|
Glossary |
A-B Roll two video sources played simultaneously, to be mixed or cut between.
AC/Alternating Current the electrical current found in conventional wall outlets.
Ad-lib the unrehearsed, spontaneous act of speaking, performing, or otherwise improvising on-camera activity without preparation.
Action the business of movement by actors or objects within a scene. A command given by the director for the actors to start.
Aerial Shot an extreme high angle view of the subject usually shot from a plane, helicopter or crane. Sometimes referred as "The God Shot."
Ambient Sound natural background audio representative of the surrounding environment, such as traffic noise, birds singing or a crowded marketplace.
Aperture the diaphragm found in the lens of a camera which allows light to enter. Usually measured in f-stops.
Aspect Ratio the proportional dimensions of the television screen currently 4 units wide and 3 units wide. High Definition Television (HDTV) is 16 units wide by 9 units high.
Auto-iris/Automatic iris part of the camera which varies the iris or aperture of the camera lens to adjust for brightness variations in a scene.
Available Light the amount of illumination normally present in a particular environment: natural light, artificial, or a combination.
Back Light a strong light is thrown on the back of a subject rimming them in a kind of halo that gives the appearance of relief to the picture. Sometimes referred to as Rembrandt lighting.
Blast Filter see Windscreen
Bleeding a video image imperfection characterized by the blurring of color borders; colors spill over defined boundaries, "run" into neighboring areas.
Blocking the arrangement and movement of the actors and props for the camera or the movement of the camera in a scene.
Book a twofold flat. A command to decrease the angle of an open twofold.
Boom a large arm on which a camera is mounted. see crane see also fishpole
Boom Shadow shadows created by a boom microphone
Bust Shot a single actor framed from their head to their chest.
Busy Picture a frame or shot that looks too cluttered.
Cameo Lighting a lighting technique in which the subject appears before a completely black background.
Camera the video system, converting reflected light to electronic signals.
Canted Frame see Dutch angles
Character Generator (CG) a device which electronically produces lettering and other graphic characters directly to the television screen.
Cheating shot for the cameras benefit the actor may have to move to a position not natural in real life such as looking at something other than the person they are talking to.
Choke Shot see Extreme Close-up.
Chinese Angle see Dutch angles
Chroma Key (CK) a colored background, usually green or blue, which is electronically replaced with another image. see also key
Clip a short piece of film or tape used as a brief program insert. Also to cut off abruptly the audio portion of a program.
Close-up (CU) a camera shot which shows the subject in great detail showing very little surrounding background. On a person it would show them from the top of the head to just below the shoulders.
Color Bars a standard television color test signal used in setting up and aligning video equipment.
Color Temperature expressed in degrees Kelvin, it represents the hue of visible light. Standard indoor studio lights emit about 3200ºK where as outdoor sunlight emits about 5600ºK.
Contrast the degree of difference between highlight and shadow of the object being photographed.
Cookie see Cucalorus
Countering camera movement that is in the opposite direction of a moving subject.
Cover Shot see Establishing Shot
Coverage the amount of close-ups or other angles the director shoots in addition to his master shot.
Crab a camera mount in which all wheels steer in the same direction along the floor.
Crabbing to move a wheeled camera mount along the floor.
Crane a camera mounted on a long arm also the vertical movement of the camera arm.
Cucalorus a metal cutout placed in front of a light which projects a special pattern onto a background.
Cut a director's instruction to the actor to stop the scene. Also to stop the camera. Instantaneous change from one shot to another.
Cut Away a new shot inserted into a scene that momentarily interrupts the general flow of action. The inserted shot may introduce a relevant detail or a new location related to the action.
Cut in a close-up, or any other camera angle which is inserted between the beginning and end of a scene.
Cyclorama (Cyc) a continuous piece of canvas fabric or wall which runs around the edges of a studio and is used to produce the illusion of infinite depth.
Dead equipment not turned on or not functioning, such as a dead mike
Definition see Resolution
Depth of Field an area in which all objects being photographed appear in focus depending on the distance, focal length and iris of the camera.
Diffuser see scrim
Diffusion Filter a special filter which prduces a fuzzy, foglike effect on the image photographed.
Digital Video Effects/(DVE) electronic analog-to-digital picture modification yielding specialty image patterns and maneuvers: tumbling, strobing, page turning, mosaic, posterization, solarization, etc.*
Dimmer a device that controls the intensity of a light.
Dissolve the gradual transition accomplished by overlapping a fade out of one image and a fade in of another.
Dolly a wheeled camera platform or crab. Also to move the camera pedestal closer or further from the subject.
Dub a copy of a videotape or audio tape made by recording the output of one machine on another.
Dutch Angles the angling of the camera so that the fame of the picture is not parallel to the horizon. Usually conveying disorder and mayhem.
Editing the selection and assembly of shots within a program.
Establishing Shot a long shot designed to inform the viewer of a change in location, orienting to the general mood or placement of the subjects.
Extras nonspeaking actors usually performing in the background.
Extreme Close-up (ECU) a camera shot showing an object in great detail or framing just the head and neck of an actor.
Extreme Long Shot (ELS) a very wide field of view in which the subject is very small in the frame.
Field of view the extent of a scene that is visible throught a particular lens.
Fill Light a weaker light used to balance the shadow side of a subject.
Final Cut the final polished and edited program.
Fishpole a long telescopic pole to which a microphone is attached and positioned over the talent.
Flag see gobo
Flat a piece of scenery used as a background. Also a picture lacking any difference between brightness and shadow.
Fluff see out take
Flash Pan see Swish pan
Focus when a object appears sharp and well defined.
Follow Focus controlling lens focus so that an image maintains sharpness and clarity despite camera and/or subject movement.
Follow Shot where the camera pans or zooms to follow a moving subject.
Freeze Frame single frame paused and displayed for an extended period during video playback; suspended motion perceived as still snapshot.
F-stop a numerical setting on a camera lens which indicates the size of the aperture opening. see aperture
Full Shot a camera shot showing the actor from head to foot.
Gaffer production crew technician responsible for placement and rigging of all lighting instruments.
Gaffer Tape a strong , all-purpose tape used for a variety of jobs around the studio and on location shooting.
Gel a colored plastic material mounted in front of a lighting instrument to produce colored light.
Generational Loss the degradation in picture and sound quality resulting from duplication of original master video recording. Copying a copy and all successive duplication compounds generational loss.
Grip a production crew stagehand responsible for handling equipment, props, and scenery before, during, and after production.
Gobo a black board used to keep light off walls or keep light from shining into the camera lens.
HDTV (high-definition television) a television system standard affording greater resolution for sharper pictures and wide-screen viewing via specially-designed TV equipment.
Hero Shot the best camera shot of the entire production.
Headroom a comfortable space left between the subject's head and the top of the frame.
High Hat a short legged tripod on which a camera in mounted and allowed to shoot low angle shots. A floor sled is a high hat with wheels attached.
Hot Spot an extremely bright concentration of light in one place relative to the surrounding illumination.
Iris see aperture
Jib see crane
Jump Cut when two images from the same scene are cut together where the frame depth or camera angle has not changed or has changed slightly.
Key a method of electronically inserting the image from one video source into the picture of an other video source.
Key Light the main, and usually the most intense, light to illuminate the subject.
Keystone picture distortion caused by a camera that is not at a perfect right angle to the surface of the object or graphic being photographed.
Lavilier/Lava small microphone designed to be worn by talent either clipped to a tie, lapel or blouse.
Lens a series of optical elements which collect and focus light.
Lens Filter a glass element placed in line with the lens to exclude certain types of visible light from entering the camera.
Lens Flare a fogged spot appearing on the image due to reflection of a strong light on the lens surface.
Level the signal strength, or volume, of a video or audio signal.
Limbo Lighting technique in which the subject appears before a completely black background.
Look Space camera composition which frames the subject in profile allowing more frame space in the direction of the actor's gaze.
Long Shot (LS) a camera composition in which the subject is small in the frame