Dictionary of Film – Video – Audio (D to F)

Dailies:

The first positive prints made by the laboratory from the negative photographed on the previous day. It also now refers to video which is transferred from that original negative. (Laboratory)

Dance Floor:

A floor built of 3/4 inch plywood which is usually covered with masonite to provide a smooth surface for free-form dollying. (Grip)

DAT (Digital Audio Tape):

Two-channel digital audio has become increasingly common as a professional master reference and for use in field recording. (Sound)

DAW (Digital Audio Workstation):

A computer-based recording and editing machine used for manipulating sounds. (Sound)

Day Out of Days:

A form designating the workdays for various cast or crewmembers of a given production.

Deal Memo:

A form which lists the pertinent details of salary, guaranteed conditions, and other essentials of a work agreement negotiated between a member of the cast or crew and a production company.

Decoder:

The device which reads the enclosed signal or pulse and turns it into some form of usable information.

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)

Dead Sync:

An editorial term meaning that sound and picture elements are perfectly aligned. (Film Editing)

Degausser:

A device used to erase recordings on magnetic tapes and films or to demagnetize magnetic recording heads.

Density:

A factor which indicates the light-stopping power of a photographic image.

Depth of Field:

The amount of space within lens view which will maintain acceptable focus at given settings (i.e. camera speed, film speed, lens aperture). (Cinematography)

Developing:

The chemical process which converts a photographic exposure into a visible image. (Laboratory)

Deuce:

A 2K fresnel lighting unit. (Lighting)

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)

Differential Rewind:

A device designed to permit simultaneous winding of film on more than one reel at a time even though the diameters of the rolls are unequal. (Film Editing)

Digital:

A reference to a system whereby a continuously variable analog signal is reduced and encoded into discrete binary bits that establish a mathematical model of an original signal or other information.

Digital Recording:

A method of recording in which samples of the original analog signal are encoded on tape or disk as binary information for storage or processing. The signal can then be copied repeatedly with no degradation. (Sound)

Dimmer:

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)

Distortion:

A modification of the original signal appearing in the output of audio equipment which had not been present in the input. (Audio)

Directional Characteristic:

The variation in response or perception for different angles of sound incidence. (Acoustics)

Dolby Digital:

This is a 5.1 channel digital film format that if optically recorded on to a film release print in the blocks of space located between the film’s sprocket holes. (Sound)

Dolby SR:

Spectral Recording. An encoding/decoding noise reduction system developed by Dolby Laboratories and used increasingly in film sound.

Dolly Shot:

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

Doorway Dolly:

A plywood dolly with four soft tires which is narrow enough to fit through a doorway. It is used to carry a camera on a tripod or for transporting other heavy items. (Grip)

Dots:

Small nets and flags used to control light. (Grip/Lighting)

Double-System Sound:

Sound and picture on separate transports. This refers to the normal methodology of recording the picture on a camera while recording sound of a separate magnetic tape recorder. (Film)

Drift:

Flutter which occurs at random rates. (Acoustics)

Drop-In:

The process of inserting recorded audio by playing up to a chosen point and switching from playback to record mode. (Video/Audio)

Drop Frame:

American system of time code generation that adjusts the generated data every minute to compensate for the spread of the NTSC television system running at 29.97 frames per second.

Drop Out:

Loss of a portion of a signal, usually due to a loss of a tape’s oxide coating or due to dirt or grease covering a portion of a tape.

DTS:

This is a film sound system which utilizes a CD-ROM disc which is sychronized to film by means of timecode which is optically encoded into the exhibition film print. (Sound)

Dub:

To make a taped copy of any progam source record, CD, tape. Also, the copy itself. Sometimes used to refer to the ADR process. (Audio/Video)

Dub Stage:

Term generally used in California but to refer to the room where the final audio mix is made for a program or film. It might also be known as a mix stage.

Dubber:

A high quality sound reproducer which is mixed with outputs from other dubbers that are generally loaded with sprocketed magnetic film. (Post 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)

Dupe:

A copy of a negative. Short for duplicate negative.

Dutch Angle:

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

Duvetyne:

A heavy black cloth, treated with fire proofing material, which is used for blacking out windows, making teasers, hiding cables, and hundreds of other uses. (Grip)

Dynamic Distortion:

Alteration of volume range of a sound when it is transmitted. (Acoustics)

Dynamic Range:

The difference in decibels between the loudest and quietest portions of audio. (Sound)

Ear:

To put a flag up on the side of a lighting unit to block light. Better known as a ‘sider’. (Grip/Lighting)

EBU:

European Broadcast Union. This generally identifies a 25 FPS time code standard.

Echo:

A sound wave that has been reflected and returned with sufficient magnitude and delay to be perceived as a wave distinct from that which was initially transmitted.

Edge Numbers:

Coded numbers printed along the edged of a strip of film for identification purposes.

Edge track:

A standard position for the placement of the audio on a single perforation magnetic film.

Edison Plug:

An ordinary household plug with two flat blades and a ground pin. (Lighting)

Edit Decision List (EDL):

The list of SMPTE codes, in footage and frames, and including instructions for fades, dissolves and other special effects which corresponds to all the segments that the editor of a film or videotape production has decided to use in the final cut.

Edit Master:

Video industry term for the tape containing the finished (edited) program.

Edit Points:

Also known as “edit in” and “edit out.” The beginning and end points of an edit when a video program or soundtrack is being assembled.

Effective Output Level:

The microphone sensitivity rating defined as the ratio in dB of the power available relative to sound pressure. (Acoustics)

Emulsion:

The gelatine layer of photo-sensitive material in which the image is formed on film. (Film)

Envelope:

The shape of the graph as amplitude is plotted against time. A sound’s envelope includes its attack, decay, sustain and release (ADSR). (Sound)

Environmental Sound:

General low level sound coming from the action of a film, which can either synchronous or nonsynchronous.

Equalization:

The alteration of sound frequencies for a specific purpose, such as to remove ‘noise’ frequencies or to improve speech clarity.

Equivalent Noise:

A microphone in a completely silent room still generates some residual noise. This noise can be measured and can be computed. That computation is the ‘Equivalent Noise’. (Acoustics)

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)

Exciter Lamp:

An incandescent lamp used to supply nonvarying luminous energy to a photoresponsive cell. Used in film projectors to illuminate the optical sound track.

5.1 Channel Digital Sound:

The film digital sound exhibition standard which utilizes five output speaker channels (left, center, right, right surround, left surround, and subwoofer). (Sound)

Fade:

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

FAST:

The camera assistant’s motto. Everything he/she must do before each shot (Focus, Aperture, Shutter, Tach). (Camera)

FAY:

A 650 watt PAR light with daylight balance dichroic fliter. (Lighting)

Feather:

Moving a ‘flag’ closer to or further away from a light source that it is in front of will feather (soften/harden) the shadow on the surface upon which the light falls. (Grip/Lighting)

Feed Lines:

Lines of dialogue which are read outside camera range for the benefit of an ‘on camera’ or ‘on microphone’ actor or voice over artist.

Fill Leader:

Film leader used to fill in the blanks in picture workprint. (Film Editing)

Film Base:

The flexible, usually transparent support on which photographic emulsions and magnetic coatings are carried. (Film Editing)

Film Cement:

A common term for the welding solvent used in splicing film. (Film Editing)

Film Notcher:

A device used to punch out a small portion of the edge of a piece of film in order to permit electrical contacts on a printer to come together and thus activate light changes. (Film Editing)

Filter:

A transparent material having the ability to absorb certain wavelengths of light and transmit others.

Fingers:

Small flags used to control light. (Grip/Lighting)

Fixing:

The removal of unexposed silver halides from the film during processing.

Flat:

Usually an agreement to perform work or provide a service for a fixed fee or wage which will not be affected by overtime restrictions of unexpected costs. Also used in terms of sets and set construction elements which are generally used to create walls.

Flatbed:

A modern film or sound editing system where reels are laid horizontally on “plates” on a mechanized table with sound and picture heads.

Flicker:

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

Float:

Periodic vertical movement of the image which occurs as a result of mechanical faults in the camera, printer, or projector.

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.

Flutter:

The rapid period variation of frequency caused by unsteadiness of the film or tape drive. (Sound)

Flux:

An amount of light which is present as measured in lumens.

Foamcore:

Polystyrene which is sandwiched between paper. It is used to relectors, soft boxes, and other items because it is stable and easily cut. (Grip/Lighting)

Focus Pull:

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)

Fog Level:

The minimum density of the unexposed area of processed film.

Foley:

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

Format:

The size or aspect ratio of a motion picture frame.

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).