Filmmaking
Background music used to evoke a particular atmosphere without specific thematic content.
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Film Terms Starting With M
166 entries in the Movie Wiki begin with M, listed alphabetically with a one-line definition each. Open any of them for the full explanation.
121–166 of 166 entries
Definitions of Film Terms Starting With M
Open any entry for the full definition, where the term comes from and the films that show it best.
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Filmmaking
A visual compilation of reference footage used to convey the intended tone and style of a film project.
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Filmmaking
A mood reel is a short video montage of clips from existing films, music, and images, edited together to convey the tone and style of a proposed film project.
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Industry
Moral rights are a set of legal protections that safeguard a creator's personal and reputational connection to their work, separate from its economic copyright.
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Pop Culture
A dynamic area in concert crowds where fans engage in vigorous physical dancing and slamming.
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Filmmaking
A motion blur pass is a separately rendered layer in CGI that contains only the motion blur information for an object, used for greater control in compositing.
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Filmmaking
A robotics-driven cinematography technique for precisely repeatable camera movements.
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Filmmaking
Motion graphics are animated visual elements that combine graphic design and animation to communicate ideas in film and video.
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Industry
The Motion Picture Association is a trade organization that serves as the leading advocate for the major American film studios and administers the well-known film rating system.
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Filmmaking
Motivated lighting is a cinematic lighting style where every light source in a scene is justified by a real-world source visible or implied within the frame.
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Filmmaking
Invisible off-camera sources mimic diegetic lights, persuading viewers that illumination arises naturally within the scene.
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Industry
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is the trade association that represents the major film studios and streaming services, serving as their chief global advocate and administering the U.S. film rating system.
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Industry
MPEG-H Audio is an advanced, object-based audio standard designed for broadcasting, streaming, and VR that offers immersive sound and user personalization features.
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Industry
The Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) is an honorary society dedicated to advancing the craft of sound editing and recognizing artistic excellence in the field.
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Industry
The MTRCB is the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, the government agency for media classification in the Philippines.
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Pop Culture
The MTV Movie & TV Awards is an annual awards show that honors achievements in film and television with a distinct focus on youth culture and popular entertainment.
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Pop Culture
A mukbang is a type of online video, originating in South Korea, where a host consumes large quantities of food while interacting with an audience, a cultural trend sometimes referenced or parodied in film.
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Genres
A filming approach using multiple cameras to capture simultaneous angles in real time.
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Industry
A multi-language subpackage bundles subtitle and audio track assets for various languages into a single distribution package.
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Pop Culture
A multi-panel meme uses three or more images, typically arranged like a comic strip, to tell a more complex story, show a progression, or create a detailed joke.
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Industry
A financing arrangement pooling resources across multiple films to spread risk.
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Storytelling
A multi-strand narrative is a storytelling structure that interweaves multiple, seemingly separate plotlines and character arcs within a single film.
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Genres
Mumblecore is a subgenre of independent film focused on naturalistic dialogue, low-budget production, and the relationships of young adults.
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Pop Culture
The mural movement is a public art practice focused on large-scale wall paintings that convey social, cultural, or political messages.
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Industry
Museum of Modern Art Film Department
The Film Department at New York's Museum of Modern Art was the first art museum department in the world devoted exclusively to film as an art form.
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Industry
Music clearance is the process of securing licenses to use copyrighted music in a film’s soundtrack or diegetic performance.
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Filmmaking
A music cue is a distinct piece of underscoring or source music in a film, defined by a specific start and end point, designed to support the emotion or action of a scene.
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Industry
A music cue sheet is a detailed legal document that logs every piece of music used in a film or television show for the purpose of paying royalties.
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Filmmaking
Music direction in a screenplay refers to the writer's suggestions regarding the score, soundtrack, or general musical mood of a scene.
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Filmmaking
A music editor is a technical and creative specialist responsible for managing and seamlessly integrating all musical elements into a film's soundtrack.
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Filmmaking
A music mock-up is a detailed, digitally produced demonstration of a film score cue, created by the composer using virtual instruments to simulate the sound of a full orchestra.
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Filmmaking
An isolated audio track of all musical elements used for adaptive mixing and translation.
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Industry
A music synchronization license, or sync license, grants the legal permission to pair a musical composition with a visual medium.
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Genres
A hybrid genre combining song, dance, and humor to entertain and advance storyline.
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Genres
A musical-drama film weds character-driven conflict to songs that advance plot and deepen emotion.
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Genres
A musical fantasy film is a genre that combines the elements of a musical, where characters express themselves through song, with the magical and supernatural settings of fantasy.
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Genres
The musical film is a genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing.
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Others
MX4D delivers seat-shaking, scent-spraying, leg-poking immersion through a modular effects platform tailored for mid-size theatres.
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Storytelling
The 'Mystery Box' is a storytelling philosophy, most famously associated with J.J. Abrams, that prioritizes questions over answers to create sustained suspense and audience engagement.
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Genres
A mystery film centers on uncovering hidden truths or solving a crime through suspenseful investigation.
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Genres
A mystery thriller is a hybrid genre that combines the investigative plot of a mystery with the suspense, tension, and high stakes of a thriller.
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Characters
A mythical beast ally is a legendary creature that assists the protagonist, embodying ancient powers and wisdom.
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Others
Mythological films dramatise deities and epic sagas, transforming sacred lore into widescreen spectacle.
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