A

A.D.: Assistant Director—the person who helps the director in the making of a movie or television show.

ADR: Automatic Dialog Replacement (looping).

alts: Alternate takes.

audio layback: After the movie is mixed on the dub stage, the tracks are ‘applied’ to the film in an optical track (in film) or digitally married to the video master (CTM).

B

back nine: The last nine episodes of a TV show ordered for pick up by the network.

back twelve: The last twelve episodes of a TV show ordered for pick up by the network.

backplate: A still photograph used as the background for live action.

BGs: Stands for backgrounds which means either the ambient sound or the extras on a film set.

broadcast standards: See standards and practices.

B-roll: The modern day use of B-roll is with broadcast TV as supplemental footage inserted as a cutaway to help tell the story.

bumpers: A short piece of video shown on television shows during commercial breaks identifying the show and telling the audience that the show will return shortly.

burn-in: The process of adding live or still visuals to a blank screen (i.e. TV set, computer) after completion of the film.

C

calibrate: To determine, check or rectify the graduation of different equipment ensuring they are all lined up and giving the same readings.

call sheet: The daily call sheet is a filmmaking term for a sheet of paper issued to the cast and crew of a film production, created by an assistant director, informing them where and when they should report for a particular day of shooting. Call sheets also include other useful information such as contact information (i.e. phone numbers of crew members and other contacts), the schedule for the day, which scenes and script pages are being shot and the address of the shoot location. Additionally, call sheets may contain information about cast transportation arrangements, parking instructions and safety notes.

chase cassette: An output (copy) of the completed show that will be used by the online editor as a viewing reference.

cheat sheet: A list of necessary information.

checking blacks: Before digitizing footage, the levels of brightness are checked. One looks at the color bars, a standardized set of graduated vertical colors that are recorded to a precise standard onto a videotape.

cinema verité: The art or technique of filming a motion picture so as to convey candid realism.

cleaned the tracks: This is the process preparing tracks for onlining and mixing by removing jump cuts, add edits, extraneous sounds, etc.

clone: A copy of a digital tape, such as D1 or D2, to another digital tape. There is no loss of picture quality because the process is completely digital and the copy is identical to the original.

continuity: A list of all the scenes in a version of the film, with scene numbers and short scene descriptions.

cover sheets: A cover page with relevant information that explains what a document is about or explains briefly about the accompanying film material.

D

DAT: Digital Audio Tape. A very small cassette tape onto which two tracks of audio can be recorded. Because of the digital nature of the recording, tapes can be copied countless times without loss of quality.

default settings: These are settings inherently in the system to which the computer will return to as a standard setting.

Digital Intermediate (D.I.): After the negative is conformed and cut to match the picture edits, a digital copy called the D.I. is made. This allows the process of color correction, titling and VFX to be done in the digital world before the final print is struck.

drop frame time code: A time code in which certain numbers are periodically skipped (two frame numbers at every minute except the tenth) in order to make the numbers exactly match reel (clock) time. The actual picture frames are not dropped, only numbers are skipped.

duplicate: To make a copy of a shot or a sequence.

E

editor’s preferences: Settings that can be programmed into the computer and reflect the personal choices of the editor as to the way he would like to edit with regard to making shortcuts or other commands that ease his process of working.

event: In video or digital editing, it is a visual or sound change.

EDL: An edit decision list (EDL) is used in the post production process of film editing and video editing. The list contains an ordered list of reel and time code data representing where each video clip can be obtained in order to conform the final cut.

F

Flexfile: A computer file that contains all the relevant data concerning the dailies that is needed to import material into the computer.

format: To prepare a disc or hard drive for use, it needs to have certain directory information place on it. The process of doing this is called formatting or initializing format sheets.

FX: An abbreviation for effects, e.g. sound effects.

G

group clips: This form of syncing dailies is used when a scene is shot with several cameras following the same action. All the coverage is synced up and laid in on the timeline on different tracks at matching time codes. In this way, all the different camera shots can be played together in sync and this makes viewing of all action from all angles simultaneously possible.

J

jump cut: A cut where the out and in footage are both from the same take but there are frames missing from in between.

L

layback: See audio layback.

license: To attain the rights of use for any given materials, e.g. music, product placement, lyrics, etc.

lift: A scene or a series of cut picture and/or sound tracks that have been removed from an edited show. They are kept intact as lifts.

lined script: The shooting script of the film onto which the script supervisor has noted all of the setups shot and what lines of dialog each of the setups covered. The term is also used to denote the combination of the lined script and the script supervisor’s notes pages, usually facing the pertinent lined script pages and contain numbers, length of the action, selected takes, a description of each setup and notes given on set for each take.

locked: At the point in the editing of the film when the picture editing is completed, the cut is then ‘locked.’ As it is common that last minute changes are almost called for, the term ‘latched’ is often used implying that it is likely to be opened again for changes.

M

master: The original footage that is shot either on film, tape or digital. It

can also be the original edited master from which all copies are made.

matchback: A process for visual and audio replacement whereby higher resolution and better sound quality replaces the media with which the editor works.

mixdown: Several audio tracks can be combined and ‘mixed down’ to one track retaining the original settings on each track.

music and sound effects spotting: When the film is cut, the composer or music editor will come and view the show with the editor and/or the producer and decide where music should be added. Similarly the sound FX editor or supervisor will view the show and decide where FX should be added.

music codes: A time code (in digital) or code number (on film) that is applied to the dailies in addition to the already existing time code and key code. This music code enables the editor to find sync easily during a music sequence.

music tone: A musical tone is a steady periodic sound. It is characterized by its duration, pitch, intensity (or loudness) and timbre (or quality).

MX: Abbreviated form for music.

N

needle drop: A tune or piece of music that is already available on a CD and can be used as background music for a film.

non-drop frame time code: Time code in which each frame is given a continuous and successive time code number. As a result, the code does not exactly represent real time. The mismatch amounts to an 18 frame overrun every 10 minutes.

O

online: The process of editing the original master tapes into the final viewing tape at a high enough resolution to be broadcast quality. The final tape is called the final edited master.

output: The process of transferring a cut shot, scene, or an entire film from a non-linear editing machine to a videotape or DVD for viewing.

P

paper cut: Selected reality footage and bites written into script form which will be used to create a stringout.

pick-up shot: After a shot has been made on the set, the director wishes to re-do part of the take. This re-do is called a pick-up shot since the director ‘picks-up’ the filming part way into the previous setup. It is often designated with a ‘PU’ after the take number. A pick-up could also be shot done at a later date than at the time of principal photography. These are often done by second unit.

pilot and 12: The network green light order for the pilot plus 12 more episodes.

playback: A musical recording played back to the actors on the set to maintain the same musical performance or dancing sync from take to take.

playback days: The day on which the production will be shooting scenes that contain visual or audio playback, e.g. playing an edited stock footage montage on a TV set, or playing a pre-recorded song to which the actor lip syncs.

popping the tracks: The process of marking up the slates on a roll of dailies track. When this is done, you can sync them up with an already marked set of picture takes. Also called marking the tracks.

post-lap: In an ‘L-shaped’ cut (when the incoming audio is before or after the visual edit), this is when the audio continues after the picture edit.

pre-lap: This is when the incoming audio precedes the picture edit.

public domain: Being ‘free and clear’ or in the ‘public domain’ which means it is owned by the public and not by the original artist and there is no cost for using it.

Q

QuickTime: A program written by Apple Computer company giving Macs and PC computers the ability to compress, edit and play back movies (with picture and sound). Some of the non-linear editing systems are designed to use or create QuickTime movies.

R

record side: The interface on the editing system that allows you to record and save your cuts.

resolution: The amount of detail in a digital picture image. When there is more compression, there is less resolution.

run-outs: The 30 or more seconds of excess leader or fill put onto the ends of a show.

S

scratch track: A sound recording used as a temporary placeholder during the recording and editing process.

shooting schedules: Prepared by the production office, this schedule tells what scenes are going to be shot on which days, which actors will be required, the location and any other relevant information that needs to be shared concerning that day’s shoot.

slide the music: The ability on the timeline to move your music forwards or backwards to find exactly where you would like to place it.

soft-scripted: This means that certain events or conversations take place at the request of the producers who wish to increase the drama or provide clarity with the storyline of the show.

source side: The interface on the editing system that allows you to view your dailies and mark your selected clips for editing.

spot: A term used to view the final cut of a show and to determine where music or sound effects need to be added.

stand-alone show: A show that is part of a series that has no story points that relate to a past or a future episode. It is a self-contained episode.

standards and practices: The name given to the department at a television network which is responsible for the moral, ethical and legal implications of the program that airs. Also referred to as Broadcast Standards and Practices (or BD&P). This department is also responsible for the professional technical quality good enough for broadcast.

stock shots: Also called stock footage. Often a production is not able to shoot certain shots and so they obtain them from other sources like stock libraries that sell hard to obtain shots like a volcano erupting. They could be a collection of establishing shots that have been sourced from a production and used repeatedly on a show over a period of seasons. These are stock shots of their locations and are usually shot to establish a location and for multiple use.

strike: Vernacular for making a print of the film, i.e. ‘strike a print.’

stripe: Vernacular for applying sound to tape or film, i.e. ‘stripe it.’

stringout: Selected reality clips and interview bites which have been notated with all the relevant time codes and edited together on a timeline to be used as a guideline for the edit.

subclip: A portion of a selected shot that can be removed as a separate clip and stored and edited.

subtitle: Writing that appears at the bottom of the screen. This is often used to translate inaudible dialog or often on television, is used as an identification of a person.

T

tech support: A service usually provided by your equipment suppliers who will be available to help with any technical problems you are experiencing with their hardware.

techs: The people who are available to answer questions and help with technical problems.

telecine: A device that takes film image and converts it into a video or digital image. It normally uses the 3:2 pulldown process. It is sometimes referred to as a film scanner

Teletron: Large playback monitors often seen at sporting events for instant replays.

temp score: Music used during the editing process that is temporary and will be replaced by a composer’s score and licensed needle drops.

time code: Electronic code numbers, also called SMPTE Code, used on video tape and digital editing workstations for identification. It is also used to sync tapes to each other or to another machine. It comes in two forms, Drop Frame and Non-Drop Frame.

timeline: The display of the edited film and sound on an electronic editing machine.

timings: A measurement of a sequence or sequences in a cut show.

titles: Words that are shown on a screen with or without picture behind them. Titles could be credits, an identification line of type (Sunday morning. 9:30 a.m.), or translated lines of dialog such as subtitles.

trades: A term referring to any paper or journal dealing with film business news e.g. The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.

trim mode: A setting on the editing system that allows you to fix edits and adjust your shots trimming the head or tail by adding or subtracting frames.

TRT: Total running time.

U

user settings: These are personal preferences that can be saved on your machine.

V

VAM: The video assembled master which is the product of the video online to which sound is striped.

VFX or Vizfx: Abbreviation for visual effects.

voice-over: A recording of a voice only that is laid over a picture or a line of dialog used by an actor that does not appear on screen.

W

wild line: Sound recorded on set without accompanying picture. (A line of dialog that is recorded without picture and could replace a line that was shot with picture where the sound might not have been useable. It could also be an extra line that is recorded without picture that could be used as extra information in a scene.)