Dictionary of Film – Video – Audio (A to C)

A

A/B Printing:

Printing from original film stock which has been conformed into two rolls with alternating shots and black opaque leader. This methodology will eliminate any potential splice marks from showing up on prints and permits the incorporation of optical effects and titles. (Film Editing)

A/B Rolls:

Two or more rolls of film having alternate scenes intercut with opaque leaders in such a way that the ‘A’ roll presents its picture at the same time that the ‘B’ roll presents opaque leader, and vice versa. (Film Editing)

Above the Line:

Refers to the creative elements of a production such as the writer, producer, director and actors. Literally, these are the elements which appeared above a bold line which divided standard production budget sheets. (Production)

AC:

Alternating Current. An electric current with periodically changing polarity (i.e. 60 times a second for 60Hz power). (Electricity)

Accent Light:

A light unit that emphasizes one subject. This might be a key light, a kicker, or a backlight. (Lighting)

Acetate Base:

The tranparent cellulose acetate plastic film which for years served as the backing for magnetic recording tape. (Sound Recording)

Acetone:

An organic liquid chemical used in the manufacture of some types of film cement. Also used to clean film splicing equipment. (Film Editing)

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)

ADC:

Analog-to-Digital Converter. An electronic device used at the input of digital audio equipment to convert analog electrical signals to digital values whose numbers represent the level and frequency information contained in the original analog signal. (Sound)

ADR:

Automatic Dialog Replacement. Also known as “looping.” A process of re-recording dialog in the studio in synchronization with the picture.

Address Track:

A control/timing track on the edge of videotape which contains control data for quick and accurate location of program material.

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).

Aliasing:

An undesirable distortion component that can arise in any digitally encoded information (sound or picture).

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)

Amplitude:

The strength of an electronic signal as measure by its waveform height. (Sound)

Amplitude Distortion:

The nonlinear relation of input and output induced harmonics which is a function of voltage fluctuations or power consumption. (Acoustics)

Analog:

An electrical signal that continuously varies in strength as related to some form of input.

Analog Recording:

A means of recording audio or video whereby the recorded signal is a physical representation of the waveform of the original signal.

Anamorphic:

An optical system having different magnifications in the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the image.

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).

Answer Print:

The first print combining picture and sound which is submitted by the laboratory for the customer’s approval. (Laboratory)

Anti-Aliasing:

Filtering of erroneous frequencies that are created during the analog to digital conversion process. (Sound/Picture)

Aperture:

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

Apple Box:

A box build of a strong wood or plywood which is capable of supporting weight. These may be of various sizes, the smallest of which is also known as a ‘pancake’ because it is nearly flat. (Lighting/Grip)

Arc:

A lighting unit that generates illumination from an electrical arc between two carbon electrodes. (Lighting)

Aspect Ratio:

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

Asperity Noise:

(Hiss) Noise that is caused by minute imperfections in the surface of a recording medium (tape). (Sound)

ASA:

The exposure index or speed rating of a film which denotes the film’s sensitivity.

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:

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)

Attenuate:

To reduce a signal’s strength.

Audible Spectrum:

When wave motion in the atmosphere has a frequency that lies between 20 and 15,000 Hz it produces a sound which is apparent to the average human. (Acoustics)

Automatic Slating:

A camera attachment which records the film shot and take numbers and a visible sync mark which corresponds to a tone fed to an audio recorder.

A-Wind:

An indication of the emulsion position on a roll of film. An ‘A’ wind is a roll with the emulsion facing the center of the roll. (Film Editing)

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B

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)

Balanced:

An audio circuit with 3 wires, two which carry signal, and a third which is contected to a ground (grounded). (Sound)

Balance Stripe:

On magnetic-striped film, a narrow band of magnetic coating applied to the edge opposite the magnetic sound track which serves to make the film lie flat when it goes over magnetic sound heads.

Bar Sheets – Lead Sheets:

A chart showing words of dialogue which have been recorded, and the number of motion picture frames of duration for each syllable.

Barndoors:

Folding doors which are mounted on to the front of a light unit in order to control illumination. (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)

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)

Beat:

A periodic variation of amplitude resulting from the addition of two slightly different frequencies. (Sound)

Beaver Board:

A 2K pigeon on an apple box. (Lighting/Grip)

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)

Beefy Baby:

A heavy duty 2K stand without wheels. (Lighting/Grip)

Beep:

A short duration sound track tone aligned to a point on the film for precise reference in synchronization in the editing and printing processes.

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)

Best Boy:

The assistant chief lighting technician or the assistant to the key grip. (Grip/Lighting)

Bin:

A reference to a storage container lined with a cloth bag, into which cut film or sound stock may be arranged and hung. In digital audio and video terms, this can be related to a film and/or directory from which stored shots or sound segments are selected for use.

Bit:

A minor acting role in which an actor may only speak a few lines.

Black Leader:

Opaque film leader used in conforming original film for A and B roll printing. (Film Editing)

Black Wrap:

Black Aluminum foil which is used for wrapping lights, to control light spill, and for making small flags. (Grip/Lighting)

Blip Tone:

A sync pop. This is usually done by placing a piece of ‘toned’ tape on a particular frame of film to establish a ‘synch’ point. (Film Editing)

Blocking:

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

Blonde:

An open face 2K lighting unit, also known as a ‘mighty’. (Lighting)

Bloop:

The sound produced in an energized amplifier and speaker system when a film splice passes the photo cell to which the amplifier is connected.

Blooping:

Any method of silencing unwanted noise produced by the passage of a splice through a sound reproducer. Traditionally, a small opaque tape is fixed over a splice. (Post Production)

Blooping Tape:

Tape used to cover unwanted portions of sound tracks.

Blow-Up:

A film enlargement from a smaller gauge of film to a larger gauge (i.e. 16mm to 35mm).

Bobbinet:

Black mesh cloth which is used for grip scrims. It also is available in rolls for darkening windows. (Grip/Lighting)

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)

Box Rental:

A fee or allowance paid to a crewmember for providing his/her own equipment or other specialized apparatus for use in a production. (Production)

Branch Holder:

A pipe-like unit with a locking nut which is used to hold branches, wooden poles, or other items. (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)

Broad:

A rectangular open-faced light which is used for general fill or for cyc illumination. (Lighting)

Brute:

A brute arc light, usually 225 amps DC powered.

Bulk Eraser:

A device which magnetically aligns all of the iron oxide molecules on a magnetic tape or film, thus eliminating any ‘sound’ on them.

Burn-in Time Code:

A videotape in which a “window” displaying the time code count on the tape is superimposed over part of lhe picture.

Bus:

A mixing network that combines the output of two or more channels. (Electronics)

Butt Splice:

A film splice in which the film ends come together without overlapping. (Film Editing)

Butt-Weld Splice:

A film splice made by joining the two pieces of film, without an overlapping portion, usually by applying both heat and pressure. (Film Editing)

Butterfly (Butterfly Kit):

Assorted nets, silks, solids, and grifflons which are used for light control; usually 5′ x 5′, or 6′ x 6′ frame size. Commonly a 12′ x 12′ or 20′ x 20′ is called a butterfly kit, however, it they should be called an overhead kit. (Grip)

Butthead:

A producer who thinks he knows more about a film technicians job than the tech himself knows. (Film) Someone who changes lanes without looking. (General)

B-Wind:

An indication of the emulsion position on a roll of film. A ‘B’ Wind indicates that the emulsion is facing out, or away, from the center or core of the film roll. (Film Editing)

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C

C-47:

Ordinary wooden clothespins which are used to secure gels to barndoors. They are also known as a #1 wood clamp. (Grip/Lighting)

C Stand:

A general purpose grip stand. (Grip/Lighting)

California Scrim Set:

A scrim set with two doubles. (Lighting/Grip)

Call Sheet:

A form which refers to all of the scenes to be filmed and all of the personnel and equipment required for shooting on a particular day. (Production)

Camera Angle:

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.

Camera Wedges:

Small wooden wedges, usually 4 inches long by 1/2 wide at the thickest end. (Camera)

Cam-Lok:

A feeder cable connector which is similar to a Tweco, but with a more positive locking mechanism which is easier to disconnect. (Grip/Lighting)

Candela:

A unit of light intensity, a standard candle. (Lighting)

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)

Capacitance:

An electrical component’s ability to store electrical charges. (Post Production)

CC Filters:

Color compensating filters made in precise density values of the primary and secondary colors. (Cinematography)

Clipping:

The phenomenon where an input signal exceeds the capability of electronic or digital equipment to reproduce the signal. This results in an audible distortion (analog) or an incomprehensible noise (digital). (Sound)

CD (Compact Disc):

A digitally encoded disc capable of containing more than one hour of music at a sampling frequency of 44.1 khz. The data is read by a laser beam. (Sound)

Celo:

A type of cookie which is made from wire mesh coated with plastic. (Grip/Lighting)

Center Track:

A standard position for the placement of the audio signal on magnetic film. The placement is in a narrow band centered between the two edges of the film. (Sound)

Century Stand (C-Stand):

A multipurpose grip stand. (Grip/Lighting)

Chain Vise Grip:

A vise grip with a chain that is used for its clamping capability. (Grip)

Changeover Cue:

A mark at the end of a release print reel to indicate the moment at which to switch over to the next reel on the second projector. (Film)

Checkerboard Cutting:

A technique of splicing A/B rolls in order to eliminate the image of the film splice from the duplicates or to allow for rapid readjustments of optical printer settings from shot to shot. (Film Editing)

Cinch Marks:

These are marks which may result if the center of a roll of film is rigidly held while the outside end is moved. (Film Editing)

Cinemascope:

A trade name for a system of anamorphic widescreen projection.(Cinematography)

Cinex Strip:

A short test print in which each frame has been printed at a different exposure level. (Film/Laboratory)

Click Track:

A prerecorded track of electronic metronomic clicks used to ensure proper timing of music to be recorded. Essential in music scoring sessions. (Music)

Coded Edge Numbers:

A system of marking films with a series of sequential numbers for the purpose of maintaining an established synchronous relationship. (Film Editing)

Combo Box:

A six pocket stage box that can be converted from three-phase four-wire to single phase three-wire operation. (Lighting)

Combo Stand:

A heavy duty 2K stand without wheels. It is called a combo because it can be used for both reflectors and lights. (Grip/Lighting)

Compander:

Refers to a device that compresses an input signal and expands the output signal in order to reduce noise. (Sound)

Completion Bond:

An insurance guarantee that principal photography on a given film will be completed. It indemnifies a production against the unforeseen costs of any type, whether or not they result from problems which are covered by other types of insurance.

Composite Print:

A motion picture print with both picture and sound on the same strip of film. (Laboratory)

Compression:

The reduction of a span of amplitudes done for the purpose of limiting the reproduction of those amplitudes. (Post Production)

Condenser Microphone:

The simplest type of microphone in which the capacitance (electrical charge) is varied by sound, causing movement in one plate (diaphragm) in relation to a fixed backplate. (Sound)

Contingency:

A designated amount of a budget which is added in anticipation of potential cost overruns.

Continuous Printing:

A method of printing in which both the original and the raw stock move continuously past the point of exposure. (Laboratory)

Control Track:

A recorded track used to adjust or manipulate a recording or playback device. Generally, these are used to maintain consistent playback speed of video and/or sound recorders consistent with the recorded speed. (Post Production)

Cookie:

A perforated material which is used to break up light or create a shadow pattern. Also known as a cucoloris. (Grip/Lighting)

Core:

A plastic cylinder on which film is wound for transport or storage.

Coupler:

A chemical incorporated into the emulsion of color film stocks which produces a dye image associated with the developed silver image.

Counter:

A device for measuring lengths of film by counting the number of frames.

Coverage:

An indeterminate number of more detailed shots which are intended to be intercut with a master shot or scene. (Production)

Cover Set:

A location which is kept in reserve to serve as an alternate shooting site in case the chosen shooting site is unusable. It is most commonly used in the context of shooting planned for an out of doors location. (Production)

CP Filters:

Color printing filters made in precise density values for the colors; yellow, cyan, and magenta. (Cinematography)

CRI:

Color Reversal Intermediate. This is a duplicate color negative which is made by the reversal process. (Laboratory)

Cribbing:

Short pieces of lumber which are used for various grip purposes. (Grip/Lighting)

Crossfade:

The gradual mix of sound sources accomplished by the simultaneous manipulation of two or more mix console faders. (Post Production)

Crossmodulation Tests:

Tests which are used to determine the correct negative and print densities for a variable area optical sound track. (Sound)

Crossover:

The frequency at which a signal is split in order to feed separate parts of a loudspeaker system. (Sound)

Crosstalk:

In stereo, this is the breakthrough between channels measured as separation (in decibels) between the wanted sounds of the desired channel and the unwanted sounds from the second channel. (Sound)

Cucoloris:

A perforate material used to break up light or create a shadow pattern. Also known as a cookie. (Grip/Lighting)

Cueing:

A term with a broad range of meanings depending on the particular context. For Voice-Over Narration or Dialogue Replacement: The marking of the cue point in a way which will permit a signal to be given to the ‘talent’ to begin each element of work at the appropriate time. In General: Any system used by a second person to signal ‘talent’ that recording should begin.

Cue Patch:

A piece of self adhesive magnetic or metallic material placed on the edge of film as a means of actuating a printer light change or an automatic stop on a projector. (Film Editing)

Cup Blocks:

Wooden blocks with a dish or indentation in the center which are used to keep the wheels of light stands from moving. (Grip/Lighting)

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.

Cyan:

A blue-green color which is the complementary color to red.

Cyc Lights:

Row lights for evenly illuminating a cyclorama or other background. (Lighting)

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)