Multimedia Technology: Glossary of Terms
The terms "multimedia," "new media," and "digital multimedia" are just a few of the terms used to describe a relatively new and broad subject area that combines traditional image-production techniques (like film and video) with an understanding of digital images, the computers and software used to produce them, and the networks through which they can be shared. This glossary draws from each of these areas in hopes of providing a birds-eye view of this emerging discipline.
If you would like further information about multimedia, contact Todd Stabley at the CIT.
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8-bit
For digital stills and video, this is a measure of color depth and refers to images composed of 256 possible colors. 8-bit images can be handled efficiently by most computers, but are not usually photo-realistic, since the human eye is able to distinguish approximately 12-14 million distinct colors and shades. An 8-bit video display setting on a monitor is often referred to as VGA. For audio, 8-bit is highly compressed and is usually contrasted to 16-bit, the sampling rate for most CD-quality sound.
16-bit
For digital images, refers to images composed of roughly 65,000 color combinations, which in some instances can approach photo-realistic quality. A 16-bit video display setting on a monitor is often referred to as "high color."
For audio: 16-bit is the sampling rate for CD-quality sound.
24-bit
Refers to images composed of 16.7 million possible color combinations. A 24-bit video display setting on a monitor is often referred to as "Truecolor."
ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line)
An emerging standard for connecting to the Internet that allows for very high rates of data transfer.
AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format)
The audio format native to Macintosh computers.
Alpha Channel
A channel used to store additional information about an image besides color, such as information about how transparent the image is—or a section of it (such as layers in a Photoshop document). An image can contain more than one alpha channel, but each channel requires an additional 8 bits of information and so can add substantially to file size, especially for high-resolution images. Thus, a Truecolor (24-bit) image with an alpha channel would be a total of 32 bits.
Anamorphic Lens
A lens whose optical magnification properties are different along different radii so that an image seen through the lens is distorted. These lenses are used to translate images from one aspect ratio to another.¹
Animation
Bringing digital media presentations and graphics to life through movement. Animation can be achieved through programs as simple as PowerPoint, or through higher-end applications like Macromedia Flash and Director, Adobe After Effects, and specialized 3D applications such as 3D Studio Max or Maya.
Antialiasing
The blurring of hard edges to create the appearance of smoothness. Most commonly used with respect to graphics, especially text.
Aperture
A measure of the width of the opening allowing light to enter a camera. Higher apertures allow more light to enter a camera, hence darker scenes can be recorded. Conversely, lower apertures allow less light to enter, but have the advantage of creating a large depth of field. See also shutter speed.
Artifact
Unwanted and annoying distortions in an image caused by compression, digitization, or the malfunction of imaging equipment. Most people are familiar with the blocky areas of color created when converting images to JPEG format for use on the Web.
ASF (Active Streaming Format)
A Microsoft file format for digital video playback over the Internet, or on a standalone computer. Acts as a "wrapper" around any of a number of compression types, including MPEG. Part of Netshow, a proprietary streaming media solution from Microsoft. Biggest competitor is Real Networks. While this "wrapper" support many standard formats, ASF files are themselves proprietary.²
Aspect Ratio
The ratio of the width of a film frame to its height. Now often 1.85 to 1, in the "studio era" it was 4 to 3 (the 1.33:1 "Academy ratio" still used for TV). Wider ratios like Panavision (2.2:1) and Cinemascope (2.55:1) are closer to what our eyes actually see, but need increasingly anamorphic lenses for photography and projection, and are difficult to translate to television. (The usual "solutions" to this problem are either to chop off the sides of the widescreen frame or, during the credits, where all the words are necessary, to use an anamorphic lens to squeeze them in; this lens stretches the height of the images we see--for example, the horses and riders in the opening credits of video versions of The Wild Bunch).¹
Assembly
The assembling of the scenes and sequences of a film into approximately the order they appear in the script. See also editor, fine cut, and rough cut.
Asset
The components, such as video, audio, and scripts, that are used as part of a multimedia project.
Audio
The term "audio" is synonymous with sound and is used more in TV production than in motion picture production; as in "audio/video" ("sound-and-picture").
AVI (Audio Video Interleaved)
A Microsoft format for digital audio and video playback from Windows 3.1. Somewhat cross-platform, but mostly a Windows format. Has been replaced by the ASF format, but still used by some multimedia developers.²
AVID
Manufacturer of a popular non-linear editing system, and the name of the system itself.
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Back Projection
A technique in which action is projected on a screen behind live actors. A popular early use of back projection was to simulate out-of-control car rides. See also travelling matte shot.
Background Artist
A person responsible for designing or constructing the art placed at the rear of a set.
Bandwidth
A measure of the amount of data that can travel through a network. Usually measured in kilobits per second (Kbps). For example, a modem line often has a bandwidth of 56.6 Kbps, and an Ethernet line has a bandwidth of 10 Mbps (10 million bits per second).
Barn Doors
Hinged doors mounted on a light, which may be positioned to direct or block off light.
Bit Rate
The number of bits transmitted per second. A 56 Kbps modem, for example, can transmit roughly 56,000 bits per second.
Boom Microphone
A pole-like device used to project the microphone over a set, and out of camera range, to pick up the sound of dialogue. It can be quickly lengthened or shortened according to need, and pointed in any direction as required. May also be called a fishpole or fishpole boom.
Bottlenecks
Points on the network at which data transfer rates slow because of inadequate routers, switches, cables, or other equipment. Because of the tremendous amount of data they involve, video and audio can be especially prone to bottlenecking. The slowed data transfer rates associated with bottlenecking are sometimes referred to as network congestion.
Buffering
A process used as a part of streaming media technologies whereby a certain amount of data is fed into the player (such as the RealPlayer) to allow it to begin playing before fully downloading the file.
Byte
One of the basic units for measuring digital information, especially relevant to understanding storage capacity on computer disks. 8 bits comprise a byte. Roughly 1000 bytes equals one kilobyte. 1000 kilobytes is one megabyte or meg. 1000 megabytes is a gigabyte.
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Cable Modem
A device that allows computer data to be transferred through the cable wire common in most households. Cable modems allow for fast transfer rates in comparison to traditional (28.8, 56k, and even ISDN) modems.
Cache
Has a number of specialized meanings, but the most common refers to the computer memory that stores information that is most frequently used. Usually stored in a special section of the main memory or in a separate device, this data can be retrieved much faster than if the computer has to find it on the hard drive.
Camera Angle
The angle at which a scene is photographed. The terms "high angle," "low angle," and "wide angle" are based on an imaginary norm which roughly corresponds to a 35mm camera with a 2-inch lens pointed at a scene from about eye level with the actors.
Camera Crew
The group of crew members who, variously, set up, load, operate, assist, focus, and move the camera.
Camera Operator
The person who operates the camera. Works closely with the director, and sometimes is the director himself.
CIF (Common Intermediate Format)
A 320x240-pixel size for digital video. Replaced Quarter Common Intermediate Format (QCIF), often disparagingly compared to the size of a postage stamp, as the most common standard for use on the Web. CIF is the size most often used on the Internet today.
Cinematographer (Director of Photography or DP, First Cameraman or Lighting Cameraman)
The artist or technician in charge of photography. His or her expertise with lights, lenses, cameras, film stock and processing establishes the "look" and "mood" of a film. He or she typically works in close consultation with the Director.
Cinepak
A video compression CODEC developed by Apple for use in QuickTime movies and often used for web-based delivery. Though Cinepak can create highly compressed files, it sometimes results in annoying artifacts.
Clip
A (usually short) media segment such as an audio or video file incorporated within a larger context such as a web site or a PowerPoint presentation.
Clean Speech
A take in which all dialogue was performed without error.
Close-Captioned (CC)
A system which displays the current dialog on screen for deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers. Contrast with subtitles.
Close-up (CU)
A tight shot that close enough to show an actor's head and upper torso.
CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and blacK)
A color model used when working with print-based images that describes colors as mixtures of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink. CMYK is contrasted to the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) color model, which is used when working with images intended for electronic presentation, such as on computer monitors, televisions, and LCD screens. CMYK and RGB are also called "color spaces," because each defines it own color gamut or range of colors that it can represent. Since CMYK has a narrower color gamut than RGB (it can reproduce fewer colors accurately), it is important that images intended for print be defined as CMYK images so that what appears on the screen when editing can match the final printed output.
CODEC (Coder/Decoder)
A mathematical system for compressing (encoding) and decompressing (playing back) a video or audio file. CODECs can be hardware or software-based, or both. Hardware CODECS are often more efficient, but the trade-off is that not all users will have the special hardware needed to play back the file.
Color Correction
In imaging, this refers to the process of matching the colors in a digital reproduction of an image to an analog original, such as a photograph. Adobe Photoshop is the standard application for color-correcting images. In film, this refers to adjusting the final print so that colors match from shot to shot, regardless of the film stock and camera used.
Color Depth
Refers to the number of possible color combinations for an image. It is a function of the bit depth, or bit resolution, of the image. (See 8-bit, 16-bit, and 24-bit.)
Color Space
A scientific model for understanding color and color combinations. The two main color models are CMYK (for print-based images) and RGB (for transparent media such as film, television, and computer monitors).
Compression
The process of reducing the size of a media file by eliminating data. Higher compression means that the compression utility (usually a software program or a combination of hardware and software) defines greater amounts of data (such as larger areas of an image) as redundant, but at certain points the human eye will register the missing information as quality loss. The trade-off is that highly compressed images can be delivered more efficiently over a network.
Cut
A stop in the action, or, in editing, the place where one shot moves to another. The completed version of a film is sometimes called a "cut." "Cross-cutting" refers to parallel action that is edited together to represent action happening simultaneously in different places or from different angles.
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DAT Recorder (Digital Audio Tape Recorder)
A medium used for recording and storing high quality audio such as interviews and sound effects from the field.
Data Rate
An attribute assigned to a media file by a compression utility. It is a measure of the amount of digital information transmitted in a given unit of time—usually a second. Thus, a video could be encoded to play back at a rate of 500 kb/s. The data rate set for a file is usually influenced by the limitations of the target delivery medium. CDs, for instance, generally have a maximum transfer rate of 300 kb/s.
Data Rate Limiting
A function of some media editing applications that allows you to ensure even data transfer rates by placing a ceiling on the data rate for a media file.
Data Rate Spiking
Media files--especially uncompressed ones--generally have uneven data rates in that some areas of the file are more complex and require more bytes of digital storage. This means that a processor needs to work harder to play back those areas, and sometimes can't keep up. These denser areas of digital information that sometimes hamper performance are called data rate spikes.
Decoder
A piece of hardware or software that is used to convert video or audio (typically) from the digital form used in transmission or storage into a form that can be viewed.²
Deep Focus
An effect in which objects both near to and far away from the camera are in sharp focus. It is achieved through small apertures in the camera lens. Orson Welles and his cinematographer Gregg Toland pioneered this effect in Citizen Kane.
Depth of Field
A measure of the range along a camera's line of site in which objects will be in focus. See also aperture, shutter speed.
DHTML (Dynamic HyperText Markup Language)
An extension of HTML supported only by 4.0 and later browsers that allows for interactivity and more advanced presentation of web pages.
Diffusers
A thin material placed in front of lighting units to soften and disperse light.
Digital Compositing
A technique whereby separately filmed or digitally generated components are combined through digital editing. Contrast with Optical Printing.
Digital Audio
Audio that has been encoded in a digital form for processing, storage, or transmission.²
Digital Editing
Editing a portion of a movie by digitizing one or more frames and altering them electronically or combining them with other digitized images, and then printing the modified frame.
Digital Theatre Systems (DTS)
A digital soundtrack standard that competes with Dolby digital and SDDS.
Digitize
To convert analog (wave-based) media into digital format (zeros and ones) so that they can be understood by computers. Also known as "capturing," and sometimes "encoding." Digitization of video is usually accomplished with add-on devices for computers known as "Video Capture Cards," although firewire ports, which are increasingly becoming a standard on out-of-the-box systems for both Mac's and PCs, can perform this function. Audio can normally be digitized through standard sound cards that come with most computers.
Dissolve
An editing transition in which one shot fades out as the next fades in, so that both are briefly superimposed. In a lap (or overlap) dissolve, different parts of the frame dissolve at different times.¹
Dithering
Smoothing color transitions for images with limited color palettes by mixing adjacent pixels of a similar color.
Documentary
The term documentary was first used in 1926 by John Grierson (the British pioneer of non-fiction film) to mean "the creative treatment of actuality." In general, we use the word "documentary" for films intended to describe and explain their subjects, and to inform the audiences.¹
Dolby Noise Reduction
A noise reduction and sound enhancement processes in competition with DTS and SDDS.
Dolly Shot
A shot taken by a camera mounted on a mobile platform, or dolly. The dolly may move on rubber wheels or on a special track set up for the scene. It may dolly in for a close-up or dolly out by rolling away from the subject. Or it may simply roll alongside a moving character, in what is often called a tracking shot. Today stabilized hand-held steadicams can achieve a smoothness almost as good as a dolly's.¹
Download
To move a digital file (such as a media file) from a server where it is stored to a local system for viewing or editing.
DPI (Dots Per Inch)
A measure of image resolution.
DRM (Digital Rights Management)
A technology that allows content owners to determine and control who and how users can view content such as media files on the Internet. The UNC-Chapel Hill Digital Libraries Project relies heavily on Digital Rights Management.
Dubbing
The technique of combining multiple sound components into one. Can also refer to automatic dialog replacement of another language.
Dutch Angle, Canted Angle Shot, Dutch Tilt
A shot composed with the horizon not parallel with the bottom of the frame. Used extensively and frequently by Orson Welles.
DVD (Digital Video Disk)
An emerging medium for storing large amounts of digital data, most notably movies encoded using MPEG-2 compression (a CODEC designed especially for use with DVDs). DVDs can hold several gigabytes on a single disc. Most CDs by contrast can only hold 600 megabytes each.
DVD-RAM
Refers to writable DVD disks. Analogous to CD-R and CD-RW, but with several times the storage capacity of these older formats. Special drives are required for writing onto blank DVD-RAM disks.
DVD-ROM
A drive capable of reading DVD disks. DVD-ROM drives are usually backward-compatible, which means that they are also capable of reading CD-ROMs and audio CDs.
DVD-Video
A standard that combines DVD disks, MPEG-2 video compression, and any of a number of high-quality audio formats to create a movie that is stored and played back on computers and on DVD players designed for home entertainment centers.
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Editing
The selecting and joining together of shots in the way they will appear on the movie screen. The work progresses from assembly to rough cut, then fine cut, at which point the sound editor is usually brought in.
Embed Tag
An HTML tag used to place a media file (such as an audio, video, or Flash file) into a web page. The embed tag defines an area on the page in which the media file will appear if it involves graphic elements, helps the browser understand what type of file it is, and specifies other information as well, such as whether the file will play automatically when the page loads. Embedded media are contrasted to media controlled through a separate player, such as when the RealPlayer pops up over your web browser to display a video.
Encoding
The process of compressing a media file for a specific purpose, such as streaming on the Web, One can encode a file that is in analog form (such as a VHS tape) or one that is already digital (such as the signal on a Mini-DV tape).
Establishing Shot
A full shot used to open a new scene. It shows significant details and characters, so that viewers can get their bearings before the camera focuses more tightly.
Extreme Close-up (ECU)
A shot that is even tighter than a close-up, such that only part of the subject can be seen (a pair of eyes).
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Fade
A smooth, gradual transition from a normal image to complete blackness (fade out), or vice versa (fade in).
Fast Motion
A shot in which time appears to move faster than normal, usually achieved by deleting frames (called "skip frames").
Feature Film (Feature)
A movie lasting 60 minutes or longer and intended for theatrical release. Contrast with Short.
Fill Light
Soft lighting that is used to supplement the main light, called key light. Fill light is used to control unwanted dark or shadowy areas on the set or on an actor.
Film Grain
The tiny particles of light-sensitive material on film stock that record images. Finer grains are less visible, and so offer higher image resolution and what some would consider higher picture quality. However, they are less sensitive, and so require more light and/or longer exposure time than higher speed films. The coarser grains of higher speed films allow a faster shutter speed and have a pronounced grainy look that can sometimes be a desirable stylistic choice.
Firewall
A security measure that prohibits users in certain local area networks (LANs), such as one belonging to a corporation, from receiving or sending certain types of digital content. Some firewalls prevent the transmission of audio and video files.
Fish-eye Lens
An extremely wide-angle lens that encompasses as much as a 180-degree plane of vision or even greater. The wider the coverage, the more distorted the image appears at the edges of the frame.
Focus
The sharpness of an image, or the adjustments made on a camera necessary to achieve this. On film crews there is usually an individual who is in charge of focus, called the focus puller.
Foley (Foley Artist, Foley Editor)
The technician in charge of creating and editing the ambient sounds and auditory special effects for the sound track that make actions appear authentic or emphasize them in a comic manner.
Frame
In the world of film and photography, this refers to one of the many individual images that comprise a roll of exposed film. In the digital world it refers to one of the many discrete still images that comprise a digital video or animation file.
Frames Per Second (fps)
The number of video frames displayed each second (also called frame rate). Most people perceive continuous motion at about 17 fps. A common standard for video delivered over the web is 15 fps, which reduces file sizes substantially (since most video is shot at roughly 30 fps) but still but allows for fairly smooth motion.
Freeze Frame
A stylistic effect in which the motion of a film sequence appears to halt--an effect created by reprinting a single frame of film repeatedly.¹
Full Duplex
Sending data in both directions at the same time. Usually higher quality, but requires more bandwidth. In video conferencing, full duplex will be much more natural and useable. Cheap speakerphones are half duplex, whereas more expensive ones are full duplex.²
Fullscreen
A way of viewing images in which the content (such as a CIF video file) is accommodated to the size of the monitor you are using. This can result in noticeable distortion if the data rate of file is low, as for video's intended for delivery via standard modems.
Full Shot
A shot long enough to encompass the action taking place before the camera in its entirety.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
The process of moving files back and forth between a server and a local computer.
Full Motion
Refers to NTSC-quality video—a video signal that is 30 fps, and at least 640x480 pixels in size.
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Gaffer
The person responsible for wiring and electricity on the set.
Gamma
A measure of the brightness of a digital image (adjustable in image editing programs), or a measure of the relative brightness of a computer monitor. Typically, PCs and Mac's have different gamma values, the upshot of which is that images appear brighter on Mac's than they do on PCs.
Gatekeeper
A gatekeeper controls access to an H.323 network, managing elements such as authentication, bandwidth allocation, tracking and billing.
Gateway
Provides a link between the H.323 world and other video conferencing systems. A common example would be a gateway to a H.320 (ISDN) video conferencing system.²
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)
A file format commonly used for images on the Web. GIFs are especially suitable for images composed of relatively few colors, such as logos or vector graphics.
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H.320
A standard for video conferencing via dedicated ISDN lines. H.320 is being eclipsed by H.323 (Internet-based) video conferencing because H.320 is typically more expensive.
H.323
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standard for videoconferencing over networks that do not guarantee bandwidth, such as the Internet. H.323 is a common standard used in the education community.²
Halftone
A way of printing continuous-tone (photographic) images with various size dots. The printing is normally done through a screen.
High-angle Shot, or Down Angle
A shot which views the subject from above. This angle tends to diminish the relative stature or power of the subject.¹
High-key Lighting
A style of lighting that is bright and even, with few shadows and little contrast. Used generally in comedies, musicals, and light entertainment films.¹
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)
The system through which web pages are transmitted over the Internet.
HTTP Streaming
A form of streaming (popularized by QuickTime) in which media files begin to play before they are downloaded entirely. This means that they can be sent via HTTP and don't require specialized server software such as RealMedia files do. (RealMedia files use a specialized protocol called RTSP and require content providers to have a special server application installed.) Also called Progressive Download.
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IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force)
A group that develops and publishes new standards for use on the Internet.
Indeo
A family of video compression CODECs developed by Intel. Indeo video files tend to be high in quality, but also higher in file size, than other CODECs.
Insert (Insert Shot)
A shot that will be edited into the final version of the movie. Insert shots often are close-ups or extreme close-ups that serve to explain or illustrate. An example could be a close-up of a projected slide that an actor refers to.
Interframe
A video frame that is compressed by comparing it to adjacent frames in order to find data that remains similar over time, such as the background behind a talking head. This type of compression is also called Temporal Compression.
Related terms: Intraframe, Compression
Interlaced
Images that are displayed progressively as they download. Interlaced images appear to come into focus gradually in contrast to images that are not interlaced, which are drawn from top down as they download.
Intraframe
A video frame that is compressed, much like an image file, by finding blocks of similar color that can be grouped together. This type of compression is also called Spatial Compression.
Related terms: Interframe, Compression
IP (Internet Protocol)
IP is the basic language of the Internet. It was developed by the government for use in connecting multiple computer networks.²
ISP (Internet Service Provider)
A company that allows users to dial in to the Internet usually through a modem. Other services ISPs often support include web hosting, the ability for users to maintain their own websites, and email.
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Java
An object-oriented programming language that is platform independent (i.e., works on Windows, Mac OS, Linux). Java is often used to write "java applets," which are small applications that can be embedded into web pages, giving the pages sophisticated functionality.
JavaScript
A fairly simple programming language compared to languages like Java and C++ developed by Netscape that allows web authors to give functionality to web pages. Common functions created with JavaScript are image rollovers (an image that changes when you scroll your mouse over it), browser detection, and pop-up windows.
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
Refers to an image file format popular for delivery over the Web because of its relatively high quality and low file size. Before uploading JPEGs to the Web, users can determine the amount of compression assigned to them-usually on a scale from 1 to 10. Recommended file type for photographic images.
Judder
An instability that results from conversion between frame rates. It can be accentuated when frames are repeated or deleted in order to obtain slow motion or fast motion.
Jump Cut
A deliberately abrupt transition between scenes or shots which disrupts continuity of time or space.¹
Keyframe
When digital video files are compressed, the software uses certain frames as reference points or guideposts for how the encoding will be done. In animation programs, such as Flash or AfterEffects, the designer selects keyframes that represent significant turning points in the presentation.
Key Light
The main light used for illumination of a subject.
Kiosk
A booth or stand containing a computer that is used for a single purpose, such a video installation in a museum or an ATM machine. The presentations running on these computers are authored by multimedia developers with programs like Macromedia Director.
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Letterboxing
A technique marked by black strips at the top and bottom of a screen image that allows for video or film shot at wide aspect ratios to be viewed on devices such as standard televisions that have squarer shapes.
Level
A term used in sound recording in reference to the intensity of the signal being captured. Setting the levels too low can result in ambient noise, and setting them too high may cause distortion.
Lock It Down
A direction given by the assistant director for everyone on the set to be quiet.
Long Shot
A shot in which the object of principal interest is distant from the camera, often used to place a person within his or her environment.
Lossless
Describes a type of compression for image files in which data is not lost. Thus, files compressed using a Lossless CODEC retain the quality of the original, uncompressed file.
Related terms: Lossy, Compression
Lossy
Describes a type of compression in which some image data is thrown out in an effort to reduce file size. Files compressed with a lossy CODEC can never be restored to their original quality level.
Related terms: Lossless, Compression
Low-angle Shot (Up Angle)
A shot in which the subject is seen from below, emphasizing or enhancing the subject's importance.
Low-key Lighting
A form of lighting characterized by shadows, high contrast, and mystery. Contrast with High-key Lighting.
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Medium Shot
A shot that is tighter than a long shot and wider than a close-up, including, for example, an actor from the knees or waist up. It was heavily used in the classical Hollywood style.
Medium Close Shot
A shot that is tighter than a medium shot but wider than a close-up.
Medium Long Shot
A shot that is wider than a medium shot but tighter than a long shot.
Microphone (Mic)
A device which converts sound into electrical impulses, usually for recording or amplification.
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
A standard for connecting electronic musical instruments and computers. MIDI files can be thought of as digital sheet music, where the computer acts as the musician playing back the file. MIDI files are much smaller than digital audio files, but the quality of playback will vary from computer to computer.²
Mise-en-scène
From the French, translated as "things put in the scene." Refers to the visual look and feel of all the elements that appear within the frame (setting, props, lighting, actors, costumes, etc.).
Mixing
In live recording, refers to combining sound from different microphones, such as narration and ambient sound. The sound technician responsible for mixing often uses a device called a "mixer," which allows him or her adjust the balance and levels of sound from these different sources. In editing, this also refers to combining more than one recorded soundtrack in the finished product.
Montage
This French term for "editing" refers to a series of brief scenes used to quickly establish a mood or a dramatic setting.
Motion Capture
An animation technique based on the motion of a real actor or object. See also rotoscoping.
Motion Control
A camera setup which records the motion of a camera during a shot so that visual effects can be easily synchronized with the photographed scene.
Moving Shot (Truck Shot)
A shot taken from a camera mounted on something that is moving.
MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group).
MPEG is a series of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards for digital video and audio, designed for different uses and data rates.
MPEG-1: a standard designed to allow for playback of video on CD. VCDs are encoded with MPEG-1. This format has dimensions of 352x240 pixels, and is sometimes considered comparable to VHS in quality. The bit rate of a standard MPEG1 is 1.5Mbps. Included in MPEG-1 is a popular standard for audio called MP3 (MP3 is technically MPEG-1 layer 3)
MPEG-2: the standard for DVD video. Supports higher data rates than MPEG-1.
MPEG-7: an emerging standard for describing multimedia objects so that they can be accessed in a database. MPEG-7 will allow users to access video based on elements such as instances of a particular color or shape.
Multipoint Conferencing Server (MCS), Multipoint Conferencing Unit (MCU)
A hardware or software H.323 device that allows multiple video, audio, and/or data conferencing users to connect together. Without an MCS typically only point to point conferences can take place. Commonly supports voice activated switching, where whomever is talking is broadcast to all users, but new systems support "Hollywood squares", where multiple windows show each participant. ITU-T standard H.231 describes the standard way of doing this. Many current systems only support H.320 (ISDN) but many vendors are working to upgrade their products to support H.323 (LAN, Internet) as well. In the H.320 space, this functionality is referred to as a multipoint control unit (MCU). Sometimes these terms are used interchangeably, although they refer to somewhat different implementations.²
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Non-linear Editing
The computer-assisted editing of video without the need to assemble it in linear sequence. The visual equivalent of word processing.
NTSC
The video input signal formats used in North America and Japan. Full-sized NTSC has a display rate of 60 fields per second (30 interlaced fps), and 525 total lines (480 visible) per frame.
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Open (or Open-frame) Composition
A style in which the frame seems not to include everything. Other elements enter and exit, implying that there is a larger world outside.¹
Overcranking
In early days film was fed through the camera by a manual cranking process. When the camera operator turned the crank too quickly, the frame rate was increased, which caused the action to seem sped up. Contrast with Undercranking.
Over-the-Shoulder Shot
This type of shot looks over the character's shoulder to see what he sees, though not exactly as he sees it. (The shoulder may still be visible in the edge of the frame, to remind the viewer of being outside the character and somewhat detached.)¹
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PAL (Phase Alternating Line)
The European standard for television transmission.
Palette (Color Palette)
The set of colors used to display a digital image.
Pan
A shot taken by a camera moving horizontally.
Pan and Scan
A process by which significant action in film is determined on a shot-by-shot basis, and less significant parts are eliminated. A way of compensating for television's narrow aspect ratio when transferring film to video. Contrast with Letterboxing.
PDF (Portable Document Format)
A proprietary document format from Adobe that preserves formatting such as specific fonts and graphics by embedding them into the file. PDF files are created with Adobe Acrobat.
Pixel
A single unit of screen information: one of the colored "dots" that make up a video image. Depending on the display mode, a pixel may require 8 bits/1 byte of information (for 256, or VGA, color mode), 16 bits/2 bytes (for "high color" mode) or 24 bits/3 bytes (for "true color" mode).
PNG (Portable Network Graphics)
An image file format designed for the Web. Supported by Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 and Navigator Navigator 4.04 and later.
Progressive Download
Another term for HTTP streaming.
Point of View (POV, POV Shot, First-person Camera, Subjective Camera)
A camera angle which represents the view of a character in the film: what that character sees.
Post-Production (Post)
Work performed on a movie after the end of principal photography, such as editing and digital compositing.
Pre-Production (Pre)
Scouting locations, constructing sets, arranging for lighting, planning special effects, editing the script--all the arrangements that precede filming a production.
Presenter
A person, often well-known, who introduces a production on screen or via voice-over.
Principal Photography (Principal Filming, Principal, Shoot)
The shooting of the components of a film that involve the lead actors.
Production
The process of filming all of the essential material for a production.
Production Assistant (Set Production Assistant, PA, Gopher, Personal Assistant, Assistant To, Assistant To Producer)
A person responsible for odd jobs on the set, either for the production as a whole or for individual actors or film makers.
Production Breakdown
An outline of work to be done on a production meant to increase efficiency.
Production Designer
An artist responsible for designing the overall visual appearance of a movie.
Production Illustrator
A person responsible for drawing the storyboards and anything else that needs to be drawn during the production of the movie.
Related terms: Storyboard Artist, Illustrator
Prompter
A person who supplies actors with the their lines if they forget.
Props
Short for "properties." The furnishings used to create a set or prepare a location for shooting.
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QCIF (Quarter Common Intermediate Format)
A 160x120 pixel format for video (one-quarter the resolution of a CIF window).
QuickTime
A digital audio and video file-format and architecture developed by Apple Computer, Inc.. Can be viewed on most computing platforms.
QuickTime VR (QTVR)
A part of the QuickTime architecture that allows 360-degree interactive panoramas to be developed and viewed.
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Rack Focusing
Abruptly shifting the focus during a stationary shot from one plane of depth to another, often from one character to another, so that the viewer's attention will shift to the sharper image.¹
Reaction Shot
A shot (usually a close-up) that shows a character's response to what we have just seen in the previous shot.¹
Real Time
A transmission that occurs right away, without any perceptible delay. Very important in video conferencing, as too much delay will make the system unusable.²
RealMedia
One of the first CODECs for delivering streaming video over the Internet. Like other CODECs, RealMedia (comprised of RealVideo, RealAudio, and other file formats created by Real) use compression algorithms for eliminating data that can be considered as extraneous or not as important as other information. RealMedia and Windows Media are the two most widely used technologies for streaming video today.
Reflectors
A surface used to reflect light toward something that needs to be illuminated, such as when photographing a person's face. Reflectors can be purchased or constructed cheaply with aluminum foil and a backing material such as cardboard.
Resolution
The number of pixels in a given space, usually measured as dots per inch (DPI). Also, the number of dots per inch used by an output device.
Retake
The re-shooting of a scene.
Reverse Angle
A shot of the action from the opposite perspective.
RGB (Red Green Blue)
The most widely-used color model for images displayed on electronic screens. It is based on the color subtraction that results from shining white light through a colored medium such as a slide. Contrast with CMYK.
Room Tone
The audio characteristics of a space in which recording takes place. A sound recordist will typically make a recording of the natural ambient "silence" in a set/location for when silence is required. Inserting this recorded "silence" will sound more natural in the finished production than complete absence of audio.
Rotoscoping
An animation technique for tracing images of live action, often a part of motion capture.
Rough Cut
A "draft" of a film that follows assembly but precedes final cut.
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Safe Area
Areas outside what will appear in the final product but still visible through the camera's viewfinder. Film crew members such as sound technicians operating boom microphones who are entering this space can be warned that going further will ruin the scene.
Saturation
The relative amount of color or of a particular color in an image. Saturation can be adjusted in image and video editing applications, such as Photoshop.
Scrim
Wire mesh used to reduce the intensity of a light without diffusing it.
SECAM
The video format used in France and some other countries. SECAM has 625 lines total, 576 lines visible per frame, and has a frame-rate of 25 frames per second.
Second Unit
A small, subordinate crew responsible for filming shots of less importance, such as inserts, crowds, scenery, etc.
Set
An environment used for filming. When used in contrast to location, it refers to one artificially constructed. A set is constructed to make filming easier but still appear natural.
Set Decorator
The person responsible for furnishings, drapery, interior plants, and anything seen on indoor or outdoor sets.
Set Designer
A person under the art director responsible creating the movie's physical environments.
Short
A film of less than 60 minutes, sometimes as short as a few minutes. Contrast with Feature Film.
Shot (Take)
Frames recorded in a single continuous run of the camera. In filming, this includes everything from when the camera starts to when it stops. After editing, a shot refers to the footage left in that strip of film, which is then put together with other shots to make a scene.¹
Shutter Speed
The length of time for which a single frame is exposed. Slower shutter speeds allow more light to enter the camera, but allow more motion blur. See also aperture, depth of field.
SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language)
A markup language based on XML that allows you to create and stream web-based presentations composed of multiple media types, such as images, text, video, and audio.
Sony Dynamic Digital Sound (SDDS)
A noise reduction and sound enhancement process. Competes with Dolby Digital and DTS.
Sound Designer
The conceptual chief of a movie's soundtrack, responsible for designing and creating the audio component of a movie.
Sound Editor
A member of the sound crew who performs editing on the soundtrack.
Sound Effects
Auditory effects created in the studio and added to a production later.
Sound Mix
The process of combining individual audio tracks into the final soundtrack for the production.
Sound Mixer
The audio engineer who performs the sound mix.
Soundstage
The acoustic environment where sets are constructed. Soundstages provide control over sound, lighting, security, and other variables film makers need to control.
Special Effects (SFX)
Artificial effects created on the set, as opposed to those created in post-production.
Stock Footage
For reasons of simplicity, time, or budget, some shots in a film may duplicated from other films or a film library. Such shots are called stock footage.
Stop Motion
A form of animation in which objects are filmed frame-by-frame and altered slightly in between each frame.
Storyboard
Illustrated panels representing each scene in a production. Used as a basis for actual shooting.
Streaming Media
Video or audio transmitted over a network that users can begin to play immediately instead of waiting for the entire file to download. Typically a few seconds of data is sent ahead and buffered in case of network transmission delays. (Although some data is buffered to the hard drive, it is written to temporary storage and is gone once viewing is complete.) RealMedia and Windows Media are two common streaming formats²
Subtitles
Words layered over a film, usually toward the bottom, which provide translation of the dialog for non-native audiences. Contrast with Close-Captioned.
SureStream
A technology developed by RealNetworks through which a video or audio file can be encoded simultaneously for multiple bandwidth settings.
Surround Sound
A sound system which creates the illusion of multi-directional sound through speaker placement and signal processing. See also Dolby, SDDS, DTS, THX.
Swing Gang
A group within the art department that construct and take down a set. The head of the swing gang is a leadman. Contrast with grips.
Related terms: Carpenter
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T.120
T.120 is an ITU-T standard (International Telecommunications Union) for document conferencing. Document conferencing allows two or more people to concurrently view and edit a document across a network. T.120 is the commonly used name to refer to a family of distinct standards. Many video conferencing companies were developing their own implementations of this until Microsoft released its free NetMeeting software. Now, many companies are using NetMeeting, while perhaps enhancing it in some way.²
Take
A single continuous recorded performance of a scene.
Talent
A colloquial way of referring to actors.
Tape Recorder Operator
A member of the sound crew responsible for operating the audio recording equipment on a set. See also boom operator.
Teleconferencing
Two or more people who are geographically distant having a meeting across a telecommunications link. Includes audio conferencing, video conferencing, and/or data conferencing.²
Temporal Compression
Adjacent frames are compared to each other in order to find data that remains similar over time (such as the background behind a talking head). The similar data is then eliminated to reduce file size and speed delivery over networks.
Related terms: Interframe, Intraframe, Compression
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)
TIFF files are lossless, meaning the compression they apply to an image doesn't create artifacts that can degrade the appearance of the image. TIFF files are often used for archiving high quality versions of an images, such as images intended to be reproduced in print or studied digitally in minute detail.
Related terms: Compression, Artifact, JPEG
Tilt
Moving the camera on a vertical plane. Contrast with Pan.
Time Lapse Photography
A form of animation in which numerous single frames are filmed spaced at a given interval to show a process that would take a very long time to occur (i.e., a flower blooming or the motion of the stars).
Title
Any written material which appears on a film and is not a part of an original scene, including:
Credits: Titles that designate the actors in a film and the technicians who made it.
Crawls or creepers: A title, often carrying the names of the cast of a film, which creeps slowly round on a large unseen drum in front of the camera. Sometimes called roll-ups, credit rolls, or scrolls. Called crawls or pan titles if they move horizontally past the camera lens.
End or tail credits: The title(s) which bring the film to an end.
Head titles or credits: The titles at the beginning of a film, which usually include the main title; the title carrying the name of the film itself.
Subtitles: Titles appearing in the main body of a film, generally superimposed over the image near the bottom of the frame, to make a comment, explain or summarize, present the dialogue or commentary in a silent film, or most commonly to translate dialogue from a foreign language into the language of the audience. They are sometimes printed in a bold color or placed inside black boxes to facilitate easy reading.
Superimposed titles: Titles which are superimposed over a moving shot, and not on an artificial background.
Track
A single audio channel in a soundtrack.
Tracking Shot
A shot in which the camera follows the action along special tracks set up for that function.
Related terms: Dolly Shot
Trailer
An advertisement for a movie which contains scenes from the film. Historically, these advertisements were attached to the end of a newsreel or supporting-feature, hence the name. Doing this reduced the number of reel changes that a projectionist would have to make.
Transcoding, Transcoder
Converting a data stream from one format to another, such as MPEG 1 to H.263, or an H.320 videoconferencing session to H.323.²
Travelling Matte Shot
A shot in which foreground action is superimposed on the background. See also Back Projection.
Related terms: Bluescreen, Blue Screen
Truck Shot, Trucking Shot (Moving Shot)
A shot taken from a camera mounted on something that is moving.
Two Shot
A shot that includes two characters.
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Undercranking
In early days film was fed through the camera by a manual cranking process. When the camera operator turned the crank too slowly, the frame rate was decreased, which caused the action to appear to happen more slowly than normal. Contrast with Overcranking.
Unicast
Sending each user their own copy of a video (or other data) stream. As opposed to Multicast, where one copy is sent and whomever wants it listens to that copy. It is the most commonly used method for video conferencing and video on demand today. Multicast, which is much more efficient, is slowly gaining ground, but requires Internet Service Providers to support it.²
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VBR (Variable Bitrate Encoding)
A type of compression for video files in which areas of greater complexity are allotted higher data rates than other areas.
Vector Graphics
A graphics format optimized for the Web. Vector-based images store information about lines and curves rather than individual pixels. Thus, file sizes for vector graphics tend to be much smaller than for pixel-based images. Vector graphics are also scalable--they maintain resolution even when their display size is increased. Common file types for vector images are Adobe Illustrator files (.ai), and Macromedia Flash files (.swf).
VFW (Video for Windows)
An AVI-based application for playing video files on Windows machines.
VHS (Video Home System)
A popular format for VCR systems. See also DVD.
Video On Demand
Being able to view any of a number of videos when you want. Used on the Internet and at hotels, cable systems, etc.²
Video Server
A computer server that has been designed to store large amounts of video and stream it to users as required. Usually a video server has large amounts of high speed disks and a large amount of network bandwidth to allow for many users to simultaneously view videos.²
Visual Effects
Modifications to a film during post-production. Contrast with Special Effects.
Voice-Activated Switching
Automatically switching the video feed to whomever is speaking in a multipoint video conference. Usually a function of the Multipoint Conferencing Unit.²
Voice-Over
Indicates that dialog will be heard on a movie's soundtrack, but the speaker will not be shown. The abbreviation is often used as an annotation in a script.
Related terms: Voice Over, VO
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W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
The organization that develops standards for technologies used on the World Wide Web.
Whip Pan (Swish Pan)
An extremely fast pan, resulting in motion blur.
White Balance
A way of calibrating a camera's color response to take into account different color temperatures of light (i.e., fluorescent light is greenish; sunlight, more blue; incandescent light, yellowish). This calibration allows the camera to define what the color white is under any of these various lighting conditions. Failure to white balance could result in an unsightly, unnatural color cast. Many of the new higher-quality DV cameras on the market currently, such as the Sony VX-2000 or the Canon XL-2, have automatic white balancing features that are more reliable than were possible with previous cameras.
Widescreen
Technically, a particularly wide aspect ratio used for some films, but commonly used to describe content (such as appears on many DVDs) that displays at wider aspect ratios than are normally in use, such as on standard televisions.
Wild Sound (Wild Track, Wild Sound, MOS, Mit Out Sound)
Scenes that are filmed without the sound.
Windows Media
A system developed by Microsoft for streaming and playing back media files.
Wipe
An editing technique in which images from one shot are fully replaced by the images of another, delimited by a definite border that moves across or around the frame.
Working Title
The name by which a movie is known while it is being made. This is sometimes different from the title with which it is released.
Wrap (Windup)
To finish shooting, either for the day or the entire production.
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XDSL
Generic term for an emerging technology for digital high speed access by home users to the Internet.
Related term: ADSL
XML (eXtensible Markup Language)
An emerging standard for describing, or marking up, documents and data distributed on the Web. XML allows authors to create customized tags that can help them efficiently achieve their goals.
Zoom
A zoom shot is made with a zoom lens, a lens of variable magnification properties that allows a continuous movement from a wide angle shot to a close shot without moving the camera. The same effect can be accomplished in reverse, from a close shot to a wide angle shot. The zoom shot can be accomplished either manually or by a motorized zoom lens. See shot, zoom.
For further research into terminology associated with each area covered by this glossary:
digitalpostproduction.com Digital Video Glossary
Digital Video, post-production
IMDb Film Glossary
The world of movies, film, acting, and cinema-going
RealNetworks Digital Media Glossary
Real Media Streaming Technologies
Windows Media Glossary
Windows Media Streaming Technologies
Kodak Motion Picture Imaging Glossary of Film / Video Terms
Motion picture film and video (technical focus)
shortcourses.com Glossary of Digital Photography Terms
Digital Photography
Grantastic Designs Glossary of Graphic Design and Web Page Design Terms
Graphic Design
Video Conferencing Cookbook
H.323 video conferencing and network-based video
Learner.org Film Editing Glossary
¹ From: UNC-Chapel Hill English 42 "Introduction to Film Criticism" Glossary of Terms.
² From: Video Development Initiative's Video Conferencing Cookbook.
