Industry
The Deutsche Kinemathek in Berlin is Germany's central archive for film and television, dedicated to preserving and showcasing the nation's cinematic heritage.
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Film Terms Starting With D
190 entries in the Movie Wiki begin with D, listed alphabetically with a one-line definition each. Open any of them for the full explanation.
61–120 of 190 entries
Definitions of Film Terms Starting With D
Open any entry for the full definition, where the term comes from and the films that show it best.
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Filmmaking
Early-stage feedback aimed at refining concept, tone, and feasibility of a film project.
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Industry
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is the labor union that represents the interests of film and television directors and members of the directorial team in the United States.
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Industry
A 'DGA Hold' is a contractual hold placed on a director who is a member of the Directors Guild of America, preventing them from accepting other work while a studio finalizes their deal.
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Industry
Dhallywood is the popular portmanteau for the mainstream, Bengali-language film industry based in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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Filmmaking
A post‐production process converting film footage into digital for color grading and finishing
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Storytelling
Dialectical montage is Sergei Eisenstein's theory that new ideas are created in the mind of the viewer through the forceful collision of two conflicting shots.
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Filmmaking
Dialog formatting is the standardized method for presenting a character's spoken lines in a screenplay, positioned centrally on the page under the character's name.
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Storytelling
Spoken interaction between characters drives plot, reveals psychology, and shapes pacing.
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Filmmaking
A dialogue draft is a specific stage of the rewriting process where the writer's primary focus is on improving and refining the characters' spoken lines.
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Filmmaking
A dialogue polish is a final, highly focused stage of rewriting where a script's dialogue is sharpened for rhythm, wit, and emotional impact, often performed by a specialized writer.
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Filmmaking
A separate audio track containing only spoken elements for clarity and flexibility.
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Storytelling
In narrative theory, mimesis is the direct showing of an action, while diegesis is the telling of a story by a narrator, a fundamental distinction between two modes of storytelling.
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Filmmaking
Music that originates within the world of the film and is heard by the characters themselves.
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Filmmaking
Audio whose source exists within the film’s world grounds scenes in perceived reality.
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Filmmaking
A lens filter that softens light and reduces image contrast for a more flattering or atmospheric look.
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Industry
A diffusion model is a powerful class of generative AI that creates high-fidelity data, such as images and video, by learning to reverse a process of methodically adding noise.
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Filmmaking
The capture, post-production and exhibition of motion pictures using digital technology
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Filmmaking
A standardized set of digital files used to distribute and project movies in cinemas.
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Industry
A Digital Cinema Package or DCP is the global standard for distributing and exhibiting motion pictures in a digital format.
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Filmmaking
A digital cleaning pass is a meticulous, frame-by-frame post-production process in film restoration where software tools are used to remove visible artifacts like dust, dirt, sparkle, and scratches from a scanned film.
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Industry
A unique digital item whose ownership and provenance are verifiable on a blockchain.
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Industry
A digital deliverables list is a technical specification from a distributor outlining all the files and assets a producer must provide to complete a film's sale.
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Filmmaking
A digital double is a photo-realistic 3D computer-generated model of an actor, used in visual effects to perform stunts or actions that are impossible or too dangerous for a real person.
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General
Virtual clothing designed for digital environments, social media, and augmented reality experiences.
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Filmmaking
A specialist who manages digital image quality and on‑set data workflow.
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Filmmaking
A post-production process converting film footage into digital data for color grading and effects.
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General
A lifestyle where individuals leverage technology to work remotely while traveling the world.
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Industry
Authoritative, high-bit-depth package meant to outlast delivery fashions and support future remastering.
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Industry
Permissions covering the distribution and reproduction of films in digital formats.
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Industry
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a set of access control technologies used by publishers and copyright holders to limit the use of digital content and devices.
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Filmmaking
A digital slate, or smart slate, is an advanced timecode clapperboard that wirelessly syncs timecode and shares shot metadata with cameras, sound recorders, and production apps.
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Industry
An electronic ticket stored on a mobile device or email, replacing physical paper tickets.
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Industry
A digital twin is a virtual model of a physical object, system, or process that serves as its real-time digital counterpart.
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Industry
A 'ding' is industry slang for a small, often superficial criticism or note given on a script that is easy to fix but can be frustrating for a writer.
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Genres
A documentary movement prioritizing unobtrusive observation and minimal intervention.
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Filmmaking
The director's chair is the iconic symbol of a film director's authority and creative leadership on a movie set.
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Others
Director’s commentary is an audio track in which the filmmaker provides insights and anecdotes over the film’s playback.
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Filmmaking
A version reflecting the director’s creative vision, often released after the theatrical edit
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Filmmaking
A version of a film reflecting the director’s preferred cut with restored or altered scenes.
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Industry
Directors Guild of America Awards
The Directors Guild of America Awards are prestigious honors presented annually for outstanding directorial achievement in film and television.
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Filmmaking
Dirty for Dirty is an editing principle that maintains visual consistency in dialogue scenes by matching the framing of over-the-shoulder shots.
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Industry
A Disability Consultant is an expert with lived experience and professional knowledge who advises a production on the authentic portrayal of characters with disabilities and helps ensure accessibility for disabled cast and crew members.
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Storytelling
Disability-in-film tests are evaluative frameworks used to assess the quality, authenticity, and agency of disability representation in cinematic narratives.
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Genres
A genre that depicts large-scale calamities threatening human survival and societal order.
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Pop Culture
A Discord server is a private, invite-only community hub where fans and creators can interact through text, voice, and video chat.
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Industry
Discoverability is the ease with which audiences can find and access a film across platforms and channels.
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Industry
A discovery feed is a user interface paradigm, defined by an endless, algorithmically curated vertical stream of content, designed for passive consumption.
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Filmmaking
A Disguise server is an industry-standard media server platform used to manage and play back video content for large-scale displays like LED walls.
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Genres
A gradual overlap of outgoing and incoming images signals passage or associative logic.
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Filmmaking
"DISSOLVE TO:" is a screenplay transition where one shot gradually fades out while the next shot simultaneously fades in, often used to signify a passage of time.
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Industry
An enterprise responsible for marketing and delivering films to audiences across platforms.
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Industry
The percentage of a film’s revenue retained by the distributor before paying the producer.
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Industry
The distributor's split is the percentage of a film's box office revenue that is paid to the film distributor by the movie theater.
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Filmmaking
A DIT cart is a mobile, customized workstation used by a Digital Imaging Technician on a film set to manage data, apply live color grades, and perform quality control.
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Industry
Initiatives and policies to promote inclusion at the Cannes Film Festival.
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Industry
A Diversity Rider, also known as an inclusion rider, is a contractual clause that a person involved in a film can request to be added to their contract, stipulating a commitment to inclusive hiring practices for on-screen and off-screen roles.
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