Key Terms for Video Production Final Exam

Pre Production

Planning phase of video production including scriptwriting, casting, location scouting, and scheduling.

Production

The phase where the video is actually filmed.

Post Production

Editing phase, including video cutting, adding sound, effects, and finalizing the product.

Storyboard

A sequence of drawings representing the shots planned for a video.

Script

The written dialogue, actions, and scene direction for a film or video.

Shot list

A detailed list of every camera shot to be captured.

Director

Person responsible for the creative vision and supervising the shooting.

Producer

Person managing the production logistics, budget, and schedule.

Cinematographer (Director of Photography)

The person in charge of the camera and lighting teams.

Editor

Person who assembles the recorded footage into the final product.

Camera operator

Person who physically controls and operates the camera during filming.

Gaffer

Chief lighting technician responsible for lighting design.

Grip

Crew member who sets up, maintains, and moves production equipment on set.

Boom Operator

Person responsible for holding and positioning the boom microphone.

Frame

A single image captured by a camera.

Frame rate

The number of frames recorded per second (e.g., 24fps, 30fps).

Aspect Ratio

The width-to-height ratio of the video image (e.g., 16:9).

Resolution

The amount of detail in an image, measured in pixels (e.g., 1920x1080).

Exposure

The amount of light that reaches the camera sensor.

ISO

Camera setting that controls the sensitivity of the sensor to light.

Aperture

An opening in the lens that controls how much light enters.

Shutter speed

The amount of time the camera's shutter is open to expose light.

Depth of field

The distance between the nearest and the farthest objects in focus.

White balance

The process of adjusting colors to make the image look natural under different lighting conditions.

Pan

Camera movement horizontally left or right from a fixed position.

Tilt

Camera movement vertically up or down from a fixed position.

Dolly

Camera movement toward or away from the subject, typically on a track.

Crane Shot

A shot taken from a moving crane or jib.

Tracking shot

A shot that follows the subject, moving parallel to them.

Close up

A shot tightly framing a subject's face or a specific detail.

Zoom

A shot that follows the subject, moving parallel to them.

Medium shot

A shot framing a subject from the waist up.

Wide shot

A shot showing the subject and their surroundings.

Over the shoulder shot

A shot taken from behind a character's shoulder.

Point of view shot

A shot showing what a character is seeing.

Two shot

A shot with two subjects in the frame.

Jump cut

An abrupt transition between shots, often to show the passage of time.

Match cut

A transition between two shots that are visually or thematically connected.

Montage

A series of short shots edited together to show a sequence of events.

Continuity editing

Editing designed to make the video feel seamless and logical.

Cutaway

A shot that interrupts the main action to show related detail.

B-roll

Supplementary footage used to enrich the story (e.g., scenery, details).

Lower Third

Text graphics placed in the lower area of the screen.

Voice Over

Narration recorded separately and added over visuals.

Soundtrack

The combination of dialogue, music, and sound effects in a video.

Foley

Custom-recorded sound effects created to match on-screen action.

Color grading

The process of altering and enhancing the color of a video.

Chroma key (green screen)

A technique for replacing a solid background color with another video or image.

Rendering

The process of finalizing the video into a complete, playable file.

Distribution

The process of sharing and releasing the final video to the audience (e.g., online, TV, film festival).

Sot

SOT (Sound on Tape) aka 'Sound Bite' refers to audio that is recorded live along with video during production, such as interviews, dialogue, or natural sounds. It's commonly used in news, documentaries, and reality content to provide authentic, real-time audio directly from the scene.