A beginner’s guide to film terms. From screenwriting to pre-production to marketing & distribution, it can be hard to navigate the film industry if you don’t know the right lingo. This film glossary covers pre-production, production, post-production, and marketing & distribution. Here are a few terms to get you on your way as an aspiring filmmaker.
ABOVE AND BELOW THE LINE
Production. Film budgets are split up into above- and below-the-line costs. Above the line refers to costs related to the creative direction of the film: the director, talent, writers, and producers. On the contrary, below the line refers to movie costs associated with crew salary, publicity, music, and everything else.
ACTOR’S EQUITY
Production. The Actor’s Equity is the main labor union for actors and stage managers in the United States. The union was founded in 1913 in order to advocate for fair wages, better working conditions, and provide benefits such as health and retirement.
ASSEMBLY
Post-Production. The first edit of a film. It focuses on editing the footage so that it reflects the script.
AUTEUR
Pre-Production. An auteur is an author of a film. The term is commonly used to for directors with a signature style or theme, and who have a lot of creative control over the film.
AUTOMATED DIALOGUE REPLACEMENT (ADR)
Post-Production. The process of re-recording dialogue by an actor after filming is completed. ADR is recorded in a studio during a separate recording session and is overseen by a supervising sound editor or ADR supervisor.
AWARDS SEASON
Marketing & Distribution. Film awards season occurs between November and February each year. As a result, the season ends with the Academy Awards in late February or early March. Throughout the season, films gain exposure to new audiences.
B-ROLL
Pre-Production. B-roll is alternative footage that is intercut with main footage. B-roll helps tell the story of a film by providing visual interest and context.
BLOCKING
Production. The movement and positioning of actors during filming. The director and camera crew determine blocking during rehearsals based on dramatic effect, lighting, and scene transitions.
BREAKING THE SCRIPT
Pre-Production. When a screenwriter finalizes all of the plot points in a script and knows how to complete the story.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Production. Cinematography is the art of motion picture photography. Cinematography involves the choice of cameras, lighting, filters, and special effects.
COLOR-CONSCIOUS CASTING
Pre-Production. To actively consider race and ethnicity when choosing the cast. This type of casting contrasts to “color-blind” casting, in which ethnicity and race are not considered in choosing the cast.
CROSS CUTTING
Post-Production. Switching back and forth between scenes to give the impression that these actions are occurring at the same time.
CUE SHEET
Post-Production. A cue sheet is a breakdown of all music used for a visual media production such as film, tv, or advertisements. Cue sheets are also used to calculate royalties and ensure payments are distributed correctly.
DENOUEMENT
Pre-Production. The final part of a film that resolves the film’s themes and ends the story. It’s often where the secrets are revealed and loose ends are tied up.
DIALOGUE
Pre-Production. All written or spoken exchanges of words between one or more characters.
EQUITY PRINCIPAL AUDITION (EPA)
Pre-Production. Equity Principal Auditions are auditions specifically designed to help producers and directors find actors for leading roles.
FOURTH WALL
Production. The fourth wall is an invisible wall that separates the world of the film and the audience.
FRAME RATE
Post-Production. Film consists of still images moving in rapid succession in order to give the appearance of movement. Each image is a single frame. Frame rate refers to how quickly a number of frames appears within a second.
GENRE TELEVISION
Marketing & Distribution. Genre television refers to shows within a few specific genres: science fiction, fantasy, comic book, and horror.
HEIDI PHONE
Production. A dedicated phone and switchboard that was installed in the NBC control room so that network executives are able to communicate directly with the control room.
MOVIOLA
Post-Production. The Moviola was the first commercial video editing machine. It was designed so that film editors could view the footage as they edit.
OTT
Marketing & Distribution. Over-The-Top Video-On-Demand. Streaming services that offer movies and television shows through high speed internet instead of through cable or satellite providers.
PVOD
Marketing & Distribution. Premium Video-on-Demand. With PVOD, customers have to pay a higher set price to watch videos or television but do not have to watch ads.
SCREENER
Marketing & Distribution. A copy of a film sent to critics before it premieres. A screener may generate positive buzz for a film.
SLEEPER
Marketing & Distribution. A film that was successful at the box office, even though it had a limited budget and very little publicity or marketing.
STEENBECK FLATBED
Post-Production. A table editing machine developed in the 1930s. It was used for over 50 years and allowed the user to move through fragile film slowly to make edits safely.
TENTPOLE FILM
Marketing & Distribution. A big budget, blockbuster film that is expected to make a lot of money for studios. As a result, the money from these films are often invested into smaller, less successful films.
VOD
Marketing & Distribution. Video-On-Demand. The ability to watch film and TV without a specific broadcast schedule.
