A 12.1 mix is a channel-based immersive audio format, associated with the Auro-3D system, that adds a distinct height layer to traditional surround sound for a three-dimensional effect.
Filmmaking
Filmmaking Terms, A to Z
Go behind the camera and explore the art and craft of filmmaking. This category breaks down the technical and creative processes involved in bringing a movie to life — from cinematography and directing to editing, sound design, production roles, and special effects. Whether you're curious about how a scene is shot or how a film crew operates, dive into the world of practical movie-making knowledge.
- filmmaking terms
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Page 1 of 16
All 913 Filmmaking Terms
Listed alphabetically, each with its one-line answer first. This page runs from 12.1 Mix to Astera Titan. S is the busiest letter here, with 146 entries. Jump to a letter to see only the filmmaking terms that start with it.
Filmmaking terms starting with 0-9
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A 22.2 mix is the ultra-immersive, 24-channel surround sound format developed by NHK for Japan's 8K 'Super Hi-Vision' broadcast standard.
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A 2K scan is the process of digitizing a motion picture film frame at a standard resolution of approximately 2048 pixels horizontally, a cornerstone of the digital intermediate workflow.
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35mm is the standard gauge of photographic film that was the dominant format for motion picture photography and projection for over a century.
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3D, or stereoscopic, filmmaking is a technique that creates the illusion of three-dimensional depth in an image by presenting two slightly different perspectives to the viewer's eyes.
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A 4K scan is the process of digitizing a physical film element at a resolution of approximately 4000 horizontal pixels to create a high-quality digital master.
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A six‑channel surround sound configuration standard in cinemas and home theaters.
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An eight‑channel surround sound system adding rear surrounds for enhanced immersion.
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70mm is a wide, high-resolution film gauge used to create an epic, immersive cinematic experience with superior image clarity and detail.
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A nine‑channel surround configuration adding front wide channels for greater frontstage width.
Filmmaking terms starting with A
50 of 56 on this page · all A entries
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An A11y Pass is a comprehensive quality assurance review in film production and distribution to ensure the final product is accessible to audiences with sensory disabilities.
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The 1.37:1 frame size adopted by Hollywood for sound‐on‐film compatibility
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An ACES Input Device Transform (IDT) is the crucial first step in a modern color workflow that converts footage from a camera's proprietary format into the standardized ACES color space.
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An ACES Output Device Transform (ODT) is the final step in the ACES color workflow that accurately converts the master image for viewing on a specific display, such as a TV or cinema projector.
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A high dynamic range, wide gamut color space for visual effects and compositing in the ACES workflow.
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Action description is the component of the scene description that details the specific, observable movements, gestures, and physical actions of the characters.
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Action formatting refers to the paragraphs of descriptive text in a screenplay that convey a character's physical actions, the setting's appearance, and key visual or auditory information.
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An action line is the descriptive text in a screenplay, written in the present tense, that details what the audience sees and hears in a scene.
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Automated Dialogue Replacement re-records speech to fix, enhance, or transform on-set performances.
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ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement)
Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR) is the post-production process of re-recording an actor's dialogue in a studio to replace the original on-set audio.
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An ADR note is a specific instruction from the director or sound supervisor indicating that a line of dialogue needs to be re-recorded in post-production.
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An ADR supervisor orchestrates post-production dialogue replacement to fix or enhance spoken lines.
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Capturing images from the sky reshapes scale, geography, and narrative perspective in motion pictures.
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AI ADR is the process of using artificial intelligence and voice cloning technology to perform Automated Dialogue Replacement, creating or altering dialogue in post-production without the actor.
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AI frame interpolation is a technique that uses artificial intelligence to generate new, intermediate frames between existing ones in a video sequence, effectively smoothing motion or increasing the frame rate.
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AI rotoscoping is a revolutionary visual effects process that uses machine learning algorithms to automate the painstaking task of isolating subjects from their background in video footage.
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AI-generated music is any musical composition created through artificial intelligence processes, posing new opportunities and copyright challenges for film scoring.
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A tabular transfer format for editorial metadata used in Avid workflows.
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An all-nighter is a film shoot that begins in the evening and continues until sunrise the next morning to capture scenes set at night.
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Ambient Occlusion (AO) is a shading method used in 3D computer graphics to create soft, realistic contact shadows.
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A full‑sphere surround sound technique capturing audio from all directions.
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A lens that compresses wide horizontal images onto standard formats to achieve widescreen cinematography
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The horizontal distortion that occurs when shooting with anamorphic lenses.
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An animal day is a scheduled shooting day that heavily features animals, requiring specialized handlers and adherence to strict welfare guidelines.
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A specialist responsible for the care, training, and on-set management of animals in film production.
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An animated film uses sequential imagery to create the illusion of movement and tell stories through drawn or computer-generated visuals.
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An animatic is a preliminary animated sequence, created by editing storyboard panels together and synchronizing them with a temporary soundtrack, to plan the timing and rhythm of a scene.
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The technique of creating the illusion of motion through sequential images.
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Mechanized puppetry using robotics to bring creatures to life.
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An answer print is the first color-graded motion picture print made from the final edited negative, used for quality control and final approval.
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A wooden box used for a variety of purposes on set, from elevating actors to supporting equipment.
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The Aputure Light Storm is a highly popular series of powerful and affordable COB LED lights that have become a cornerstone of the independent film and online content creation communities.
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The Aputure Nova is a line of powerful RGBWW LED light panels known for offering professional-grade features at a more accessible price point.
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An Archival LUT is a specialized Look-Up Table used in film preservation to accurately transform scanned film data, either to emulate the look of an original projection print or to view technically encoded archival masters correctly.
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An arranger is a musician who creatively adapts or reworks an existing piece of music for a different instrumentation, style, or dramatic purpose within a film.
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A high‑resolution large format camera with a 65 mm sensor for epic cinematography
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A full‑frame large format camera combining ARRI quality with increased sensor size
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A compact, versatile digital cinema camera popular for dynamic filmmaking
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ARRI LogC is a proprietary logarithmic gamma curve designed by ARRI to encode the full, wide dynamic range captured by the sensor of its digital cinema cameras into a compact and gradable video signal.
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The ARRI SkyPanel is a family of industry-standard LED soft light panels known for its exceptional color quality, versatility, and robust build.
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ARRIRAW is the uncompressed raw sensor data format from ARRI's digital cinema cameras, renowned for its image quality and flexibility.
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The collective team responsible for building and dressing film sets.
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A broadcast archive format for exchanging finished programs between broadcasters.
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The Academy’s formal standard for exchanging basic color‑decision data across post‑production systems.
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The proportional relationship between a frame’s width and height.
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The classic television and early cinema frame ratio also known as 4:3
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The first editorial pass that arranges every usable shot in script order without trimming pacing
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An asset list is a master document used in animation and VFX to track the creation of every digital component required for a project.
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Assistant directors marshal time, safety and communication, ensuring a director’s vision survives the crucible of set reality.
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The Astera Titan Tube is a specific, highly popular model of battery-powered, wireless, color-tunable LED pixel tube widely used in film, television, and live events.
Other categories
The Other Seven Categories
The rest of the glossary, each with its own A to Z index: genres and styles, characters and tropes, storytelling, industry and awards, pop culture and fandom, general terms, and the odd ones out.
