Filmmaking
A state-machine script is a programming and authoring approach used in interactive narratives to manage the story's various states, choices, and branching logic.
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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.
301–360 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
A specialist who operates a stabilizing rig for smooth, mobile camera shots.
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Filmmaking
A camera stabilization system that allows smooth handheld shots while moving.
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Filmmaking
A stealth take is a take that is filmed while the actors believe they are only rehearsing, done to capture a natural performance.
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Storytelling
A genre blending Victorian‑era aesthetics with retro‑futuristic steam‑powered technology.
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Filmmaking
A stem mix is a group of related audio tracks that have been mixed together to create a single stereo or multi-channel file, forming a major component of the final soundtrack.
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Filmmaking
A step outline is a pre-writing document that breaks a story down into its core sequential steps, with each step typically describing a single scene in a short paragraph.
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Filmmaking
A professional photographer who captures high-quality still images during a film's production.
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Filmmaking
The professional capture of high-quality images during film production for marketing and archival use.
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Filmmaking
A brief, punctuating musical cue used to accentuate dramatic moments or transitions.
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Filmmaking
A brief scene inserted after the main narrative or credits to surprise or tease the audience.
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Characters
A stereotypical figure representing a familiar role or trait in storytelling.
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Filmmaking
A frame-by-frame technique that animates physical objects in small increments.
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Storytelling
A story arc is the complete chronological journey of a story, encompassing the overarching changes in plot, characters, and theme from the beginning to the end.
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Storytelling
A story bible is a comprehensive reference document created by writers to maintain consistency in characters, settings, and plot across a long-form narrative.
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Industry
A story editor is typically a mid-to-upper-level writing position in a television writers' room responsible for developing stories and rewriting scripts.
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Storytelling
The story engine is the core, repeatable conflict or premise of a narrative that consistently generates new obstacles, scenes, and plot developments.
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Filmmaking
A story map is a visual method of outlining a narrative that charts key plot points, character arcs, and thematic connections using diagrams, charts, or index cards.
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Filmmaking
Creative guidance focusing on narrative development and emotional resonance in a script.
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Storytelling
The story spine is a narrative template that outlines a complete story arc in simple steps.
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Industry
A story summary is a concise, one-page prose document that tells the complete story of a screenplay, including the ending.
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Industry
A story treatment is a detailed prose document that tells the complete story of a film from beginning to end, written in the present tense to convey the movie's tone and emotional experience.
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Storytelling
The Story World is the complete and unique fictional reality in which a narrative unfolds, encompassing its physical laws, culture, history, and societal norms.
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Filmmaking
A sequence of illustrations that previsualizes the film’s shots and camera movements.
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Filmmaking
An artist who visualizes a script by sketching sequential panels to plan cinematic storytelling.
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Filmmaking
A storyboard panel is a single illustration within a larger storyboard that represents one specific camera shot and includes key production notes.
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Filmmaking
Storyboarding is the pre-production process of creating a sequence of drawings, similar to a comic strip, to visualize the shots and action of a film before shooting begins.
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Industry
Stowe Story Labs is a non-profit organization that offers workshops, retreats, and fellowships to help emerging screenwriters and filmmakers develop their craft and advance their projects.
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Characters
The straight man is a character in a comedy duo who acts as the serious, rational foil to their more eccentric or comical partner.
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Pop Culture
An online broadcaster who hosts live movie watch parties and interactive film commentary.
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Pop Culture
A streamer donation is a direct monetary tip given by a viewer to a live-streamer during their broadcast, often accompanied by a public on-screen alert.
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Industry
Legal permissions governing the distribution of films via online streaming platforms.
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Pop Culture
Street art is visual art created in public spaces, often conceptual and intended for widespread audience engagement.
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Industry
A street team is a group of volunteers or employees organized to promote a product or event at a local, grassroots level through direct engagement with the public.
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Pop Culture
A style of casual clothing rooted in urban culture that frequently intersects with film aesthetics.
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Genres
A streetwear brand is a clothing company that originates from urban youth subcultures like skateboarding and hip-hop, focusing on casual, graphic-heavy apparel like t-shirts, hoodies, and sneakers.
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Filmmaking
In filmmaking, to strike something means to remove it from the set or to disassemble the entire set after filming is complete.
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Filmmaking
Colour-coded scene strips arranged on a board provide a tactile way to plan and revise the shooting order.
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Storytelling
A structural beat is the smallest unit of action and reaction in a story, representing a single, distinct moment of change or exchange between characters.
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Filmmaking
Structural film is an experimental film movement where the film's shape and formal structure are the primary content, often de-emphasizing narrative and representation.
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Others
A theoretical framework treating films as systems of signs governed by rules and codes.
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Genres
Stuck in the mud is on-set slang for a camera movement that feels slow, sluggish, and lacking in energy.
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Filmmaking
A studio logo is the animated emblem of a film production or distribution company that appears at the beginning of a motion picture.
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Filmmaking
Executive directives from a studio outlining required changes for alignment with corporate strategy.
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Filmmaking
A controlled filming environment within purpose-built soundstages or studios.
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Industry
A release period reserved for a studio’s own distribution channels before licensing to third parties.
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Characters
A stunt double is a highly trained specialist who performs dangerous or physically demanding actions in place of a principal actor.
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Genres
A style guide standardizes writing and formatting conventions for screenplays or publications.
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Pop Culture
A style haul is a video in which a presenter reviews recent clothing and accessory purchases, often analyzing their relevance to fashion trends and costume design.
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Genres
A style transfer pass is a digital post-production process where the visual aesthetic of a source image or video is algorithmically applied to a different piece of footage.
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Pop Culture
A subculture is a social group differentiated by distinctive norms, values, and practices within a larger cultural context.
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Industry
A SubDub mix is a specific audio mix of a film created for international airlines that combines elements of both subtitles and dubbed audio.
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Filmmaking
A filming technique that adopts the viewpoint of a character to convey personal perspective
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Storytelling
A subplot is a secondary storyline that coexists with the main plot to deepen characters, explore themes, and add complexity to the narrative.
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Pop Culture
A subreddit thread is an individual post and its entire chain of comments within a specific Reddit community, serving as a primary forum for film discussion and fan theories.
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Pop Culture
A subscriber alert is an automated, on-screen notification that appears during a live stream to announce and celebrate when a viewer subscribes or donates.
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