Pull focus is a technique where a camera operator adjusts focus to keep moving subjects sharp during a shot.
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
- 913
- of the whole glossary
- 30%
- starting letters
- 27
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All 913 Filmmaking Terms
Listed alphabetically, each with its one-line answer first. This page runs from Pull Focus to Russian Arm. 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 P
7 of 74 on this page · all P entries
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A pull out is a camera movement where the camera moves away from the subject to reveal context or create emotional distance.
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A preparatory step in magazine loading involving removal of film tension pins.
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Pull up is the process of increasing a video's frame rate and pitch, typically to convert it from the NTSC standard to the PAL standard.
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A push in is a camera movement where the camera moves forward toward the subject to intensify dramatic effect.
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Push-processing is a photochemical lab technique where motion picture film is intentionally overdeveloped to increase its light sensitivity, creating a distinctly gritty, high-contrast, and grainy aesthetic.
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Controlled on-set explosions, flames, and sparks created by licensed special effects technicians.
Filmmaking terms starting with Q
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A QC (Quality Control) report is a time-coded document that flags all technical errors found in a film's final master file before distribution.
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Quasar Tubes are a popular brand of professional, tube-shaped LED lights known for their high-quality color rendering and versatility on film sets.
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A quickie slate is an informal, expedited method of marking a take when a full clapperboard is impractical.
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'Quiet on Set' is the command given by the First Assistant Director to demand complete silence from the cast and crew immediately before filming a take.
Filmmaking terms starting with R
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Unedited, unprocessed camera recordings containing all sensor data
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The re-recording mix is the final stage of audio post-production where all sound elements of a film are balanced, equalized, and blended together to create the final soundtrack.
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The re-recording mixer fuses dialogue, music and effects into the final soundtrack audiences hear in theaters.
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A re-recording stage is a specialized, theater-like studio where all the sonic elements of a film are mixed into the final soundtrack.
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Re-voicing is the post-production process of replacing or adding vocal performances in a film, including dialogue and other vocal sounds.
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A reaction shot shows a character’s response to off-screen action or dialogue, conveying emotion and advancing narrative.
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Interactive previsualization using game engines so directors and DPs experiment with shots at production speed.
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A live-action technique projecting pre-filmed backgrounds behind actors.
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Rear projection is an in-camera visual effect where a pre-recorded background is projected onto a translucent screen from behind the actors.
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Recce is a common term, especially in the UK film industry, for the reconnaissance of potential filming locations during pre-production.
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A Red Code is a critical alert on a film set that signifies an immediate and serious problem requiring a complete halt to production until it is resolved.
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The 6K sensor that propelled RED into high‑resolution digital cinematography
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RED IPP2 (Image Processing Pipeline 2) is a complete color management workflow designed by RED Digital Cinema to process the RAW sensor data from its cameras into standardized, color-accurate images.
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A compact Super 35 camera with 6K global shutter for versatile production
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An 8K Vista Vision cinema camera with global shutter and advanced modular body
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A V-Raptor variant with integrated dual NVMe drives for extended high‑speed capture
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Redcode RAW is the proprietary compressed raw video codec developed by RED Digital Cinema for their high-resolution cameras.
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The 3-2-1 rule is a data-management best practice dictating that a production should maintain three copies of its data on two different types of media, with one copy stored off-site.
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A dedicated practice session enabling performers to perfect scenes before filming.
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Rembrandt lighting is a classic portrait lighting technique characterized by a small, inverted triangle of light on the subject's cheek opposite the key light.
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A remote grade session is a collaborative color grading process where the colorist, director, and cinematographer work together in real-time from different physical locations.
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A render farm is a large computer cluster used to render computer-generated imagery for animated films and visual effects.
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A render manager is a software system that manages the distribution of rendering tasks across a network of computers, known as a render farm.
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A rest day is a mandatory, non-working day in a film production schedule designed to prevent crew fatigue and ensure safety.
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A centralized hub for storing and recirculating set props between productions
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A reverse angle is a fundamental camera shot taken from the opposite side of the previous shot, essential for creating coherent and natural-feeling dialogue scenes.
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A reverse shot alternates perspectives between two characters, maintaining continuity by showing one’s viewpoint followed by the other.
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Annotated highlights indicating alterations on revised script pages.
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A script page updated to reflect changes in dialogue, action, or formatting during production.
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An updated scene heading indicating revisions to script pages.
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Rewriting is the essential, iterative process of revising a screenplay to improve its structure, characters, dialogue, and overall narrative.
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The RGB Parade is a video scope that displays three separate waveform monitors side-by-side, one for each of the Red, Green, and Blue color channels of the image, used for precise color balance evaluation.
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An RGBWW panel is an LED lighting fixture that uses five different colored diodes—Red, Green, Blue, Warm White, and Cool White—to produce a vast spectrum of highly accurate colors.
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Rhythm is the internal flow and patterned timing within a film's scenes and sequences, created by the interplay of editing, sound, dialogue, and movement.
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An approach that uses cut duration and pacing to shape emotional and narrative flow
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Ribbon sync is an analog film technique for synchronizing sound and picture using an optical sound track recorded directly onto the film stock.
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The stage in 3D animation where a digital skeleton is created to control a character’s movement.
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Roe Black Pearl is a line of high-performance LED video panels that are the industry standard for building the curved walls used in virtual production.
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'Roll Camera' is the on-set command from the First Assistant Director instructing the camera operator to begin recording.
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'Roll Sound' is the on-set command from the First Assistant Director instructing the production sound mixer to begin recording audio.
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Room EQ, or Room Equalization, is the electronic process of adjusting the frequency response of a sound system to compensate for the acoustic distortions introduced by the room itself.
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Room tone is the subtle, ambient sound of a specific location when it is silent, recorded on set and used in post-production to smooth dialogue edits and prevent unnatural digital silence.
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Rotoscoping is an animation technique in which animators trace over live-action footage, frame by frame, to create realistic motion.
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A coarse edit refining structure and pacing after the initial assembly
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A rough lock is an early, unrefined version of a film edit where all scenes are assembled in sequential order but not yet timed or paced.
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A run of show is a highly detailed, moment-by-moment schedule that outlines the sequence and timing of events during a complex production.
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The total duration of a moving‑image work measured from the first frame to the last.
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Raw, unedited footage viewed immediately after shooting for quality assessment
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A camera crane mounted on a vehicle, used to film dynamic tracking shots, especially for action sequences.
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.
