Glossary of film and TV terms

NB: These terms appear in the glossary taken from Giannetti, Louis. 1993.
Understanding Movies (6th Edition). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.

Aerial shot. Essentially a variation of the crane shot, though restricted to

exterior locations. Usually taken from a helicopter.

Aspect ratio. The ratio between the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the
frame.

Available lighting. The use of only that illumination which actually exists on a
location, either natural (the sun) or artificial (house lamps).

Boom or mike boom. An overhead telescoping pole which carries a microphone,

permitting the synchronous recording of sound without restricting the movements
of the actors.

Cinemascope. A movie image which has an aspect ratio of approximately 5 by 3.

Cinematographer, also director of photography, lighting cameraman. The

film technician responsible for the lighting of a shot, and often for the actual
photography of a scene.

Cinéma Verité. A method of documentary filming using direct methods which

do not interfere with the way events take place in reality. Also used in a modified
way in some dramatic films.

Close-up. A detailed view of a person or object, usually without much context

provided. A close-up of an actor generally includes only their head.

Continuity. The kind of logic implied in the association of ideas between edited
shots. “Cutting to continuity” emphasises smooth transitions between shots, in
which space and time are unobtrusively condensed. In “thematic montage” the
continuity is based entirely on ideas, irrespective of literal time and space.

1
Crane shot. A shot taken from a special device called a crane, which resembles a
huge mechanical arm. The crane carries the camera and cameraman and can move
in virtually any direction.

Cross cutting. The alternating of shots from two sequences, often in different
locales, to suggest the sequences are taking place simultaneously.

Cutting. See Editing.

Cutting to continuity. A type of editing in which the shots are arranged in such
a manner as to preserve the fluidity of an action without showing all of it.

Deep focus. A technique of photography which permits all distance planes to

remain clearly in focus, from close-up range to infinity.

Dissolve. This term refers to the optical effect created in post-production of

fading out of one shot and the fading in of its successor, with a superimposition of
images, usually at the midpoint.

Dolly shot, tracking shot. A shot taken from a moving dolly or vehicle. Dolly
tracks may be laid on the set to push the dolly along to permit a smoother
movement of the camera.
Dubbing. The addition of sound after the visuals have been photographed.
Dubbing can be either synchronous or non-synchronous.

Editing. The joining of one shot (strip of film) with another. The shots can
picture events and objects in different places at different times. Editing is also
called montage.

Epic. A film genre characterised by bold and sweeping themes, usually in heroic
proportions.

Establishing shot. Usually an extreme long shot or long shot offered at the
beginning of a scene or sequence providing the viewer with the context of the
subsequent closer shots.

Expressionism. A style of filmmaking which distorts time and space as they are
ordinarily perceived in reality. Typical expressionist techniques include
fragmentary editing, a wide variety of shots (especially close-ups), extreme
angles, lighting effects, and distorting lenses.
2
Extreme close-up. A minutely detailed view of an object or person. An extreme
close-up of an actor generally includes only his eyes or mouth.

Extreme long shot. A panoramic view of an exterior location, photographed

from a great distance.

Fade. The fade-out is the slow or quick fade of the picture from normal
brightness to a black screen. A fade-in is the slow or quick brightening of the
picture from a black screen to normal brightness.

Final cut. The sequence of shots in a movie as it will be released to the public.

Flashback. An editing technique that suggests the interruption of the present by a

shot or series of shots representing the past.

Focus. The degree of acceptable sharpness and clarity in a film image.

Frame. A single photograph from a filmstrip.

Full shot. A type of long shot which includes the human body in full, with the
head near the top of the frame and the feet near the bottom.

Genre. A recognisable type of film which depends on certain established

conventions. Some of the most common American genres are westerns, thrillers,
musicals, and historical spectaculars.

High angle shot. A shot in which the subject is photographed from above.

High contrast. A style of lighting emphasising harsh shafts and dramatic streaks
of lights and darks.

High key. A style of lighting emphasising bright, even illumination, with few
conspicuous shadows.

Lens. A ground or moulded piece of glass, plastic, or other transparent material

through which light rays are refracted so that they converge or diverge to form the
photographic image within the camera.

3
Long shot. Includes an amount of picture within the frame which roughly
corresponds to the audience’s view of the area within the proscenium arch of the
legitimate theatre.

Long take. A shot of lengthy duration.

Low angle shot. A shot in which the subject is photographed from below.

Low key. A style of lighting emphasising diffused shadows and atmospheric

pools of light. Often used in mysteries, thrillers, and films noir.

Medium shot. A relatively close shot, revealing a moderate amount of detail. A

medium shot of a figure generally includes the body from the knees or waist up.

Mise-en-scène. The arrangement of volumes and movements within a given

space. In the cinema, the space is defined by the frame; in the legitimate theatre,
usually by the proscenium arch.

Montage. Transitional sequences of rapidly edited images, used to suggest the

lapse of time or the passing of events. In Europe “montage” means editing.

Motif. Any unobtrusive technique, object, or thematic idea that is systematically

repeated throughout a film.

Non-synchronous sound. Sound and image are not recorded simultaneously, or

the sound is detached from its source in the film image. Music, for example, is
usually non-synchronous in a movie.

Pan, panning shot. Short for ”panorama,” this is a revolving horizontal

movement of the camera from left to right or vice versa.

Point-of-view shot. Any shot which is taken from the vantage point of a
character in the film.

Reaction shot. A cut to a shot of a character’s reaction to the contents of the

preceding shot.

Realism. A style of filmmaking which attempts to preserve the space-time

continuum by emphasizing long shots, lengthy takes, and eye-level camera
placement.
4
Re-establishing shot. A return to an initial establishing shot within a scene,
acting as a reminder to the viewer of the physical context of the closer shots.

Scene. A unit of film composed of a number of interrelated shots, unified usually

by a central concern.

Sequence. A unit of film generally composed of a number of interrelated scenes,

and leading to a major climax.

Shot. Those images which are recorded continuously from the time the camera
starts to the time it stops. That is, an unedited, uncut strip of film.

Sub-text. A term used in drama and film to signify the dramatic implications
beneath the language of a play or movie. Often the sub-text concerns ideas and
emotions that are totally independent of the language of a text.

Swish pan. A horizontal movement of the camera around its axis at such a rapid
rate that the subject photographed blurs on the screen.

Synchronous sound. The agreement or correspondence between image and

sound, which are recorded simultaneously, or seem so in the finished print.
Synchronous sounds appear to derive from an obvious source in the visuals.

Tracking shot. See dolly shot.

Two shot. A medium shot featuring two actors.

Voice-over. A non-synchronous spoken commentary in a movie, documentary, or

commercial.

Wipe. A post-production optical special effect, which could be a line that travels
across the screen, pushing off one image and revealing another.

Zoom lens, zoom shot. A lens of variable focal length that permits the
cinematographer to change from wide-angle to telephoto shots (and vice versa) in
one continuous movement.

NB: These terms appear in the glossary taken from Giannetti, Louis. 1993.
Understanding Movies (6th Edition). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
5