Genres
Slapstick comedy is a genre of broad, exaggerated physical humor characterized by mock violence, absurd situations, and choreographed mishaps.
A to Z
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.
181–240 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.
-
-
Genres
A slasher film is a horror subgenre defined by a killer who stalks and murders victims in graphic sequences.
-
Filmmaking
A board used to record scene information and aid synchronization in film production.
-
-
Filmmaking
A slate tape is an adhesive label affixed to a camera's media card that details essential information about the footage recorded on it.
-
-
Filmmaking
A camera slider is a portable device with a rail system that allows a camera to execute short, smooth, and controlled linear movements.
-
Filmmaking
Narrow aperture photography stretches space-time into psychedelic tunnels—immortalised by Kubrick’s star-gate.
-
Storytelling
A Slow Burn Romance is a narrative trope where the development of a romantic relationship between two characters is gradual, filled with tension, and occurs over a long period.
-
Genres
A stylistic movement characterized by minimalism, long takes and deliberate pacing.
-
Industry
Slow fashion is an approach to clothing production and consumption that values quality, longevity, and traditional craftsmanship over speed and disposability.
-
Genres
Over-cranking or optical tricks lengthen real time to heighten drama and perception.
-
Filmmaking
A slugline, also known as a scene heading, is a formatted line of capitalized text in a screenplay that marks the beginning of a new scene and establishes its location and time.
-
Filmmaking
A slugline, or scene heading, is an element in a screenplay, written in all caps, that indicates the location and time of day for a new scene.
-
Industry
A systematic review of blockchain code to identify vulnerabilities and ensure correctness.
-
Pop Culture
Eyewear that overlays information or imagery, used for AR storytelling and crew heads-up tools.
-
Characters
The Smart Guy is a character archetype who relies on their intellect, knowledge, and problem-solving skills to overcome challenges.
-
Genres
A smash cut is an abrupt and often jarring transition from one scene to another, used to create surprise, comedy, or a sudden shift in tone.
-
Filmmaking
Smoke and mirrors is a colloquial term for the practical effects and cinematic techniques used to create illusions on screen, making the impossible appear real.
-
Characters
The smuggler is a cynical but highly skilled pilot or driver who operates on the fringes of the law, a pragmatist who is inevitably drawn into a conflict that tests their neutrality.
-
Filmmaking
A snag-it shot is an unplanned, opportunistic shot captured quickly by the film crew when an unexpected opportunity arises.
-
Industry
A Snapchat geofilter is a location-based graphic overlay used as an experiential marketing tool for film premieres, theatrical releases, and fan events.
-
Pop Culture
A Snapchat Lens is an interactive augmented reality effect that adds 3D objects, characters, or transformations to a user's world in real-time, frequently created by studios to promote films.
-
Pop Culture
An ephemeral collection of photos and videos used for time-sensitive film promotions.
-
Industry
Unpublicised or lightly promoted advance screenings gauge audience buzz and generate FOMO-driven chatter.
-
Pop Culture
A sneaker drop is the scheduled, limited-quantity release of a new or highly anticipated sneaker, a central event in modern streetwear and hype culture.
-
Industry
Sneaker resale is the specific, multi-billion dollar secondary market dedicated to the buying and selling of collectible and limited-edition sneakers.
-
Pop Culture
An avid collector of limited-edition and rare sneakers, often tied to film-related collaborations.
-
-
Storytelling
The Snowflake Method is a progressive outlining technique for expanding story detail.
-
Industry
Social commerce integrates buying and selling directly within social media platforms.
-
Industry
Social listening is the practice of tracking and analyzing conversations and trends related to a film across social media and the internet to derive strategic insights.
-
Industry
A coordinated effort using social platforms to promote a film and engage audiences online.
-
Genres
Social realism is a broad artistic movement that uses realistic styles to depict the lives and struggles of the working class and the poor with a critical political perspective.
-
Industry
Social, Creator, and Fan Tokens
Social, creator, and fan tokens are forms of cryptocurrency that allow artists and brands to monetize their communities and offer fans new ways to engage.
-
Industry
A soft greenlight is a conditional, preliminary approval for a film project that allows development to continue with a specified budget but does not yet commit to full production.
-
Industry
A soft hold is a tentative, non-binding booking for a cast member, crew member, or piece of equipment.
-
Industry
Soft money in film financing refers to capital sourced from government incentives like tax credits, rebates, and grants, which does not have to be repaid from the film's profits.
-
Industry
A soft open is a limited early release of a film to test audience response before wide distribution.
-
Storytelling
A subgenre prioritizing character‑driven narratives and speculative ideas over technical precision.
-
Filmmaking
A soft set is a film set constructed primarily from fabric, curtains, or drapes, which can be used to create abstract backgrounds or diffuse light.
-
Characters
A uniformed combatant representing duty, discipline and the realities of war.
-
Storytelling
Speaking thoughts aloud to the audience breaks diegesis, offering privileged insight.
-
Filmmaking
A full‑frame mirrorless cinema camera with advanced autofocus and color fidelity
-
Filmmaking
A full‑frame cinema camera with dual base ISO and 8.6K capture for premium productions
-
Storytelling
The Soulmate Trope is a romantic narrative device where two characters are destined to be together, sharing a profound and often mystical connection that transcends ordinary love.
-
Filmmaking
A sound blanket is a heavy, dense, sound-absorbing blanket used on film sets to control unwanted echo and reverberation.
-
Filmmaking
A sound cue is a specific instruction in a script or editing timeline that indicates the exact moment a particular sound effect or atmospheric track should start, stop, or change.
-
Filmmaking
Crafting, selecting, and manipulating audio elements shapes the immersive aural world of a film.
-
Filmmaking
Sound direction in a screenplay is the writer's art of describing the overall soundscape of a scene to evoke a specific mood or environment.
-
Filmmaking
Sound editors assemble, design and refine every audio element before the final dub, shaping a film’s sonic narrative.
-
Filmmaking
A sound effects note, or sound cue, is a capitalized word in a screenplay that emphasizes a specific, story-relevant sound.
-
Filmmaking
A sound library is a vast, organized collection of pre-recorded audio clips, ranging from sound effects to ambient atmospheres, used by sound designers to create a film's soundscape.
-
Filmmaking
A sound mixer balances multiple audio sources into a cohesive track live on set or in small-crew documentaries.
-
Filmmaking
A sound recordist captures high-quality location audio, often in documentary and field environments.
-
-
-
Filmmaking
The curated collection of a film’s music can define its identity, brand, and after-screening life.
-
Industry
A soundtrack sampler is a short, promotional compilation of clips from a film's official soundtrack, released before the movie to generate interest in its music.
-
By category
Or Browse by Subject
Eight subject indexes, each with its own alphabetical list: filmmaking, genres and styles, characters, storytelling, industry, fandom, general terms and the rest.
