Genres
Shaky cam is a cinematographic style characterized by intentionally unstable camera movement to convey realism or tension.
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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.
121–180 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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Genres
Selective depth isolates subjects, steering attention and evoking intimacy or dreaminess.
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Characters
The Shape-Shifting Ally is a character archetype who tests the protagonist's resolve and perception, characterized by a constantly changing appearance or allegiance.
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Characters
The Shapeshifter is an archetypal character whose true nature, loyalties, or motives are ambiguous and appear to change, creating suspense and doubt.
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Pop Culture
The share count is a metric that tracks how many times a piece of content has been shared by users to their own networks, friends, or other platforms.
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Storytelling
A narrative framework where multiple stories coexist within the same fictional world.
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Industry
Sheffield DocFest is the UK's leading documentary festival and one of the world's most important industry events for non-fiction storytelling in all its forms.
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Filmmaking
Shining through is an unwanted lighting effect where a light source behind a set wall becomes visible through the material.
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Pop Culture
Shipping is a term used in fandom for the act of wanting two or more characters to enter into a romantic relationship, often creating fanworks to explore that dynamic.
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Pop Culture
A shitcoin is a derogatory slang term for a cryptocurrency with no clear purpose, utility, or long-term potential.
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Filmmaking
A shoot day is any day on which principal photography for a film or television show takes place, and for which the cast and crew are contracted and paid.
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Filmmaking
The finalized script version used by cast and crew during principal photography.
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Filmmaking
Detailed annotations recording directorial, technical, and logistical instructions for each film shoot.
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Filmmaking
A production-ready screenplay annotated with technical details, scene numbers, and camera instructions.
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Characters
The shop owner is a versatile character archetype who provides goods, wisdom, or a crucial plot item from their place of business, often serving as a fixture of the community.
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Filmmaking
A film under 40 minutes that delivers a concise narrative or experimental vision.
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Industry
A short turn is a work period where a cast or crew member is given less than the contractually required rest time between shifts.
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Filmmaking
A shot list is a comprehensive document created by the director that details every single shot and camera setup required for a film.
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Filmmaking
A shotgun microphone is a highly directional microphone designed to capture clear sound from a specific source while rejecting ambient noise from the sides and rear.
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Filmmaking
A show bible update is the essential process of revising and expanding a television series' foundational creative document to reflect story developments, character arcs, and world-building changes.
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General
Show, don’t tell urges filmmakers to reveal story through action and image rather than overt explanation.
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Filmmaking
A showprint is a pristine, high-quality film print made after the answer print is approved, intended for premieres and special screenings.
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Industry
A showrunner steers a series’ creative arc while juggling budgets, schedules and studio politics in an era of peak-TV overflow.
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Industry
A showrunner contract is a complex employment agreement that outlines the compensation, duties, and creative control of the head writer and executive producer of a television series.
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Filmmaking
A shrinkage gauge is a precision archival tool used by film technicians to measure the exact percentage of dimensional shrinkage in a strip of motion picture film.
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Filmmaking
A shuttle drive is a dedicated portable hard drive used to physically transport a backup copy of a day's footage from the filming location to a separate, secure off-site location like a post-production facility.
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Storytelling
A source of dramatic tension arising from competition or animosity between siblings.
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Filmmaking
An auxiliary file carrying metadata or translations alongside primary media assets.
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Characters
A loyal companion who supports the hero and often provides comic relief or insight.
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Characters
A sidekick archetype is a recurring type of supporting character who is subordinate to the protagonist but serves as their close companion, assistant, or confidant.
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Filmmaking
Pocket-sized script pages distributed daily to cast and key crew for on-set reference.
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Filmmaking
A Sign-Language Window is a picture-in-picture overlay on a video program that displays a sign language interpreter translating the spoken audio for Deaf viewers for whom sign language is their primary language.
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Industry
Enterprise file acceleration and orchestration used for moving large media securely between sites and clouds.
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Filmmaking
A silent clap is the practice of closing a clapperboard without a sound to mark a take in a sensitive environment.
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Genres
A silent comedy is a film genre from the silent era that relies on physical comedy, slapstick, and visual gags rather than spoken dialogue to create humor.
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Pop Culture
A film screening format where audience members listen via wireless headphones instead of speakers.
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Genres
A silent film is a motion picture that does not have synchronized recorded dialogue, relying on visual storytelling, intertitles, and musical accompaniment to convey its narrative.
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General
A silent meeting uses shared documents instead of verbal discussion to streamline collaboration.
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Filmmaking
A visual effect depicting subjects as dark shapes against a brighter background
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Filmmaking
A film processing technique that preserves metallic silver to enhance image density and contrast.
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Industry
Now known as AFI DOCS, the Silverdocs Documentary Festival was a prestigious event and filmmaker development program dedicated to showcasing and nurturing non-fiction cinema.
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Filmmaking
Silverstack is the industry-standard macOS software application for on-set data management, used by media professionals to securely offload, verify, organize, and report on digital camera footage.
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Pop Culture
"Simping" is internet slang for showing excessive admiration, devotion, or thirst for another person, often a celebrity or fictional character, in a way that is seen as subservient.
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Industry
A simplified audio track is a special audio mix designed to make film and television content more accessible for viewers with sensory sensitivities.
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Filmmaking
Real-time compositing lets crews view live action combined with CG elements during principal photography.
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Industry
A Simulcam Supervisor is a visual effects specialist on set who oversees the real-time compositing of live-action actors with pre-rendered CGI elements directly in the camera feed.
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Genres
A production style employing one camera to shoot scenes with cinematic flexibility.
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Genres
Capturing an entire scene in a lone camera pass prioritises performance continuity over editorial fragmentation.
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Genres
The Sinhala New Wave was a pivotal film movement in Sri Lanka during the 1960s and 70s, led by director Lester James Peries, which established a distinct, art-house national cinema.
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Filmmaking
A site recce is the pre-production process of visiting, surveying, and assessing potential locations for filming.
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Industry
A short promotional video highlighting a project’s most compelling elements to attract stakeholders and audiences.
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Genres
A sketch show is a series of short, comedic scenes that has served as a vital training ground for generations of film talent and as a format for feature films.
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Filmmaking
The process of binding a 3D model’s mesh to its underlying rig to ensure natural deformation.
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Industry
Skip Intro is a streaming feature that allows viewers to bypass opening credits and jump directly into the main content.
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Industry
Skip rate is the percentage of viewers who click the 'Skip Ad' button on a pre-roll or in-stream video advertisement.
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Filmmaking
A slap mark is a piece of tape quickly placed on the floor as a temporary focus reference for the camera assistant.
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