Glossary

1394 See IEEE 1394, Firewire.

AAC (Advanced Audio Codec) An advanced version of MP3 also known as MPEG-2AAC.

AAF (Advanced Authoring Format) A file format standard developed by a group of manufacturers and users of editing systems.

“A” ROLL The primary roll of film or tape in editing; generally includes the master shots.

A/B ROLL An editing process that uses two separate rolls (cassettes or reels) of tape or film. Each roll contains alternate shots of the sequence, thus enabling the editor to use transitions other than straight cuts between shots.

A/D Analog-to-digital conversion. Also called digitization.

ABERRATIONS Disruptions of or imperfections in the light transmission of a lens.

ABOVE-THE-LINE COSTS Production costs relating to producer, director, writers, and stars. See Below-the-Line Costs.

AC-3 (Audio Coded #3) Also known as Dolby Digital; developed as one of several required audio formats for DVD-video and ATSC digital TV.

ACADEMY APERTURE The size of the frame mask in 35 mm cameras and projectors (1.85:1) as standardized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

ACADEMY LEADER A strip of film containing a sequence of numbers indicating the exact number of seconds remaining before the beginning of a film or videotape.

ACCEPTABLE FOCUS The adjustment of the lens so that the important objects are clear and sharp.

A. C. NIELSEN A marketing and research company that measures and compiles statistics (ratings) on television audiences.

ACQUISITION Gathering of material from the original source.

ACTUALITY Reporting of a news story on the actual location.

ADAPTATION A relatively faithful translation of a play or piece of literature into a film or television program.

ADDITIVE COLORS The colors used in mixing light and upon which both film and video signals are based: red, blue, and green.

ADI (Area of Dominant Influence) The region covered by ratings of the Arbitron ratings company of one major metropolitan area or area covered by stations covering the same market. Similar to DMA.

ADR (Automatic Dialogue Replacement) A process allowing actors to rerecord their lines as they view a playback of their performance.

ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Loop) A digital transmission technology that allows local telephone companies to deliver video services to homes and businesses over copper wires.

AERIAL IMAGE Refilming a projected film image. Other images may be combined using mirrors or single-frame film techniques.

AES/EBU (Audio Engineering Society/European Broadcasting Union) A digital audio standard adopted worldwide.

AESTHETICS The study and analysis of creative works.

AFFILIATE A broadcast station carrying a network’s programs, but not owned by that network. See Owned and Operated.

AFM (American Federation of Musicians) A union that represents professional musicians.

AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) The union that represents radio and television performers and, in some markets, directors and associate directors.

AGENT A person who represents a creative person in finding work, negotiating benefits, and guiding the client’s career.

AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) A standard file format for storing audio files.

AL JAZEERA An Arabic based news network, broadcasting in many mideastern languages and in English.

ALIASING A noticeable “jagging” of a computer-created image caused by a sampling rate that is too low.

ALLIGATOR CLIP A light-mounting device consisting of a spring-held clamp that somewhat resembles the jaws of an alligator.

AMBIENT The prevailing location environment; in audio, the background noise present at a location.

AMORTIZATION The depreciation of the value of equipment and facilities over time for tax purposes.

AMPLIFY To increase levels electronically.

AMPLITUDE The instantaneous value of a signal; the electronic equivalent of level or loudness in audio.

ANALOG An electronic signal that is constantly varying in some proportion to either sound, light, or a radio frequency.

ANAMORPHIC Optically squeezed wide-screen film images, which require special lenses for recording and projecting.

ANCHOR, NEWS A newscaster who reads the news in the studio; may or may not have written, covered, or reported the story.

ANCILLARY MARKETS Secondary sales possibilities for a program after it has completed its first run on a network and in the theaters. Also called back-end.

ANGLE OF ACCEPTANCE The angle at which a lens gathers light in front of the camera.

ANIMATION A process of creating the illusion that inanimate objects are moving.

ANIMATION STAND The mounting for the animation camera, lights, and table for shooting animation cels. Sometimes called a rostrum. See Cel Animation.

ANSWER PRINT The first color-corrected film print returned to the editor from the laboratory to make certain it was printed according to the directions provided.

ANTAGONIST The character in a drama that opposes the heroes.

APERTURE (Iris) The size of the camera lens opening, measured in f-stops.

APPLICATION A computer program designed to permit certain types of work to be accomplished.

ARBITRON A research and study company specializing in radio station ratings.

ARC Movement of the camera in a semicircular pattern.

ART DIRECTOR In film and video productions, the person who supervises the overall production design, including sets, props, costumes, settings, and even locations.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) (1) A computer program that mimics the human mind. (2) In computer games, a method of inserting text-based dialogue.

ASA (American Standards Association) The rating of a film’s ability to reproduce images based on the amount of light required. See Exposure Index (EI) and DIN (European Standard).

ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) One of three major music licensing organizations charged with collecting residual fees due composers and musicians.

ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) A universal digital standard for reading binary digits that can be read by almost all computer operating systems.

ASF (Active Streaming Format) Microsoft’s streaming format for Windows Media system.

ASPECT RATIO The mathematical ratio between the vertical and the horizontal measurements of a frame of video or film.

ASSEMBLE EDIT The sequential arranging of shots in a linear manner. May be accomplished on raw tape without previously recording a control track.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (AD) In film production, the person who helps the production manager break down the script during preproduction and helps the director keep the talent and crew happy during production.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR (AD) In video production, the person who relays the director’s commands from the control room to the studio floor, keeps accurate time, and assists the director as needed.

ASYMMETRICAL (1) In computers, a system that provides unequal send-and-receive signal speeds. (2) In graphics, a layout with different shapes and sizes on the center dividing line.

ASYNCHRONOUS (1) A sound that does not match its actual or presumed on-screen source. (2) In computers, signals running at different speeds.

ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) A high-speed, fixed-packet data standard that works with telephone systems, but not necessarily with LANs or WANs.

ATMOSPHERIC EFFECTS Environmental special effects such as fog, rain, snow.

ATR (audiotape recorder) A tape deck based on an analog linear system of recording audio on a plastic-based tape coated with a material that can be magnetized. Generally the tape transport is based on an open-reel system.

ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) An industry group that sets standards for digital television in the United States.

ATTENUATE To decrease or lower the levels of a signal or parts of a signal.

ATTRIBUTE, ATTRIBUTION To define, identify, or describe a characteristic or quality.

ATV (Advanced Television) In the United States, includes digital television and high-definition television.

AUDIENCE-SURVEY RESEARCH To collect information on audience preferences and analyze tends or possible audience reactions.

AUDIO (1) The sound portion of the videotape. (2) Frequencies within the normal hearing range of humans.

AUDIO CONSOLE An audio board through which sounds are channeled, amplified, and mixed during production or postproduction. See Mixer.

AUDIO CUE SHEET (Mixing Log) A listing of audio tracks and their relationship as a guide to the editor for making precise transitions and equalization.

AUDITION (1) An audio circuit designed to allow the operator to hear selected sounds without those sounds being recorded or going on the air. (2) A talent tryout session for directors and producers to watch and listen to prospective performers before casting them in a production.

AURAL Having to do with sound or audio.

AUTHORING In interactive writing, the creation of flowcharts or copy for the computer screen.

AUTOMATIC GAIN CONTROL (AGC) A circuit that maintains the audio or video level within a certain range. Prevents overdriving circuits, which causes distortion, but can increase signal-to-noise ratio.

AUTOMATIC LEVEL CONTROL (ALC) See Automatic Gain Control (AGC).

AVAILABLE LIGHT Illumination existing at a location; sometimes called ambient light.

AVI (Audio Video Interleaved) A file format similar to MPEG and Quicktime for Windows.

AXIS OF ACTION (also called 180-Degree Line) An imaginary line formed by the performer’s direction of movement or by drawing a line through major stationary objects. Screen directionality will be maintained as long as the cameras do not cross this line.

“B” ROLL A second roll of film or tape used in editing; usually includes cutaways and cut-ins.

BACKGROUND LIGHT Light used to illuminate the set or background without lighting subjects in front of the set.

BACKLIGHT Light placed behind the subject, opposite the camera; usually mounted fairly high and controlled with barn doors to prevent light from shining directly into the camera lens.

BACKTIME To calculate the start time of a prerecorded soundtrack so that it will end at a specified time.

BAFFLE A panel designed to absorb or reflect sound.

BALANCED MICROPHONE LINE A mic line that consists of two internal conductors surrounded by isolation and a wraparound ground mesh.

BALL JOINT The part of a tripod head that can be rotated to level the camera.

BANDWIDTH The amount or volume of information that can be transmitted though a communications link.

BARNDOOR Movable metal flaps attached to lighting fixtures to allow control over the area covered by the light from that lamp.

BARNEY A soft sound insulator placed over a film camera to kill camera noise during synchronous recording.

BARREL A cable adapter designed to connect two cables ending in similar plugs.

BARTER SYNDICATION A system of distributing programs in which the syndicator retains a certain number of commercial slots and markets them, keeping the income.

BASE The shiny side of a piece of film and some tapes. The physical support for either film emulsion or tape oxides.

BASE LIGHT LEVEL The maximum amount of light required to achieve a recording.

BASE MAKEUP Makeup that hides blemishes and creates a consistent overall facial color.

BASS The low-frequency end of the audio spectrum.

BAUD Number of symbols per second. A measure of data-transmission speed.

BED SOUND Lowering a background sound for simultaneous narration. Also called down and under.

BELOW-THE-LINE COSTS Those production costs of a cast and crew and their work, with the exception of the producers, director, writers, and stars. See Above-the-Line Costs.

BETACAM Half-inch professional videotape format developed by Sony specifically for use in camcorders; has replaced the ¾ U-matic as the predominant news-gathering video format.

BETACAM SP An improved Sony Betacam format. Uses metal tape but is downward-compatible with Betacam.

BETACAM SX Digital Betacam format.

BIAS A high-frequency current mixed into a recording circuit that acts as a carrier of the audio to ensure a linear response.

BI-DIRECTIONAL A microphone that picks up sound from the front and back but rejects most sound from the sides. The pickup pattern appears in the shape of a figure eight.

BINARY A number in base 2; an either/or comparison. Computer systems are binary systems.

BIT (Binary Digit) The smallest piece of information usable by a computer, either on or off.

BIT DEPTH A measurement of the number of tones per sample in an audio digitization process.

BLACK BURST A composite video signal including sync and color signals, but the video level is at black, or minimum.

BLACK LEVEL The normal level for pedestal or video black in a video signal. See Setup.

BLEED Space beyond the critical or essential area that may be seen on some television receivers but not on others.

BLIMP A hard-shell sound insulator placed over a film camera to deaden camera noise during synchronous sound recording.

BLOCKING Working out talent and camera positions during a rehearsal.

BLOG, BLOGGING Contraction of “web log,” a web site operated by an individual with regular entries of information, opinion, and philosophy. The act of making entries in a blog.

BLOOM The effect seen when a video signal exceeds the capabilities of the system; white areas bleed into darker areas.

BLOOP (1) An audible tone recorded simultaneously with a flash of light for the purpose of synchronizing images and sound during editing. (2) To remove specific sounds from a soundtrack.

BLOW UP Print a film on a larger format in an optical printer.

BLUE-RAY (Blue Laser Disc, BD) The next-generation of optical disc after DVD; offers at least five times greater capacity for HD recording.

BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) One of three major music-licensing organizations charged with collecting residual fees due composers and musicians.

BMP (Windows Bitmap) A visual red, green, blue (RGB) computer format developed by Microsoft.

BNC (Bayonet Neill-Concelman) A type of twist-lock video connector, now the most common for professional equipment.

BODY MIC A microphone concealed or hung directly on the body of the performer, sometimes called a lapel or lavaliere mic.

BOOM The movable arm from which a microphone or camera may be suspended to allow for movement to follow the action.

BOOMERS The generation of American born following World War II (1945) and early 1960s.

BOOST To raise or increase the level of a signal or portion of the signal.

BOX OFFICE RETURNS The amount of money paid to theaters for tickets purchased by moviegoers for specific films.

BRANCHING (1) In a drama, various paths a character may take in action. (2) In multimedia, various paths that a viewer may take by following links on a web page.

BREAKDOWN SHEETS A listing of facilities, material, equipment, and personnel needs for production at a specific setting called for in the script, which is filled out during script breakdown.

BRIGHTNESS The intensity of light.

BROAD A type of open-faced fill light, usually rectangular in shape.

BROADBAND CARRIER A high-capacity transmission system used to carry large blocks of information on one cable or carrier: coaxial cable, microwave, optical fiber.

BROADCASTING The sending of video and audio signals by attaching them to a carrier wave of electromagnetic energy that radiates in all directions.

BSS (Broadcast Satellite Services) International video satellites on “C” and “Ku” bands.

BUBBLE Leveling device mounted on a tripod pan head consisting of a tube containing a liquid with a bubble of air trapped inside. Centering the bubble on a circle or crosshair indicates that the pan head is level.

BUDGET An itemized list of actual or estimated production costs.

BUFFER A block of computer memory set aside for temporarily holding data.

BURN A condition caused by exposing camera tubes to excessive light levels. An image is retained on the face of the tube that is the negative of the original subject.

BURNER A device to convert digital signals to an optical laser disc, either DVD or CD.

BUS (1) A group of buttons on a video switcher devoted to different sources but sending the chosen signal to a predetermined output: preview, program, or special effects. (2) A wire that carries a series of signals to a common output.

BUZZWORDS In advertising, phrases or words that have strong appeal and that the audience recognizes.

BYTE Eight bits; the standard amount of information used to define a single character.

“C” FORMAT One of three one-inch helical videotape formats specified by the SMPTE. “C” had become the analog production standard for studios in the United States until the development of digital formats.

CABLE RELEASE A device that allows a film camera to be operated from a distance, often used for exposing single frames.

CAMCORDER A camera-recorder combination. Designed originally for news coverage, but now becoming popular for electronic field production (EFP) and other field productions.

CAMEO A lighting technique in which foreground subjects are lit in front of a completely black background.

CAMERA CHAIN A complete video camera unit consisting of a camera, a power supply, a sync generator, a camera control unit, and an encoder.

CAMERA CONTROL UNIT A series of circuits that provide the signals and controls for operating a video camera.

CAMERA REPORT A listing of individual camera shots either as they are made in the camera on location, or a listing of shots to be processed by the film laboratory.

CAPACITOR An electrical device that can store an electrical charge and alter the flow of electronic signals by changing the electrical current passing through it.

CAPSTAN The rotating shaft that presses against the videotape to keep the tape running at a constant speed.

CARBON ARC LIGHT An intense light of approximately daylight Kelvin temperature that is emitted by electrically burning carbon rods.

CARDIOID MIC A specialized unidirectional microphone with a heart-shaped pickup pattern.

CARTRIDGE A self-contained continuous loop of audiotape or film.

CASE The upper or lower style of letters. Uppercase letters are capital letters; lower-case letters are small letters.

CASSETTE A prepackaged container of either audio, videotape, or film containing a specific length of tape or film stock, a feed reel, and a take-up reel. U-matic, Betacam, VHS, DVC tape systems, and Super-8 film all use cassettes.

CASTING The process of auditioning and selecting performers for a production.

CATHARSIS An element in drama that functions as an emotional release for the audience.

CATHODE RAY TUBE (CRT) A television picture tube.

C-BAND The range of frequencies from 4 to 8 GHz used by many satellite companies.

CCD See Charge-Coupled Device.

C-CLAMP An attachment device shaped like a “C” that can be used to secure lighting instruments to the grid or to connect flats and other set pieces.

CD (Compact Disc) A five-inch digital laser disc, generally used for music recordings but also used for computer and video recording.

CD-I (Compact Disc-Interactive) A large-memory CD that can deliver 2 to 16 channels of video and/or audio and up to 16 hours of audio; designed to provide the programming for interactive systems.

CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read-Only Memory) A permanently recorded CD disc.

CED (Capacitive Electronic Disc) One type of video disc.

CEL Short for celluloid. The base material used to draw individual animation frames.

CEL ANIMATION The process of drawing and shooting as many as 24 cels per second. Each cel is a drawing on a clear acetate sheet. Cels showing foreground, midground, and background may be layered to give the impression of three dimensions.

CEMENT SPLICE A device with cutting blades and clamps for welding two pieces of film together with cement (often with a warming element).

CERAMIC LIGHT SOURCE A light source using a high-temperature ceramic composite and gas phase for selective emission. Provides 3200 K output at one-fourth the power consumption of a Halogen source.

CHANGING BAG A light-tight black cloth or plastic bag used to load or unload camera magazines with film wound on cores.

CHANNEL (1) A separate audio signal. (2) A separate broadcast signal.

CHARACTER A single letter, number, or symbol used as a means of describing information in a graphic form.

CHARACTER GENERATOR (CG) A computerized electronic typewriter designed to create titles or any other of numeric or alphanumeric graphics for use in video.

CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICE (CCD) (1) Light-sensitive silicon chips. Replaced camera tubes. (2) A solid-state element designed to convert light to electronics; replaced the pickup tubes in video cameras.

CHIAROSCURO LIGHTING Lighting accomplished with high-contrast areas and heavy shadows.

CHIP A semiconductor integrated circuit. Depending on design, can replace tubes, resistors, and other electronic components. This light-sensitive chip, which replaced the camera tube, was the most important development for electronic field production (EFP).

CHROMA The color portion of the video signal that includes both hue and saturation.

CHROMA KEY A method of combining two or more levels of pictures from more than one source. The process depends on the background behind the foreground subjects being a solid single color, usually green or blue. A specific type of effects generator ignores the blue or green background so that the foreground subject appears in front of the other signals.

CHROMATIC ABERRATION Visual distortion occurring when different color wavelength bands bend at different angles and intersect at different points behind the lens.

CHROMINANCE (Chroma) The color portion of the video signal.

CHRONOLOGY The timing sequence of events in a story.

CID (Compact Iodine Daylight) Lighting lamp using less wattage than Tungsten and providing near daylight color temperature light.

CINEMA VÉRITÉ Literally “cinema truth,” a style of documentary filmmaking in which the camera runs continuously while recording unstaged events.

CINEMATOGRAPHER The operator or supervisor of a motion picture camera; over the years, this term has also been used to refer to those who operate a video camera.

CINERAMA A widescreen film process (1939—1963) that used three cameras and three projectors placed side-by-side.

CLAMPS Locks placed on the end of a rewind spindle on a film-editing bench to hold the film reels tight on the spindle.

CLAPSTICK A hinged arm on a board used to make a highly visible and audible reference point at the beginning of a synchronous sound film that is to be shot and recorded.

CLEAR LEADER Film or tape that has no magnetic or emulsion coating and is thus completely transparent base material.

CLEARANCE The process of applying for and receiving permission to use a person’s talent, appearance, or property.

CLIMAX The decisive point in a drama, where the central conflict becomes so intense that it must be resolved; the central crisis in a drama.

CLIP (1) A single sequence of frames. (2) To cut or restrict.

CLOCK TIME (1) The actual time of day. (2) The reference code often used for SMPTE timecode recordings.

CLOSED SHOP Businesses or industries that require all employees to be members of a guild or a union.

CLOSED-CAPTION A form of teletext designed to permit the hearing impaired to read the dialogue and a description of the action of a program. The copy is keyed into a window at the bottom of the frame. A special decoder attached to or built into the receiver is necessary to be able to view the copy.

CLOSED-CIRCUIT A self-contained wired system, as opposed to a broadcast system.

CLOSE-UP (CU) Camera framing showing intimate detail; often a tight head shot.

CLOSURE Psychological perceptual activity that fills in gaps in the visual field.

CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) A solid-state chip that is light sensitive, used as a camera pickup chip.

COAXIAL CABLE A metal cable consisting of a single conductor surrounded by another conductor in the form of a tube designed to carry high frequencies without loss or distortion.

CODEC A combination encoder and decoder of electronic signals in one piece of equipment.

COERCION To cause someone to think or act in a certain manner.

COFDM (Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) A modulation system used in both digital television and DAB systems.

COLLABORATION To work together in a create endeavor.

COLLAGE To combine a variety of different individual items to create a single creative image: in graphics, film, audio.

COLOR BARS Electronically generated pattern of precisely specified colors for use in standardizing the operation of video equipment.

COLOR CONTRAST Visible differences between adjacent colors, in terms of hue and saturation.

COLOR CORRECTION During the postproduction phase of a visual project, adjusting the shades and tints of colors to compensate for an incorrect exposure or to create an effect.

COLOR HARMONY Colors that create a pleasing impression when used or presented together.

COLOR-REVERSAL INTERNEGATIVE (CRI) A color-reversal print of an original negative that produces another negative to be used to make many prints by saving the original negative from the wear and tear of multiple printing passes.

COLOR TEMPERATURE See Kelvin Temperature.

COLOR TIMING The art of setting the best color and density for the printing of each shot in a film.

COLOR WHEEL Color chips arranged in a dimensional circle to show the relationships between hue (chrominance), saturation, and luminance (brightness).

COMEDY A type of drama characterized by a less serious attitude toward life and an acceptance of its absurdities and incongruities.

COMET-TAILING A lingering afterimage of a bright light or reflecting object passing by the camera.

COMMENTATIVE SOUND Sound that has no visible source and that seems to comment on the visual action.

COMMERCIAL TIE-INS Using a retail product within a media production to promote and sell the product without appearing as a formal commercial. Also using a retail product to promote and sell and media production.

COMMERCIALS Paid brief messages that advertise products, companies, names, and services.

COMMON CARRIER The FCC’s classification of transmission systems open to public use for fees. The operators are not allowed to control the content of the messages. Telephone, telegraph, and some satellite systems are regulated as common carriers.

COMPATIBILITY (1) That two systems can operate together. (2) That a tape recorded in one format can be played back in another. (3) That two different types of signals, such as NTSC and ATV, can be viewed on the same system.

COMPLEMENTARY COLORS Colors that are opposite each other on a color wheel or that, when mixed together, result in gray.

COMPONENT A signal (often video) in which unique parts are divided and transported or recorded separately. A component video signal may have the luminance and synchronous signals separated.

COMPOSITE A signal (often video) that contains all of the necessary signals in one combined signal. A composite video signal contains both picture and synchronous signals.

COMPOSITE PRINT A single film containing both the picture and soundtrack.

COMPOSITE SIGNAL A complete video signal, including sync pulse.

COMPOSITING Combining different payers of visual images in a computer graphics or animation program.

COMPOSITION The arrangement of visual elements with the frame.

COMPOUND LENS A lens made of more than one piece of glass or plastic.

COMPRESSED VIDEO A video signal that has repetitive and redundant portions removed, leaving only changes that occur between frames. Allows high-frequency video signals to use less memory and bandwidth.

COMPUTER CHARACTER (CC) (P.4.32) A symbol of a computer individual or object created by an artificial intelligence scriptwriter.

COMPUTER GRAPHICS Pictorial images and illustrations created on a computer to be used in video and/or film productions.

COMPUTER-GENERATED IMAGERY (CGI) Images created entirely within a computer system.

CONCAVE The shape of a lens that bends light away from the center of the lens, causing the light rays to diverge from each other.

CONDENSER MIC A transducer that converts sound waves by a conductive principle. Requires a built-in amplifier and a power source. Also called electrostatic or capacitor.

CONFLICT A point of contention, disagreement, or competition in a story.

CONFORMING The final film-editing process of actually cutting the original negative into separate rolls and syncing it with the sound for delivery to the laboratory for printing.

CONTACT PRINTER A film-printing device in which original film is placed in direct emulsion-to-emulsion contact with the copy or print being made from the original.

CONTENT The substance of a work of art.

CONTIGUOUS Next to, adjacent to.

CONTINGENCY FUND Percentage (usually 10 to 20 percent) of a budget added to cover any costly delays or unforeseen production problems.

CONTINUITY (1) A depiction of continuous action. (2) Scripts, especially of commercials. (3) See Script Supervisor.

CONTRAPUNTAL SOUND Sound that is presented simultaneously with visual images but is unrelated or contradictory in terms of meaning or emotional effect.

CONTRAST RANGE The ability of a camera to distinguish between shades of reflected black-and-white light: TV, 30:1; film, 100:1; human eye, 1000:1.

CONTRAST RATIO The ratio of light measurement between the difference of maximum reflectance, as measured with a light meter, and minimum reflectance on a set.

CONTROL TRACK Synchronizing signal recorded onto a videotape to align the heads for proper playback.

CONTROL TRACK EDITING Choice of edit points determined by counting pulses recorded on the tape.

CONTROLLER A specialized computer designed to accurately maintain control over a series of videotape decks during the editing process.

CONVERGENCE Separate technologies combined or cooperate together to create new technologies or means of performing similar tasks; newspaper, radio, TV, Internet news operations.

CONVERTIBLE CAMERA A video camera that can be either used in portable field productions or mounted with studio accessories for in-studio productions.

CONVEX The shape of a lens that bends light toward the center of the lens so that light rays converge or intersect at a specific point, beyond which the image is inverted.

COOKIE See Cukaloris.

COPY The words on a script.

COPY STAND A flat table with lights that illuminate artwork for an overhead camera.

CORE A plastic wheel upon which film can be rolled; unprocessed film placed on cores must be protected from light and loaded in a camera or magazine in complete darkness.

COSMETIC MAKEUP Facial and body makeup designed to hide imperfections and accentuate a performer’s better features.

COSTUME DESIGNER The person who designs and supervises the making of clothing for talent.

COUNTDOWN LEADER A section of film or tape with a decreasing sequence of numbers indicating the amount of time remaining before the start of a film or tape.

COUNTER A meter designed to indicate either a position on a reel of tape or film or the amount of tape or film already used. May be calibrated in revolutions, frames, feet, meters, or time.

COUNTERPOINT The simultaneous presentation of two contradictory visual or sound sequences.

COVER LETTER Describes an applicant for a job. It precedes or accompanies a résumé or interview.

CPB (Corporation for Public Broadcasting). A private, nonprofit organization created by Congress in 1967 to invest federal funds in public broadcasting; to help fund National Public Radio (NPR) and PBS.

CPM (Cost per Thousand) The cost of exposing viewers to a commercial. Based on ratings of the program in which the commercial is scheduled to run.

CPU (Central Processing Unit) The main circuits that process digital information in a computer.

CRAB DOLLY A four-wheeled camera support on which an operator can sit and operate the camera while it is being moved.

CRADLE The dish on the top of a tripod into which the ball joint of a tripod head or camera mount is placed.

CRANE A relatively large camera mount consisting of a long counterweighted arm on a four-wheeled dolly.

CRAWL Credits or other graphic material moving from the bottom of the frame to the top.

CREDITS Lists of the names and functions of the people who have contributed in some way to a production.

CRISIS An intensification of the central conflict in a drama, usually involving a threat to someone or something.

CRITICAL AREA (Essential Area) Space occupying approximately 80 percent of the center of the video frame. This area will be seen with relative surety by the majority of the television receivers viewing that particular program. The 10 percent border outside of the critical area may not be visible on many receivers.

CROSS-FADE A transition in which one sound source fades out at the same rate as another is faded in.

CROSS-TALK Signal leakage between two channels.

CRYSTAL OSCILLATORS Small bits of quartz that oscillate at an unchanging rate and that can be used to regulate the speed of cameras and recorders.

CRYSTAL SYNC Separate crystal oscillators in the camera and recorder stay in sync without interconnecting cables.

CSI (Compact Source Iodide) A lighting lamp that uses less wattage than Tungsten and provides near-daylight color temperature light.

CUE (1) Signal to start talking, moving, or whatever the script calls for. (2) To ready material to be played back or edited by running and stopping a tape, film, record, and so on, at a specified spot.

CUKALORIS (Cucaloris) A metal filter with cutout patterns designed to be placed in front of or inside of lamps to throw a pattern or mottled shadows. Sometimes called a cookie.

CUT (Take) (1) Cue to stop an action and so on. (2) An instantaneous change in picture or sound. Cut is considered a film term and take a video term, but they have become interchangeable.

CUTAWAY Close-up shot of an image related to, but not visible in, the wider shot immediately preceding or following it.

CUT-IN Close-up shot of an image visible in the wider shot immediately preceding or following it.

CUTOFF POINT The frame that begins or ends a sequence.

CYCLE Time or distance between peaks of an alternating voltage; measured in Hertz.

CYCLES-PER-SECOND (CPS) The number of vibrations or successive waves of sound passing a specific point in one second.

CYCLING An animation technique for repeatedly using the same movements of hands and feet or other body parts.

CYCLORAMA, SKYCYC, CYC A plain gray or off-white screen that hangs in a studio to provide an “infinite” background.

D1, D2, D3, D5, D6, D7 (DVCPro), D9 (D-S), D16, SX Beta Digital videotape formats.

D/A Digital-to-analog conversion.

DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast) A wireless digital terrestrial broadcast service. Also known as IBOC/DAB. A digital signal carried on a standard AM or FM radio broadcast.

DAILIES A one-light print of the previous day’s film shooting for checking the quality of that day’s shooting. See also One-Light Print.

DAM (Digital Asset Management) A movement toward operating digital systems with one central control to allow exchange of files seamlessly between units.

DARS (Digital Audio Radio Services) Proposed satellite digital radio broadcasting.

DASH A stationary head digital recording device, also called S-DAT.

DAT (Digital Audiotape) A series of formats designed to record audio in the digital domain, rather than analog. Formats include R-DAT (rotating-head), S-DAT (stationary head), and others being developed at the time of this writing.

DATA Any information used in any project or process, analog or digital.

DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) A combination of software and hardware designed to facilitate the recording and editing of audio signals.

DAYLIGHT SPOOL A metal or plastic reel covering the edges of unprocessed film so that it can be loaded into a camera in daylight.

DBS (Direct Broadcast Satellite) (1) A system of relaying television programs from a satellite directly into the home without being retransmitted by either a cable or TV broadcast station. (2) A high-powered, high-band satellite television transmission system.

DECIBEL (dB) Logarithmic unit of loudness. A dB is one-tenth of the original unit, the Bel.

DECK In media, refers to a machine that plays or records audio or video signals.

DEFICIT FINANCING Producing a program at a loss on its first broadcast, depending on making a profit when the program goes into syndication.

DEFOCUS To roll the focus ring of a lens so that the image is out-of-focus.

DEGREES KELVIN See Kelvin Temperature.

DEMODULATION The separation of a program signal from the carrier wave.

DEMOGRAPHICS Characteristics of an audience or group of people in terms of age, gender, income, or other social factors.

DEPTH The illusion of three-dimensionality in visual composition; the “Z” axis.

DEPTH OF FIELD (DOF) The range of distances from the camera within which subjects remain in acceptable focus.

DEVELOPER The chemical solution that brings out the latent image on photographic film.

DGA (Directors Guild of America) Represents directors, in both film and television, in issues related to working conditions and rights.

DIALOGUE Speech between performers, usually seen on camera.

DIAPHRAGM (1) The adjustable opening that varies the aperture size of the lens. (2) The element in a microphone that vibrates according to the pressure waves in the air created by the sound source.

DICHROIC Filters designed to reflect certain colors of light and pass others.

DIFFRACTION Spreading or scattering of light that often occurs around the ball of the iris in the lens.

DIFFUSER Translucent material that breaks up and scatters light from a lighting fixture to soften it.

DIGITAL Binary-based, constant-amplitude signals varying in time. Provides signal recording without noise or distortion.

DIGITAL CINEMA (DC) (formerly called Electronic Cinema) The distribution and projection of feature film through a high-definition digital video system.

DIGITAL FILTER The application features that allow an artist to distort, blur, smooth, or texture an object.

DIGITAL LIGHT PROCESSING (DLP) A rear-screen video display system based on rotating mirrors.

DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR (DSP) A circuit designed to change the analog output of a CMSO or CCD chip to a digital signal.

DIGITAL VIDEO MANIPULATOR (DVM) (also called a Digital Effects Switcher) A special effects device that uses digital circuits to create unusual images.

DIGITAL-S A digital video-based tape-recording format.

DIGITIZE To create a digital equivalent of an analog image by sampling and converting it to the binary system.

DIMMER BOARD An electrical control center for lighting that alters the voltage to different circuits in a patch board and thus changes the light intensity of the instruments in those circuits, which also affects the color temperature of the light.

DIN (1) Deutsche Industrie Normen: The German standards organization. (2) DIN usually refers to a type of plug-jack.

DIOPTER An adjustable lens allowing the operator to match his or her eyesight with the viewfinder.

DIRECTOR Commands the creative aspects of a production. In the field, makes creative decisions; in the studio, calls the shots on live productions; and in the editing room, provides opinions.

DISC/DISK Hard recording drives: disc drives are recorded optically, disk recorded magnetically.

DISCRETE 5.1 AUDIO A six-channel audio-delivery system with speakers placed on the left, right, center, left-rear, right-rear, and including a subwoofer.

DISH A parabola-shaped antenna designed to receive satellite or microwave signals.

DISSOLVE Transition of one image fading into and replacing another. If stopped at the midpoint, it is a superimposition. Also called a lap.

DISTORTION An undesirable change in a signal or either light, sound, or video.

DISTRIBUTION The supply of media programming to exhibitors from the producers. The equivalent to wholesellers in the retail business.

DISTRIBUTION AMPLIFIER (DA) Electronic amplifier designed to feed one signal (audio, video, or pulses) to several different destinations.

DISTRIBUTORS Companies and organizations that rent films to exhibitors and theater owners.

DMA (Designated Market Area) The local ratings area used by the Nielsen Media Research Company.

DOCUDRAMAS A type of historical or biographical drama based on actual events but modified for dramatic and aesthetic purposes.

DOCUMENTARY A nonfiction film or videotape that explores a topic in depth with the purpose of making a specific point.

DOLLY (1) Three- or four-wheeled device that serves as a movable camera mount. (2) Movement in toward a subject (dolly in) or back away from a subject (dolly out).

DOUBLE PERF Film with sprocket holes on both sides or edges.

DOUBLE-SYSTEM RECORDING Recording synchronized sound on a recorder that is separated from the camera that is recording the matching images.

DOWNLINK Transmission path from a satellite to a ground station. Sometimes used to describe the ground station capable of receiving a satellite signal link. See Uplink.

DOWNLOAD The process of transferring electronic information from one source, circuit, or storage medium to another. A combination of various elements that affect the pace at which actions unfold and the emotional response of the audience.

DRAW (Direct-Read-After-Write) Erasable and reusable optical disc.

DRESS REHEARSAL The final rehearsal or dry run of a production with all costumes, props, and other production units before the actual recording.

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) A system designed to allow a standard telephone line to carry digital information at a rate much faster than using a standard digital modem.

DUAL-REDUNDANCY Using two of a single element, such as microphones, in case one of them fails during a critical production.

DUB (1) Copying a recorded signal from one medium to another. (2) Replacing or adding voice to a preexisting recording.

DUBBERS Mechanical/electronic equipment to copy videotape, audiotape, or film soundtracks.

DUPE To duplicate; to make a copy of a tape, film, or disk.

DUPE NEGATIVE A negative copy of an interpositive that is used to make multiple prints of a negative original film.

DV (Digital Video) Any of several videotape formats for recording a digitized signal.

DVC (Digital Videocassette) Any of several digital videotape formats.

DVCPro, DVCPro50, DVCPro100 Digital video-based compatible recording formats.

DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) A laser disc capable of storing from 8 to 18 GB of digital information, such as a two-hour movie with eight separate soundtracks and 32 subtitle tracks for international distribution.

DVD-R, DVD+R DVD discs for one-time-only recording.

DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, DVD+RW DVD discs that may be recorded multiple times.

DVE (Digital Video Effects) A video switcher used to create digital effects.

DVM (Digital Video Manipulator) See DVE.

DVSP, DVCAM Comparable medium-level digital recording formats.

DYNAMIC MIC A transducer designed to convert sound to electronics by using an electromagnetic coil attached to a lightweight diaphragm.

DYNAMIC RANGE The loudness range from the softest to the loudest that can be reproduced by any system without creating distortion.

EBU (European Broadcast Union) The world’s largest professional broadcast and standards-setting association.

EC (Electronic Cinema) A digital video camera with a high-quality output nearly equaling that of 35 mm film.

EDGE NUMBERS Consecutive reference numbers printed on the edge of a piece of film.

EDIT CONTROL UNIT An electronic device that controls the editing manipulations of videotape recordings.

EDIT CUE A cue that activates an edit at a specific point on the tape.

EDIT DECISION LIST (EDL) A list of precise locations of edit points. May be generated manually or by computer.

EDITED MASTER The final product of online editing.

EDITING TEMPO The pace of editing. The subjective apparent speed of objects, as different than the speed of editing, the actual number of edits and their length.

EDITOR A tape or film specialist charged with assembling stories from footage and recordings to create the final production.

EFP (Electronic Field Production) A single-camera video production taking place at remote locations from the studio.

EFP UNIT A van containing equipment for a single-camera video-recording session at a remote location.

EIAJ (Electronic Industries Association of Japan) Standards-setting organization of Japan. At one time referred to a specific ½-inch open-reel videotape system.

ELECTRET A permanently charged element or capacitor in a condenser mic.

ELECTRONIC CINEMATOGRAPHY (EC) (now called Digital Cinema) Shooting a feature “film” with HDTV cameras and recording on videotape, not film.

ELECTRONIC NEWS GATHERING (ENG) Process of researching, shooting, and editing materials to visually report on occurrences of interest using video cameras and electronic editing specifically for newscasts.

ELECTRONIC PROJECTION Large-screen video-image projection systems, often using multiple monitors or split frames with different images in each frame.

ELLIPSOIDAL A lighting instrument with a mirror reflector in the shape of an ellipse, which produces intense, harsh spot lighting.

EMULSION A chemical layer containing the light-sensitive materials on photography and motion-picture film. The makeup of the emulsion determines how sensitive to light the film is and is rated accordingly.

ENCODING Adding additional signals or data, such as timecode and cues of close-caption information, to an existing signal or recording.

ENHANCEMENT A multimedia element such as a link to the World Wide Web.

ENT Abbreviation for interior, a location artificially lit.

EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) A visual computer format used for vector files.

EQUAL TIME The FCC’s rule requiring stations to sell airtime to all candidates for a political office if they sell to any one candidate.

EQUALIZATION (EQ) The manipulation of frequencies to correct or compensate for deficiencies in an electronic signal by boosting or attenuating certain frequencies.

ERASE HEAD A device on a recording machine that is used to align all metal particles on magnetic tape before recording and in doing so remove any previously recorded signals.

ERROR RATIO (RATE) A measurement of the number of digital errors in a single signal.

ESSENTIAL AREA The area of the full frame within which critical information should fall so that it will not be cut off by a television receiver. See also Critical Area and Safe Action Area.

ESTABLISHING SHOT (ES) A shot in which the camera is generally located at a sufficient distance from the subjects to record their actions in the context of their surroundings, thus firmly establishing place, time, and relationships.

EVENT A single activity during an editing session.

EXHIBITION The public showing of a work of art, including film, video, graphics, or sound.

EXHIBITORS Film theaters and theater owners.

EXPOSITION A structural element in a drama whereby characters are introduced or settings presented, providing background information and setting a specific mood.

EXPOSURE The presentation of film to light.

EXPOSURE INDEX (EI) A rating of the sensitivity of a specific film stock to light. See DIN and ASA.

EXPOSURE LATITUDE See Contrast Range.

EXTERIOR (EXT) A setting or location outdoors.

EXTREME CLOSE UP (ECU or XCU) The tightest framing of a shot in a sequence—for example, just the eyes or hands of a subject.

EXTREME WIDE SHOT (EWS or XWS) The widest shot of a sequence—for example, an entire city block or football stadium.

EYELINE MATCHES Editing between shots so that the direction an actor is facing matches.

“F” A type of cable connector for a cable intended to carry a modulated signal or signals. See RF.

FACILITIES (FAX) Technical equipment, lights, cameras, microphones, studios, editing rooms.

FACSIMILE (FAX) Transmission of information by optical/electronic system through telephone lines.

FADE-IN OR FADE-OUT A gradual change in signal either from zero to maximum or maximum to zero, in audio, film, or video.

FADER A sliding knob that can be pushed up or down the scale to increase or decrease the audio level.

FADER BAR A movable control for increasing or decreasing the intensity of a video signal on a switcher.

FAST FORWARD A machine operational setting for rapidly advancing tape or film.

FAST MOTION Recording images at a slower speed than normal playback speed so that when played at normal speed, the images move faster than normal.

FEDERAL COMMUNICATION COMMISSION (FCC) The U.S. federal government agency charged with the supervision and regulation of all electronic communication media in the United States.

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION (FTC) The U.S. federal agency that monitors and oversees trade practices in many industries, including radio and television advertising and industrial market structure and competition.

FEED (1) The part of a recording device that supplies tape or film. (2) A source of video or audio information supplied to a station or studio.

FEEDBACK A continuous sound loop from a microphone through an audio amplifier to a speaker that is picked up by the microphone, creating a loud squeal. Feedback also can occur with recording/playback units that form a continuous loop, imitating reverberation.

FIBER OPTICS Glass strands designed to carry communication signals modulated on light waves rather than radio waves.

FIELD One-half of a complete television picture; 265.5 lines of the 525 NTSC system occurring once every 60th of a second. Two fields make a complete frame.

FIELD CURVATURE An aberration of an image that shows softer focus on the edges than in the center of the image or vice versa.

FIELD GUIDE A transparent sheet that indicates the proper field and spacing for character movement and artwork on an animation stand.

FIELD OF VIEW The exact spatial dimensions of the framed image in front of the camera.

FILL LIGHT Soft, shadowless light used to reduce contrast and lighten shadow areas. Usually placed on the opposite side of the camera from the key light and low enough to remove harsh shadows.

FILM (1) Light-sensitive material that is exposed to light in a camera to record images. (2) Refers to the whole process of recording, distributing, and viewing images produced by photochemical and mechanical means (excluding video).

FILM PROJECTION The presentation of a film image on a screen by passing light through exposed and processed film in a film projector that is focused by a lens on the screen so that it can be viewed.

FILM PROJECTOR A device that can play back a completed film and project it on screen while amplifying the accompanying soundtrack.

FILM STOCK The unexposed film described in terms of format, sensitivity, process, and graininess.

FILM VIEWER A device that projects a film image during the editing process.

FILM-TO-VIDEO TRANSFER Duplicating a film to video through a telecine or flying spot scanner.

FILTER (1) A colored or textured semiopaque element placed between the subject or lens and the focal plane of the camera. (2) A series of electronic elements used to equalize signals.

FILTER WHEEL A collection of filters arranged on a circular device mounted between the lens and pickup system that allows the camera operator to chose which filter to use as needed.

FINE GRAIN A film stock with small particles that reproduce at a high level of resolution.

FIREWIRE See IEEE 1394.

FISHPOLE A handheld, expandable mic boom.

FIXING Placing film in a chemical solution that permanently “sets” the developed image as part of the process.

FLAC An open-source lossless audio format that uses 2:1 compression ratio.

FLAG An opaque piece of material hung between a light and a subject or set to control light or throw a shadow.

FLASH DRIVE (USB, memory drive, thumb drive, jump drive, sneaker drive, compact flash drive). A portable solid-state magnetic memory recording device.

FLASH FRAME An unwanted frame between two edited shots.

FLAT ANIMATION Two-dimensional items used to create animation, usually individual cels or collages of flat objects.

FLATBED A horizontal film-editing machine.

FLATS Relatively lightweight background sections that can be lashed together to create a continuous wall in a studio.

FLOODLIGHTS Lighting instruments without lenses that have reflectors and diffusers to spread and soften the light that the lights emit.

FLOOR MANAGER (FM) The director’s representative on the studio floor who relays commands to the talent and crew during live or multiple-camera video production.

FLOOR PLAN A scale drawing of the studio used in planning scenery design and construction, lighting, and camera and performer blocking.

FLOOR STANDS Three-legged poles that can be raised and lowered, to which lighting instruments and flags can be mounted.

FLOPPY DISK A flat, flexible magnetic medium designed to store and physically transfer computer data.

FLUIDHEAD A camera mount filled with a fluid that helps the operator create smooth camera pans and tilts.

FLUORESCENT LIGHT Light produced by a fluorescent lamp that creates a soft light that does not produce a specific Kelvin temperature.

FLUTTER An audio distortion caused by short and rapid variations in the speed of the reproducer.

FM (Frequency Modulation) Audio broadcasting with a wide frequency range and much freedom from noise.

FOCAL DISTANCE The distance of the subject from the focal plane of the camera.

FOCAL LENGTH The distance from the optical center of a lens to its focal point.

FOCAL PLANE The area behind a convex lens at which the light rays form an inverted image.

FOCUS RING The ring on the barrel of a lens that allows the focus to be changed.

FOOTAGE AND FRAME COUNTER A device that indicates the elapsed tape or film length and duration in feet, frames, or minutes, seconds, and frames.

FOOT-CANDLE (FC) A basic unit of light intensity, theoretically the amount of light from one candle that falls on a one-square-foot board one foot away from the candle.

FORM The method of creating a work of art.

FORMAT (1) A rough outline of a script, often used for newscasts and documentaries. The format is the blueprint for the program, not the word-for-word script. (2) A specific type or size of film, audiotape, videotape, or digital medium. Typical film formats are 70 mm, 35 mm, 16 mm, or S-8. Analog audiotapes are usually described by the width of the tape: ½ inch, one inch, or two inches. Digital formats may be set by the electronics, not the size of the tape. There are more than 20 different analog and digital videotape formats.

FOUR-PLATE FLATBED EDITOR A film editing table with one set of plates for sound, another for picture.

FOUR-WALLING A means by which an independent film producer can distribute and exhibit his or her own film by renting out a theater for a fixed fee.

FRAME (1) Complete video picture, made up of two 262.5 line interlaced scanned fields. There are 30 frames a second in the NTSC system. (2) The outline of the available area in which to compose a video picture. Today’s NTSC standard is a frame three units high by four units wide.

FRAME GRABBER An operation within a computer application that allows a computer to convert a single video or film frame to a computer frame for modification and manipulation.

FRAME STORE A digital memory device that scans and stores a complete video frame in order to produce some special effects.

FRANCHISE A license granted to a cable TV, DBS, or telephone company by a civic unit (city, county) to provide electronic communication services to that unit’s citizens.

FREELANCE Working on contract, not as a full-time employee.

FREEZE-FRAME Holding the same frame of video or film so that motion is completely stopped.

FREQUENCY The number of complete cycles an electrical signal makes in one second. Measured in hertz, Hz.

FREQUENCY DISTORTION An unequal reproduction or elimination of some frequencies.

FREQUENCY RESPONSE A measurement of a piece of equipment’s ability to reproduce a signal of varying frequencies.

FRESNEL A spotlight equipped with a stepped lens that easily controls and concentrates light.

F-STOP A measurement of the size of opening that allows light to pass through an iris or aperture.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) A system for transferring digital signals.

FTTH (Fiber to the Home) Wiring fiber-optic cable directly to an outlet on a residence instead to a district terminal box on the street.

FULLCOAT A film stock completely coated with magnetic recording medium designed to record one or more individual tracks of sound. The recording is kept in sync with the picture by the match of the sprockets and recording speed with that of the picture.

FULL-PAGE SCRIPT A script format organized around scenes, in which both the visual and audio information appear in the same paragraphs.

FULL SHOT (FS) An extremely wide shot that takes in the entire setting of a scene or sequence. See also Establishing Shot.

FUNCTION To the consumer of art, the reason why it is art.

FUNCTIONAL Referring to sets or lighting. Designed for a specific purpose to serve the needs of the production.

GAFFER The senior electrician on a crew.

GAFFER’S TAPE A strong, gray-colored tape used for securing lights and light-mounting devices, among many other objects.

GAIN The amount of amplitude of an electronic signal. Usually measured in dB.

GANG SYNCHRONIZER Several wheels or hubs with sprocketed teeth that hold different reels of film in exact registration frame-for-frame as they are moved back and forth.

GAP The small distance between the poles of tape heads, usually measured in microns.

GATE The area of the film camera or projector where the film is exposed to light.

GBIT/S Gigabits per second, billions of bits per second.

GELS Flexible sheets of transparent-colored plastic used to create colored light or alter the color temperature of a light source.

GENERAL PURPOSE INTERFACE (GPI) An electronic device controlled by remotely activated electronic switches. With GPI, a computer can control a large number of different components from one location.

GENERATION Each level of copies of a medium. The original is the first generation, the next copy is the second generation, and so on. In analog systems each generation adds additional degeneration of the signal.

GENLOCK The process of tying two different synchronous systems together so that a smooth transition may be made between the two. Also necessary when converting computer signals to video and vice versa.

GENRE A type of programming, such as western, comedy, and so on.

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) A computer web page format.

GIGABYTE A unit of measurement of information or computer storage of exactly 1 million bytes or approximately 1.09 billion bytes.

GIGAHERTZ A measurement of frequency; 1 billion Hertz.

GIRAFFE Small mic boom mounted on a tripod on wheels usually designed for limited mic movement.

GOBO (1) In video, a set piece that allows a camera to shoot through it, such as a window. (2) In audio, a movable sound reflector board. (3) In film, a movable freestanding pattern cutout similar to a cookie. (4) On stage, the equivalent of a cookie.

GRAININESS The degree to which grains or crystals of silver halide are visible in a film stock after development and projection.

GRAPHICS A design consisting of shapes and colors to produce an object of some significance.

GRAPHICS GENERATOR A digital unit designed to create and combine pictures with type. Sometimes called a paint box.

GRAYSCALE A multiple-step reflectance intensity scale for the evaluation of a picture. Generally a 10-step scale is used for television, between video white and video black.

GRID A system of pipes hanging from the ceiling of a studio design, used to mount lighting instruments.

GRIP A stagehand; a crew person who moves sets, props, dollies. The head stage-hand is the key grip.

GROSS DISTRIBUTOR RENTAL RECEIPTS The total amount of money paid to motion picture distributors by theater owners for the rental of a particular film.

GROUND STATION The terrestrial end of the satellite communication link.

GUILLOTINE SPLICER A film tape splicer that uses unperforated tape that it cuts off and perforates in a downward movement of the handle.

GUN A part of a picture and a camera tube that shoots a stream of electronics at the faceplate of the tube.

HANDHELD CARDS Illustrations that a performer holds up to a camera during a production.

HANGING MICROPHONE A microphone suspended from the ceiling or grid.

HARD COPY Generally refers to a printed copy on paper of a computer output, rather than a floppy disk.

HARD DISC DRIVE A rigid magnetic disc that is removable or is installed internally in a computer and that stores large quantities of data.

HARD LIGHT Direct light that creates harsh shadows.

HARDWARE Mechanical, electronic, or magnetic equipment rather than software, the material recorded, or computer programs.

HARMONIC DISTORTION Distortion of the primary signal by harmonics of the primary signal, usually caused by overmodulation.

HARMONICS Sounds that are exactly one or more octaves above or below a specific sound frequency.

HARMONY The combined effect of playing several consonant tones simultaneously.

HD DIGITAL RADIO (IBOC) IN BAND ON-CHANNEL A method of transmitting digital radio and analog radio broadcast signals on the same frequency.

HDDV, VDVD, HD-VMD A series of new advanced high-definition disc formats.

HDV (Cameras) An inexpensive high-definition digital recording format uses MPEG2 compression to allow recording on DV or MiniDv tapes designed originally for SD recording.

HEAD A pan head supports the camera and is designed to allow both horizontal and vertical movement of the camera.

HEADEND The cable companies’ central control center where incoming signals from off the air, satellites, and other sources are distributed to output lines to the subscribers.

HEAD LEADERS The beginning leaders placed on film for editing and projection purposes.

HEADPHONES Small audio transducers mounted on a frame and worn over the head to feed sound to the wearer’s ears.

HEADROOM (1) The space above the head of a person in the frame. (2) The amount of audio or video level that a piece of equipment can handle above the normal 100 percent modulation without causing distortion.

HELICAL SCAN Videotape with multiple recording heads that records information in long slanting tracks; each track records one field of information.

HERTZ (Hz) Measurement of frequency. Number of complete cycles completed in 1 second.

Hi8 A semiprofessional 8 mm videotape format developed by Sony for the prosumer (professional/consumer) market.

HIERARCHICAL A system of management that flows the channels of lines of authority on level at a time from top to bottom.

HIGH-ANGLE SHOT A shot in which the camera is placed high above the subject, tending to reduce its size and importance.

HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION (HDTV) One of several subcategories of Advanced TV (ATV). Attempt at creating a video system nearly equal to 35 mm film in resolution and aspect ratio.

HIGH HAT A minimal platform designed to mount a pan head allowing for shots close to the ground or to mount the camera on a car, boat, or airplane.

HIGH-KEY LIGHTING A brightly lit, low-contrast scene created by equal intensities of key and fill light and a low key-to-fill ratio. Also called Notan.

HITCHHIKER A spider on wheels.

HMI (Halide Metal Iodine) A high-intensity, high-color temperature light produced by an energy-efficient HMI lamp.

HOLOGRAPHIC A method of creating a 3-D image by using light scattering reconstruction techniques.

HOOK A dramatic device that grabs the audience’s attention and secures involvement in the story.

HORIZONTAL BLANKING The period of time in a video signal when the electron beam is shut off while the scan returns to start the next line.

HORIZONTAL SYNC The part of the video signal that keeps all of the equipment synchronized.

HOT SPLICER A cement splicer with a built-in heating element.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) A computer language used for formatting documents to be transferred through the World Wide Web.

HUE A specific wavelength band of light, such as red, green, or blue.

HUM Low-frequency noise in audio or video equipment, usually induced by alternating power lines or stray magnetic fields.

HUT (Homes Using Television) A means that ratings companies use to compare audiences for programs by listing the number of TV sets in use at any one time.

HYPERCARDIOID An extremely directional microphone pickup pattern.

HYPHENATE A performer, crew, or staff member that performs more than one function; for example, producer-director.

IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) A union that represents stagehands, projectionists, and many other crafts of the television and film industry.

IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) A union that represents crew members in major U.S. markets.

IBOC (In-Band On-Channel) See DAB.

ICON A graphic symbol.

IEEE 1394 (FIREWIRE) A low-cost interface to connect digital equipment developed by Apple Computer.

IFB (Interruptable Foldback) A communication circuit that allows the director or associate director to talk to television performers while they are on the air.

ILLUSTRATIONS Stationary visual images such as charts and still photographs.

IMAGE DEPTH The range of images that appear to be in focus within any one frame.

IMAGE ORTHICON (IO) An early video-camera tube. The development of the IO opened the way for reasonably mobile studio and remote cameras.

IMAGE PERSPECTIVE The apparent depth of the image and the spatial relationships of objects.

IMAGE TONALITY The overall appearance of the image in terms of its apparent contrast and color.

IMAX A wide-screen film format shot on 65 mm film running horizontally past the lens. The image is 10 times larger than a standard 35 mm film frame and is projected on a curved screen.

IMPEDANCE Apparent AC resistance to current flowing in a circuit. Measured in ohms.

IN-CAMERA EDITING Shooting a sequence of shots on film or videotape so that they do not have to be edited in postproduction.

INCANDESCENT LIGHT Inert-gas-filled electric lamp emitting light and heat from a glowing filament. A typical lamp is the Tungsten-halogen lamp used in most production instruments, as well as the standard household lightbulb.

INCIDENT LIGHT Illumination from a light source. Measured in foot-candles or Lux by pointing the light meter at the light source.

INCIDENT METER READING A light meter reading of the intensity of light falling on the subject.

INCIDENTAL CHARACTERS Minor background figures in a story who often add texture, interest, and depth.

INDEPENDENT A producer, distributor, director, writer, or station that is not affiliated with a network or national company.

INFORMATIONAL A type of media production specifically designed to instruct or pass data or facts to the audience.

INGESTING Analyzing and converting media to a common format for further processing. Also called capturing.

IN-HOUSE A production unit that creates programming for the organization or institution of which it is a part.

IN-POINT The starting point of an edit.

INPUT The signal entering a system or an electrical unit.

INSERT A recording of specific actions in a scene to be inserted into a master shot, usually close-ups.

INSERT EDIT Assembling a videotape production by adding video and audio signals to tape stock that has already had control track recorded on it. Insert edits also can be made over existing edited tape.

INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS Educational films or videotapes designed as teaching aids for the public, students, or employees.

INTERACTIVE MEDIA Communication systems that permit two-way interaction between electronic stations (video monitors, computers). May depend on stored programs such as games or shopping networks.

INTERCUTTING A relatively rapid alternation between two or more different shots.

INTERIOR (ENT) Setting or location inside of a building or structure.

INTERLACE SCANNING The method of combining two fields of scan lines into one frame.

INTERNEGATIVE A copy of the A and B film rolls onto a single negative film that can be used for printing multiple positive release prints.

INTERNET A public computer network, originally developed by the military, now linking home, education, science, and business computers.

INTERNET PROTOCOL TV (IPTV) A system designed to deliver television signals over the Internet using a broadband connection.

INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER (IPS) A company that provides access to the Internet to individual subscribers using dial-up or DSL connections.

INTERPOLATION An animation technique in computer graphics that allows the animator to compose the first and last frames of an action sequence from which the computer then generates the images in-between.

INTERPOSITIVE A print using negative stock of the original negative that then creates a positive image.

INTERVALOMETER A device that allows a video or film camera to take a single frame at preset times, creating a time-lapse series.

INTRO The abbreviation for introduction.

INVERSE SQUARE LAW A mathematical analysis of changes in alternating energy. The amount of energy is inversely proportionate to the change in distance. The formula is easily applied to calculating lighting and audio levels.

IPOD A portable media player designed and sold by Apple, Inc. Available since 2001. May also be used to store and transport data.

IPS (Inches per Second) The method of measuring the speed of tape, film, or other longitudinal media.

IRIS See Aperture.

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) A type of dial-up telephone system offering speeds of up to 128 kilobytes per second.

ISO See Exposure Index.

ISOLATED CAMERA A camera that feeds its own videotape recorder and is available for live shots in a multiple camera production, such as an athletic event.

ITFS (Instructional Television Fixed Service) A microwave video-delivery system licensed to educational institutions.

JACK A receptacle for plugs usually mounted on equipment or walls of a studio or control room.

JARGON The terminology and slang used in a particular field.

JINGLES Music and lyrics used in commercials that are quickly associated with the product advertised.

JOG CONTROL A circular dial used to either move slowly or rapidly, forward or backward, from one frame or section of an edit to another.

JOYSTICK A level on a video switcher or computer that allows the operator to select specific placement of a wipe, key, cursor, or other special effect or operation.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) A compression standard for single frames.

JUMP CUT Any one of several types of poor edits that either break continuity or may be disturbing to the audience.

KELVIN TEMPERATURE A measurement of the relative color of light. Indicated as degrees Kelvin (K). The higher the temperature, the bluer the light; the lower the temperature, the redder the light.

KERNING A measurement of space between letters.

KEY The process of combining two or more images without the background image bleeding through the foreground image. See also Chroma Key.

KEYING or TO KEY Inserting or embedding one video signal into another.

KEYKODE A Kodak film method of labeling individual frames on the film stock. Can be digitized for conforming.

KEY LIGHT The apparent main source of light. Usually from one bright light above and to one side of the camera.

KEYSTONE DISTORTION The effect of an object shot at an angle rather than square on.

KEY-TO-BACK RATIO A comparison between the amount of light on the subject from the backlight and the amount of light on the subject from the key light.

KEY-TO-FILL RATIO A comparison between the amount of light on the subject from the key light and the amount of light from a combination of key and fill lights.

KICKER A light focused from the side on the subject or on a particular section of the set.

KILL To turn off a light, camera, or audio feed.

KILOHERTZ (kHz) A measurement of alternating energy; 1,000 hertz.

KINESCOPE A film recording of a live or taped video production, now replaced by tape-to-film transfers.

KU-BAND The range of frequencies between 11 and 14 gigahertz increasingly used by communication satellite companies.

LAB REPORT See Camera Report.

LAG Characteristic of a camera tube in which a picture trails its own images as the camera moves. Lag increases with the age of the tube.

LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulation of Emission of Radiation) A single-frequency beam of high-powered light.

LASER DISC A type of video or audio recording made by a laser disc scanning minute holes in a metal disc encased in a plastic covering.

LAVALIERE (Lav) A microphone worn around the neck. Also sometimes called a lapel mic when clipped to a tie or the front of clothing.

LAYBACK The process of rerecording a track in sync after it has been modified. Usually refers to audio tracks after sweetening.

LAYOVER Transferring the edited soundtrack to a multitrack recorder for final sweetening.

LEADING A measurement of space between lines.

LEAD STORY The most important story of a newscast, usually the first story in the newscast.

LEGAL RELEASE A statement releasing a producer from future legal action, signed by nonprofessional people appearing in or providing materials for a production.

LEITMOTIFS Musical themes associated with specific characters in a production.

LENS Glass or plastic designed to focus and concentrate light on a surface to form an image.

LENS CAP An opaque covering used to slip over the end of a lens to protect the surface from damage and to protect the image device from excessive light.

LENS COATING A substance placed on the surface of a lens to reduce the scattered reflection of light entering the lens, which increases the light transmission of that lens. Also used to protect the lens from moisture, scratches, and dirt.

LENS HOOD A device for shading the camera lens from direct sunlight or from artificial light emitted opposite the camera.

LENS PERSPECTIVE The spatial relationships of objects revealed in an image after the image has passed through a lens.

LETTERBOX A term describing the presentation of 16:9 format programming on a 4:3 medium that leaves black bands at the top and bottom of the frame.

LEVEL (1) Relative amplitude or intensity. Used to indicate light, audio, video, and other electronic signals. (2) Aligned with the horizon.

LEVELING Adjusting a camera or light fixture to be parallel to the horizon.

LEXISNEXIS (sometimes called either Lexis or Nexis) Searchable legal databases designed for lawyers and law students to access as many law cases, corporate, civic, and accounting files as have been digitized.

LIBRARY EFFECTS Sound effects cataloged and accessible in a prerecorded form on computer discs, CDs, audiotape, or vinyl discs.

LIBRARY SERVER A storage computer that keeps track of all broadcast elements in a studio or station.

LIGHT Electromagnetic energy that stimulates receptors in the eyes.

LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE (LED) A solid-state component that emits light when a small voltage is applied. Useful as a level or operating condition indicator.

LIGHTING DIRECTOR In video production, the person who designs and supervises the lighting setup. In film, the title is director of photography (DP).

LIGHTING INSTRUMENT The housing within which a light source or lamp is enclosed.

LIGHTING PLOT A scale outline of a lighting setup on grid paper that represents the studio floor, providing an overhead view of the relationship of lighting instruments to sets and actors.

LIGHTING RATIO The numerical ratio of the amount of light falling on a subject from the key light against the amount of light falling on a subject from the fill light.

LIGHT METER (Exposure Meter) An instrument used to measure the intensity of light. May be calculated in foot-candles, Lux, or f-stops.

LINE LEVEL A signal amplified enough to feed down a line without fear of degradation. A microphone level is lower than line level; a speaker level is higher.

LIP-SYNC The process of matching the movement of performers’ mouths with the words they are speaking.

LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD) A flat-screen monitor based on modulated liquid crystals.

LIST MANAGEMENT The process of making alterations, trims, or shifting of segments in editing decisions in a computerized editing system.

LIVE ON TAPE A multiple-camera video production recording as if it were live, but allowing for some postproduction.

LOAD To transfer date or information to an analog or digital storage device.

LOCATION The area or site of a production. Usually refers to sites away from studios.

LOCATION SCOUT A person who locates sites for media production shooting.

LOCKING WINDOW A monitor window that allows audio and video to be edited simultaneously.

LOG A listing of shots as they are recorded on tape.

LONGITUDINAL Lengthwise; in media, refers to the method of recording audio and control track signals.

LOOKSPACE The space in front of a figure in a frame to give the figure “room” to move or exist within that frame.

LOOPING The process of rerecording audio during postproduction. Also now called automatic dialogue replacement (ADR).

LOSSLESS A codec that either does not compress the files or does so that circuits replace the data on decompression.

LOSSY A codec that compresses data but maintains reasonable quality by deleting only information not required or missed.

LOUDNESS The perceived intensity of audio. Depends on the intensity and saturation of the sound, as well as the sensitivity of the listener to a range of frequencies.

LOUDNESS DISTORTION Disruption in a sound signal caused by overmodulation.

LOW-ANGLE SHOT A shot in which the camera is placed closer to the floor than a normal camera height. This angle tends to exaggerate the size and importance of the subject.

LOW IMPEDANCE A type of electrical signal created by most professional microphones and some playback equipment.

LOW-KEY LIGHTING A lighting aesthetic characterized by pools of light and harsh shadow areas created by minimal fill and a high key-to-fill ratio. Also called chiaroscuro.

LPTV (Low-Power TV) Television stations licensed by the FCC to broadcast using limited power to cover areas or markets not served by major market TV stations.

LUMINAIRE See Lighting Instrument.

LUMINANCE The brightness component of a video signal.

LUX European measurement of light intensity. There are approximately 10 Lux to 1 foot-candle.

MAG TRACK Short for magnetic sound film track.

MAJOR DISTRIBUTORS (Studios) The largest film distributors who receive the bulk of the distribution receipts from their films: Disney, Warner Bros., Twentieth Century-Fox, Universal, and Paramount.

MAJOR MARKET One of the top 100 metro areas in number of TV households.

MASTER The final product of an audio or video editing session.

MASTER CONTROL The room to which all video and audio signals of various production studios are fed for distribution, broadcasting, or recording.

MASTER SHOT An extended wide shot establishing the scene and often shot during the entire length of the sequence. Intended to be broken down in the editing process.

MASTER TAPE The final result of an editing session.

MATCH CUT An edit between two shots that maintain continuity to make the edit almost invisible.

MATTE (Traveling or Stationary) An opaque covering over the lens of a camera that allows for reexposure of the covered area later in film or in video to create an irregular shape for a special effect.

MATTE SHOTS Combinations of different images in the same frame.

MECHANICAL INTERLOCK A physical connection between different machines or portions of machines that causes them to run at the same speed when driven by the same motor.

MEDIUM CLOSE-UP (MCU) Relative average framing for a shot. Often framed from the waist up.

MEDIUM SHOT (MS) Wider than an MCU, often framed head to toe.

MEGAPIXELS One million pixels, a convenient unit of measurement of pixel count in light sensors.

MELODY A series of musical notes or tones that create a structured unit or order.

MEMORY The measurement of the amount of digital storage of data.

METAMORPHOSIS An animation technique in which one figure is gradually transformed into another figure of an entirely different shape.

METRONOME A device used by musicians to provide a regular beat or rhythm.

M FORMAT (M-II, Recam) Panasonic’s professional ½-inch format. Originally sold by RCA as Recam, then upgraded to M-1. No longer manufactured.

MIC LEVELS The lower electrical signal strength of a microphone output as compared to line levels of amplified signals.

MICROPHONE A transducer that converts sound waves into comparable fluctuations of electrical current.

MICROPHONE BOOM A long pole to which a microphone is attached so that it can be held just outside of the camera frame.

MICROWAVE (1) A high-frequency carrier for both audio and video signals. Operates only a line-of-sight path. (2) An oven used for heating the crew’s lunch.

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) A system designed to allow musicians to connect musical instruments in a digital format.

MIL A unit of measurement (.001) used to designate tape thickness.

MIMETIC An adjective indicating an object or characteristic of imitation or mimicry.

MINIATURE A three-dimensional replica of a set or prop to be used as a substitute for a full-sized construction. Also called a model.

MINIDISC (MD) A small optical disc developed by Sony as an alternative to audio CDs. Now used as a general recording medium.

MINIDV A small audio or video digital recording tape most commonly used as the medium for small camcorders.

MINIPLUG (⅛-inch) An audio connector designed for small equipment. A scaled-down version of the ¼-inch phone plug.

MIRROR SHOTS (1) The use of two mirrors to make a large periscope that can be used for overhead video camera shots. (2) A partial mirror can be used to combine two film scenes in one take.

MIRROR SHUTTER A reflective coating on the front of a shutter that intermittently deflects all the light to a reflex viewfinder as the film is advanced in the camera.

MIXER A piece of electronic equipment designed to combine several signals. Usually refers to an audio board or console.

MIX LOG SHEET (Audio Cue Sheet) A list of all volume changes, transitions, and equalization changes for a sound mix.

MMDS (Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service) A video delivery system using line-of-sight microwave with four or more channels operated by a single company. Often called “wireless cable”; similar to ITFS.

MODEL See Miniature.

MODELING Highlighting the appearance of a textured surface through the use of shadows.

MODERNISM A work of art using factors other than realism to express its concept.

MODULATOR An electronic component designed to impress one signal on another, usually of a higher frequency.

MODULE A small device designed to provide a single specialized function.

MODULOMETER (PPM) A peak reading voltmeter designed to monitor levels of audio signals.

MOIRÉ EFFECT A distracting vibration of visual images caused by the interaction of narrow stripes in the design of the material being recorded.

MONAURAL (Mono) A single track of audio.

MONITOR (1) To listen to or watch audio or videotapes or off-air programs. (2) A device used to view video signals. Much like a TV receiver, but it is usually much higher quality and generally does not have an RF section for off-the-air monitoring.

MONOCHROME Black-and-white film or video.

MORGUE Library, reference files, or storage for used scripts, tapes, maps, and other reference material.

MORPHING or MORPHOGENESIS An editing technique that uses matching shots to slowly transform from one image to another.

MOS (1) Metal oxide semiconductor. A type of camera chip that replaces the camera tube. (2) A film term indicating that a shot was recorded silent, or as the early German film directors said, “Mit out sound.”

MOTIF Imagery that is repeatedly used in an artistic work to add depth and symbolism.

MOTION CAPTURE (MoCap) An animation technique used to duplicate movement by fastening electronic or magnetic sensors throughout a body and following them to a computer for recording and manipulation.

MOTION CONTROL A computer-controlled system for camera or object movements to match other exposures of background scenes for keying in video or double exposure in film.

MOVIEOLA The traditional mechanical film editor.

MP3 A highly compressed audio system based on the third level of MPEG. Used to download music from the World Wide Web.

MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group) A series of video compression standards.

MSO (Multiple System Operator) A cable company that owns and operates more than one cable system.

MULTICAMERA PRODUCTION (Multiple-Camera Production) The use of several film or video cameras to record the same action simultaneously from different viewpoints.

MULTIMEDIA A program combining text, graphics, sound, animation, video, or a combination of any three media.

MULTIPLANE ANIMATION Animation shot on an animation stand that holds several levels of cels separated so they may be lit and moved individually. Invented by Ub Iwerks for Walt Disney.

MULTITRACK An audiotape recording with from 2 to 64 separate tracks recorded on the same audiotape.

MUNSELL COLOR WHEEL A three-dimensional model of colors that shows different color samples by hue, brightness, and saturation.

MUSIC LIBRARIES Collections of musical recordings that require a minimum royalty payment for use on media productions.

NABET (National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians) A union that represents crew members and in major markets everyone at an operation.

NANOSECOND A measurement of time, one-billionth of a second; .000000001 second.

NARRATE To tell a story or provide a commentary on events.

NARRATION A verbal commentary on the events taking place within a fiction or non-fiction media production.

NARRATIVE A story that is told or narrated by someone.

NARROWCASTING Aiming programs at a specific nonmass market.

NAT SOUND (Natural Sound) Ambient sound that exists on location and is recorded as a story happens. Often used as background for a voice-over. Sometimes called wild sound.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS (NAB) Professional organization of radio and television broadcasters.

NATURALISTIC LIGHTING Lighting that appears to come from known or presumed actual sources in the setting or location.

NATURAL WIPE A transition that leaves the viewer feeling there was no transition because the edit appeared to flow realistically.

NEEDLE-DROP FEES The payment of music or sound effects fees according to the number of times the cut is used rather than a yearly fee.

NEGATIVE A type of film that produces a reversed brightness image when developed.

NEGATIVE/POSITIVE PROCESS A means of producing projectable film images in two steps by first exposing and developing negative film and then printing that negative film on negative stock to produce a positive print.

NET DISTRIBUTOR RENTALS The amount of money a distributor receives from theater rentals of films minus the distributor’s own costs.

NET NEUTRALITY A policy to guarantee free access to the Internet and the web without constraint by government or corporations.

NETWORK A company distributing programs to stations interconnected but not owned by the network. The FCC defines a network if it distributes at least 15 hours of programming a week to at least 25 affiliates in at least 10 states. Today there are six television networks: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, Universal/Paramount, and Warner Bros.

NEUTRAL DENSITY A type of filter that decreases light passage without changing the color value of the light.

NEWSFILM Before small camcorders became practical in the late 1970s, all news stories were shot on 16 mm film, edited, and then projected on a film chain or telecine, a projector-camera video combination used to convert film to video.

NEXIS See LexisNexis.

NICHE A small specialized area of programming or genre.

NIELSEN RATINGS Television audience information researched by the A.C. Nielsen Company, consisting of shares, ratings, and demographics.

NOISE Any undesirable additions to a signal.

NOISE REDUCTION The elimination or diminishing of audio noise by means of signal-processing devices.

NONFICTION The depiction, description, or presentation of actual, unstaged events.

NONLINEAR EDITING (NLE) Editing out of sequence.

NONREFLEX A camera that has a separate viewfinder as opposed to one that allows the operator to look directly through the objective lens.

NONTHEATRICAL FILMS Films that are not produced for or shown in commercial theaters. Today, a direct-to-video film can gross more than a major motion picture.

NORMAL LENS A lens that presents an image perspective that approximates the vision of a monocular (single-eye) human. A midrange focal length.

NOTAN A lighting style similar to Japanese watercolors: high key, few shadows, evenly lit.

NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) (1) The organization charged with setting the television standard in the United States in the early days of television. (2) The television standard now in use in North America, much of South America, and Japan.

NTSC COLOR STANDARD The television standard first used in the United States for color TV transmission. This standard uses 525 interlaced lines scanned at the rate of 60 fields and 30 frames per second.

NVOD (Near Video-on-Demand) A pay television system providing programming when requested.

OBJECTIVE LENS The lens on a camera that is used to record the images.

OCCULT BALANCE Choosing colors by intentionally pairing unlike elements.

OFF-CAMERA MICROPHONE A microphone that is invisible to the audience.

OFFLINE Using the lowest-quality and lowest-cost editing system suitable for a particular project.

OFF-SCREEN SOUND A sound coming from a location not viewed by the audience.

OMNIDIRECTIONAL Microphone pickup pattern that covers 360 degrees around the mic.

OMNISCIENT POINT OF VIEW In literature, a narrative written in the third as opposed to the first person. In media productions, a story told from a relatively objective perspective or camera viewpoint.

OMNIVISION (also called OMNIMAX) A large film format shot on 65 mm film but projected through a fish-eye lens on a dome above and around the audience.

ON-CAMERA MICROPHONES Microphones visible to the audience.

ONE-LIGHT PRINT A quickly made film copy of the original film processed without adjustments to give the director and director of photography an accurate picture of what was shot and recorded on the film, shot-by-shot.

ONLINE Using the highest-quality and highest-cost editing system suitable for a particular project.

ON-SCREEN SOUND Sound emanating from a source clearly seen by the audience.

OPAQUE BLACK LEADER Film leader that is coated with an opaque layer so that light cannot pass through it. Used in conforming process to separate shots on the “A” and “B” rolls and as leader before and after the beginning and ending of the film.

OPEN MIC The instruction from the director to the audio operator to bring the pot or sounds faded up on a particular mic.

OPERATING SYSTEM Software responsible for controlling the hardware in use.

OPERATOR The person whose main responsibility is to operate equipment, as contrasted with technicians whose main responsibility it is to install, repair, and maintain equipment, and engineers whose main responsibility it is to research, design, and construct equipment.

OPTICAL DISK A laser recording medium for digital, video, or audio information. A vast amount of data may be stored in a relatively small space and can be designed to record once or record many times. CDs and videodiscs are examples of optical discs.

OPTICAL PRINTER A device consisting of a projector aimed at a camera that can be used to create special effects.

OPTICAL SOUND Sound recorded optically on the edge of film where variations in intensity are recorded as variations in density or the width of the film exposure.

OPTICS/OPTICAL Having to do with lenses or other light-carrying components of a video or film system.

OSCILLOSCOPE Test equipment used to visualize a time factor system, such as a video signal. Shows a technician what the picture looks like electronically. Also may be used to analyze audio or other signals. See also Waveform Monitor.

OUTLINE A topic-by-topic listing of sequences/scenes of a production.

OUT-POINT The end point of an edit.

OUTPUT Signal leaving a system or electrical unit.

OUTTAKES Recorded shots that are discarded entirely and do not appear in the final edited version of a media production.

OVEREXPOSURE Excessive exposure of film or video camera to light so that the quality of the image suffers and appears as washed out or overly bright.

OVERHEAD SHOT A shot from a camera that is placed directly overhead. This shot can be duplicated with the use of two mirrors. See Mirror Shots.

OVERMODULATION Adjusting the sound intensity so high that it exceeds the limits of the equipment and causes distortion.

OVERSCHEDULE A production that has exceeded the time limitations specified in the production schedule.

OVER-THE-SHOULDER SHOT (OS) A shot in which the camera is placed behind and to one side of a subject so that the shoulder of that subject is visible in the foreground and the face or body of another subject is in the background.

OWNED AND OPERATED A station actually owned by one of the networks. See Affiliate.

OXIDE One type of metal coating used on magnetic tape and discs.

P2 (PCMIA—Personal Computer Manufacturer Interface Adapter) A specialized memory card design by Panasonic for their broadcast digital cameras, can record either 16 or 32 GB.

PACE A subjective impression of the speed of sounds or visuals.

PACKAGE A marketable combination of production elements such as well-known stars, director, writers, and creative staff.

PACKET A unit of information transmitted as a whole unit between devices.

PAL (Phase Alternating Line) A color television standard used in England and many other countries around the world. It is based on a 625 interlaced line, 25 frames per second system. It is not compatible with the United States NTSC standard.

PALETTE A variety of colors.

PAN Horizontal movement of the camera, short for panorama.

PANHEAD A mechanism designed to firmly hold a camera on top of a tripod, pedestal, or boom while allowing for smooth, easily controlled movement of the camera horizontally (pan) and vertically (tilt). May be mechanical, fluid, geared, or counterbalanced.

PANSCAN A system of converting widescreen motion pictures to the 3 × 4 television scan area. A print is made by panning across the film, centering on the most important areas of characters.

PAR (Parabolic Aluminized Reflector) A fixed focus luminaire that resembles a household flood lamp. PARs are mounted from 4 to 12 in a rack to give even controllable floodlight.

PARABOLIC MIC A focused, concave, reflective, bowl-shaped surface with a mic mounted at the point of focus. Used to pick up specific sounds at a distance. Commonly used during sporting events.

PARALLAX The discrepancy between the framed image in an objective lens and the image in a separate viewfinder in a nonreflex camera.

PARALLEL SOUND Sounds that complement or have a supporting effect on the visual.

PATCH BAY A panel with wires connected to equipment in a control room to allow for flexibility in distributing signals to and from amplifiers and mixers. Also called patch board or patch panel.

PATCH CORD A short cable with plugs on each end designed to interconnect equipment wired to a patch bay.

PAUSE A mode or function on a recorder or player that holds the medium in position without stopping, but preventing an advance.

PAY CABLE Cable programming channels that must be paid above the amount for the basic service.

PBS (Public Broadcast System) A partial federally funded television network. Stations are not necessarily interconnected directly, but stations bicycle tapes and satellite program feeds between them to air on their own schedule.

PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) A digital conversion system.

PDA (PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANT) A handheld computer design as a record keeping and communication tool.

PEAK PROGRAM METER (PPM) A standard device for measuring sound intensity of loudness. It measures the peaks rather than the average as is measured in a VU meter.

PEDESTAL (1) Electronic calibration between blanking and black level. (2) Hydraulic, compressed air, or counterbalanced studio camera mount. Designed to permit the camera to be raised straight up or down effortlessly and smoothly.

PENCIL TEST A film shot of simple sketches of an animation production to check timing and other aspects of the production.

PERAMBULATOR A large, wheeled, platform-mounted boom that a mic boom operator rides. Capable of swinging a mic over a large area.

PERFORATIONS (Perfs) The sprocket holes at the sides of film or fullcoat. Single-perf means sprockets on one side only; double-perf means sprockets on both sides.

PERQUISITES (Perks) Extra benefits offered beyond regular pay.

PERSISTENCE OF VISION A physical and psychological phenomenon of sight that allows a series of still images to create the illusion of motion. One of the phenomena based on which the images in animation, motion pictures, and television appear to move.

PERSPECTIVE The illusion of spatial distance in a two-dimensional medium.

PHANTOM POWER 48 volts required by condenser mic preamplifiers located in the mic. If the mic does not carry its own battery power, it may be supplied through the mic line by the mixer or recorder.

PHASE The relationship of two signals differing in time, but on a common path.

PHASING PROBLEMS The cancellation of certain frequencies caused by placing microphones too close together when they are picking up the same source.

PHI PHENOMENON The illusion of apparent motion from rapidly flashing stationary lights and objects used in the animation process.

PHOSPHORS Light-emitting optoelectronic semiconductors inside a video picture tube.

PHOTOELECTRIC CELL The transducer in a light meter of a film projector that converts light energy into an electronic signal.

PHOTOFLOOD Lamp with self-contained reflectors that do not require a lighting instrument.

PHOTOGRAPHER Originally, a person taking still photographs. In some markets, the term was applied to news cinematographers, and even today it sometimes is applied to videographers.

PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM A light-sensitive material, consisting of silver halide particles attached to a flexible support base that yields visual images after proper exposure to light and chemical development.

PICA A measurement of the horizontal size of type; 1 pica = ⅙ inch.

PICKUP PATTERN The area or space surrounding a microphone within which the sensitivity to sound is the greatest.

PICKUP TUBE A device that converts light entering a video camera through the lens into electrical signals. Now replaced by solid-state chips.

PICT A visual red, green, blue (RGB) format designed by Apple.

PILOTONE A particular type of sync signal used in synchronous film recording.

PISTOL GRIP A handheld camera mount.

PITCH The perception of or human response to different sound frequencies.

PIXEL A single element of a computer or television picture. Picture resolution may be measured by the number of pixels in a set space.

PIXILLATION A system of single-frame animation that records only a portion of a live action, creating a floating or jerky movement of subjects.

PLASMA DISPLAY PANEL (PDP) A flat-screen monitor based on a gas-filled panel.

PLASTIC ANIMATION Animating three-dimensional objects.

PLATES The platters on a flatbed film-editing machine that feed and take up film and tracks.

PLAYBACK The mode or machine operational setting for viewing or listening to a prerecorded signal.

PLAYBACK HEAD A magnetic device capable of transforming magnetic changes on a prerecorded tape into electronic signals.

PLAYER CHARACTER (PC) The actor in a computer artificial intelligent production.

PLOSIVE SOUNDS Sounds made by the human voice that tend to “pop” a microphone. Sounds beginning with the letters “p” and “b,” among others.

PLOT A scale drawing of the location of a shoot.

PLUG A mechanical connector fastened to the end of a cable. Designed to mate with a matching jack mounted on equipment or on the wall.

PLUMBICON A type of video pickup tube; one of the last developed before being replaced by chips.

PODCAST A miniature video or audio production designed to be distributed over the Internet using a syndication method for playback on media players and computers.

POINT OF ATTACK The beginning of a drama that usually generates interest and excitement.

POINT OF VIEW (POV) A camera angle giving the impression of the view of someone in the scene.

POINT SIZE A measurement of the height of type fonts.

POLARIZER FILTER A glass or plastic filter that reduces glare when properly adjusted over a camera lens and/or lights on an animation or copy stand.

POOL FEED A common video or audio feed to supply more than one operation. Often set up for such restricted coverage as presidential appearances or in times of extreme emergencies or tragedies.

PORTABLE LIGHTING KIT A self-contained lighting unit for field production consisting of several lighting fixtures, stands, filters, accessories, and cables.

PORTFOLIO A collection of a creative person’s work; may be in written, visual, graphic, or aural form organized in a compact professional appearing manner to impress a prospective employer.

POSITIVE A type of visual image that reproduces the brightness of the original scene when it is processed or played back.

POSTERIZED Changing a graphic by using a few colors to give the appearance of a printed poster.

POSTMODERNISM Art that depends on the participation of the audience, if not physically, at least in a close mental form.

POSTPRODUCTION The final stage of the production process, during which recorded images and sounds are edited and the production is completed for distribution.

POT Short for potentiometer, a variable resistor used to change the voltage of an audio or video signal.

POWER AMPLIFIER An electronic circuit designed to amplify signals to a high enough level to power speakers or transmit signals over long lines.

POWER PACK Batteries used to power a piece of portable equipment.

PPM See Modulometer.

PPV (Pay per View) A cable service paid for on an individual program basis rather than on a monthly basis.

PREAMPLIFIER (Preamp) An electronic circuit designed to amplify weak signal to a usable level without introducing noise or distortion.

PREBLACK The process of recording either a black video signal or color bars with a control track on videotape stock in preparation for insert editing that requires a control track prerecorded on the tape.

PREMISE A concise statement that sums up the story or subject matter.

PREPRODUCTION The preparatory stage of production planning that takes place before actually recording sounds and visual images.

PREROLL The amount of time needed in advance of making an edit or starting a film, audio, or videotape for playback or editing.

PRESSURE PLATE The surface inside a film camera that keeps the film flat in the gate at the aperture.

PRETESTING OF AUDIENCES A system of exposing a group that represents the potential audience to determine the positive or negative reaction to the program.

PREVIEW To view an image source without sending it to its assigned destination.

PREVISUALIZATION (PRE-VIZ) The computerized method of creating an animated storyboard of a production to study and test ideas before sets are constructed or expensive crews and casts are assembled. A method of rehearsing without crew or cast.

PRIMARY COLORS The basic colors used in lighting and filters: red, green, and blue.

PRIME LENS A fixed focal-length lens.

PRIME TIME In general practice, the television broadcast evening hours programmed by the networks between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. for the east and west coasts, and 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. for the Midwest and mountain states.

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS Friends and foils of the central character(s).

PRINTING The process of making a copy of a film.

PRINT-THROUGH A signal that has bled through from one layer of recording tape to the next.

PRINT-THROUGH EDGE NUMBERS Numbers from the original film that are printed through to the workprint by using an edge light during the printing process.

PRISM A glass or plastic block shaped to transmit or reflect light into different paths.

PRODUCER The person in charge of a specific program.

PRODUCTION The stage of the production process during which production materials and equipment are set up and sounds and images are actually recorded.

PRODUCTION DESIGN The coordination of scenic design and other artistic aspects of production, such as lighting.

PRODUCTION DESIGNER The crew person who heads the production design team.

PRODUCTION MANAGER In feature-film production, the person who breaks down the script into its component parts for budgeting and scheduling and who supervises the allocation and use of studio and location facilities.

PROGRAM (1) To set a function of a pot, fader, or other control. (2) A complete production package ready to be broadcast or distributed.

PROGRESSIVE SCAN A monitor or camera scan system that creates a complete frame with one continuous sweep top-to-bottom and left-to-right. Used in PAL, SECAM, and computer systems. Proposed as one of HDTV’s systems.

PROJECT WINDOW In an NLE monitor, shows individual clips in a predetermined order.

PROMPTER A device or person that provides the talent with the copy as they work on camera. Copy can be handheld beside the camera or a signal can be fed to a monitor mounted with a mirror to project the copy in front of the camera lens so the anchor, for example, can look directly into the camera. This signal may be coming from a black-and-white camera shooting pages of the script or from a signal fed directly from a computer.

PROPERTIES (Props) Functional set furnishings that play a part in a video or film program.

PROPOSAL A concise summary of a project intended as a sales tool to accurately describe a production and to sell a sponsor on funding.

PROSTHETIC MAKEUP Makeup and devices designed to transform the appearance of a performer’s face or body through temporary “plastic surgery.”

PROSUMER A category of producer and equipment that falls below that of a professional but at a higher level than a consumer.

PROTAGONIST The hero or main positive character of a drama.

PROXIMITY EFFECT A change in the audio pickup by moving the source too close to the microphone; can be used to give the appearance of lowering the human voice.

PSA (Public Service Announcement) A noncommercial radio or TV spot.

PUBLIC ADDRESS (PA) A sound-reinforcing system designed to feed sound to an audience assembled in a large room or other space.

PULLDOWN CLAW The square pin that grabs each sprocket hole of a film in the gate to advance a single frame in the aperture for exposure.

PULLING FOCUS Adjusting camera focus while shooting.

PURE TONE A single sound frequency.

QUADRAPLEX (Quad) The first practical professional videotape format. Used two-inch tape pulled across four heads to achieve a high-quality signal. No longer manufactured.

QUARTER-INCH PLUG (Phone) Audio connector used for many years for high-impedance signals. Still used in some consumer equipment and patch panels.

QUARTZ LIGHT A Tungsten light source consisting of a Tungsten filament, a quartz housing, and halogen gas.

RADIAL BALANCE A method of choosing colors by examining their relationship on a color wheel.

RADIO MICROPHONE (wireless mic) A microphone connected to a small FM transmitter worn by the performer broadcasting a short distance to a receiver connected to the audio mixer. This allows the performer to operate with trailing wires.

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) A server made up of a series of interconnected memory storage disks.

RAM (Random Access Memory) Semiconductor-based memory within a computer or other digital device. Usually deleted when power is removed.

RASTER The complete sequence of lines that make up the field of lines creating a video picture.

RATING Estimated percentage of TV households tuned to the same program at any one time.

RAW STOCK Unexposed film, video, or audiotape that has not been recorded.

RCA The American corporation that promoted the NTSC video system, the developer of many early television inventions, and the original owner of NBC radio and television.

RCA PLUG (phono) Audio and video connector designed originally for use only with the RCA 45-rpm record player. Now used as a consumer audio and video connector. Some professional equipment uses this plug for line-level audio. Not to be confused with the phone plug (¼ inch).

R-DAT Revolving head digital recording system, generally listed as DAT.

REACTION SHOT Close-up of a character’s reaction to events.

READABILITY The ease of comprehending visual material accurately.

REALAUDIO (.ra) Compression codec for Real/Video uses variable bit rate depending on application; mobile, streaming, Internet.

REALISTIC LIGHTING Lighting that conforms to the audience’s conventional expectations of how a scene should appear in “real” life.

REALISTIC SETS Sets designed to represent a specific or general type of place with which an audience is presumed to have some familiarity, usually filled with “naturalistic” details.

REAR PROJECTION A projection of a slide or film on a screen behind the performers on a set.

RECEIVER A television or radio set capable of decoding a broadcast signal.

RECORD MODE A machine operational setting for recording pictures and/or sound.

RECORDING HEAD A magnetic device that transforms electronic signals into changes in a magnetic field so that sounds and pictures can be recorded on tape.

RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA (RIAA) A trade group that represents the recording industry in the United States.

REDUCTION A transfer of film to a smaller format on an optical printer.

REEL-TO-REEL RECORDER A device that can record and/or play back sounds on an open reel of tape.

REFERENCE WHITE A white card or large white object in the flame that can be used for white balancing or the proper color adjustment of a video camera.

REFLECTED LIGHT Illumination entering a lens reflected from an object. Measured with a reflected light meter pointing at the object from the camera.

REFLECTED READING A light-meter reading of the intensity of light reflected from the subject and/or background.

REFLECTION A bouncing back of light from an object.

REFLECTOR A flat or curved surface that light can be bounced off to create indirect light on a set or location.

REFLEX A type of camera that allows the operator to look directly through the objective lens.

REFRACTION Light changing direction as it passes through transparent surfaces.

REGISTRATION The alignment of either electronic or physical components of a system; especially important in tube cameras.

REGISTRATION PIN A device on some film cameras that holds the film steady while a frame is being exposed to light at the aperture.

RELEASE (1) Legal document allowing the videographer to use the image and/or voice of a subject. (2) Public relations copy.

RELEASE PRINT A final copy of a film with soundtrack that is distributed and exhibited.

REMOTE NONLINEAR EDITOR (RNLE) An editing station set up in a remote vehicle or suitcase to be used in the field.

REMOTE PRODUCTION A video production performed outside of the studio.

REMOTE VAN A large video production semitrailer containing a virtual studio control room and all of the equipment normally in a video studio for high-level coverage of sports and entertainment events.

RENDER To convert a data file to an actual audio or video recording.

REPORTER A newsperson who is responsible for researching, gathering, and writing news stories. May or may not appear on camera or in the studio.

RESEARCH The process of investigating and uncovering sources of information about prospective video or film audiences and/or the facts necessary to write a script.

RESIDUALS Payment made to performers for repeat uses of programs and commercials in which they appear.

RESOLUTION (1) Ability of a system to reproduce fine detail. In video there are limits imposed by the NTSC video system. (2) Overcoming the central conflict in a drama and fulfilling the goals and motivations that have stimulated the dramatic action.

RESPONSE CURVE A graph of the sensitivity of a piece of audio equipment to different frequencies.

RÉSUMÉ A comprehensive listing of an individual and their work and academic history.

REUTERS An international news network based in Europe but with newsgathers working around the world.

REVERBERATION The delay between direct and indirect sounds.

REVERBERATION UNIT A signal-processing device that can create sound reverberation or echo.

REVERSAL PROCESS A means of producing projectable film images in a single step by using a type of film stock and development process that produces positive images from a single exposure and development.

REVERSE-ANGLE SHOT A shot in which the camera faces in exactly the opposite direction from that in which it faced in the previous shot.

REWINDS Rotating spindles on a film-editing bench used to advance and rewind the film.

RF (Radio Frequency) (1) Those frequencies above the aural frequencies. (2) A type of plug attached to a cable designed to carry a modulated signal.

RHETORICAL PERSUASION A method of convincing an audience of your point of view through reason, emotion, and personal appeal.

RHYTHM The beat or tempo of music or editing that affects the perception of speed or pace.

RIBBON MIC A transducer using a thin gold or silver corrugated ribbon suspended between the poles of a magnet to create an electrical output.

RIGHT-TO-WORK LAWS State statutes prohibiting unions from enforcing closed shops or requiring union membership of all employees covered in a contract.

RISERS Hollow rectangular boxes or platforms to be placed on the studio floor to raise a portion of the set.

RISK CAPITAL The money a person or company invests in a high-risk project such as motion picture or a television series.

RITTER FAN A mechanical device used to create snow or rain scenes.

ROSTRUM A movable table with an animation stand on which artwork is placed for precise framing and movement from one cel to another.

ROTOSCOPE A means of producing lifelike animation by filming a subject moving and then projecting each frame under a transparent drawing board and tracing the subject’s position.

ROUGH-CUT The initial selection and ordering of shots and scenes in a production.

ROYALTY FEES Money paid to composers, authors, and performers for the use of copyrighted materials.

RUB-ON LETTERS Individual letters that can be transferred to any flat surface to make titles by rubbing on the plastic sheet holding the letters.

RUNDOWN SHEET A basic outline of a program that simply indicates the time and order of specific segments. See Format.

RUNNING TIME Actual program length or duration of a program.

SAFE ACTION AREA The approximate 90 percent of the television scanned area that can be reproduced on most home television receivers. Compare this to critical and essential areas.

SAG (Screen Actors Guild) The union that represents most film performers.

SAMPLING The process of taking periodic measurements of a signal.

SANDBAG A bag filled with sand used to steady lamp stands or other set pieces.

SATELLITE Geostationary orbiting space platform with transponders to pick up signals from the earth and retransmit the signals back down to earth in a pattern, called a footprint, that covers a large area of the earth.

SATURATION The intensity of a signal, either audio or video, but especially used as the third of three characteristics of a color video signal. See Hue and Brightness.

SCA (Subsidiary Communication Authorization) FCC permission for a company to use subcarriers on existing channels for audio or data transmission.

SCALE The apparent size of objects within the frame.

SCAN LINE A horizontal line of phosphors in a television receiver or video monitor, or optoelectronic semiconductors in a pickup tube.

SCANNING AREA The full field of view picked up by the video camera pickup tube.

SCENE A series of related shots, usually in the same time and location.

SCENE SCRIPT A full script without individual shots indicated.

SCENIC ARTISTS Craftspeople who compose detailed sketches, drawings, and set layouts.

SCENIC DESIGN The overall artistic control and coordination of sets, props, costumes, and makeup.

SCENIC DESIGNER In video and film productions, the person who supervises the overall production design, including props and costumes.

SCOOP A lighting instrument with an open bowl reflector that produces soft floodlight.

SCORE Music composed for a specific film or videotape.

SCOUTING REPORT A complete report of the facilities available and the equipment needed for a location production at a specific site. See Site Survey.

SCRAMBLING Modifying a video signal so it cannot be received without the proper decoder. Pay cable channels are scrambled.

SCREEN A nondiffusion scrim or what films are projected on.

SCREEN DIRECTIONALITY The left-to-right or right-to-left movement and placement of objects in successive two-dimensional images or shots.

SCRIM A metallic or fabric filter placed over a lighting instrument to diffuse and soften the light.

SCRIPT The complete manuscript of all audio copy and visual instructions of a program, whether it is a film, audio, video, or multimedia production.

SCRIPT BREAKDOWN Reorganizing the script in terms of specific settings so that production can be scheduled and an accurate estimate of the budget can be made, in terms of equipment and personnel needs at each setting and on each scheduled day of shooting.

SCRIPT CONTINUITY The dictates of the script, in terms of temporal and spatial details, that must be maintained during production.

SCRIPT OUTLINE A semiscripted format in which only a portion of videotape or live television program, such as the opening and closing segments, is fully scripted, if other elements are to be ad-libbed. See Format and Rundown Sheet.

SCRIPT SUPERVISOR The person who maintains continuity in performer actions and prop placements from shot to shot and ensures that every scene in the script has been recorded.

SCRIPTWRITING The process of creating a written outline for a videotape, live television program, audio production, or film.

S-DAT See DASH.

SDTV (Standard-Definition Television) 525- or 625-line digital television.

SEARCH-AND-CUE FUNCTION A machine operational setting that allows a playback machine to search for specific cues on a prerecorded tape.

SEARCH FUNCTION A function on a videotape recorder that allows a specific point on the videotape to be found by moving the tape very slowly.

SECAM (Sequential Couleur Avec Memoire) The color television system developed by the French and in use around the world in many countries.

SEG (Screen Extras Guild) The union that represents extras, or performers who do not speak on camera or have specific actions to perform.

SEG (Special Effects Generator) A video switcher capable of creating effects as transitions.

SEGMENT A portion of a program or spot.

SEGUE The immediate replacement of one sound source with another.

SEL SYNC An internal means of synchronization within an audiotape, which can be used to record consecutive soundtracks in synchronization with each other.

SELECTIVE FOCUS Using depth of field to direct the viewer’s attention to certain areas of the scene by varying those elements in and out of focus.

SELF-BLIMPED A film camera that is completely sound insulated for synchronous sound recording. See Blimp.

SEMISCRIPTED A partial description or outline of a videotape, live television program, audio production, or film.

SEPARATION LIGHT A general lighting term that includes backlights and kickers, which both help to separate foreground subjects and backgrounds.

SEPIA TONE An antique brown tone to a graphic or photograph.

SEQUENCE, SEQUENTIAL Individual shots edited into scenes and individual scenes edited together to make a story.

SERIF Fine lines on the bottom and top of letters of some fonts. Serifs do not show well on scanned media.

SERVER A solid-state digital recording device designed to record and play back digital vide/audio files as nonlinear signals.

SERVO CAPSTAN A capstan with an accurate motor that varies the speed of the playback to maintain proper synchronization between a video recorder and playback machine.

SET DESIGNER In large-scale productions, the person who does the actual drawing of set floor plans, elevations, and layouts and supervises the construction of sets.

SET FURNISHINGS Furniture and props that fill out a set.

SETTINGS Specific exterior and interior places and locations specified in a script.

SET UP Assemble equipment and people in preparation for rehearsing a production.

SETUP Same as pedestal and black level; electronic calibration between blanking and black level.

SHADING Adjusting the brightness level, light sensitivity, and color of a video camera.

SHADOW MASK A series of windows or aperture deflectors inside a television picture tube that prevents electrons from each gun from striking the wrong color light-emitting phosphors.

SHARE The estimated percentage of HUTs watching a specific program at one time.

SHARPNESS A rating of the edge clarity and focus of images reproduced in video or film production.

SHOCK-MOUNTED MICROPHONE A microphone designed to minimize all vibrations and noise except those inherent in sound waves.

SHOOTING RATIO The ratio of material recorded during production to that which is actually used in the final edited version.

SHOOTING SCRIPT A script complete in all details, including specific shot descriptions.

SHORTEN (.shn) Lossless compression file format. CD quality, replaced by FLAC, Wav.

SHOT (1) One continuous roll of the recorder or camera. (2) The smallest unit of a script.

SHOTGUN Ultra-unidirectional microphone designed to pick up sound at a distance by excluding unwanted sound from the sides of the mic.

SHOT SHEET A listing of all shots in the order they are to be made, regardless of their order in the script.

SHOULDER HARNESS A body brace used as a camera mount.

SHUTTER An opaque device in a film camera that rapidly opens and closes to expose the film to light.

SHUTTLE Movement of videotape back and forth while searching for edit points. Usually done at speeds faster or slower than real time.

SIGNAL LEVEL The signal strength of the electrical current from recording and playback equipment.

SIGNAL PROCESSING Manipulation of the electrical sound signal.

SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO (S/N Ratio) The mathematical ratio between the noise level in a signal and the program level. The higher the ratio, the better the signal.

SINE WAVE A graphic of voltage variations from zero to a maximum, back to zero, to a minimum and back to zero.

SINGLE-CAMERA PRODUCTION The use of a single video or film camera to record a videotape or film in segments.

SINGLE-PERF Film with sprocket holes on only one side or edge.

SINGLE-SYSTEM RECORDING Recording a synchronous soundtrack within the camera on the same roll of film as the pictures.

SITE SURVEY A detailed listing of all the information needed to shoot on location at a certain site.

SKEW Tension adjustment during videotape playback. Visible as a “bending” at the extreme top or bottom of the picture.

SKYLIGHT Indirect sunlight that has a higher color temperature than direct sunlight.

SLANT TRACK See Helical Scan. Videotape with multiple recording heads that records information in long slanting tracks; each track records one field of information.

SLATE Several frames identifying the shot, tape, or film reel number, or other logging information. Usually recorded at the beginning of the tape.

SLIDES Still photographic transparencies that can be projected.

SLIDING TRACK An overhead light grid to which lighting instruments are attached so that they slide into position along the track.

SLIPPING Moving a track (usually audio) forward or backward in relationship to the picture or visual.

SLO-MO DISC RECORDER A video recorder that records live-action images on a rotating disc so that they can be played back in slow motion, such as for game analysis in a sports broadcast.

SLOW MOTION Recording images at a faster speed than the normal playback speed.

SLUG An identifying name for a news story; usually only one or two words.

SMATV (Satellite Master Antenna Television) A “private” cable system. Often used by apartment or hotel complexes to serve all of their units.

SMEARING See Comet-Tailing.

SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) A professional society of members who are predominantly interested in the technical side of motion pictures, radio, and television. The official organization for setting technical standards for film and video in the United States.

SMPTE TIMECODE A binary code accurately setting hours, minutes, seconds, and frames used to synchronize audio, video, and film media.

SOFT CUT A very rapid dissolve.

SOFT LIGHT Indirect, diffused light that minimizes shadows.

SOFTLIGHTS Large light fixtures that emit a well-diffused light over a broad area.

SOFTWARE Material recorded on audio, video, or computer media. Contrast with hardware.

SOFT WIPE A slight superimposition at the point where two images intersect during a wipe from one to the other.

SOLARIZATION A technique that drains the normal color from a visual image and replaces it with artificially controlled colors.

SOLID-STATE MEMORY (Flash Memory, Minicard, MicroSD card, Smart Media, Multimedia [MMC] cards)

SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) Predetermined methods of completing a task. Often set by corporate or upper-management policy.

SOUND AMPLITUDE The intensity and height of a sound pressure wave.

SOUND EFFECTS Sounds that are matched to their supposed visual sources during postproduction editing.

SOUND FIDELITY The accuracy or illusion of reality inherent in a sound recording.

SOUND FREQUENCY The rapidity with which air molecules move back and forth in direct relation to the vibrations of the sound source.

SOUND INTENSITY The amplitude of a sound wave, which is perceived as a specific loudness level.

SOUND-ON-FILM (SOF) See Single-System Recording.

SOUND PERSPECTIVE An enhanced perception of distance achieved through the use of different volume levels for near and far sounds.

SOUND PRESSURE WAVE The compression and expansion of air molecules in response to the vibrations of a sound source.

SOUND TEST A test setting of the sound level before the actual recording takes place.

SOUND UP AND UNDER Instruction to cut the sound in at its proper level and then fade it down to a lower level where it is still audible but less prominent.

SOUND VELOCITY The speed of a sound pressure wave.

SOURCE MUSIC Music that comes from a source within the actual scene portrayed on screen.

SPACERS Small wheels used to fill the gaps between take-up reels on a film-editing bench so that their spacing matches the spacing of the individual hubs or wheels in a gang synchronizer.

SPATIAL DISTORTION An aural imbalance during stereophonic playback or recording that results from a faulty positioning of the sound source.

SPECIAL EFFECTS GENERATOR An electronic device usually installed in the video switcher, which is used to produce wipes, split screens, and inserts.

SPEED OF ACTION The speed of the movement of objects within the frame.

SPIDER An adjustable device into which the spurs of a tripod are placed on a flat, hard surface.

SPLICING Physically cutting and cementing magnetic tape or film while editing.

SPLIT An agreed-upon division of box office receipts between exhibitors and film distributors.

SPLIT-BEAM A reflex viewing system in which mirrors between the lens and the view-finder eyepiece continuously deflect about 18 percent to 20 percent of the light.

SPLIT EDIT An edit made in which the audio and video are assigned separate inor out-points so that the signals do not start or stop at the same point in time.

SPLIT-PAGE SCRIPT A script that has the visual specification on the left side of the page and the corresponding audio specifications on the right side.

SPLIT SCREEN A special video effect in which one image occupies a portion of the frame and another image occupies the remaining portion.

SPLITTER BOX A device used to feed an input signal to more than one output. Commonly used at news conferences to avoid a jumble of microphones by splitting the feed from one mic to all those covering the event.

SPOT EFFECTS Specific sound effects created expressly for a videotape, live television program, or film in a sound studio.

SPOTLIGHTS Lighting instruments with lenses that sharply focus the light they emit, producing intense, harsh lighting.

SPOT METER A light meter designed to read a very small area of reflected light.

SPOT READING A light-meter reading of the intensity of the light reflected by the subject in a very narrow area as determined by the angle of acceptance of the spot meter.

SPREADER See Spider.

SPROCKET HOLES The perforations in a piece of film that allow it to be advanced or driven through a camera or projector.

SPROCKET TEETH Metal teeth that drive a piece of film through a camera, projector, or editing device by engaging the sprocket holes.

SPUN GLASS A flexible light diffuser made out of fiberglass.

SPURS Points on the end of a tripod, which can be stuck into soft ground.

SQUASHING AND STRETCHING Animation techniques that exaggerate and caricature motions by accentuating the initial and ending movements of an action, such as running or jumping, to make them seem more active.

STAGE MANAGER The person who supervises the use of studio space, such as the setup and breaking down of sets and props on the studio floor. See Floor Manager.

STAND MICROPHONE A microphone designed to be secured to a mic stand, which can be raised or lowered to conform to the height of the speaker.

STEADICAM A servostabilizer camera mount attached to the operator’s body to minimize camera vibrations when the operator moves with the camera.

STEREOPHONIC SOUND The separation of sounds coming from the right and the left during recording and playback, which preserves the directionality of sound sources.

STINGERS Short phrases of music, usually characterized by a rapidly descending scale or series of notes, used as punctuation devices.

STOCK FOOTAGE Film, video files, or audio files gathered and kept in storage until need for a future project.

STOP MOTION Filming or taping subjects one or two frames at a time.

STORYBOARD A series of drawings indicating each shot and accompanying audio in a production.

STORY LINE A one-two sentence description of a production that completely describes the production.

STORY TIME The supposed historical time of events presented in a television program or film.

STREAMING A collection of data sent in a sequential fashion through a system used to send audio, video, and other digital signals through the Internet.

STRIKE (1) A command and action to tear down sets, pack up equipment, and clear an area following a production. (2) A work stoppage action in a labor dispute.

STRINGERS Freelance reporters or video cinematographers who are paid by the story or are retained by a news operation but who are not on full-time staff.

STRIP LIGHTS A series of lights connected in a straight line.

STRIPPING Broadcasting a TV program at the same time of day, five days a week, usually a syndicated program.

STROBE A visual fluctuation or vibration as if lights were flashing on and off.

STUDIO A controlled, indoor production environment designed expressly for video, audio, or film recording.

STUDIO PRODUCTION The recording of audio, video, or film images inside a controlled production environment.

STYLIZED LIGHTING Lighting that is intended to achieve a special kind of emotional effect or abstract design through nonnaturalistic patterns of light.

STYLIZED SETS Abstract, imaginative settings that reflect an artistic style or give external form to an interior state of mind, such as a specific character’s subjective state of mind.

STYLUS A handheld drawing tool used in place of a pen or pencil to create graphics on a computer screen.

SUBJECTIVE POINT OF VIEW A story told from the perspective of a specific character or participant in the action.

SUBJECTIVE SHOT A presentation of images supposedly dreamed, imagined, recollected, or perceived in an abnormal state of mind by a character or participant in a videotape or film.

SUBPOENA An order of the court to appear as a witness. May include an order to release sources, notes, or original and edited recordings.

SUBTEXT Within any media production there are stories and messages that are not openly or obviously spoken or acted that still carry an emotional impact to the production.

SUBTITLES Titles placed in the bottom third of the video or film frame that clarify the image or present the spoken dialogue in written form.

SUBTRACTIVE COLOR The process of using color-absorbing filters to subtract specific wavelengths of light from a white light source and produce the various colors of the visible spectrum.

SUBWOOFER A bass speaker designed to respond to extreme low frequencies.

SUPERCARDIOID A highly directional microphone pickup pattern.

SUPERIMPOSITIONS (supers) Two or more simultaneously fed video signals, stopping a dissolve at the halfway point.

SUPERSTATION A local television station whose signal is satellite delivered to cable systems across the company. WTBS of Atlanta and WGN of Chicago are such stations.

SWEETENING The process of equalizing, setting levels, and mixing voices, music, and sound effects into a master audio recording.

SWISH PAN A rapid horizontal movement of the camera while recording. May be used as a transition device.

SWITCHER (1) In multicamera or postproduction, a device used to change video sources feeding the recording tape deck. (2) The person operating the video switcher.

SYMMETRY The degree to which composition within a camera frame is balanced.

SYNC GENERATOR An electronic device that produces various synchronizing signals necessary for the operation of the video recording system.

SYNC HEAD An additional recording head on a synchronous sound recorder, used for recording the sync signal.

SYNC SIGNAL A regular wave of electrical current, which can be used as a speed reference for sound and picture synchronization.

SYNCHRONOUS (sync) Signals locked in proper alignment with each other; sound and picture locked together; all the various video signals in their proper relationship to each other.

SYNCHRONOUS SOUND RECORDER A device capable of recording sounds in synchronization with the images recorded by a film camera.

SYNDICATED PROGRAMMING Commercial television programs and films that are distributed directly to local television stations, bypassing the major television networks.

SYNOPSIS A short paragraph that describes the basic story line of a script.

TAKES Individual shots of a single action. There may be several takes of the same shot in single-camera productions, from which one will be selected for use in the final edited version.

TAKE-UP The part of a recording device that collects the tape or film.

TALENT Anyone who appears on camera or before the microphone.

TALK-BACK SYSTEM An intercom system in a television studio, used for communication between the creative staff in the control room and the crew on the studio floor.

TALLY LIGHT A light on the top of a video camera that informs the talent and crew which of several cameras has been selected for recording or transmission at a particular time.

TAPE SPLICER A device with a cutting blade and guide for combining different pieces of film or audiotape with transparent tape.

TAPELESS RECORDING Recording electronic signals on either optical discs or solid-state media.

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR (TD) In video production, the person who operates the switcher at the commands of the director.

TELCO A common name for a telephone company.

TELECINE An optical/electronic system of transferring film to videotape. Once called film chain.

TELECONFERENCE A live exchange of video and audio information over a long distance via satellite, microwave, or web links.

TELEPHOTO Long focal-length lens.

TELETEXT Text and graphics broadcast along with a TV signal for especially equipped TV receivers.

TELEVISION The electronic transmission and reception of visual images of moving and stationary objects, usually with accompanying sound.

TELEVISION QUOTIENT (TV-Q) A popularity index of television performers, which is sometimes used to ensure program success and aid casting decisions.

TEMPORAL CONTINUITY A continuous flow of events without any apparent gaps in time.

TENT An opaque sheet of material suspended over a subject to diffuse and soften the light.

TERABYTE (TB) A measurement of bandwidth and data storage; 1,000 gigabytes or 1 trillion bytes.

TERRESTRIAL A signal tied to the land such as broadcast radio and television that must be broadcast from a tower on land, as opposed to satellite or cable media not tied specifically to a land-carried signal.

TEXTURE The roughness or smoothness of a surface.

THEATRICAL FILMS Films produced for commercial theaters.

THEME (1) A central concept, idea, or symbolic meaning in a story. (2) A repeated melody in a symphony or other long musical composition.

THREE-OR-FOUR POINT LIGHTING A basic lighting technique that helps create an illusion of three-dimensionality by separating the subject from the background, using key, fill, and separation light.

THREE-SHOT A camera setup in which three subjects appear in the same frame.

THREE-TO-ONE RULE To avoid phasing problems, two or more microphones that are used simultaneously should be placed at least three times as far apart as their subject-to-mic distances.

THROUGH THE LENS (TTL) A type of light meter that measures the amount of light actually coming through the lens of a camera.

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) A visual computer format used in print media.

TILT A vertical pivoting of a camera.

TILT SHOT A camera shot accomplished by moving the camera up and down on a swivel or tilting device.

TIMBRE See Tonality.

TIME-BASE CORRECTOR (TBC) An electronic device used to lock together signals with dissimilar sync. Also may be used to correct for phase, level, and pedestal errors in original recordings.

TIMECODE A time-based address recorded on videotape to allow for precise editing. SMPTE timecode is the one most universally used at present.

TIMECODE EDITING A choice of edit points selected by using sequential code recorded on the tape.

TIME-LAPSE SEQUENCE A visual segment that has been pixilated or compressed in time.

TIMELINE (Construction Window) The monitor window in a NLE showing the chronological arrangement of shots and transitions.

TITLE SEQUENCE See Credits.

TITLES Lettering recorded within the visual frame that identifies the visual images or adds text to the videotape, live television program, or film.

TONALITY The particular quality or unique characteristics of a musical instrument or voice.

TOPIC RESEARCH The process of gathering accurate information about a prospective program’s subject matter.

TOTAL AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT INDEX (TAMI) An NBC-TV viewership analysis method that involves contracting with a variety of different audience measurement systems including the Internet, mobile viewers, and social networks to arrive at the most accurate ratings. First tried with the 2008 Olympics.

TRACK A separate tape path.

TRACKING (1) Aligning playback heads on a VCR with the original pattern of video recorded on tape. (2) Movement of a camera to the left or right, usually while mounted on a set of tracks for maximum smoothness and control.

TRAGEDY A type of drama that has a serious tone and often focuses on the misfortunes and problems of life.

TRANSDUCER Any electronic device used to convert any form of energy to another form; a video camera transduces light to video; a microphone transduces sound to electronics; a speaker transduces electronics to sound.

TRANSFER A copy of a recording in which the format is changed.

TRANSFERENCE Changes in perception, as between real and imaged movement.

TRANSFORMER A magnetic voltage or impedance-changing device.

TRANSISTOR The original semiconductor that replaced the vacuum tube.

TRANSITION DEVICES Various means of changing from one shot to another to suggest changes of time or place.

TRANSITION WINDOW An NLE monitor that shows transitions available for editing.

TRANSMISSION Moving signals from one to one or more points.

TRANSPONDER A satellite section that receives and retransmits a signal or series of signals on a single frequency.

TRANSVERSE TRACK See Quadraplex.

TRAVELING MATTE A film matte that moves across the image to create special effects.

TREATMENT A narrative description of a production. It should read more like a novel than a script because it is intended for a nonmedia person.

TREBLE High frequencies of the audio band.

TRIANGLE See Spider.

TRIAX A type of camera cable designed to carry many signals imbedded on a single carrier.

TRIM IN/OUT The process of making small adjustments in the in- and out-points of edits.

TRIMMING WINDOW The monitor in NEL that shows two shots for creating a straight cut.

TRIPOD Three-legged portable camera support.

TRUCKING SHOT A shot in which the camera moves from side-to-side on a wheeled dolly.

T-STOP A unit of light transmission for a lens based on actual tests of light transmission.

TUNGSTEN LIGHT Relatively efficient gas-filled light source of approximately 32,000 degree K temperature.

TWO-SHOT A camera shot including two subjects.

TV-Q (Television Quotient) A method used to determine the popularity of performers and programs on television.

TYLER MOUNT A helicopter or airplane camera mount that reduces vibration.

TYPO Short for typographical error, to be avoided at all cost in any written material presented digitally or on hard copy. Usually misspelling, incorrect grammar, or misplaced punctuation.

TVRO (Television Receive Only) A satellite downlink system that cannot uplink a signal. Home satellite receivers are TVROs.

UHDTV (Ultra-High-Definition TV) An experimental high-definition video system designed by the Japanese broadcasters, NHK. The system features resolution of 7,680 × 4,320 pixels and is four times wider and higher than ATSC HDTV. Scheduled to start broadcasting in 2015.

UHF (Ultra-High Frequency) (1) Frequency band for television broadcasting channels 14 through 69. (2) An older, large, threaded type of video connector.

ULTRACARDIOID The most directional (narrowest) microphone pickup pattern available; sometimes called a shotgun microphone.

ULTRA VIOLET LIGHT Invisible light that has a shorter wavelength than visible light but can nonetheless affect film and is present in outdoor shadow areas.

U-MATIC Three-quarter-inch videotape format created by Sony in the early 1970s that revolutionized video newsgathering. Has been upgraded by a compatible U-matic SP format.

UNBALANCED MICROPHONE LINE A mic cable consisting of a single conductor that is less well insulated than a balanced line and thus more susceptible to cable noise.

UNIDIRECTIONAL A microphone pickup pattern from a single direction. Comes in a variety of degrees of pickup angle, from cardioid to super unidirectional (shotgun).

UNION AND GUILD CONTRACTS Agreements regarding salaries, working conditions, and so on, made between various craft, trade, and talent unions or guilds and television, audio, and film producers.

UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS (USB) A computer connectivity standard designed to allow digital data to be passed among many different formats, applications, and operating systems without modification.

UNSCALED LAYOUT A bird’s-eye view of the studio and set giving a rough approximation of the material that must be constructed.

UPLINK A transmission path from an Earth-based station up to a satellite. Sometimes used to describe the ground station capable of sending a satellite signal. See Downlink.

UPRIGHT A vertically arranged film-editing machine.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator) The address system used to access sites on the World Wide Web.

VARIABLE FOCAL-LENGTH LENS (Zoom) A lens that can have its focal length changed while in use.

VARIABLE SPEED MOTOR An electric drive motor whose speed can be varied and controlled.

VECTORSCOPE Electronic test equipment designed to show the color aspects of the video signal.

VÉRITÉ The art of filming/recording to create realism without modifying the action.

VERTICAL BLANKING The period of time that the television electron beam is shut off, while the beam jumps from the bottom of one field or frame to the top of another.

VERTICAL INTERVAL TIMECODE (VITC) Time address recorded within the vertical interval blanking instead of on a separate linear track.

VERTICAL SYNC A portion of a television signal that controls the rate of vertical scanning and blanking.

VFX (Visual Effects) Also called special effects (SFX).

VHF (Very-High Frequency) The frequency spectrum includes television channels 2 through 13.

VHS, S-VHS JVC-developed consumer VCR system; VHS stands for Video Home System. “S” in S-VHS stands for “separate,” because it is a semicompatible component recording system rather than a composite system.

VIDEO (1) The picture portion of an electronic visual system. (2) All-inclusive term for electronic visual reproduction systems; includes television, cablevision, corporate media, and video recording.

VIDEOCASSETTE A self-contained set of reels with videotape.

VIDEOCASSETTE RECORDER (VCR) A machine that can record video and audio signals on cassettes of videotape.

VIDEODISC An optical disc loaded with video and audio material, most often motion pictures or training tapes or films.

VIDEO ENGINEER In video production, the person who adjusts or shades the cameras for optimal recording and monitors the videotape recording equipment.

VIDEOGRAPHER The proper term for the operator of a video camera.

VIDEO METERS Meters on a videotape recorder that indicate the strength of the video portion of the television signal.

VIDEO NOISE Static or unwanted light in a video image.

VIDEO SYNTHESIZER A device that allows an artist to manipulate the analog or digital signal of a video image so that colors and shapes can be creatively altered for special effects.

VIDEOTAPE Magnetic substance-coated, plastic-based tape used for recording video and audio signals.

VIDEOTAPE EDITING UNIT An electronic editing system consisting of a playback videotape recorder (VTR) or VCR, a recorder, and an editing control unit.

VIDEOTAPE RECORDER (VTR) A device that records audio and video signals on open reels of tape rather than closed cassettes.

VIDEOTEX An interactive computer graphics database that may be accessed through a modem, cable television, or other lines of electronic communication.

VIDEO-TO-FILM TRANSFER Copying a videotape on film; was once called kinescoping.

VIDICON A type of video camera tube that replaced the Image Orthicon. It was lighter, smaller, and more durable and provided higher resolution.

VIEWFINDER The miniature video monitor mounted on the camera so that the operator can see what is framed by the camera.

VIEWFINDER DIOPTER An adjustment on a viewfinder that allows an adjustment to match the vision of the operator’s eyesight.

VISUAL The video and picture portion of the program.

VIRTUAL EDIT An edit location existing only in the software addresses of the edit rather than in a tangible or physical location.

VIRTUAL FILE A copy of a file that is used for editing without destroying the original file.

VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) Video, audio, sensory computer-controlled effects designed to create an artificial environment or movement.

VIRTUAL SET A computer file that duplicates the appearance of a television or film studio that can be inserted behind any foreground object. Such sets do not require any construction or lighting of the set because all characteristics are created in a computer file.

VISUALIZATION The creative process of transforming a script into a sequence of visual images and sounds.

VISUAL STYLE The particular approach taken by a director to the visual presentation of events in a videotape, live television program, or film, including the selection of specific camera placements, movements, and types of shots.

VOICEOVER (VO) A story that uses continuous visuals, accompanied by the voice of an unseen narrator.

VOLTS An electronic measurement of the pressure available at a power source. In North America the standard is 110—120 V.

VOLUME The measurable loudness of a sound signal.

VOLUME UNIT (VU) The measurement of audio level. Indicates the average of the sound level, not the peak.

VU METER The volume unit meter, which indicates the relative levels of sounds passing through a sound system.

WALKSPACE The space in a frame in front of a moving subject to avoid the appearance of the subject running into the side of the frame.

WATTS The measurement of power used in a piece of electrical or electronic equipment.

WAVEFORM (.wav) An audio storing file format used on Windows PCs; can store either compressed or uncompressed files.

WAVEFORM MONITOR An electronic measuring tool; both oscilloscopes and vector-scopes are waveform monitors.

WAVELENGTH The distance between the crest or valleys of each successive wave of energy in light or sound.

WEDGE A plate fastened to the bottom of a camera that allows it to be quickly mounted to a tripod equipped with a matched slot.

WGA (Writers Guild of America) Represents writers in film and television for basic pay, working conditions, and rights.

WHITE BALANCE The electronic matching of the camera circuits to the color temperature of the light source.

WHITE LEVEL (Gain) The level of maximum voltage in a video signal.

WIDE ANGLE A lens with a relatively short focal length and wide field of view.

WIFI The trade name for wireless technology IEEE 802.11 used on home networks, mobile phones, and video games.

WII A Nintendo digital game that uses a handheld wireless control to duplicate hand and arm movements of actual games.

WILD SOUND Ambient background sound. See Nat Sound.

WIND NOISE Unwanted sound caused by air blowing over the pickup elements of a microphone.

WINDOW DUPE A copy of a videotape that has the SMPTE timecode recorded so that it is visible in a “window” for viewing, for logging, or locating specific points on the tape during the editing process.

WIND SCREEN A plastic foam covering placed over a microphone to inhibit wind noise.

WIPE An electronic special effects transition that allows one image to be replaced by another with a moving line separating the two pictures. Stopping a wipe in mid-movement creates a split screen.

WIMax A wireless technology designed to deliver broadband files as an alternate to wired broadband systems. Technology IEEE 802.16.

WORKFLOW An organized system of planning and carrying out a process in a logical step-by-step manner from the beginning until the end of the process.

WORKPRINT An edited master recording video or film used in offline or preliminary editing stages.

WORLD WIDE WEB (WWW) A distribution information network consisting of web sites accessed through individual URL addresses offering text, graphics, and sound.

WOW An audio distortion caused by a change in speed of either the record or playback equipment.

WRATTEN A series of filters originally designed for photography but adapted for use in cinematography and videography.

WWW (World Wide Web) An international computer communication network created in Switzerland.

WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) A description of the comparison of what is shown on the screen and what actually is printed or recorded.

X-AXIS The plane running horizontally to the camera.

XLR PLUG A professional audio connector that allows for three conductors plus a shielded ground. Special types of multipin XLRs are used for headsets and battery-power connectors.

Y-AXIS The plane running vertically to the camera.

YELLOW-INK EDGE NUMBERS Edge numbers printed by a laboratory on the film, as opposed to edge numbers placed there by the film manufacturer.

Y SIGNAL See Luminance.

Z-AXIS The plane running away or toward the camera.

ZERO START The beginning point of SMPTE timecode on a videotape recording.

ZOOM See Variable Focal-Length Lens.