Common Film Terms
The film industry is filled with jargon that the average “non-film” person would likely not understand. If you have an interest in entering the film industry, brush up on your lingo to avoid a world of confusion. Below are 20 common terms that can help you in your pursuit of becoming a film expert.
- Act – Parts of a film that are divided into sections to better tell a story. The term “act” can also be referred to as “plot points” in films.
- Aspect Ratio – How the image appears on a movie screen or a television according to how the picture was shot. Ratio of width to the height of a frame will determine an aspect ratio. Widescreen ratio is commonly 16:9.
- Back Story – Refers to a storyline that took place previous to the beginning of a film. Usually background dialog is given to the viewer through a voiceover or a reenactment.
- Bird’s Eye View – A camera angle when a camera is placed above a person or an object with the image appearing from the sky.
- Blockbuster – A major motion picture that is anticipated to perform extremely well at the box office. A total revue of $200 million is required to make a film an official Blockbuster.
- Catharsis – A particular point in a film where the viewer(s) can experience sudden emotion followed by relief.
- Change-over Cue - Circle or oval spaced hole in a frame of a film, usually in the middle of a storyline, telling the person running the projector to switch the reel. Modern films are often shown on one reel eliminating this process.
- Cliffhanger – When one part of a storyline has ended with suspense and has to be continued at a later date.
- Crane shot – When a camera is hanging from a crane to capture a shot that is difficult to get otherwise.
- Dub (or Dubbing) – Adding a soundtrack or music to a film during the editing process.
- Dunning – Taking shots or frames that were filmed in a studio or soundstage and merging the shot with other shots that were filmed in other areas.
- Epic – A film that requires a lot of money to produce and a lot of detail. Films with plots having to with war, history or biblical issues have been call epic films.
- Fade – A technique typically used at the beginning of a frame where a color, image or sound is blended to enhance the mood of the scene. This effect can occur from dark to light, from silent to sound, or from black to white.
- Frame – One still image that is captured by the camera. A film is made up of many frames.
- Genre – Style of a film. Comedy, drama, thriller, science fiction, and horror are all some examples of genre.
- Head-on – A camera shot where the lens is pointing and filming directly towards a person or object. This can also refer to when an actor or an object is moving towards the camera at a slow or fast pace.
- Screener – A copy of a film that is sent to a viewer or a film critic to view before it is made available to the general public.
- Spoiler – When the complete plot of a film - including the end - is revealed before a person gets a chance to view the film.
- Triple threat – Referring to an actor or an actress who can act, sing and dance equally well. It can also mean a person can play the role of actor, writer and director.
- Voiceover (VO) – When part of the script is being read aloud to the viewer. The viewer will only hear a voice and not see a person. This technique especially works for narrative films and animation films.
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