The Filmmaker's Glossary

The primary footage that tells the main story, such as interviews or dialogue scenes.

Supplemental or alternative footage intercut with the main shot.

The aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image.

An informal term for when a protagonist turns into an antagonist.

Visual content created using computer software.

A dramatic principle that states that every element in a story must be necessary, and irrelevant elements should be removed.

The process of altering and enhancing the color of a motion picture, video image, or still image electronically, photo-chemically, or digitally.

Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film.

A camera shot where the camera is tilted to one side, so the horizon is not level.

A technique using a large depth of field so that the foreground, middle-ground, and background are all in sharp focus.

A hidden message, image, or feature within a film.

A wide shot, typically at the beginning of a scene, that establishes the context for the scene.

The reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to films in post-production.

The imaginary barrier between the actors in a film or play and the audience.

An abrupt transition from one scene to another.

A film editing effect demonstrating that viewers derive more meaning from the interaction of two sequential shots than from a single shot in isolation.

A recurrent theme throughout a musical or literary composition, associated with a particular person, idea, or situation.

An object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but itself is insignificant.

The arrangement of everything that appears in the framing – actors, lighting, décor, props, costume.

A technique in film editing in which a series of short shots are sequenced to condense space, time, and information.

A cut from one shot to another where the two shots are matched by the action or subject and subject matter.

Special effects produced physically, without computer-generated imagery or other post-production techniques.

A composition guideline that places your subject in the left or right third of an image, leaving the other two thirds more open.

A shot where the camera moves through the scene, often following a subject.

The phenomenon where a computer-generated figure or humanoid robot bearing a near-identical resemblance to a human being arouses a sense of unease.

Darkening the corners of an image to draw attention to the center.

A stock sound effect of a man screaming that has been used in over 400 films and TV shows.

Changing the focal length of the lens during a shot to make the subject appear closer or further away.