Photographers who want to extend into videography can usually develop into overwhelmed by the number of phrases that are distinctive to the filmmaking self-discipline. This glossary of videography phrases ought to help.
Photographers have their justifiable share of obscure phrases that describe the art work, nonetheless so do videographers. Not solely are there explicit phrases which have developed over time, nonetheless usually these phrases seek the advice of with the similar ideas of photos nonetheless are named totally in any other case. The result might be terribly difficult to newcomers who’re merely learning the craft.
The subsequent is a list of frequent phrases that are key to understanding videography and filmmaking. The itemizing underneath is in no way exhaustive and as we uncover additional phrases that we count on are essential to know, this itemizing will in all probability be recurrently expanded.
Widespread Videography Phrases in Your Digicam
Aspect Ratio. Very similar to photos, the aspect ratio is the ratio of the width to the height of an image or show display. This is likely to be expressed as 4:3, 16:9 widescreen, 2.34 to 1, and so forth.
Bitrate. Video and audio bitrate is often measured as the amount of knowledge a video transmits per second and is distinct from totally different measurements of video top quality resembling physique value, determination, or video compression. The higher the bitrate, the upper top quality of the audio and video. Consequently, the larger the file and heavier the bandwidth required.
Codec. A codec, or Coder/Decoder, will compress a video signal because it’s being written to a file. Quicktime, MPEG4, H.264, and HEVC are examples of ordinary codecs that compress and decompress digital video. RAW consists of the uncompressed digital data nonetheless is viewable so that it might be color graded.
Distinction Ratio. Very similar to dynamic differ, solely it refers to luminance. It is the ratio of the luminance of the brightest shade (white) to that of the darkest shade.
Dynamic Fluctuate. Dynamic differ describes the ratio between the brightest and darkest parts of an image, from pure black to brightest white. Measured in stops, the larger the dynamic differ, the larger the number of stops.
False Coloration. False color is a monitor instrument with which to study the publicity or over-exposure of an image. Adjusting for false color creates a definite color scheme to ensure particulars additional noticeable and will assist digicam operators alter the quantity and top quality of the sunshine hanging an image.
Physique Payment. That’s the velocity the digicam knowledge a scene, measured in frames per second (FPS), and refers again to the number of frames per second at which a scene is shot. The higher the physique value, the “crisper” making an attempt the image and the additional frames an editor has to work with to each velocity up or decelerate footage. Widespread Physique Payment Examples are 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, and 60.
Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG). Hybrid Log-Gamma is a kind of extreme dynamic differ format. Developed by the BBC, HLG transmits every HDR and customary dynamic differ knowledge proper right into a single signal, enabling HDR-compatible TVs to indicate an enhanced image, whereas SDR-compatible TVs can nonetheless present the video. It’s a way more atmosphere pleasant course of for broadcasters, who can avoid transmitting separate video alerts that are twice the bandwidth.
H.264/H.265. H.264 is a well-known video compression customary for high-definition digital video. Additionally known as MPEG-4 Superior Video Coding (MPEG-4 AVC). H.265 is the next period of that customary.
Log Gamma. Log, or log gamma, is often accompanied by a letter that denotes a corporation’s explicit “style” of log. Sony, Canon, and ARRI have all taken the idea of log and mapped a “log” gamma curve that pulls in all probability essentially the most knowledge off of digicam sensors. Sony calls its S-Log, Canon’s is C-Log, and ARRI’s is LogC, for example.
Log gamma is reasonably rather a lot like RAW in that additional seen data is recorded nonetheless it isn’t pretty as detail-rich as RAW and in consequence, doesn’t take up as rather a lot home nor does it require as high-speed a memory card to shoot. Log has white steadiness, color knowledge, ISO, and visual data baked into it, nonetheless the footage acquired’t look correct with out color utilized to it in post-production.
In log, the image is recorded with little or no distinction and is intently desaturated, nonetheless in alternate is able to file a wider dynamic differ. Any such data is much easier to work with by colorists and is method easier to make use of color correction to. Principally, editors may make log footage look exactly like they need it to.
RAW Video. RAW video is most interesting expressed as primarily equal to RAW photos, moreover a RAW video clip is made up of usually a complete bunch of RAW photos captured collectively. Briefly, it is the unprocessed data from a digicam’s image sensor. It’s value noting that in distinction to photographs the place RAW is taken into consideration a ought to for any extreme {photograph}, RAW video is so data-intensive that it is fully overkill for all nonetheless the highest-end productions. Most small and medium-sized productions that want additional administration over a scene’s color will as an alternative use what’s known as log gamma.
Shutter Angle. Shutter angle refers to shutter velocity capturing relative to the physique value. RED describes it as a conceptual relic of rotary shutters, the place a disc with an angled opening would spin and let in mild as quickly as per revolution to indicate each physique. The larger the angle, the slower the shutter velocity, all the easiest way as a lot because the limit of 360-degrees, the place the shutter velocity could develop into as gradual as a result of the physique value. On the totally different extreme, the shutter velocity might be made arbitrarily fast by reducing the angle.
T-Stop. That’s the cinema mannequin of T-stop and stands for the amount of sunshine that is allowed by the lens to the image sensor. Like F-stops, T-stops take note the proportion of sunshine that comes by a lens, though there is a distinction between the two. Briefly, T-stop is an exact examined value whereas an F-stop is a theoretical value.
Waveform. A curve exhibiting the type of a wave at a given time. So, in reference to video, this would possibly translate to a graphic curve depicting the extent, or voltage, of a video signal with respect to time, and is normally used to measure the brightness, or luminance, of the image physique.
Zebra. Zebra Stripes is one different monitor instrument that helps alter for publicity through the use of stripes overlaid on the projected image. It is a carry out that aids publicity by exhibiting a striped pattern over areas that are close to overexposure.
10-bit 4:2:2. Merely put, 10-Bit Coloration is a color system that provides 1,024 shades of color for each purple, inexperienced and blue subpixel for a whole of 1 billion colors. 4:2:2 is a 4×2 grid of each pixel the place 2 color pixels are recorded from the first row, and a pair of from the second row. This ends in rather a lot cleaner footage with color spherical edges that are additional outlined.
24p or 30p. The “P” stands for progressive and refers again to the digicam exhibiting the entire traces of a physique image, versus interlaced, which reveals every totally different line of an image physique at any given time and leaves persistence of imaginative and prescient to fill inside the gaps. Interlaced seize has all nonetheless been abandoned in current occasions.
Widespread Phrases for Video Modifying
Alpha Channel. Utilized in compositing (see underneath), the alpha channel is the data inside a video file that signifies what appears as clear. The alpha channel is depicted in black and white, the place the white parts of the alpha channel will reveal the image, and the black parts of the alpha channel will appear as clear.
Aspect Ratio. Very similar to its use in video seize, aspect ratio in enhancing refers to a video’s dimensions as expressed by a ratio resembling 4:3, 16:9, or 1.85:1.
Assembly EditB-Roll. Supplemental footage that isn’t centered on the first subject, nonetheless that may help you to decrease away. It provides seen component in assist of the scene or could be utilized to wash transitions.
Bumper. A bumper is a little bit of music that performs over the intro, outro, or transition of a scene. Bumpers usually remaining no more than 15 seconds.
Chromakey. Chromakey is the strategy of eradicating a dominant background color and altering it with video. Additionally known as “inexperienced show display” — though it might be any color — or “keying.”
Clear Plate. A shot of the video scene with out anyone in it, nonetheless containing the similar composition, lighting, and movement as the last word clip. Clear plates are used to merge clips collectively proper right into a composite.
Chilly Open. A narrative method the place a film is edited to level out movement with none context to rearrange the battle. The context of the battle is then outlined inside the film.
Coloration Grading. Coloration grading refers again to the comply with of adjusting the image specifically strategies to create a stylistic affect. Grading shouldn’t be confused with color correction, which makes footage from completely totally different cameras “match” sooner than grading.
Composite. A composite is a video image that comes with two or additional separate seen parts collectively on the show display. It is usually utilized in seen outcomes and could be often known as “comps.”
Compression. Compression is the strategy of eradicating repetitive data from a file, thereby compressing it to reduce its file dimension. Codecs compress the video image and would possibly make the importing and downloading processes to your video rather a lot sooner.
Cutaway. A cutaway is a shot that is used to maneuver an edit from a main shot to a special and is normally constructed from B-Roll.
Dailies/Rushes. The unedited footage that is previewed after being shot.
Foley. The tactic of recreating sounds for a scene and recording them. The one who does that is named a foley artist.
Ken Burns Impression. That’s the methodology of exhibiting nonetheless photographs in a sequence and panning all through the image digitally to simulate motion to tell a story with a nonetheless image. This course of was pioneered by documentarian Ken Burns.
Key. To key, or keying, is the strategy of eradicating a bit of a video scene and altering it with a definite one. That’s usually used with masking.
Letterbox. Letterboxing is the tactic of displaying a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio video on a 4:3 show display. When letterboxing,black margins appear above and underneath the video.
Lower Thirds. A lower third is a sort of title used usually to find out the person talking on the show display. It is used usually by the knowledge, sports activities actions, and streaming media.
Luma. That’s the white value of an image.
LUT. LUT stands for Lookup Desk. A LUT transforms color enter values (digicam) to your required closing, predetermined look, and would possibly protect your image fixed from shot to shot, and even from digicam to digicam. On some cameras and recorders, the LUT might be preloaded and utilized all through recording.
Grasp/Mastering. This refers to an export of a video edit for a selected determination. A video is also shot in 8K nonetheless designed to export in a lower determination, resembling 6K. That export is named a grasp, and exporting it is known as mastering.
Matte. A matte is utilized in photos and explicit outcomes filmmaking to combine two or additional image parts proper right into a single, closing image. Mattes usually determine what must be seen from the footage. Garbage mattes are a troublesome draft of talked about matte.
Montage. An enhancing method that selects and objects collectively separate scenes to tell a story in sequence.
NLE. NLE stands for Non-Linear Modifying and is often used to elucidate kinds of video enhancing software program program. Adobe defines NLE as “the strategy that enables the editor to make changes to a video or audio enterprise with out regard to the linear timeline. In numerous phrases, you’ll work on whichever clip you want in any order. It doesn’t matter if it lands at first, heart, or end of the enterprise.”
Pan and Scan. This is usually a method for adjusting widescreen film photographs so that they’re typically confirmed in standard-definition 4:3 aspect ratio. Pan and scan have steadily fallen out of use with the arrival of widescreen TVs.
Picture Lock. The final word mannequin of the video edit. Everytime you lock a picture, no extra edits will in all probability be accomplished sooner than the film is launched.
Proxies. Proxies are smaller duplicate data of a enterprise’s provide footage saved at a lower bit value. Proxy footage can “stand-in” for the larger, genuine provide data when the editor must assemble an offline edit of the scene using the smaller, proxy footage. They’re going to then conform to a closing edit using the distinctive provide footage.
Determination. Determination refers again to the exact number of horizontal and vertical pixels in a physique of video. It could be outlined as interlaced (meaning every totally different line is on the show display at any time) or progressive (all traces appear inside the physique). Fashionable examples embrace 1080p (1920×1080), 4K (3840 x 2160), or 8K (7680 × 4320).
Rotoscoping. Rotoscoping is an animation method that animators use to trace over motion picture footage, physique by physique, to offer sensible movement. Rotoscoping can be utilized to place that traced image into one different scene.
Saturation. Very like in photos, this time interval refers again to the depth of a color. The additional saturated, the additional extreme or glowing the color can look.
Sizzle Reel. A sizzle reel is a decrease of an edit that highlights work carried out for a client or group of purchasers and is normally created for promotional capabilities. Making a sizzle reel is good enhancing comply with.
Slug. This refers to a clear piece of audio or video. A placeholder.
Sound outcomes (SFX). Recorded sounds that are edited proper right into a scene to depict what a sound must be.
Sting. A single sound affect.
Take. A time interval utilized in filmmaking to elucidate a scene caught on digicam that includes the beginning and end of the movement captured.
Telecine. The tactic of transferring or scanning motion picture film into video, additionally known as scanning.
Timecode. – Time code is the code used to measure the time frame whereas taking photos audio and video. It is used to sync up a variety of clips so that the edit might be fixed.
Voiceover. Narration or dialogue that replaces the dialogue inside a scene.
Wipe. A sort of transition that strikes one scene to a special. Star Wars is thought for using all methodology of horizontal and vertical wipes to transition between scenes. Totally different transitions embrace fade to blacks, dip to white, and cross dissolve.
Widespread Videography Phrases Used on Set
Anamorphic: Capturing with an Anamorphic format is the cinematography technique of taking photos a widescreen picture on customary 35mm film or digital with a non-widescreen native aspect ratio. The image will look squeezed and need to be “de-squeezed” to appear common. Anamorphic footage generally reveals a singular lens flare, and JJ Abrams is one director who makes use of that flare reasonably rather a lot in his films.
Apple Area. A quick platform or area used to help even the height of actors in a scene. Apple packing containers can be found a variety of standardized sizes, along with full, half, quarter, and pancake.
Once more to One. Refers to going once more to the first place to reshoot a take.
Basecamp. The state of affairs the place the entire trailers and autos are positioned for a shoot.
Blocking. Blocking a scene refers to figuring out and dictating how the cast bodily interacts with each other and their atmosphere and consists of walk-through actions and dialogue.
Enhance. A progress refers to a microphone that is on the highest of a protracted pole and positioned merely outside the digicam physique and is used to file the dialogue.
Title Sheet. A sheet that signifies all people’s anticipated arrival time for a given shoot day.
Take a look at the Gate. An genuine film time interval that checked the film gate after a take as a technique to affirm that it was clear. In trendy filmmaking, it’s used to seek the advice of with reviewing the last few seconds of a digital take to verify that audio and video have been recorded.
Clapper. A clapper is a board that reveals key knowledge resembling scene amount, take director, cameraman, film roll, time, and so forth. It is positioned in entrance of the digicam to film sooner than the take and provides the editor reference. A clapper can be utilized to sync up the sound to the video as a result of the clapper audibly claps, which is straightforward to see in enhancing as a spike inside the audio monitor.
Continuity. A course of by which each half appears and sounds the similar from take to take. A continuity report is a list specifying each half that occurred when a scene was filmed, along with local weather conditions and digicam settings. That’s meant to forestall continuity errors from creeping in between takes or all through reshoots resembling a cigarette altering its dimension as a result of it burns, ice melting, or the photo voltaic transferring. That can also be known as the “continuity script”.
Craft Service. Refers again to the meals and drinks obtainable for the cast and crew.
Crossing the Z. Crossing the Z, in some other case known as crossing the street or the 180-degree rule, is when successive digicam angles are shot that cross an imaginary axis between two actors or characters. The first character depicted must on a regular basis physique correct of the second character. If this rule is broken, the viewers can develop into confused about room or scene orientation.
Crew Title. The time the crew must arrive on set, in some other case known as Title Time.
Crop in/Digital zoom. Very similar to optical zoom, a crop or digital zoom takes a portion of an image and makes it larger. Cropping could also be very commonplace with elevated determination cameras that are going to be launched — or mastered — in lower determination, resembling 8K to 4K or 4K to 1080p. By using the cropping of an image, you’ll create a second digicam angle.
Gaffer’s Tape. A selected kind of tape used on set. It is cloth-based, easy to tear, and is able to follow out leaving rather a lot residue when eradicated.
Scorching Set. A set that is prepared for taking photos or is ready to use and may hold that methodology until taking photos is wrapped.
Magic Hour. The hour sooner than daybreak and sunset with the warmest golden glow. All through magic hour, the sunshine is constantly altering as a result of the photo voltaic strikes relative to the horizon.
Martini Shot. Refers again to the ultimate shot of the day.
MOS. The tactic of taking photos a scene with out sound. Stands for the german time interval “mit out sound.”
OTS. An “Over the shoulder” shot.
Pan. A pan is transferring the digicam correct to left to each adjust to a transferring subject or to level out additional of the scene surrounding.
Determine-up Shot. This refers to getting part of one different take to grab one factor missed, with out re-shooting your total take.
Rack Focus. The tactic of transferring focus from one subject to a special whereas filming.
Reshoots. Filming scenes after a film has wrapped, usually to reshoot takes or add new footage.
Rolling. A time interval used to elucidate when a digicam is recording. Digicam operators will audibly state “rolling” to a director as an indication that recording has started and a scene is ready to begin.
Shot Guidelines. A listing of images the director must shoot that is broken down by digicam angles, completely totally different focal lengths, close-ups, giant images, and so forth.
Sticks. A slang time interval for tripods or mild stands.
The Fourth Wall. The fourth wall is printed as a result of the home between the on-screen actors and the viewers. Breaking the fourth wall is when an on-screen character speaks on to the viewers.
Tilt. A digicam switch each up or down.
Turning Spherical. Filming from the opposite method, which usually requires altering digicam positions and even lighting.
Video Village A location for purchasers and producers or studio executives, with shows obtainable to have a look at the filming.
Walla. Background sound made by extras having conversations, additionally known as “rhubarb.”
Wild Sound. Wild sound, or nat audio (fast for pure), is ambient audio from a location. Grabbing wild sound refers to recording ambient sound for a scene with out video. It can in all probability moreover seek the advice of with room sound, which is recording the sound of the environment of a set with no dialog for replicating that sound state of affairs in enhancing.
Wrap: The tip of filming, each for the day or totally. Actors could be wrapped, whereas the filming continues for others.
So there you should have it: a glossary of frequent and obligatory phrases utilized in videography and filmmaking {{that a}} beginner must end up to pay attention to. If there could also be any time interval you are feeling deserves a spot on this itemizing, you will wish to inform us by leaving a comment or getting involved.Image credit score: Stock photos from Depositphotos