Storytelling
A table pass is a rewrite of a script performed by writers immediately before or after a table read to address issues of pacing, flow, and dialogue.
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Film Terms Starting With T
200 entries in the Movie Wiki begin with T, listed alphabetically with a one-line definition each. Open any of them for the full explanation.
1–60 of 200 entries
Definitions of Film Terms Starting With T
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 preliminary production meeting where cast and crew read through the script aloud.
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Characters
The tabloid journalist is a character archetype motivated by sensationalism and profit, often using ethically questionable methods to get a scoop.
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Storytelling
A tag is a short scene that appears after the main story has concluded, often during or after the end credits, to provide a final joke or hint at a sequel.
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Storytelling
A tag scene is a short, often post-credit coda that delivers a last-minute payoff or narrative hook.
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Filmmaking
A tail slate is the practice of marking a take with the clapperboard at the end of the shot instead of the beginning, often done when slating at the start was impossible.
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Genres
The Taiwanese New Wave was a groundbreaking 1980s film movement that favored contemplative realism and personal stories to explore modern Taiwanese life and identity.
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Industry
A takedown notice is a formal request to remove content that infringes on a copyright, typically issued under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
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Industry
A talent agency represents actors, writers and directors in negotiations and career management.
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Industry
A talent agent is a state-licensed professional who procures employment opportunities and negotiates contracts for actors, writers, directors, and other artists.
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Industry
A talent manager is a professional who provides career guidance, development, and strategic advice to an artist.
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Industry
A talent release form is a legal document that grants a production the right to use an individual's image, voice, and performance.
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Genres
A television format centered on conversations between a host and guests in a studio setting.
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Genres
A talkie is a colloquial term for an early sound film, a motion picture with synchronized dialogue that marked the revolutionary transition from the silent era.
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Characters
A talking animal is an anthropomorphized creature capable of human speech that guides or challenges the protagonist.
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Filmmaking
A Tangent panel is a dedicated hardware control surface that provides colorists with physical trackballs, rings, and knobs for tactile, intuitive control over color grading software like DaVinci Resolve or Baselight.
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Industry
A tax credit incentive is a specific financial tool where a government awards a production company a credit that can be applied on a dollar-for-dollar basis against taxes owed, and is often transferable or refundable to provide cash flow.
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Industry
A tax incentive is a common type of location-based production incentive where a government allows a film production to reduce its tax burden, either through credits, exemptions, or other tax-related benefits.
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Industry
Teamsters Local 399 is the Hollywood labor union representing studio transportation drivers, location managers, casting directors, and other specific crafts.
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General
A teardown video is a detailed analysis where a creator physically disassembles a product to examine its internal components and construction, often applied to film props and collectibles.
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Pop Culture
A tearjerker is a film with an overwhelmingly sentimental or tragic narrative specifically designed to evoke a strong emotional response and make the audience cry.
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Industry
A teaser is an extremely short promotional video for a film, designed to generate awareness and anticipation without revealing major plot details.
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Storytelling
Pre-title sequence designed to grab attention before audience loyalty is earned.
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Industry
A teaser trailer is a brief promotional video designed to generate early buzz and intrigue for an upcoming film.
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Storytelling
A teaser or cold open is a narrative sequence at the very beginning of a film or television episode that occurs before the main title sequence.
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Genres
Tech-noir is a hybrid genre that fuses the stylistic and thematic elements of film noir with the futuristic settings and speculative concepts of science fiction, particularly cyberpunk.
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Pop Culture
A tech reviewer is a content creator who specializes in testing and evaluating consumer electronics, including home theater equipment crucial for the film-watching experience.
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Filmmaking
A tech scout is a pre-production meeting where key crew members visit a confirmed filming location to plan the technical and logistical execution of the shoot.
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Filmmaking
Written records of technical specifications and issues to guide equipment setup and post‑production.
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Genres
A color motion picture process renowned for its vibrant three-strip color reproduction.
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Filmmaking
Technicolor is a series of motion picture color processes, most famously the three-strip process, that defined the vibrant, saturated look of Hollywood's Golden Age.
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Genres
A techno-thriller is a subgenre of thriller where advanced technology and its potential misuse are central to the plot and suspense.
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General
A TED Talk is a concise, influential presentation delivered at TED conferences to share ideas worth spreading.
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Genres
A teen film is a broad film genre where the narrative is centered on teenage protagonists and their unique experiences, conflicts, and subcultures.
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Filmmaking
A film-to-video transfer process converting motion-picture film into electronic video signals.
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General
A telenovela is a type of limited-run television serial drama originating from Latin America, known for its melodramatic plots and fast-paced, serialized storytelling.
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Industry
A mobile device enabling remote users to interact with physical spaces via video and audio.
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Filmmaking
A temporary music track used during editing to approximate mood and pacing before the final score.
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Storytelling
A temp track is a temporary soundtrack composed of pre-existing music that editors use during the filmmaking process to help establish a film's rhythm, mood, and emotional tone.
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Pop Culture
A template meme is a reusable, standardized meme format where a base image or series of images is repeatedly adapted with new text to create different jokes.
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Filmmaking
The Teradek Bond is a professional video transmission device that combines multiple cellular network connections to create a single, robust, high-bandwidth internet link for streaming video from remote locations.
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Industry
A territorial release is a film distribution strategy where a movie is released in different countries or regions at different times.
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Filmmaking
Tessera is the proprietary software platform that runs on Brompton video processors, providing the tools to control and calibrate LED walls for virtual production.
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Industry
Invite-only audience feedback sessions shape final edits, marketing angles, and even reshoot decisions.
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Filmmaking
Textless elements are clean versions of film shots, delivered without any superimposed titles or graphics, to facilitate international localization.
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Genres
The Thai New Wave is a movement of independent, auteur-driven filmmaking that began in the late 1990s, earning Thai cinema unprecedented international recognition for its unique artistic vision.
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Characters
A supportive companion who provides emotional grounding for the protagonist.
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Characters
The Big Bad is a colloquial term for the primary antagonist of a story, especially in serialized fiction, who is the ultimate source of conflict for the heroes.
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Characters
The Big Good is the heroic counterpart to the Big Bad, serving as the leader, mentor, or primary force for good in a story.
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Filmmaking
The call sheet is a daily filmmaking document created by the assistant director that details all essential information for a specific day of shooting.
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Characters
A group or narrator commenting on the action and guiding audience interpretation.
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Characters
A trusted character to whom the protagonist reveals inner thoughts and plans.
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Characters
A character who solves problems behind the scenes through influence, negotiation, or illicit means.
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Characters
The Hacker is a character archetype with exceptional computer skills who can bypass security systems, access restricted information, and manipulate digital networks.
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Industry
A leading trade publication covering the film, television and entertainment industries.
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Characters
The Informant is a character archetype who provides confidential information about a person or organization to an outside party, typically a law enforcement agency.
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Characters
The journalist is a versatile cinematic archetype who acts as the audience's surrogate, a character whose profession places them in the path of a story to uncover, observe, and report the truth.
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