Immersive Audio Bitstream (IAB)
A standardized digital container for delivering multi‑channel object‑based audio in film and broadcast.
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 Immersive Audio Bitstream (IAB) to Location Notes. 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 I
21 of 25 on this page · all I entries
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A virtual reality environment for comprehensive quality control reviews
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French Impressionist Cinema was a 1920s avant-garde film movement that emphasized psychological exploration and the subjective experience of characters through innovative visual techniques.
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An improv show is a live comedic performance where the scenes are created spontaneously, and its techniques are a fundamental tool in modern filmmaking.
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The spontaneous creation of dialogue, movement, or action without a fixed script.
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'In the Can' is a film industry idiom that means a scene, a day's worth of shooting, or the entire film has been successfully filmed and recorded.
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The traditional animation process of drawing intermediate frames between key poses.
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Any visual effect achieved directly during principal photography without post production.
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In-Camera VFX (ICVFX) is a virtual production technique that uses real-time 3D environments displayed on LED walls as a direct replacement for greenscreen.
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INFiLED is a leading manufacturer of high-resolution LED display panels widely used for creating immersive digital environments in virtual production studios.
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An insert is a close-up shot of a specific object or detail that is edited into a scene to draw the audience's attention to its importance.
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An insert shot is a close-up shot of a detail within the scene, often used to emphasize a specific object or action.
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"INT." is the standard abbreviation for "Interior" used in a screenplay's slugline to indicate that a scene takes place inside a location.
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"INTERCUT" is a screenwriting device that weaves two or more separate scenes together, cutting back and forth between the parallel actions.
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An editing technique alternating between parallel scenes to build thematic or dramatic connections.
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An internegative is a negative copy of a motion picture made from a master positive, used for creating release prints for theatrical distribution.
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An interpositive is a high-quality positive film print made directly from the original camera negative, serving as the master for creating duplicates.
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An Intimacy Coordinator is a trained professional who ensures the safety, well-being, and consent of actors performing in scenes of intimacy, nudity, or simulated sex.
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An iris in is a classic film transition that begins a scene with a small circular point of the image which then expands to fill the entire screen.
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An iris out is a classic film transition that ends a scene by shrinking the on-screen image into an ever-smaller circle until it disappears into blackness.
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'Italian Suede' is a humorous on-set slang term for gaffer tape, referencing its versatility and the near-magical reverence grips and electricians have for it.
Filmmaking terms starting with J
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A 'Jam Take' is on-set slang for a rushed, last-ditch take attempted just as the crew is running out of time, light, or resources.
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A jib is a boom device with a camera on one end and a counterweight on the other, used to create sweeping, crane-like shots.
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A pivoting support that carries camera and operator for smooth vertical and horizontal movement
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JPEG 2000 is the standardized image compression format used for every frame in a Digital Cinema Package (DCP), with its color encoded in the device-independent XYZ color space.
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JPEG XS is a lightweight, ultra-low-latency video codec designed for live production workflows where preserving quality with minimal delay is critical.
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'Jumping the frame' is a term for when an actor or object enters or exits the camera's frame in an abrupt, often unplanned or uncontrolled manner.
Filmmaking terms starting with K
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An encrypted key enabling secure playback of protected digital content.
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Kelvin Color Temperature is an absolute scale used in filmmaking to measure the color of a light source, ranging from warm, orange hues at low Kelvin values to cool, blue hues at high Kelvin values.
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The Kelvin scale is used in cinematography to measure the color temperature of light, providing a standardized way to white balance cameras and creatively control the color palette of a film.
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The creative professional responsible for designing the primary marketing visuals for a film.
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'Key Video' refers to the primary monitor at the Video Village, typically reserved for the director, which displays the main camera's clean feed.
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Keyframe animation is the fundamental animation process of defining a movement by its most important 'key' frames.
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An early motion-picture device designed for individual viewing through a peephole.
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Kino Flo is a groundbreaking brand of fluorescent lighting fixtures developed for film production, celebrated for their signature soft, flattering light and high color accuracy.
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A 'Knockout Take' is on-set slang for a performance or shot that is so perfect and powerful that it definitively achieves the scene's goals.
Filmmaking terms starting with L
24 of 35 on this page · all L entries
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A piece of essential on-set equipment used for rigging, adjusting lights, and accessing elevated positions.
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The 'Last Looks Call' is the final opportunity for the hair, makeup, and wardrobe departments to make adjustments to the actors before a take is filmed.
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A Latency Budget is the total acceptable delay, measured in milliseconds, accumulated across every component of a signal chain, from image capture to final display.
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A small microphone clipped to talent to capture clear dialogue in any environment
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A small, clip‑on microphone used for hands‑free audio capture
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A lavalier transmitter is a compact, battery-powered radio transmitter that sends the audio signal from a small lavalier microphone to a receiver connected to the sound recorder.
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A production role responsible for translating storyboards into preliminary scene compositions.
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A rotating camera technique achieved by placing subjects on a turntable platform.
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An LED lighting swap is one of the most impactful sustainable production practices, involving the replacement of traditional, high-wattage film lights with modern, energy-efficient LED technology.
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Enclosed wall-and-ceiling LED stage used to display real-time environments for in-camera visual effects.
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An LED wall technician is a specialized engineer responsible for the setup, calibration, and on-set operation of the LED screens used in virtual production.
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The 'Leica Look' refers to a distinct, often desired, set of visual characteristics in cinematography associated with the optical qualities of Leica camera lenses.
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Light artifacts created when bright sources reflect within a lens assembly
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A presentation method preserving widescreen aspect ratios by adding horizontal bars
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A 'library shot,' also known as a stock shot, is a piece of pre-existing footage from a film library or stock footage agency that is licensed for use in a new production.
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A lifehack video showcases a clever trick for everyday tasks, a concept that translates into the world of resourceful, low-budget filmmaking techniques.
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A 'light check' is a brief pause in filming for the lighting and camera departments to confirm that the lighting is correct and to make minor adjustments before the next take.
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A cable‑tensioned lighting rail system for precision placement
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The line producer balances artistic ambition against financial reality, guarding the ‘bottom line’ from script to wrap.
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A telecine technique using fluid to minimize surface scratches during film scanning.
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The 'load-in' is the process of unloading all the production trucks and bringing the camera, lighting, sound, and other equipment into the filming location to set up for the shoot.
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A 'load-up' on a film set refers to the act of loading a new roll of film into a camera magazine or, in the digital era, inserting a fresh memory card.
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A location is the specific, tangible physical place within the setting where a single scene or part of a scene unfolds.
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Documented observations and logistical details about shooting environments.
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.
