Film Terms Glossary: Guide to 95 Film Terms

Understanding all the aspects of filmmaking can greatly expand how you both create and experience movies. Here is an overview of some of the most commonly-used film terms:

1. 1. ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement): Automated dialogue replacement (ADR) is the post-production re-recording of an actor’s dialogue. Whether it’s a plane flying overhead, misread dialogue, or voice-over narration and dubbing, ADR gives you a second chance to get your production audio right.
2. 2. Aerial shot: An aerial shot is shot from even higher than a bird’s eye view which is usually captured with a helicopter or drone. It shows miles of scenery or cityscape from above, and while the subject may not be not visible, it communicates to the audience that they’re somewhere within that world.
3. 3. Aspect ratio: An aspect ratio describes the width and height of a screen or image. An aspect ratio consists of two numbers separated by a colon, the first number denoting the image’s width and the second its height. For example, an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 means the image's width is 1.33 times the size of its height. To eliminate decimals in this ratio, you can write it as 4:3 instead.
4. 4. Assistant director: The first assistant director is directly in charge of overseeing all department heads in a film production and ensuring that the entire cast and crew is working on schedule. From pre-production through post-production, the first AD plans both the daily schedule and long-term production timeline while also serving as a liaison between the director and the rest of the cast and crew.
5. 5. Best boy: A best boy is a crew member who serves as the chief assistant to either a gaffer or key grip. When the best boy works with the gaffer (the head electrician and chief lighting technician), they are the best boy electric. When they’re second to a key grip (head of the grip crew), they are the best boy grip.
6. 6. Bird's eye view: A bird’s eye view shot from high in the sky looking down on a subject and/or their surroundings. Also called an overhead shot.
7. 7. Bridging shot: A bridging shot is a shot that indicates the passage of time between two scenes, like a montage of seasons or newspaper headlines changing.
8. 8. Call sheet: A call sheet is a daily filming schedule created by the assistant director on a show or movie. Based on the director’s shot list, a call sheet contains important details of a production like the location, the cast call times (what time to arrive for work), and the shooting schedule. The document is distributed to all cast and crew before each new day on set so they know when to be on set and where to go.
9. 9. Camera angle: A camera angle is the position at which the camera is pointed at the subject in a shot. You can film from wide angles, low angles, high angles, or eye level.
10. 10. Camera movement: Camera movement refers to how you move the camera in a scene, which shapes the audience's perception of the action, controls how the narrative unfolds and influences the film's stylistic tone. Some examples of different kinds of camera movements are aerial shots, dolly shots, and pan shots.
11. 11. Camera operator: The cameraman, or camera operator, is responsible for setting up the camera equipment, as well as framing and capturing footage. They know which types of cameras, lenses, and gear will achieve the director’s vision. They collaborate with other film crew departments to establish all of the scene elements to execute the director’s orders. They work with the first assistant camera to pull focus and make sure the shot stays clear.
12. 12. Camera shot: A camera shot is how much space the audience sees in a particular frame. Cinematographers choose specific camera shots to portray things about a character, setting, or theme to the audience.
13. 13. Cinematographer: A cinematographer, also known as a director of photography (often shortened to DP or DoP), is the person responsible for creating the cinematic look of a film. A cinematographer works with the camera and lighting crew to make sure that the camera is capturing the action in the way that the director intends.
14. 14. Cinematography: Cinematography is the art of photography and visual storytelling in a motion picture or television show. Cinematography comprises all on-screen visual elements, including lighting, framing, composition, camera motion, camera angles, film selection, lens choices, depth of field, zoom, focus, color, exposure, and filtration.
15. 15. Close-up: A close-up shot is a type of camera shot size in film and television that adds emotion to a scene. It tightly frames an actor’s face, making their reaction the main focus in the frame.
16. 16. Computer-generated imagery (CGI): Computer-generated imagery is the blanket term used to describe digitally-created VFX in film and television. These computer graphics can be 2D or 3D, but CGI is generally referenced when talking about 3D VFX. The most talked-about process in CGI is 3D modeling—the creation of a 3D representation of any object, surface, or living creature.
17. 17. Coverage: Coverage refers to the collection of shots that you need to gather during filming in order to edit together a coherent scene during post-production. For example, when shooting a two-person scene, your coverage may consist of five different shots: a master shot, a pair of over-the-shoulder shots, and a pair of close-ups of each speaker.
18. 18. Craft services: Craft services provide catering and snacks for the talent and crew during filming.
19. 19. Crane shot: A crane shot is any shot from a camera mounted on a robotic crane, a piece of equipment that looks like a mechanical arm. Cranes are capable of lifting the camera high in the air and moving it in any direction which means that a crane shot may also incorporate all other types of camera movements (like a dolly, truck, pan, tilt, etc.). A cinematographer may use a crane shot to sweep up and over the action in a scene. Crane shots are sometimes called "jib shots," although a jib is smaller than a crane and more limited in its movement.
20. 20. Cross-cutting: Also known as parallel editing, this editing technique cuts between the action happening in two simultaneous scenes as they progress. Editors use cross-cutting to establish that multiple scenes are occurring at the same time.
21. 21. Cross-fade: A cross-fade is an editing technique that refers to a sound fading in while the previous sound is still fading out. It is often used during lap dissolves or other fading transitions.
22. 22. Dailies: Dailies are the unedited footage for a movie or TV show that is collected at the end of each day for viewing by select above-the-line members of the film crew. Watching the day's raw footage allows the creative team to assess the progress and quality of the shoot so they can adjust their plans going forward if they need to.
23. 23. Deep focus: Deep focus refers to a technique where all elements of an image—foreground, middle ground, and background—are all in sharp focus. This technique helps directors imbue their shots with detail, like with scenes that involve important activity in both the foreground and the background of the picture.
24. 24. Depth of field: In simplest terms, depth of field is how much of your image is in focus. In more technical terms, depth of field is the distance in an image where objects appear “acceptably in focus” or have a level of “acceptable sharpness.” Controlling the amount of the photo that is in focus is one of the photographer’s best tools to help draw the viewer’s eye where you want it.
25. 25. Diegetic sound: Diegetic sound is any sound that emanates from the story world of the film. The source of diegetic sound doesn't necessarily need to be seen on screen, as long as the audience understands that it is coming from something within the film.
26. 26. Dolly shot: A dolly shot is a filmmaking technique that helps directors and cinematographers add depth to a scene with smooth camera movements and background effects.
27. 27. Establishing shot: An establishing shot is the first shot of a scene that lets the audience know the setting for what they’re about to watch. Setting includes place and often time—both time of day and potentially time in history.
28. 28. Extreme close-up: An extreme close-up shot is a more intense version of a close-up, usually showing only the eyes or another part of the face.
29. 29. Extreme long shot: Also known as an extreme wide shot, this shot is filmed from an extremely distant vantage point. That extreme distance is intended to make the subject look small or insignificant within their location.
30. 30. Fade-in: Fade-in is a type of dissolve edit where a transition fades from a blank screen to a picture.
31. 31. Fade-out: Fade-out is a type of dissolve edit where a transition fades from a picture to a blank screen.
32. 32. Film crew: A film crew refers to all the workers on a production who work together to find, capture, arrange, and produce the different elements of a film. From the dolly grip to the director, every crew member on a film shoot plays a unique part in the filmmaking process.
33. 33. Film industry: The film industry refers to all the companies, studios, and people who work to produce a range of entertainment for audiences all over the world. In the United States, “Hollywood” is synonymous with the film industry.
34. 34. Film production: Also called principal photography, production is the stage of actual filming. Actors perform on camera, camera crews capture the action, lighting crews illuminate the set, sound crews capture audio, and creative designers oversee costumes, makeup, props, and scenery. The director oversees the entire operation. Production is preceded by pre-production, and followed by post-production.
35. 35. Film set: A film set is a specified location in which the current shoot is taking place. A film set can be an existing location or a set built at a location or sound stage.
36. 36. Filmmaker: A filmmaker is most often referred to as a film’s director, though anyone who has a hand in making films can consider themselves a filmmaker. A director determines the creative vision of a feature film. They have complete artistic control of a project. In addition to having a strong grasp of technical knowledge taught in directing classes, they must also have a personal or emotional connection to the material.
37. 37. Focal length: Focal length is the distance between the point of convergence of your lens and the sensor recording the image.
38. 38. Fourth wall: For an actor performing on a stage, there are three “walls” around them—the back of the stage and the two sides. The fourth wall is the invisible wall that exists beyond the edge of the stage, which separates the actors from the audience or the camera (if on film). When an actor breaks the fourth wall, they acknowledge the existence of the audience and speak to them directly.
39. 39. Frame rate: Frame rate is the speed at which a sequence of images is displayed on a screen. When cameras record video, they rapidly snap still photos that can be played back in sequence to create the appearance of motion. High frame rates capture more images per second, which makes for smoother video. Low frame rates capture fewer still images per second, which makes for choppier video. Frame rate is measured by the number of frames per second, commonly abbreviated to fps.
40. 40. French New Wave: The New Wave (in French, La Nouvelle Vague) is a film movement that rose to popularity in the late 1950s in Paris, France. The movement aimed to give directors full creative control over their work, allowing them to eschew overwrought narrative in favor of improvisational, existential storytelling.
41. 41. Front-of-the-camera: Front-of-the-camera refers to the performers, setting, or action being filmed in front of the lens.
42. 42. Gate: A film gate refers to the rectangular opening of a film camera where the film receives light exposure.
43. 43. High-angle shot: A high-angle shot looks down on a subject, giving the audience a sense of superiority to the subject.
44. 44. Hitting a mark: When an actor hits their mark, they move to a designated spot on set to execute an action, speak dialogue, or both. If an actor misses their mark, the take might not be usable and the scene will be reshot.
    
45. 45. Jump cut: A jump cut is an editing technique that cuts between two sequential shots. In these shots, the camera position doesn’t change (or only changes a small amount), but the subjects move, giving the appearance of jumping around the frame. Jump cuts give the effect of moving forward through time.
46. 46. Last looks: Right before a scene starts filming, there will be a call for “last looks,” which is a signal to hair and make-up to provide any final touches to the performer.
47. 47. Lavalier: A lavalier microphone, also referred to as a lav mic or clip mic, is a small, discreet microphone attached to the performer's body to pick up sound during filming.
48. 48. Logline: A logline is a one-sentence description of the premise of a film, including its conflict and a brief description of its main character. It should hook your audience into the story of the film, teasing them to watch your film to find out what happens.
49. 49. Long shot: A long shot, also known as a wide shot or a full shot, shows the subject within their surrounding environment. It tells the audience who is in the scene, where the scene is set, and when the scene takes place. Long shots allow actors to use their physicality and give the director a lot of space in which to work.
50. 50. Long take: A long take is a type of tracking shot without jumps or cuts to different angles that authentically imitates the way characters would move through space in real life.
51. 51. Looping: Looping is when a performer dubs new dialogue over the original production track during an ADR session while they watch a looped scene of themselves.
52. 52. Low-angle shot: A low-angle shot looks up at a subject, giving the audience a sense of inferiority to the subject.
53. 53. Magic hour: Sometimes called “golden hour,” this refers to the 30 minutes or so before the sun sets because the light has a warm, golden hue.
54. 54. Makeup: Makeup refers to the department that applies makeup to the performers to help them portray their roles more authentically. Different types of makeup artists may work on different aspects of an actor’s look.
55. 55. Master shot: The master shot is filmed from a vantage point that encompasses the action of a scene and keeps all major players in view. The master shot may be a long, medium, or even close-up shot, and the camera might even move throughout the scene.
56. 56. Matte: Matte refers to the static, painted landscape in the background of a live-action scene that gives the illusion of a sprawling environment. One of the famous examples of a matte painting used as an optical composite is the Emerald City landscape in The Wizard of Oz (1939).
57. 57. Medium shot: A medium shot, also called a mid-shot or waist shot, is a type of camera shot that shows an actor approximately from the waist up. A medium shot is used to emphasize both the actor and their surroundings by giving them an equal presence on screen. The director of photography uses a medium shot to clearly show the actor's face and emotions while still informing the audience of what’s going on in the world around them.
58. 58. Mise-en-scene: Mise-en-scène is a term used to describe the setting of a scene in a play or a film. It refers to everything placed on the stage or in front of the camera including people. In other words, mise-en-scène is a catch-all for everything that contributes to the visual presentation and overall “look” of a production. When translated from French, it means “placing on stage.”
59. 59. Montage: A montage is an editing technique that combines a series of short shots or clips into one sequence, often set to music. Montage sequences often imply the passage of time or multiple simultaneous events and are a vehicle to present the audience with a lot of information at once.
60. 60. Motion picture: Motion picture was one of the earliest terms used to describe film, which is in essence a moving picture.
61. 61. Off-screen: Off-screen, abbreviated in scripts as “O.S.”, refers to any action, dialogue, or sound that takes place outside the visible scope of the camera.
62. 62. One-shot film: A one-shot film (sometimes referred to as one-take, single-shot, or continuous shot film) is a feature film that is captured with one long take and a single camera.
63. 63. Pan: A pan shot is a horizontal camera movement where the camera pivots left or right while its base remains in a fixed location. The term “pan” comes from the word “panorama,” which describes a view that is so vast that you have to turn your head to see the entire vista. Similarly, a camera pan expands the audience's point of view by swiveling on a fixed point, taking in a wider view as it turns.
64. 64. Pick-ups: Pick-ups refer to any additional scenes or footage that is gathered after the initial filming of a scene.
65. 65. Point of view: Point of view, or POV, is the eye through which you tell a story.
66. 66. Point-of-view shot: A point-of-view shot shows the action through the eyes of a specific character. Essentially, it lets the audience become that character.
67. 67. Post-production: Post-production is the editing of audio and visual footage to create a film. A film editor assembles footage shot by shot, adds music (either original or licensed), and incorporates other visual and sound effects. These elements are woven together to create a multisensory experience we call a movie.
68. 68. Reaction shot: A reaction shot is a shot that cuts away from the action currently happening on screen to capture the reaction of a character to the action.
69. 69. Reverse angle: Reverse angles are shot from a 180-degree angle from the previous shot.
70. 70. Reverse shot: A reverse shot refers to a shot in which a character is speaking to another unseen character.
71. 71. Screener: A screener is an advance copy of a film that is sent to a variety of industry professionals, such as actors, producers, and awards panelists.
72. 72. Screenwriter: Most movies begin with a script. A screenwriter produces that script, either from an original idea or by adapting an existing text.
73. 73. Screenplay: A screenplay is the script for a film that outlines exactly how the story unfolds, including exterior shots, dialogue, character actions, and more. A film production brings the material in the screenplay to life, from casting, to set design, to photography.
74. 74. Shallow focus: Images shot in shallow focus tend to feature sharply defined foreground figures and blurry backgrounds, making them perfect for close-ups and brief shots with minimal visual information.
75. 75. Shot list: A shot list is a detailed list of every camera shot that needs to be captured in a scene of a production. The shot list is created by the director and the cinematographer during pre-production and outlines the precise specifics of every shot—such as the camera, shot size, and shot type—so the cinematographer and assistant director know exactly what needs to be captured to tell the story visually.
76. 76. Sides: Sides are a small sample of relevant dialogue and actions for the talent to perform, which can help the casting director envision a particular actor as the character or rule them out altogether.
77. 77. Slate: Also known as a clapperboard or slate board, a slate is a filmmaking tool used during film production to help synchronize the audio and video in post-production.
78. 78. Slow-motion: Slow-motion is when a scene is shot to appear like the action is occurring very slowly for dramatic or comedic effect. You can achieve a slow-motion effect by capturing footage at a frame rate higher than the rate you use during playback. For example, shooting a movie scene at 120fps and then playing it back at the standard movie frame rate of 24fps produces slow motion.
79. 79. Sound effects: A sound effect is a specific sound added to a moment or scene to further immerse the audience in the manufactured world. Sound effects can make a setting feel natural, evoke emotions, and overall enhance the cinematic experience.
80. 80. Sound mixer: A production’s sound mixer (also called the location sound mixer) is the senior-most sound position during pre-production and production. They serve as sound recordists during filming, and are responsible for recording and balancing the audio effects on set.
81. 81. Special effects: Special effects, or SFX, are achieved in real-time during filming; examples include pyrotechnics, fake rain, animatronics, and prosthetic makeup. This term is not to be confused with visual effects, or VFX, which are added after shooting in post-production.
82. 82. Steadicam: A Steadicam is a camera-stabilizing system used to capture tracking shots with motion picture cameras. It isolates the camera operator’s movement and makes the shot look smooth and controlled, capturing the action without any wobbles.
83. 83. Stop-motion: Stop-motion is an animation technique where you photograph static objects in a frame, moving them around in small increments while photographing each individual frame at a time. When these single frames are put together, they show a unique style of playback that depicts the illusion of movement, much like a digital flipbook.
84. 84. Storyboard: A storyboard is a visual outline of a film (be it a short film or feature film) or animation. It’s an important part of the preproduction process and consists of a series of images that show everything that’s going to happen in your finished piece.
85. 85. Superimposition: A superimposition involves placing one image over another within the frame. It is a technique most often used in dissolves.
86. 86. Take: A take is a single shot within a scene, from action to cut.
87. 87. Telephoto lens: A telephoto lens isolates a subject from its background, making a subject appear closer than it actually is.
88. 88. Tracking shot: A tracking shot is any shot in which the camera physically moves sideways, forward, or backward through the scene. Tracking shots usually last longer than other shots, follow one or more moving subjects, and immerse the audience in a particular setting.
89. 89. Treatment: A treatment is a one-page document that presents the story idea of your film before you write the entire script. Treatments are often written in the present tense with narrative-like prose, and highlight the most important information about your film, including title, logline, story summary, and character descriptions.
90. 90. Two-shot: A two-shot is a shot that includes two subjects in the frame. They can be next to each other, or have one in the background and one in the foreground—as long as the emotional reactions of the two subjects are visible at the same time.
91. 91. Video village: Video village refers to the area of the set, often a series of monitors hooked up to the camera, where key film crew can view what is being captured on film from a distance.
92. 92. Visual effects: Visual effects (VFX) is the creation or manipulation of any on-screen imagery that does not physically exist in real life. VFX allows filmmakers to create environments, objects, creatures, and even people that would otherwise be impractical or impossible to film in the context of a live-action shot. VFX in film frequently involves the integration of live-action footage with computer-generated imagery (CGI).
93. 93. Voice-over: Voice-over is a production technique where an off-camera actor or person records dialogue for use in a film, TV show, documentary, announcement, or commercial during the post-production process. Productions use voice-over narration to provide additional context to the visuals or as a form of guided narration.
94. 94. Wide-angle: A wide-angle is a camera angle in which the subjects closer to the camera will appear larger than the subjects further away.
95. 95. Zoom shot: A zoom shot describes when the subject in the frame is slowly magnified for dramatic effect. With a dolly zoom, the camera zooms out as the dolly pushes the camera toward the subject in this type of shot. The dolly zoom shot can bring the background closer or make it seem farther away while the subject on-screen remains the same size, creating an optical illusion.

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