Producing for TV and New Media: Glossary - C

Color bars

The traditional test of a video signal, this series of vertical bars—white, yellow, cyan, green, magenta, red, blue, and black—appears at the beginning of a reel

Color correction

Changing or correcting the color, hues, or tones of footage by using a color corrector or time base corrector

Completion bond

A form of “insurance” that guarantees that the project, usually a film, will be finished on schedule or else the bank and/or investors will get their money back

Component video

A video signal that separates the chrominance (the color) from the luminance (the blacks and whites), resulting in sharper detail and color

Composer

Responsible for the project’s musical score, he or she works closely with the producer and director in finding the musical direction of the project, and writes music that matches the picture, as well as opening and closing themes

Composite video

The luminance and chrominance are combined to form one analog signal

Compression

A digital video storage system that reduces, or compresses, the data in the footage, which facilitates storage space

Conform

In the editing process, the editor takes the final cut from the NLE or offline and matches it with the original, high resolution footage in an online session

Conglomerates

Large corporations that are involved in and control a variety of media, such as television stations, film studios, newspapers, magazines, and more

Content

Another word for a show, program, or project for distribution on cable, network, nonbroadcast, and Internet

Content provider

A media company or independent producer who produces program material, or content for delivery

Contingency

A back-up fund, usually about 10% of the final budget total, that covers mistakes on the shoot, bad-weather days, and other realities in production

Continuity

The seamless movement from one shot or scene to the next that isn’t interrupted by mismatched clothing, actions, set pieces, etc.

Co-production

A partnership or joint venture formed for the production of a specific project or projects

Copyright

The exclusive legal right of a writer, author, composer, artist, or publisher to control and dispose of his or her work

Courtesy credit

The acknowledgment of contributors, investors, or services by listing their names or businesses in the closing credits of a program

Coverage

The variety of angles at which a scene is shot

Cover set

A fully-dressed interior location that the production can move to in case of sudden problems from an exterior location, such as equipment failure or bad weather

Craft services

Catered food, snacks, and beverages brought on set or on location

Crane

Similar to a dolly, a crane moves the camera using a balanced arm. Unlike a dolly, a crane has more mobility to rise or descend

Crawl

Also known as end credits or closing credits, the graphic text information moves vertically or horizontally on the screen