| No. | Term | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | A/B roll | Two source rolls for video editing transitions. |
| 2. | Academy ratio | Classic 1.37:1 film aspect ratio standard. |
| 3. | ADR | Re-recorded dialogue synced to picture in post. |
| 4. | Anamorphic lens | Squeezes image for widescreen capture and projection. |
| 5. | Apple box | Wood box used for height and support. |
| 6. | Backlot | Outdoor studio area for standing sets. |
| 7. | Beat sheet | Outline listing key story beats in order. |
| 8. | Best boy | Key assistant to gaffer or key grip. |
| 9. | Blocking | Planned actor movement and staging for a scene. |
| 10. | Boom operator | Handles microphone boom to capture dialogue. |
| 11. | Call sheet | Daily schedule with cast, crew, and locations. |
| 12. | Cameo | Brief appearance by notable person or creator. |
| 13. | Cinematography | Art of lighting, framing, and camera movement. |
| 14. | Color grading | Adjusting color for mood, continuity, and style. |
| 15. | Continuity | Consistency of story details across shots and scenes. |
| 16. | Coverage | All angles and shots needed to cut a scene. |
| 17. | Craft services | On-set snacks and drinks for cast and crew. |
| 18. | Cross-cutting | Editing between simultaneous actions in different places. |
| 19. | Dailies | Raw footage viewed soon after shooting. |
| 20. | Day-for-night | Daylight shot graded to resemble night. |
| 21. | Deep focus | Foreground and background remain sharply in focus. |
| 22. | Diegesis | What exists within the story world. |
| 23. | Dolly | Wheeled camera support for smooth movement. |
| 24. | Dolly zoom | Zoom with dolly move, distorting perspective. |
| 25. | Dutch angle | Tilted framing suggesting imbalance or tension. |
| 26. | Edit decision list | Cut list used to conform the final edit. |
| 27. | Establishing shot | Shot that sets location and context. |
| 28. | Executive producer | Senior overseer, often financing or packaging talent. |
| 29. | Eyeline match | Cut aligning a look with what is seen. |
| 30. | Foley | Custom-recorded sound effects synced to action. |
| 31. | Four-quadrant | Appeals to all ages and genders. |
| 32. | Frame rate | Images per second determining motion portrayal. |
| 33. | French New Wave | 1960s movement favoring innovation and auteurism. |
| 34. | Gaffer | Head of lighting crew on set. |
| 35. | Gimbal | Stabilized mount for smooth camera movement. |
| 36. | Golden hour | Soft, warm light near sunrise or sunset. |
| 37. | Green screen | Chroma key background replaced in post. |
| 38. | Grip | Crew handling rigging, supports, and camera mounts. |
| 39. | Hard light | Directional light producing sharp shadows and contrast. |
| 40. | High concept | Easily pitched premise with broad audience hook. |
| 41. | High-key lighting | Bright, low-contrast lighting with minimal shadows. |
| 42. | IMAX | Large-format system with very high resolution. |
| 43. | Insert shot | Close-up of detail for clarity or emphasis. |
| 44. | Intercut | Alternate between scenes to show parallel action. |
| 45. | Iris shot | Circular mask opening or closing on image. |
| 46. | Jump cut | Abrupt cut skipping time within same setup. |
| 47. | Key grip | Head grip managing rigging and camera support. |
| 48. | Key light | Primary light shaping subject and scene. |
| 49. | Kuleshov effect | Meaning created by juxtaposed shots in editing. |
| 50. | Lavalier mic | Small clip-on microphone for dialogue recording. |
| 51. | Leading lines | Lines guiding viewer attention within frame. |
| 52. | Lens flare | Light scattering artifacts from bright sources. |
| 53. | Location release | Permission document to film at a site. |
| 54. | Long take | Extended shot without cutting for duration. |
| 55. | Low-key lighting | Dark, high-contrast lighting with deep shadows. |
| 56. | MacGuffin | Object driving plot, not inherently important. |
| 57. | Master shot | Wide shot covering entire scene action. |
| 58. | Matte painting | Painted background creating environments or extensions. |
| 59. | Mise-en-scène | Arrangement of everything within the frame. |
| 60. | Montage | Sequence of shots compressing time or information. |
| 61. | MOS | Shot recorded without synchronized sound. |
| 62. | Motivated lighting | Lighting justified by visible practical sources. |
| 63. | NLE | Nonlinear editing system for digital postproduction. |
| 64. | Noir | Crime style with shadowy visuals and fatalism. |
| 65. | Non-diegetic sound | Sound not originating within the story world. |
| 66. | On location | Filming at real-world sites, not sets. |
| 67. | Oner | Scene staged as a single continuous shot. |
| 68. | Over-the-shoulder | Framing showing subject over another’s shoulder. |
| 69. | Overcranking | Shooting high fps for slow-motion playback. |
| 70. | Pan | Horizontal camera rotation from a fixed position. |
| 71. | Picture lock | Edit finalized before sound and VFX finishing. |
| 72. | Pitch | Short presentation selling a film idea. |
| 73. | Post-production | Editing, sound, VFX, and finishing after shoot. |
| 74. | Practical light | Visible light source appearing in the scene. |
| 75. | Pre-production | Planning phase: script, budget, schedule, casting. |
| 76. | Producer | Leads production, budget, logistics, and delivery. |
| 77. | Production design | Overall visual concept of sets, props, and decor. |
| 78. | Proxy media | Low-res files used for smoother editing. |
| 79. | Rack focus | Shift focus between subjects within a shot. |
| 80. | Rough cut | Early edit assembly before fine adjustments. |
| 81. | Rule of thirds | Composition guideline dividing frame into thirds. |
| 82. | Rushes | Daily footage from the day’s shoot. |
| 83. | Screenplay | Script formatted for production and shooting. |
| 84. | Shot list | Planned list of shots to capture. |
| 85. | Slate | Clapperboard identifying take for sync and logging. |
| 86. | Soft light | Diffused light producing gentle shadows and gradients. |
| 87. | Sound design | Creating and shaping a film’s sonic world. |
| 88. | Steadicam | Body-mounted stabilizer enabling smooth moving shots. |
| 89. | Storyboard | Drawn panels planning shots and sequences. |
| 90. | Subtitles | On-screen text translating or transcribing dialogue. |
| 91. | Telecine | Film-to-video transfer for viewing or editing. |
| 92. | Three-act structure | Setup, confrontation, and resolution story framework. |
| 93. | Tilt | Vertical camera rotation from a fixed position. |
| 94. | Timecode | Timestamp used to sync and reference footage. |
| 95. | Tracking shot | Camera moves alongside action, often on dolly. |
| 96. | Treatment | Prose summary of story, tone, and characters. |
| 97. | Undercranking | Shooting low fps for fast-motion playback. |
| 98. | VFX | Digitally created or enhanced imagery in post. |
| 99. | Voice-over | Narration heard over images, speaker unseen. |
| 100. | Walla | Background crowd chatter recorded for ambience. |