Video Production Vocabulary and Phrases

Flashcards covering essential video production, audio, editing, and YouTube publishing terminology.

Shot list

A list of planned shots for an event or production.

Call sheet

A daily schedule for a video shoot specifying who needs to be where and at what time, such as starting at $16:30$.

Run of show

The chronological sequence of events taking place during a specific show or event.

Location scout

A preliminary visit to a potential filming site to assess its suitability for the production.

Frame / Shot

A single captured image or a continuous sequence recorded by the camera.

Coverage

The extent to which all necessary angles and segments, such as speaker appearances, have been fully filmed.

B-roll

Supplemental or alternative footage intercut with the main action, typically used between speeches or interviews.

A-roll

The primary video material for a production, such as the main conference footage, interviews, or speeches.

Setup

The process and time required to arrange camera, lighting, and audio equipment for filming.

Talent

The person appearing in front of the camera, such as a speaker or interviewee.

Subject

The main person or object being filmed within the camera frame.

Interviewee

The individual being interviewed during a production.

Frame rate

The frequency at which frames are recorded, measured in frames per second, such as $24\text{fps}$, $25\text{fps}$, or $50\text{fps}$.

Exposure

The balance of light reaching the camera sensor to ensure the image is neither too dark nor too bright.

White balance

The adjustment of color settings so that white objects appear neutral white in the footage.

Focus pull

A technique where the focus is shifted from one object or person to another during a single shot.

Shallow depth of field

A visual style where the subject is in sharp focus while the background is blurred.

Headroom

The amount of space between the top of a person's head and the upper edge of the camera frame.

Eye line / Eye level

The height of the camera lens relative to the subject's eyes, or the direction in which they are looking.

Cutaway

A shot of something other than the main subject, such as the audience, used to bridge edits.

Establishing shot

A wide shot of a venue or location used at the beginning of a scene to set the context.

Close-up (CU)

A camera shot that captures a subject at close range to show detail, such as someone signing a document.

Medium shot (MS)

A shot that captures a subject from a moderate distance, often used for panel discussions.

Wide shot (WS)

A shot that encompasses a large area, such as an entire room, to show the broad context.

Two-shot

A frame that captures two people together, such as a moderator and a guest.

Handheld

Filming without a tripod, often used for capturing crowd moments or dynamic action.

Gimbal

A stabilization device used to achieve smooth, fluid camera movements during walk-and-talk shots.

Roll

A command indicating that the camera has started recording.

Mark it

A signaling command used to identify a specific moment or a successful take for the editor.

Take

A single continuous version of a specific shot or performance.

Ambient sound / Room tone

The natural background noise of a room recorded for approximately $30$ seconds to assist in audio editing.

On-camera

Anything appearing within the camera's field of vision at a specific time, such as at $1:03$.

Off-camera

Anything occurring outside the camera's field of vision, such as a question asked by an interviewer who is not seen.

Clipping

Audio distortion that occurs when the gain is too high and the sound level exceeds the hardware's limits.

Noise floor

The level of background hiss or ambient noise in a recording environment.

Sync / Sync sound

The simultaneous recording of audio and video so they match perfectly in the final edit.

Audio dropout

A momentary loss or interruption of sound in a recording, such as around a $12$-minute mark.

Rough cut / First cut

An initial version of a video edit where scenes are placed in sequence, but color and final polishing are not yet applied.

Final cut

The approved and finished version of a video ready for export.

Edit / Cut

The process of joining shots together or the specific point where one shot transitions to another.

Jump cut

An abrupt, jarring transition between two shots of the same subject that occurs at a specific time, such as $1:20$.

Transition

A visual effect used to bridge two different camera shots or scenes.

Dissolve / Cross-dissolve

A smooth transition where one shot gradually fades into another.

Sequence

A specific series of shots or scenes arranged in a particular order.

Timeline

 laik The linear interface in editing software where video and audio clips are organized chronologically.

Colour grading / Colour correction

The post-production process of adjusting colors to ensure a consistent look or to make footage brighter.

Lower third

A text graphic overlay located in the bottom area of the frame, typically displaying a person's name and title.

Title card

A full-screen graphic featuring text, often used at the beginning of a video to show dates or titles.

End card / Outro

The final screen of a video, often containing channel links and logos.

Graphics / Motion graphics

Animated visual elements, such as those used in an introduction.

Overlay

A visual element, like a logo, placed on top of the video footage.

Voiceover (VO)

Narrated audio that is heard in a video but is not spoken by a person seen on screen.

Picture lock

The stage in editing when the timing and sequence of shots are finalized before color grading begins.

Export / Render

The process of generating the final video file, which can take several hours depending on complexity.

Deliverable

The final products provided to a client, which may include long versions, highlights, and shorts.

Revision / Round of revisions

The cycle of receiving feedback and making requested changes to a video edit.

Timecode / Timestamp

The exact numerical position in a video, such as $1:45:13$, used to pinpoint specific frames or notes.

Thumbnail

The preview image for a video on YouTube that influences user clicks.

CTR (Click-through rate)

The percentage of viewers who click a video after seeing its thumbnail; for example, a low rate might be $3\%$.

Metadata

Descriptive data about a video, including its title, description, and tags, used for search optimization.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

The practice of optimizing video content so it is more easily discovered via search engines.

Tags

Keywords added to the metadata of a video to help categorize it for search algorithms.

Timestamps / Chapters

Time markers in a video description that allow viewers to navigate to specific sections.

Unlisted

A privacy setting where a video is only viewable by those who have the direct link.

Public

The setting that makes a video available to everyone on a platform.

Premiere

A scheduled first publication where viewers watch a new video together at a set time, such as Monday at $18:30$.

Scheduled

A video set to be automatically published at a future date and time, such as $21\text{ May}$ at $18:00$.

Shorts

Vertical videos with a duration of up to $60$ seconds.

Handle

A unique identifier for a channel, such as @BalserischeStiftung.

Analytics

Statistical data used to track the performance of a channel and its videos.

Impressions

The number of times a video's thumbnail has been shown to potential viewers.

Watch time

The total cumulative time viewers have spent watching a video, which is a key metric for algorithms.