Video Production Terms

f-stops

scale on lens indicating aperture; 1.4, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22

focal length

fixed property of distance from iris to plane where picture is in focus

focal distance

actual distance from lens to focal point that changes depending on how far away subject is from camera

CCD/CMOS/sensor

popular imaging devices in cameras

depth of field

area in which all objects located at different distances appear rin focus

iris

adjustable lens opening mechanism

aperture

iris opening of a lens usually measured in f-stop

viewfinder

small video screen or flat panel display on a camera that shows black and white or color picture the camera generates

diopter

lenses used to shorten minimum focusing distance of camera lens allowing for closer focus

aspect ratio

ratio of width of television screen to its height

field of view

portion of scene visible through particular lens

graphic vector

created by lines or arrangement of stationary objects that lead eye in general direction

index vector

created by something that points unquestionably in a specific direction

motion vector

created by objects that’s actually moving or perceived to be moving on screen

noseroom

space in front of person looking or pointing toward edge of screen

leadroom

space in front of laterally moving object or person

z-axis

indicates screen depth

pan

turn camera horizontally

tilt

point camera up or dowm

dolly

move camera toward or away from the object

zoom

change focal length of lens while camera remains stationary

continuity axis/180º rule

imaginary guideline indicating where the camera should be

combine editing

assembling multiple video clips into a single, continuous video

condense editing

shortening or compressing length by eliminated uneccessary footage

converging vectors

index and motion vectors that point toward each other

jump cut

image that moves from one screen position to another during a cut

match cut

2 shots joined together based on visual similarities to create a seamless transition between scenes

cutaway

shot of an object or event peripherally connected with overall event and it relatively static

insert/cut-in

close up shot of specific detail within a scene

establishing shot

object seen from far away or framed very loosely that shows everything in a scene

master shot

recording of an entire scene start to finish that keeps all the players in view

timecode

specially generated address code that marks each video frame with a specific number

linear editing

traditional method of editing done sequentially and destructively

capture

transferring video and audio from recording media to hard drive of computer with an editing program

insert edit

adds a new clip or shot into a sequence without removing any existing clips

overwrite edit

replaces existing footage with new footage at specific point in timeline without extending timeline’s length

above the line

people primarily concerned with nontechnical production matters; includes directors, producers, screenwriters, etc.

below the line

people who operate production equipment; includes camera operators, floor persons, and video and audio engineers

producer

states specific purpose of the show and its desire effect on viewers

director

translates script into specific video and audio images; often also selects production crew and equipment

assistant director

oversees practical aspects of shooting, ensuring production stays on schedule and within budget

production assistant

entry level role that provides administrative, logistical, and on set support throughout entire production

technical director

determines major technical facilities necessary for proposed production

director of photography

leader of camera and lighting crews responsible for visual style and look of a film

ENG

use of portable camcorders, lights, and sound equipment for production of mostly unscheduled daily news events

EFP

video production done outside studio that’s usually shot for postproduction; not live

3 point lighting

triangular arrangement of key, back, and fill lights

key light

reveals basic shape

fill light

fills in shadows if they’re too dense

backlight

separates object from background and provides some sparkle

background light

illumination of set pieces and backdrop

CTO

color temperature orange

CTB

color temperature blue

degrees Kelvin

norm for indoor is 3200K and 5600K for outdoors

tungsten

film designed to produce accurate colors under a type of incandescent light; made for artificial light

daylight film

balanced for natural light and flash

white balance

adjust color circuits in camera to produce white color in lighting of various color temperatures

hard light

illuminates relatively small area and creates harsh, clearly defined shadows

soft light

illuminates relatively large area and creates diffused shadows

diffusion

technique of softening and spreading light to create a more even and less harsh image

pickup pattern

territory around microphone within which the mic can hear well

omnidirectional

mic hears equally well from all directions

cardioid

heart shaped pickup pattern of a unidirectional microphone

hypercardioid

very narrow unidirectional pickup pattern with long reach

parabolic

lighting that uses reflectors or umbrellas to shape and direct light, created specific lighting effects

shotgun

microphone used to pick up sound from one direction or angle while rejecting sound coming off from the sides

boom pole

long extendable pole used to hold a boom mic and position it close to action/talent without being visible in frame

condenser mic

high quality sensitive mic for critical sound pickup

electret condenser

small easy to use microphone that retains a static electric charge without an external power source

dynamic mic

most rugged mic good for outside use

lavalier

small mic clipped to clothing used for voice pickup

phantom power

method of providing DC voltage to condenser mic through their XLR cable, eliminating need for a power supply

analog audio

continuous representation of sound waves using a physical medium like tapes and manual recording equipment

digital audio

uses computer software program for sound production

XLR

electrical connector and cable used for reliable signal transmission

RCA

type of electrical connector used for transmitting video and audio; commonly color coded

sample rate

determines how many samples per second are taken from audio signal; 48 kHz is standard

decibel level

reference level measured in db that controls sound levels; standard is 85 db

NTSC

analog color-encoding standard used in DVD players and tv broadcasting (up until recently)

PAL

color encoding standard used in broadcast television and video formats

SDTV

digital system where each complete television frame consists of 480 visible lines, usually in the 4×3 aspect ratio

HDTV

includes 720p, 1080i, and 1080p scanning systems

1080i

digital system where each complete frame consists of 2 interlaced fields

720p

digital system that consists of 720 visible lines scanned one after the other

frame

complete scanning cycle of an electron beam

field

half a complete scanning cycle

interlaced scanning

scanning of all odd numbered lines and subsequent scanning of all even numbered lines

progressive scanning

consecutive scanning of lines from top to bottom

AVCHD

signal compression used in consumer HD camcorders that allows burning high definition video to standard DVD’s

H.264

widely used video compression standard in film and other visual media; delivers high quality at low bit rate

ProRes

compressed video codecs used to maintain high image quality throughout editing and remaining relatively lightweight for processing

MPEG-2

video compression standard used as format for movies and other programs distributed on DVD’s and similar discs

bit

amount of data processed every second that dictates video quality and file size

byte

fundamental unit of digital information storage consisting of 8 bits

mbps (megabits per second)

unit of measure for bits

video compression

temporary rearrangement or elimination of redundant picture information for easier storage and signal transport

codec

one of several compression systems of digital video, graphics, and audio files

pixel

smallest unit in a digital display that makes up an image on screen