TVF 200 MIDTERM EXAM DEFINITIONS 3/4 Shot Framing of a person or people from roughly the knees up. Also known as a knee-shot. 3200 K Color temperature of studio (tungsten/quartz halogen) lighting instruments. 5600 K Color temperature of daylight - (cloudless midday sunlight) Additive Primary Colors Also known as primary colors of light - Red, Green, and Blue. When all additive primary colors are combined, they create white light. Aperture Areas of visual importance Aspect Ratio Aperture is the size of the opening in the lens' IRIS, and is measured in f-stops. Typically, objects/subjects appearing in the right half of the frame tend to hold more visual importance than those in the left half. Also, the top half of the frame tends to carry more importance than the bottom half. The relationship of width and height (or rectangularity) of the frame (screen). Expressed in terms of width and height - e.g. 4:3 for standard definition video; 16:9 for HD widescreen. Autofocus An automatic camera function that attempts to find the best focus for objects appearing in the center of the frame. Back light Illumination from behind the subject and opposite the camera. Background light A light often added to the regular 3-point set-up, used to increase visibility of the background. Barndoors Adjustable metal flaps attached to the front of a lighting instrument. Used to control the spread of light. Browser Within the nonlinear editing workspace, the window that contains the selection of clips available in a project. Boom/Crane (Camera shot) Camera Report To move the camera up and down via a boom or crane. Written log of shots taken during a production. The camera report is useful in keeping track of what shots have been completed, as well as during postproduction when it is difficult to remember exactly what was shot during production. Cheap Clean exit/clean entrance Videotape is cheap. Motion picture film is not. Letting the shot continue on until the subject has left the frame entirely (clean exit), or rolling camera for a few seconds before the subject enters the frame (clean entrance). The practice of shooting clean exits and entrances makes for less continuity problems in editing. Clip An audio or video segment used in editing. In nonlinear (computer) editing, each clip is a separate file.
Close-up (CU) Object or any part of it seen at close range and framed tightly- with a headshot, a close-up usually shows the entire head and shoulders of the subject. Collaborative Art Artwork that requires the contribution of more than one individual artist. Film & Video are by nature collaborative art forms. Color Temperature Composition Relative reddishness or bluishness of light, as measured in degrees Kelvin. The norm for indoor video lighting is 3,200 K, for outdoors 5,600 K. The visual arrangement of objects and talent within the frame or screen. Composition is a combination of depth staging, proximity framing, prop placement, and camera placement. Coverage Shots of a particular scene or event from many different angles. Sufficient coverage is necessary for effective editing. Cowboy shot A shot that shows the talent roughly from the mid-thigh up. Cross Shot (X/S) Similar to over-the-shoulder shot, except that the camera-near person is completely out of the shot. CTB Color Temperature Blue. A specific gel color used to conform indoor/studio lights to the color of daylight. CTO Color Temperature Orange. A specific gel color used to conform daylight to the color of indoor/studio lights. CU See close-up. Cut Cutaway Deep Focus The instantaneous change from one shot (image) to another. 2. Director's signal to stop filming or taping of a shot A shot of an object or event that is peripherally connected with the overall event and that is neutral as to screen direction. Often used to intercut between two shots in which the screen direction is reversed. Also known as deep or great "depth of field". A shot where foreground, middleground, and background objects are all in apparent focus. Deep focus shots are typical of video, and do little to create an illusion of depth in a shot. Depth Staging Arrangement of objects on the video screen so that the foreground, middle ground, and background are each clearly defined. Diffused Light Light that illuminates an area with an indistinct light beam and produces soft shadows. Diffusion Material (gel or fabric) placed in front of a lighting instrument, used to produce an indistinct beam and soften shadows. Digital Signal that translates or encodes the original stimulus into a binary code consisting of 1's and 0's. Directional Light Light that illuminates an area with a distinct light beam. Directional light creates harsh, clearly defined shadows.
Dissolve A transition (usually used to express a change in time or place) that overlaps shots by simultaneously fading out one as the other fades in. Dolly ECU Editing ELS To move the camera toward (dolly in) or away from (dolly out) the object. 2. Camera support that enables the camera in all directions. Much "tighter" than a close-up. The extreme close-up shows only a specific part of the subject - in a headshot, the extreme close-up will frame part of the subject's face often with the chin and top of the head out of frame. The process of deciding what to include and exclude, deciding how to arrange various elements in a particular order, and attempting to convey a particular meaning trough the arrangement of elements The extreme long shot shows the subject from a great distance, in order to establish locale (establishing shot), relative insignificance of the subject, or vastness of the environment. Exposure In video, the creation of a video image in response to light striking the imaging device of the camera, and seen as relative lightness or darkness of the image. Fade The gradual appearance of a picture from black (fade-in) or disappearance to black (fade-out). Field One-half of a complete scanning cycle, with two fields necessary for one television picture frame. There are sixty fields per second, and thirty frames per second. Fill Light Additional light on the opposite side of the camera from the key light to illuminate shadow areas and thereby reduce falloff. Usually done with floodlights. Floodlight Lighting instrument that produces unfocused light. Focus A picture is in focus when it appears sharp and clear on a screen or in a viewfinder. Technically, the focus is the point where the light rays refracted by the lens converge. Foley FPS Frame Frame rate Improvised sound effects recorded from sources other than those they intend to represent. Frames Per Second. Modern sound motion pictures run at 24FPS. American Television (NTSC Video) runs at 30FPS displaying a total of 60 fields per second - (each frame made up of 2 fields) In video, a complete scanning cycle of the electron beam (two fields), which occurs every thirtieth of a second. It represents the smallest complete television picture unit. Also refers to what is seen on the screen in terms of composition. American NTSC video runs at the rate of 30 frames per second (60 fields per second), while modern motion pictures are shot at 24 frames per second. Antique silent films appear to be sped-up, because they were shot at lower frame rates (15-18fps) and played back at the faster rate of 24fps. f-stop The measurement of the Iris' aperture. A higher f-stop number means a smaller aperture (opening) in the Iris. E.g. f-2 lets in more light than f-11. Gel A translucent colored sheet of material designed to alter the hue of a light source. Guerrilla Filmmaking Shooting without regard to regulations, permits, ordinances, etc.
Headroom The space between the top of the head and the upper screen edge. High Angle High Definition Placing the camera above the eye level of the talent. Often used to enhance the illusion of the character's weakness or vulnerability. Video formats that offer higher image resolution than SD (Standard Definition) Video. While there are 480 visible vertical scan lines in SD, HD has 720 or 1080 lines of vertical resolution. Horizon Line Importing CD audio The line formed by the actual horizon or an imaginary line parallel to the ground at eye level. To import audio from a CD into Final Cut Pro, first you must make a copy of the CD track onto your scratch disk, eject your CD, and then import the copy from your scratch disk (external hard drive). Interlaced scanning The scanning process which combines the odd and even fields to produce a full video frame. Jump Cut An image that jumps slightly from one screen position to another during a cut. Kelvin Degrees The scale for measuring color temperature, or the relative reddishness or bluishness contained in white light. Key Light Keyboard shortcuts Principal source of illumination. Actions done with keyboard commands rather than with the mouse, leading to much more time-effective editing. For example, "J" "K" and "L" on the keyboard can make your footage:play in reverse, STOP, or Play forward respectively. Knee Shot Framing of a person or people from roughly the knees up. Also known as a 3/4 shot. Lavaliere A small microphone that is clipped onto clothing. ALSO CALLED A LAPEL MIC. Leadroom Lens The space left in front of a laterally moving object or person. A series of curved pieces of glass fitted within a cylindrical housing -- used to focus images onto the image sensing plane of a camera. For motion picture cameras this plane is the film. For video cameras it is the CCD. Linear editing An editing process which requires laying one clip down after another in sequence. Location The locale of a remote production. Logging and Capturing The process of selecting video and or audio clips and converting (digitizing) them into computer files. Long Shot (LS) Object seen from far away or framed very loosely.
Low Angle Placing the camera below the eye level of the talent. Often used to enhance the illusion of the character's power or imposing stature. Medium Shot (MS) Mise-en-scene Monitor Object seen from a medium distance. Covers any framing between long shot and close-up. Storytelling technique that emphasizes the arrangement of elements within the frame (to have meaning produced primarily through composition) - often complicated shots that last several continuous minutes reveal information in the mise-en-scene style. Video: high-quality video receiver used in the video studio and control rooms. Cannot receive broadcast signals. 2. Audio: speaker that carries the program sound independent of the line-out. Montage Noise Storytelling technique that emphasizes the arrangement of shots in relation to one another (to have meaning produced primarily through editing) Audio: unwanted sounds that interfere with the intentional sounds, or unwanted hisses or hums inevitably generated by the electronics of the audio equipment. 2. Video: electronic interference that shows up as grain or "snow." Nonlinear editing An editing process which allows the arrangement and rearrangement of clips in any order. Noseroom NTSC The space left in front of a person looking or pointing toward the edge of the screen. The television system used in the United States, and several other countries including Mexico and Japan. Stands for the National Television Standards Committee. Other worldwide systems include PAL and SECAM Over-the-Shoulder Shot (OTS) Camera looks over the shoulder of the nearest person (shoulder and back of head included in shot) toward another person. Pan Horizontal turning of the camera, while the camera remains in a fixed location. Persistance of vision The characteristic of the human eye that allows us to see still images shown in rapid succession as a continuous moving image. Picture Depth The depth dimension of a picture. While height and width of a picture have definite spatial limits, depth is an illusion and is virtually limitless. Pixel The smallest unit of a picture. Also known as a Picture Element. Postproduction Any production activity that occurs after the production. Usually refers to editing, effects, or audio sweetening. Powerful Areas Areas of the frame where more attention is focused. Horizontally, the right half of the frame; Vertically, the top half of the frame. Preproduction Prime Lens Preparation of all production details. A lens that is not capable of zooming in and out. Also known as a fixed-focal-length lens. A prime lens contains fewer elements (pieces of glass), and has the capability of offering superior optical quality.
Primary Colors of Light Also known as additive primary colors - Red, Green, and Blue. When all additive primary colors are combined, they create white light. Production Professional Progressive scanning The actual activities in which an event is filmed, videotaped and/or televised. This term refers to, more than anything else, the attitude or "character" of the project's personnel. Politeness, honesty, punctuality, dependability, humility, commitment, selflessness, integrity, and ethical behavior are all characteristics of a professional. Arguing, bickering, gossiping, backstabbing, cheating, laziness, greed, selfishness, conceit, and dishonesty are just a few obviously UNPROFESSIONAL characteristics. Always strive to be a professional. Sequential scanning, or non-interlaced video scanning. A video scanning system in which each scanning line follows its predecessor in a progressive fashion, rather than skipping intermediate lines to be filled in by the next field. Project file Properties Your Final Cut Pro project file merely references various clips that have been captured or imported. Destroying this file has no effect on your original clips. Also known as PROPS -- portable set elements ranging from things such as furniture, lamps, tables, etc. to HAND PROPS such as drinking glasses, forks, spoons, pens, phones, etc. Rack Focus Raw footage To change focus from one object or person closer to the camera to the one farther away, or vice versa. All of the material recorded by the camera. Much of the raw footage will not be used in the rough cut and final cut versions of the project. Raw footage would include slate shots and other excess footage. Record Inhibit Switch on video cassettes that prevents recording to tape. Reflected Light Rehearsal Light that is bounced off an object. Working through the actions of the performers and/or the camera PRIOR to actually shooting. Shots and scenes that are rehearsed are usually of much higher quality than those that are not. Rendering In nonlinear editing, the process where certain video clips, titles, or effects must be created by the computer. In complex situations, rendering can be extremely time consuming. Reveal shot RGB A shot that gradually reveals more information. Red, Green, and Blue. These are the primary colors of light, also known as "additive" primary colors. Color video separates its signals into these three colors. Color televisions use phosphor dots of these three colors on their screens - all colors can be made of combinations of Red, Green, and Blue. Rough cut The first unpolished edited version of the entire piece. ROYGBIV Rule of thirds Colors of the visible light spectrum. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. Colors of the rainbow. A composition technique that suggests a visual division of the frame into thirds, horizontally and vertically. Important visual information is placed along the imaginary dividing lines or, better yet, at the intersection of these lines. Scratch Disk In Final Cut Pro, the internal or external hard drive where all of your clips and files are stored.
Screen left traveling Movement of a subject across the screen from right to left. Usually indicates turmoil, danger, or delay of the character's objective. Screen right traveling Selective Focus Shallow Focus Shooting Ratio Slate Movement of a subject across the screen from left to right. Usually indicates normal progress of the story. Also known as shallow focus or shallow "depth of field". A shot where only objects at a specific distance from the camera are in focus, while other objects (closer or farther away) remain out of focus. Shallow focus shots mimic the focusing characteristics of the human eye and help to establish the illusion of depth in a shot. Also known as selective focus or shallow "depth of field". A shot where only objects at a specific distance from the camera are in focus, while other objects (closer or farther away) remain out of focus. Shallow focus shots mimic the focusing characteristics of the human eye and help to establish the illusion of depth in a shot. The amount of raw footage compared with the footage actually used in the final cut. Generally, a shooting ratio of 10 to 1 (meaning that for every 10 minutes of video shot, only 1 minute was actually used in the final piece) will indicate that ample coverage has been shot. Rehearsals are essential for keeping the shooting ratio down. A blackboard, whiteboard, electronic display, or paper upon which essential production information is written, such as the title of the show, date, and scene and take numbers. It is recorded at the beginning of each take. Spotlight A light instrument that produces directional, relatively undiffused light. Story A tale that includes a set-up (introduction of location, characters), conflict, and a resolution. Storyboard Preliminary drawings that attempt to show the intended framing and composition of camera shots or key visualization sketches of a shot or scene Super Short for superimposition. The simultaneous overlay of two pictures on the same screen. Take A particular version or attempt of a shot. Talent Television The Line Three-Dimensional Camera Moves Collective name for all performers and actors who appear on camera. Originally intended as an improvement to radio, television is by far the most successful and popular form of visual storytelling worldwide, easily surpassing motion pictures, theatre, radio, print, and other 19th century media. An imaginary line created by extending converging index vectors, or the direction of a motion vector. Also called the 180 line or vector line. "Crossing the Line" often results in a jarring change of screen direction. Camera movements which enhance the sense of depth are Dolly, Trucking(or Tracking), and Boom (or Crane) shots. Camera movements that DO NOT enhance depth are pan, tilt, and zoom. Three-Point Lighting Same as triangle lighting: the triangular arrangement of key, back, and fill lights. Tilt To move the camera's view vertically while the camera stays in one location. Timeline In nonlinear editing, the "workspace" window that is used for the arrangement of edited clips
Transition A visual device used to connect two separate shots. Cuts, dissolves, and wipes are examples of transitions. Tripod A three-legged camera mount. Trucking/tracking To move the camera laterally by means of mobile camera mount. Two-Shot Framing of two people in a single shot. Unidirectional The microphone can hear best from the front. Vector Line/180 degree line An imaginary line created by extending converging index vectors, or the direction of a motion vector. VTR White Balance Videotape Recorder. The adjustments of the color circuits in the camera to produce a white color in lighting of various color temperatures (relative bluishness or reddishness of white light). May need to be recalibrated when moving from outdoors to indoors or vice versa. Z-Axis Zoom Lens Indicates screen depth. Extends from camera lens to horizon. Variable-focal-length lens. It can gradually change from a wide-angle lens to a narrow-angle lens and vice versa in one continuous move. All television cameras are equipped with a zoom lens.