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Cinematography and Film Terms. Film vocabulary is expansive. Fortunately, you can return to this list any time you need a refresher or before you head back to a film set. You should also make sure to check out our glossary devoted solely to cinematography terms that really goes into depth about some key terms every filmmaker should know.
- Abby (Abby Singer): A term for the second-to-last shot of the day on a shoot.
- Above The Line: A budgeting term used to describe professionals who influence the creative direction of a film, such the screenwriter, producer, director, and actors.
- Act: A main division within the plot of a film.
- Aerial Shot: A bird’s eye view camera shot filmed in an exterior location in the air from far overhead as from a helicopter, blimp, balloon, plane, drone or kite.
Nov 17, 2023 · This pocket-sized glossary contains over 2,000 essential filmmaking terms used on-set, during pre-production, post-production, and throughout the film industry’s creative and business communities. Whether you’re a budding filmmaker, an aspiring film producer, an actor in training, or just a cinema enthusiast eager to learn the lingo of filmmaking, this pocket-sized book is the tool for you!
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- Usher Morgan
- Use Your Words
- Stay Positive
- Be Loyal
- Don't Get Curious
- Freeze!
- Leave It Alone
Effective communication
Communicate your responsibility and goals to the crew before shooting starts so everyone on set is on the same page, both creatively and technically. You can do this with shot lists or with storyboards. You might even do this with mood boards. Luckily, this is much easier today than it has ever been. Before you get on set, the senior members of your crew should know what’s the main objective for what you are shooting that day. In addition, your team will often want a heads up regarding the ne...
Negative criticism
Discretion and diplomacy are very important on any set. The criticisms or observations that you offer can be infectious. You don’t ever want to be known as the “Negative Nellie” on set. If you have something pertinent to whatever you’re shooting, make sure you’re speaking to the right person. Maybe even remember what they say to children in situations when you don’t know whether to speak up or not: is it true, is it necessary and is it positive?
Double booking
There is nothing worse than a member of your team being half way out the door and you have not finished shooting yet. This is doubly true for any department head. It is demoralizing at best and poor work ethic at worse and a good way not to be invited back to the team. To avoid situations like this, see our how-to guide on wrapping your film production on time.
Stay in your lane
Don’t touch any other department's equipment. This should go without saying for everyone on the set. Everyone has their own job to do and it will never be helpful to touch equipment, crew or anything that isn’t specific to your department. In the same vein, no one should be touching anything in the camera department without express permission. Damages and thefts happen on many sets. Don’t tempt the fates.
Don't move yourself
Be still during takes, no matter how much you need to 10-1 on set. Do not move at all if you are in view of where the shoot is taking place. A fidget or sudden movement can really distract the focus of the scene from an often times very calibrated performance. Even sensing someone wiggling uncontrollably during a take could steal attention away and cost the production a take.
Don't move anything else either
Not even the smallest item can be moved after the Director or 1st Assistant Director yells, “Action!” There have been some public examples of how talent can react in this situation. None of them are good. Again, do not move equipment or anything once someone yells action. You will regret it. For more Assistant Director responsibilities, see our guide on what does an Assistant Director do.
Oct 18, 2023 · Intimate distance → distance of physical involvement, reserved for lovers and members of family ~ ECU, CU. Personal distance → arm’s length away, reserved for friends rather than lovers and family members ~ MCU, MS, MLS. Social distance → impersonal business and casual relationships ~ LS.
The A to Z Guide to Film Terms is a pocket-sized book of movie terms and phrases written by an industry professional. This updated 5th edition contains over 800 definitions of current terms and phrases used in film theory and film-making. There are also icons that link each definition to its department, allowing you to see at a glance which ...
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Mar 8, 2023 · The acronym for this is FPS (frames per second). In the modern era, the typical FPS is about 24. In the recent James Cameron film Avatar 2: The Way of Water, a high frame rate of 48 FPS was used. This can appear uncanny to the human eye.
