A/V Terms & Vocabulary

A/V
 Abbreviation of Audio / Video
 Pixels
 The smallest "dot" on a Monitor or Image.
The PIXEL count is a measure of the
screens' maximum resolution.
690 pixels 67500 pixels
 Aspect Ratios
 4:3

 16:9
 Compression
 Video compression refers to reducing the
quantity of data used to represent video
images and is a straight forward
combination of image compression and
motion compensation.
 Chroma Key or Key(ing)
 A process which allows superimposition or replacement of
one video picture in a predetermined area of another one.
The first picture is photographed with an object or person
against a special, single-color background. The complete
color content of this particular signal is removed and the
second picture is inserted in the area where the background
was.
 Cross Fade / Dissolve
 A term used in video and audio editing* to describe a
procedure whereby one signal is gradually faded out while
a second signal is faded in until it fully replaces the first
signal.
 Digitizing / Capturing
 The act of transferring media from an
analog system such as magnetic tape to a
digital format on a computer. Modern DV
camera's record a digital signal onto a
magnetic tape but the term of transfering
that media to a computer is still called
digitizing.
 Firewire
 A Standardized cable used to connect video
equipment to computer equipment. It allows
for high-speed transfers and device control.
 Timecode
 A time code is a sequence of numeric codes
generated at regular intervals by a timing
system. Time codes are used extensively for
synchronization, and for logging material in
recorded media.
 Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames
 00:01:58:11
 Video File Formats
 AVI - Audio Video Interleaved. A computer graphics
animation format used in MicrosoftVideo for Windows.
 MOV - Format used by Apple QuickTime
 WMV - Format Currently Used by Microsoft
 FLV - File format used for Flash Video
 White Balance
 An electronic process used in video cameras to retain true
colors. White balancing is performed prior to recording a
specific scene. The camera is pointed at a white object (a
wall, for example) and controls on the camera are adjusted
until a hairline in the viewfinder is brought to a particular
point. This ensures that the tints in the videotape will be
natural.
High Definition vs. Standard Definition
 Pixel Count
 HD
 1080 - 1920×1080 - 2,073,600 Pixels
 720 - 1280×720 - 921,600 Pixels

 SD
 480 - 720/640×480 - 460,800 Pixels
 Frame Size
 High Definition & Standard Definition at
20% normal size
 Recording Formats
 SD - NTSC, PAL

 HD - HDCAM, HDCAM-SR, DVCPRO-

HD, D5-HD, XDCAM-HD, HDV and
AVCHD
 HDV
 HDV is a recording format that compresses
the video before it is recorded, this
extensive compression can cause motion
problems in the final Video called
Compression Artifacts.
 This generally only happens when shooting
fast movement.
Compression Arifacts
Basic & 3 point Lighting
 Subjective
 There is no right & wrong to lighting, there
is only what you can see and what you
can’t.

 There is one technique widly used called 3

Point Lighting
 Key Light
 The Key Light is the primary light in this setup and is
usually the largest brightest light. This light will give most
of the detail to our image but as you can see some of the
details on the left side of the face are indistinguishable.
 Fill Light
 The Fill Light is just as it’s name implies, it fills in the
details left out by the key light. This light also defines the
contrast to our image, a dimmer fill light will add contrast
to the picture.
 Key + Fill
 Here is the Key + Fill Lights this is almost what our final
image should look like, however as you can see the left
side of her face seems to almost disappear into the dark.
This is where we add a Back Light or Rimmer.
 Back Light
 This is the Back Light alone. As you can see this light just
gives the subject an edge so as to be distinguishable from
the background. This light is also important when using
the Green Screen to get a clean edge when keying. This
light is usually as intense or almost as intense as the Key
Light.
 Final Image
 Here is the Final Image, this now has our
Key, Fill, and Back Light.