Filmmaking
The formal endorsement of a screenplay by key stakeholders signaling readiness for production.
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Film Terms Starting With S
411 entries in the Movie Wiki begin with S, listed alphabetically with a one-line definition each. Open any of them for the full explanation.
61–120 of 411 entries
Definitions of Film Terms Starting With S
Open any entry for the full definition, where the term comes from and the films that show it best.
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Filmmaking
Script coordinators police revisions, continuity and legal sensitivities so the screenplay remains a reliable production blueprint.
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Industry
Script coverage is a professional evaluation summarizing and critiquing a screenplay.
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Industry
Script coverage is a standardized report that analyzes a screenplay's strengths and weaknesses, providing a summary and recommendation for industry decision-makers.
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Industry
A specialist hired to revise and polish an existing screenplay under tight deadlines.
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Storytelling
A preliminary version of a screenplay that outlines story structure and dialogue before revisions.
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Industry
A script editor is a professional who works directly with screenwriters to develop and refine a screenplay's story, structure, and characters.
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Filmmaking
The point at which the screenplay is finalized and no further changes are permitted before shooting.
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Industry
A screenwriting competition connecting writers with industry professionals.
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Industry
Script registration is the act of filing a copy of a finished screenplay with an official organization to create a time-stamped record of the author's claim to the material.
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Industry
A scriptment is a hybrid pre-writing document, most famously used by director James Cameron, that blends the detailed prose of a story treatment with the formatting and key dialogue of a screenplay.
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General
Physical abrasion visible on film prints or props that can affect projection quality or on-screen continuity.
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Industry
SDDS (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound) was a digital cinema sound format developed by Sony that competed with Dolby and DTS, notable for supporting up to eight channels of audio.
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Filmmaking
SDH (Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing) are subtitles that combine the dialogue transcription of standard subtitles with the non-speech audio information of closed captions.
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Filmmaking
The process of converting high dynamic range imagery into standard dynamic range for legacy displays.
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Filmmaking
An SDR trim pass is a secondary color grade that adapts a High Dynamic Range (HDR) master for viewing on Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) displays.
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Pop Culture
A season finale is the last episode of a season of a television series, designed to bring a season-long story arc to a dramatic climax and often set up conflicts for the next season.
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Filmmaking
The camera department support who handles slate operation and media management.
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Storytelling
A revised screenplay version incorporating feedback to refine plot, character arcs, and pacing.
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Pop Culture
A second screen experience enhances movie or TV viewing by using a companion device like a smartphone or tablet to display interactive, related content.
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Filmmaking
A second unit is a separate, smaller film crew tasked with shooting supplementary footage that does not require the principal actors.
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Filmmaking
Second unit directors capture action, landscapes and inserts, expanding a film’s canvas while the main unit presses on.
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Filmmaking
A second unit punch is a quick, impactful insert shot, often of an action, filmed by the secondary production crew.
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Industry
The period when a film becomes available on a secondary distribution platform after its first exclusive run.
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Filmmaking
Secondary Color Correction is a targeted image adjustment process where a colorist isolates a specific color, object, or brightness range to modify it independently from the rest of the image.
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Characters
A specialist trained to carry out discreet operations in service of national or corporate objectives.
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Storytelling
A secret identity is a narrative device where a character lives a double life, concealing their extraordinary abilities, activities, or true nature behind a mundane public persona.
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Industry
Section 168(k) is a U.S. tax code provision that allows film producers and investors to immediately deduct the full production cost of a film, creating a powerful financial incentive.
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Industry
The Section 181 deduction is a U.S. federal tax incentive allowing investors to deduct the cost of a qualified film or television production in the year of investment.
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Industry
A secure screener is a digital copy of a film distributed for preview purposes, protected by anti-piracy measures like watermarking and restricted access.
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Genres
A narrative technique that makes an audience aware of a film’s constructed nature
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Filmmaking
A self-tape is a type of audition where an actor records their performance remotely and submits the video file digitally to the casting director.
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Industry
A Sensitivity Consultant is a specialist who reviews a film's script and production elements to identify and provide feedback on potentially insensitive, biased, or harmful portrayals of marginalized groups or sensitive subject matter.
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Filmmaking
A sensitivity pass is a consultative review of a screenplay or film by experts from specific communities to identify and rectify harmful stereotypes, inaccuracies, and inauthentic representation.
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Industry
A sensitivity reader is a person hired to review a script or manuscript for unintentional stereotypes, biases, and inaccuracies related to marginalized communities.
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Industry
A Sentient Rights Disclaimer is a theoretical legal or ethical statement in a film's credits acknowledging the rights and contributions of a sentient artificial intelligence involved in its creation.
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Industry
Sentiment analysis is the automated process of using natural language processing to identify and categorize opinions expressed in text as positive, negative, or neutral.
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Storytelling
A sequence is a series of interconnected scenes that work together to tell a larger, unified part of the story, culminating in a significant turning point.
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Storytelling
The sequence approach is a screenwriting technique that structures a film as a series of eight distinct, self-contained mini-stories.
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Storytelling
A sequence number identifies a series of related scenes that together form a distinct, continuous narrative unit within a film.
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Storytelling
A Series Bible is a comprehensive reference document used by writers and creators to maintain consistency in a television series or film franchise.
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Storytelling
The concluding episode of a television series that resolves overarching storylines.
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Storytelling
The core narrative engine—promise of premise—that sustains audience interest across seasons.
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Filmmaking
The department head responsible for furnishing and dressing film sets to match the story’s world.
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Filmmaking
Captured or rendered background imagery used to expand a partial build into a full environment.
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Filmmaking
A set lock is the critical procedure of securing a film set to ensure perfect control over sound and environment during a take.
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Filmmaking
Set recycling is the practice of systematically dismantling film sets after a production wraps to salvage, reuse, and recycle materials, diverting waste from landfills.
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Industry
A set visit is an organized trip to an active film or television production set, typically for promotional purposes or professional observation.
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Storytelling
The setting is the specific time and place in which a story's events unfold, which provides context and directly influences the plot, characters, and mood.
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Filmmaking
Setting description is the specific part of the scene description that establishes the look, feel, and atmosphere of the physical location where a scene occurs.
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Filmmaking
SFX notes are instructions and feedback for the sound effects team, detailing the required sounds for a scene or suggesting revisions to an existing sound mix.
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Filmmaking
Shader code is a set of instructions that tells a computer how to render the surface of a 3D object, defining its color, texture, and reaction to light.
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Characters
The Shadow is an archetype representing the hero's darkest, repressed, or rejected qualities, often manifesting as the story's primary antagonist.
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Genres
Shake and Bake is a slang term for a style of chaotic camera movement or a very fast and simple lighting setup.
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