

This is the size of the field covered by a lens, measured in degrees. However, because of the
aperture masks in film, the angle of view for a given lens is generally described in terms of
the height and width of a lens. (Cinematography).

Aperture:

A variable opening inside a lens that regulates the amount of light reaching the image plane.
Also known as an iris. (Camera/Lighting)

Aspect Ratio:

The proportion of picture width to height (1.33:1, 1.66:1, 1.85:1 or 2.35:1).

Assemble:

The work of organizing and joining the shots of a film in the sequence in which they will
appear in the finished print. (Film Editing)

Associate Producer:

This is normally the person who acts as the liason between a production company and the
various personnel involved in the post production process.

Associational Editing:

1
The juxtaposition of shots in order to present contrast, comparisons or ideas. (Film Editing)

Asynchronous Sound:

Sound which is indigenous to the action but not precisely synchronized with the action.

Atmosphere:

Extras who are staged and photographed to portray normal human traffic needed to add detail
in various script situations. (Production)

Baby:

Usually a reference to a 1K light unit. It is also used to describe any light unit which is
smaller than a standard size unit of comparable intensity (i.e. baby 1K, baby 2K, baby 5K,
etc.). For grips, it refers to anything with a 5/8 inch stud (i.e. baby plate). (Grip/Lighting)

Baby Legs:

A short tripod. (Camera)

Baby Plate:

A steel plate with a baby pin (5/8 inch pin) welded on to it. These plates are used for
mounting lights or grip heads on a wall, box, or other surface. (Grip/Lighting)

Background:

This is a term with a broad range of meanings, depending upon the context. In production, it
has the same connotation as 'atmosphere', meaning extras who are staged to supply detail in
the form of normal human traffic in a scene. In sound, it can mean the same as 'ambience' or it
may refer to relative volume.

Backing Track:

Prerecorded accompaniment for a singer or voiceover actor who then listens through
headphones to a replay as he/she performs. Generally, the two signals are ultimately mixed to
produce the final recording. (Post Production)

Backlight:

A light which is generally mounted behind a subject to light the subject's hair and shoulders
without illuminating a subject's front. (Lighting)

Base-to-Base Splice:

A splice made with the base side of the end of one piece of film overlapping the base side of
the piece to which it is being attached. (Film Editing)

2
Bazooka:

Similar to a 2K stand, but without support legs. It has a junior hole at one end and a junior
stud at the other, and it usually has a sliding riser. (Grip/Lighting)

Bed:

Background music used underneath a narrator or foreground dialog. Primarily applied to

commercial radio or television spots.

Beef:

The output of a light. (Lighting)

Below the Line:

Refers to the technical elements of the production staff. Literally, these are the budget
elements that appeared below a bold line on a standard production budget form. (Production)

Blocking:

Plotting actor, camera and microphone placement and movement in a production or scene.
(Production)

Boom:

A telescoping arm for a camera or microphone which might be available in a variety of sizes
from the very small handheld types to the very large, which might be transported as an
integral part of a motor vehicle. (Production)

Bottom Chop:

A flag or cutter which is used to keep light off of the floor or the lower part of a scene.
(Grip/Lighting)

Breakdown:

The separation of a roll of camera original negative (or in some cases a workprint) into its
individual takes or scenes. (Film Editing) Also a very common term which refers to a
preproduction function where discrete elements of a script are isolated and noted.
(PreProduction)

Breast Line:

A guide line attached to anything being hauled up on a crane or by a pulley. (Grip/Lighting)

Camera Angle:

3
The view point chosen from which to photograph a subject. (Cinematography)

Camera Blocking:

The process of notating the changing position of the camera, lens size, and focus during a
particular scene. (Production)

Camera Log:

A record sheet giving details of the scenes or shots photographed on a particular roll of
negative.

Canted Frame:

Often described as a 'Dutch Angle' or 'Dutching'. This is a device or process whereby the
camera is angled so that the horizontal frame line is not parallel to the horizon. (Production)

Cutaway:

A single shot inserted into a sequence of shots that momentarily interrupts the flow of action,
usually introducing a pertinent detail. (Production/Editing)

Cutting:

The selection and assembly of the various shots or sequences for a reel of film.

Cyclorama:

Permanent background built in a studio which is nearly always coved or curved at the floor
line to create a shadowless, unending backdrop. (Grip/Lighting)
Deep Focus:

A style of cinematography and staging that uses relatively wide angle lenses and small lens
apertures by maintaining objects in the extreme background and foreground simultaneously
focused. (Cinematography)

Dead spot:

A place in which a sound waves are canceled by reflections arriving out of phase with the
wanted signal thus creating an area of silence or poor audibility. (Acoustics)
DGA:

Director's Guild of America. A union which represents directors, assistant directors,

production managers, and various video personnel.

Dialogue track:

A sound track which carries lip sync speech. (Sound)

Dimmer:

4
A device for varying power to the lights. (Lighting)
Dingle:

Branches which are placed in front of a light as a cookie would to cut the light and provide a
shadow pattern. (Grip/Lighting)

Dissolve:

A transition between two scenes where the first merges imperceptibly into the second.
(Film/Video)

Dolly Shot:

Any shot made from a moving dolly. These may also be called tracking or traveling shots.
(Production)

Dubbing:

An actor's voice synchronization with lip movements which are not the originally recorded
sound. This is used to replace unusable dialogue or recordings, and also used to prepare
foreign films for new markets. (Post Production)

Dutch Angle:

This is the process where a camera is angled so that the horizontal frame line is not parallel to
the horizon. (Production)

Establishing Shot:

Usually a long shot at the beginning of a scene which is intended to inform the audience about
a changed locale or time for the scene which follows. (Production)

Fade:

An optical effect in which the image of a scene is gradually replaced by a uniform dark area
or vice versa.

Flicker:

The alternation of light and dark which can be visually perceived.

Flood:

The widest beam spread on a lensed light. (Lighting)

Flop-over:

An optical effect in which the picture is shown reversed from left to right.
Focus Pull:

5
The refocusing of a lens during a shot to keep a moving subject in focus or to change the
person or object of attention. (Cinematography)

Foley:

Creating sound effects by watching picture and mimicking the action, often with props that do
not exactly match the action.

Frame:

The individual picture image on a strip of motion picture film. Also, one complete screen on
videotape.

Frame Rate:

The frequency at which film or video frames run (i.e. 24 fps; 29.97 Hz in NTSC; 25 Hz in
PAL European format).

Freeze Frame:

An optical printing effect in which a single frame image is repeated so as to appead stationary
when it is projected.

Frequency:

The number of times a signal vibrates each second as expressed in cycles per second (cps) or
Hertz (Hz). (Sound)

Frequency Discrimination:

Exaggeration or diminution of particular frequencies in relation to others. (Acoustics)

Gaffer:

The chief lighting technician for a production who is in charge of the electrical department.