analog video: Until recently, all video was analog. This includes VHS, Betacam and Hi-8 formats. You can still buy inexpensive camcorders in analog format, but the quality of the picture isn't as good as in digital video.
analog editing: Rearranging and cutting your footage using an actual tape instead of a digital representation of what you've shot.
avid: The name of a certain professional editing system that is good to learn if you ever want to work in the biz.
boom microphone (also boom): A microphone held at the end of a long pole, generally above actors' heads, out of the camera's view.
budget: The list that a director or producer makes of all costs associated with a film or video, and submits to funders or likely funders.
camcorder: A consumer-grade video camera.
capture cards: Something installed in or connected to a computer that allows video to be translated into something the computer can understand.
cinematographer (a.k.a. director of photography, or DP): The person who determines the overall visual appearance of the movie and, along with the director and editor, which shots to use.
cinematography: The visual art involves in making a film or video.
compression: Making a digital video file small enough so that it doesn't take up too much space on a computer, while keeping the image quality high.
digital video: A new development in video technology that differs from analog video in that the visual and audio elements are recorded digitally. A relatively cheap way to make movies, although not considered as aesthetically appealing as film.
digitize: Converting analog video into files that can be manipulated and played on a computer.
documentary: A non-fiction film that involved no actors or scripts. The filmmaker tries to portray real events and people.
editing: Turning "raw" footage into a movie. (See analog, in-camera, and non-linear editing.)
experimental: Films and videos that defy traditional structure. This can include anything from autobiographical storytelling to films that use abstract imagery and sound.
film: A thin strip of flexible material that is light-sensitive and can record images. For viewing, it is projected onto a screen at three frames per second.
framing: The process of determining what gets included in the view of the camera.
hi-8: Before digital video was introduced into the consumer market, Hi-8 video was the favorite format for "home movies." It offered the best combination of quality and affordability in a conveniently compact size.
in-camera editing: Shooting a movie from the first shot to the last shot, in order, on the same tape. Requires a lot of planning but is very cost effective.
internet video formats: Any of the range of formats available for watching video on the internet or on a computer. Examples of these include Quicktime, Real Player, Windows Media Player. The Flash Player is now the top format used for animation.
location: Where a movie is filmed.
microphone, or mic (also see omni, uni, boom): The instrument for recording sound. Most camcorders have mics built into them, but for higher quality, external mics should be used instead.
narrative: A film that tells a story, usually fictional. This category usually does not include documentaries or experimental films.
non-linear editing: Using a computer to edit a video. Non-linear systems, such as Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro and Avid Technology Systems, allow a movie to be edited by cutting and pasting digital clips into a timeline in whatever order the editor chooses.
omnidirectional mic: A hand-held microphone that picks up sound from every direction. Also referred to as an omni mic.
pixelvision: A Fisher Price camera sold as a toy in the '80s that uses audio cassettes to record images. Embraced by artists, most notably Sadie Benning , because of its unique aesthetic quality.
post-production: Everything that happens after the footage is shot. This includes the entire editing process, distribution, etc.
pre-production: Everything that happens before the footage is shot. This includes writing a script/treatment, working out a budget, getting actors and crew, etc.
quarter-inch cable: Used to connect audio sources to each other. A quarter-inch cable is relatively large and provides a better quality connection than a smaller cable.
room tone: A background audio track recorded when the set is "silent." This track is then layered over any audio added during post-production to make it sound natural.
special effects: Fantastical images or sounds created with technology, whether during or after production.
storyboard: An illustration of what a shot will look like, accompanied by text describing what is happening during the scene. Storyboards help plan things out clearly and guide production.
streaming: Sending video and/or audio over the internet so that the receiving party can view/listen while the data is loading.
treatment: A detailed description of a movie, describing each scene and the visual devices to be used. Usually shorter than a script for fiction, and extremely useful for documentaries.
tripod: A stand that keeps the camera still. Hand-held filmmaking adds a certain choppiness that looks very different from filmmaking that involves tripods or mobile equipment, such as dollies.
uni mic: A microphone that picks up sound only from a specific source (like a voice), as opposed to background sound.
NOTE: for more info, check out IMDB's glossary at http://us.imdb.com/Glossary/
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analog video: Until recently, all video was analog. This includes VHS, Betacam and Hi-8 formats. You can still buy inexpensive camcorders in analog format, but the quality of the picture isn't as good as in digital video.
