Actor Placement
How you place the actors relative to other actors, props and the scenery objects in three dimensions within your shot that will be two-dimensional.
AD
Short for 'Assistant Director'. They may help out the director or direct the second unit additional shooting. There may be more than one AD on a movie.
ADR
Short for 'Automated Dialogue Replacement'. When a plane flies overhead or a bus goes by and drowns out the dialogue you need to replace the sound on a shot. An actor will carefully lip synch to the film footage. This new sound recording is then dubbed into the film. Sometimes another person's voice is dubbed on top actor's performance
Analog
Video format that includes VHS, VHS-C, Super-VHS and Hi-8.
Animatronics
Mechanical and sometimes electrical technology used to imitate movements. Might be real creatures or fantasy creatures such as robots, dragons, aliens etc.
Aperture
See 'Iris'.
Auteur Theory
Initially this was a French film-making theory that says that the director of a film is the equivalent of the author of a novel. An auteur director's work has a recognisably individual style and will often carry film-making techniques and themes from film to film.
Barndoors
Hinged metal plates on the sides of lights that are used to clip on coloured lighting gels and to stop light from flooding everywhere. Wear thick gloves when opening and closing them as they get very hot!
Blow Up
Optical enlargement of a film from one gauge to a larger gauge eg. 16mm up to 35mm.
Camera Angle
The angle of the camera on who/what is being shot. Low angle: The camera is low downand points upwards. High angle: The camera is higher up and points downwards.
Camera Stock
The actual film you use to shoot your movie on. It's called camera stock to distinguish it from 'print stock'.
CGI
Short for 'Computer Generated Imagery'. Effects created digitally are cheaper and more common than ever before. CGI in movies may be just a background, a simple effect or a digital character throughout the entire film.
Clapper / Clapstick
The slate or clapperboard that is struck at the start of a take. It will usually have information about the scene number and take so it can be found easily during editing. The noise is made to help sync up sound in editing.
Continuity
One minute the actress has a red scarf on, the next it's gone then it reappears. This is a continuity error. Continuity is ensuring that everything including props, make-up, clothes and hair remain the same through a scene no matter how many different takes are later edited together. Continuity is very important as often one scene is shot over several days and mistakes are usually spotted by the audience.
Crane Shot / Boom Shot
A shot where the camera as a whole is moved either up or down eg. a slow sweeping crane shot from high up over a crowd down to one person.
Crash Zoom
A zoom shot executed at great speed usually from a mid-shot or long shot to a close up. Example: Woman steps into room sees a decapitated head crash zoom from a mid-shot of her to her face screaming in horror. Tend to be a bit of a cliché but effective if used sparingly.
Cut
This is what a director shouts at the end of a take. A cut is also the simplest way to join two shots in editing - no dissolve or effect, just a simple cut and splice of two shots.
Cutaway
Usually a close-up shot that is spliced into the middle of a sequence to break it up eg. two people are talking , close-up of a phone as it rings, back to the two actors who hear the ringing phone.
Dailies
Raw unedited footage in a work print. Called 'dailies' as some labs will make the print later the same day it is dropped off. Dailies, also known as 'rushes' let the director, crew and producers see how the raw footage is looking.
Digital Video
See 'DV'.
Director's Cut
Often the final film that is first released is a compromise between the director's artistic vision of the film and the studio or producer's commercial vision. Movies may be cut shorter for a variety of reasons. A director's cut is usually a restored version of the film where additional scenes and shots are added which were originally cut from the first release version. Occasionally the director's cut removes elements of the film to try to recreate their original vision eg. in Bladerunner the director's cut has added scene of a unicorn but Ridley Scott also had the final scene and the voiceover removed.
Dissolve
A type of transition between two shots. The first shot fades away as another shot fades in. Film dissolves are done at the lab in the printing phase. Digital dissolves can be done on computers with most editing packages.
Dogme
Dogme 95 was a film-making manifesto that originated in Denmark. Two film-makers created a set of rules for making a 'dogma' film and many directors took up the challenge. The rules include:
- Filming must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in (if a particular prop is necessary for the story, a location must be chosen where this prop is to be found).
- The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. Music must not be used unless it occurs where the scene is being filmed.
- The camera must be hand-held. Any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted. The film must not take place where the camera is standing; filming must take place where the action takes place.
- The film must be in colour. Special lighting is not acceptable. If there is too little light for exposure the scene must be cut or a single lamp be attached to the camera.
- Optical work and filters are forbidden.
- The film must not contain superficial action Murders, weapons etc. must not occur.
- Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden. That is to say that the film takes place here and now.
- Genre movies are not acceptable.
- The final picture must be transferred to the Academy 35mm film, with an aspect ratio of 4:3, that is, not widescreen. Originally, the requirement was that the film had to be filmed on Academy 35mm film, but the rule was relaxed to allow low-budget productions.
- The director must not be credited.
Dolly Shot
Also known as a 'tracking shot'. The camera is placed on a 'dolly', a wheeled cart on tracks, and is moved while filming eg. side on view of an actress as she walks along a street.
Dubbing
Recording dialogue in a sound studio after all the footage is shot. The actors watch the film and lip-synch. Foreign films are often offered in subtitled or alternative dubbed versions where the original dialogue is replaced by a different language version.
DP
Short for 'Director of Photography'. The DP is behind the camera and actually directs the lighting of the shot while the director concentrates on getting the best performance from the actors.
DV
Short for 'Digital Video'. Video format that is increasingly replacing the older analog format. 'DV' covers many different formats including MiniDV, DVCAM and DVCPRO. Professional DV cameras are smaller and much more portable than typical Hollywood-style 35mm cameras and are slowly making inroads into feature film production.
DVCAM
Short for 'Digital Video Camera'.
DVD
Originally 'DVD' was short for 'Digital Versatile Disk' but now it tends to mean 'Digital Video Disk'. These are like CDs but are video rather than just audio. DVD recorders are now available so you can record onto DVD.
8mm
8mm is a narrow film gauge. Alternatively 8mm is a videotape format about the same resolution as VHS.
Edit
The cutting, arranging and splicing together of shots. Alternatively 'the edit' is a name given to the edited film itself during or after editing is completed.
Editing
Taking separate pieces of film and joining to creates scenes and eventually the entire finished film. The first version is called 'an assembly' then after further editing you have the 'first cut' and eventually after all the editing is finished and all cuts are agreed you end up with the 'final cut'. Editing isn't just a simple matter of cutting and splicing though. You are taking the raw footage deciding how to tell the story
Establishing Shot
A shot which shows where a scene takes place and/or where characters are in relation to each other at the beginning of a scene eg. we see Grand Central Station as Kevin Costner arrives in The Untouchables. Usually establishing shots are used to locate the action of the film in a setting but sometimes they are used at the end of a scene to reveal where the action has taken place.
Exterior
A scene that is set outdoor. This may mean a location shoot or the scene may be set up using scenery on a sound stage. In a film script you would find an exterior signified by the letters 'Ext' eg. for an 11pm scene in a garden you would write: Ext - the garden - night.
Fade
A type of transition. When the shot gradually becomes darker to black it is a 'fade out'. When the shot starts off black and then gradually becomes brighter it is a 'fade in'. Film fades are done at the lab in the printing phase. You might also fade in or out of white. Most digital editing programmes can replicate the same effect on a computer.
Firewire
A protocol for the storage and high speed transfer of data. Anything used to transfer digital video from a DVCAM to a computer tends to be referred to as Firewire so there are firewire cables and cards. Firewire allows you to connect your DVCAM to your computer so you can edit your digital footage.
Focus
The sharpness or fuzziness of an image. This ranges from 'sharp focus' with no fuzziness to 'soft focus' that is very blurry. This can be an 'in camera' effect or added to DV footage using a computer video-editing package.
Foley
Recording all the background sound in a shot eg. a woman walks along a gravel path, turns a key in a locka nd opens a creaky door. The footsteps, jingle of keys and creak of hinges can all be dubbed onto the film in post production.
FX
Short for 'effects'. Special Effects that are either created digitally or live action eg. the alien in Alien 3 was sometimes a computer-generated effect and sometimes an animatronic effect.
Hi8
Videotape format based on 8mm videotape but records a higher image quality.
Linear Editing
Editing footage onto a 'master tape' so that can only be played in the order it was recorded. Linear editing is now considered to be a lot slower than non-linear editing. To add a scene in early on you have to create a whole new master tape. See 'non-linear editing'.
Loop
Is like ADR. A 'loop' is dialogue that is re-recorded specifically when the original audio is badly recorded and needs replaced.
Media
Different 'media' include audio, video, film, and photographic images.
MiniDV
MiniDV tapes are 6.35 mm (0.25 inch) wide. MiniDV digital video cameras are an increasingly popular tool of short film and low budget film-makers. They are small, lightweight and are relatively affordable. They produce high quality picture results and the footage can be relatively easily transferred to a computer for editing.
MPEG
Short for 'Moving Picture Experts Group', which defines standards for data compression of moving pictures. An MPEG is a moving pictures clip file in the same way as a JPEG is a still image file.
Non-linear Editing
Popular method of editing videos on the computer. This allows the editor to move around pieces of video simply and quickly to create . Non-linear editing makes it easy to add in titles, graphics, effects, additional sounds, narration etc.
Pan
Pivoting a camera either to the left or right - pan left or pan right. The shot moves horizontally across the scene. Usually a slow pan with camera fixed on a tripod.
Prosthetics
Special make-up effects with foam latex, gelatine, rubber, plastic, or other materials. These are applied with Spirit Gum and using make-up the prosthetic is coloured to create a realistic effect on an actor's skin. Could be anything used to transform a real person's appearance: a realistic medical wound, torn skin revealing a metal android skeleton, a forehead appliance to create a humanoid alien, an aging effect to make a twenty-year-old look ninety, a bigger nose that helps an actress win an Oscar (!)
Spirit Gum
Special glue used as adhesive of choice by the effects and make up industry to attach prosthetic appliances to actors. Clear and very strong so that appliances will not fall off during a day's shoot. There are a spirit gum removers also available so you can quickly, safely and relatively painlessly remove the prosthetics.
Tilt
Pivoting a camera either up or down - tilt up or tilt down. The shot moves vertically through the scene. Usually a slow tilt with camera fixed on a tripod.
Tracking shot
Also known as a 'dolly shot'. Shot where the entire camera is moved from one position to another. This is not the same as a pan or tilt as the camera does not stay in the same position.
Examples:
- A 'track in' may involve the camera being moved towards an actor who stands still as he gradually fills the frame.
- A 'track out' might have the camera moved back away from a car window where a body lies slumped so we can see the hitman slowly step away from the scene of the crime.
- On a railway station a woman walks along the platform through a crowd and the camera keeps alongside her matching her pace.
- Two people sit having a conversation over dinner as the camera slowly circles them clockwise.
- These 'tracking shots' literally involve laying tracks in a straight line or a circle so the camera can be moved on a 'dolly' wheeled cart.
Wrap
When you finally reach the end of a day's shooting the director calls, 'That's a wrap.' It simply means: that's it for today, we're finished and we can all go home. It's also used to mean that something is completed, examples: we wrapped the movie - we completed all the shooting, we should be wrapped on the final cut by Tuesday - editing on the final version of the film should be completed by next Tuesday.
Zoom
Shot where you 'zoom in' from a mid-shot or long shot to a close up or 'zoom out' from close up to mid-shot or long shot. Examples: See close up of a pocket watch and slowly zoom out to reveal a gunslinger watching the seconds tick by. See a shut wooden door and slowly zoom in to the doorknob which begins to turn.