An Extensive List of Filmmaking Terms You Should Know

Definitions All Filmmakers Should Know

Whether you're a writer shaping a screenplay, a director guiding a performance, an editor crafting a narrative, or simply a passionate cinephile seeking to understand the magic behind the lens, this resource will equip you with the fundamental terms that define the art and industry of filmmaking.

Pre-Production

 
• Script/Story: 
   
  • Logline: A one-sentence summary of the core conflict of a story, often including the protagonist, antagonist, and inciting incident.
   
  • Synopsis: A brief overview of a story, usually one to two paragraphs, outlining the main plot points.
   
  • Treatment: A detailed summary of a screenplay, typically 10-30 pages, that includes key scenes, character descriptions, and plot progression, but without dialogue.
   
  • Screenplay: A written work that provides the blueprint for a film, television show, or other visual story, including dialogue, character actions, and scene descriptions.
   
  • Dialogue: The spoken words exchanged between characters in a film.
   
  • Monologue: A long speech by one character in a film, often delivered directly to the audience or to another character without interruption.
   
  • Character Arc: The transformation or journey a character undergoes over the course of a story.
   
  • Plot Point: A significant event in the story that pushes the narrative forward or changes its direction.
   
  • Inciting Incident: The event that sets the main plot in motion, disrupting the protagonist's ordinary world.
   
  • Climax: The point of highest tension or drama in a story, where the main conflict comes to a head.
   
  • Resolution: The conclusion of the story, where conflicts are resolved and loose ends are tied up.
   
  • Theme: The underlying message, idea, or subject explored in a film.
   
  • Genre: A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter (e.g., drama, comedy, horror).
   
  • Adaptation: A film based on a pre-existing work, such as a novel, play, or comic book.
   
  • Original: A film based on a story or concept created specifically for that film, not adapted from another source.
   
   
 
• Planning & Logistics: 
   
  • Budget: The financial plan outlining all projected expenses for a film's production.
   
  • Schedule: A detailed timeline for the film's production, outlining shooting days, locations, and personnel.
   
  • Shot List: A comprehensive list of every shot planned for a film, often including details like camera angle, movement, and framing.
   
  • Storyboards: A sequence of drawings, often with brief descriptions, that visually represents the shots planned for a film, similar to a comic strip.
   
  • Breakdown (script breakdown): The process of analyzing a screenplay scene by scene to identify and list all the elements needed for production, such as props, costumes, cast, and special effects.
   
  • Call Sheet: A daily production document that provides essential information for all cast and crew members, including call times, locations, and shooting schedule for the day.
   
  • Location Scouting: The process of searching for and selecting suitable places to film outside of a studio.
   
  • Permits: Official authorizations required from local authorities to film in specific locations or carry out certain activities.
   
  • Insurance: Coverage that protects the production against various risks, including damage to equipment, injuries, and lawsuits.
   
  • Casting: The process of selecting actors to play specific roles in a film.
   
  • Crew: The collective group of people working on a film production, excluding the cast.
   
  • Pitch: A concise verbal or visual presentation of a film idea, typically to potential investors or studios.
   
  • Funding: The financial resources acquired to produce a film, often through investors, grants, or crowd-funding.
   
  • Pre-visualization (Pre-viz): A process used to visualize complex scenes or sequences before actual filming, often using animated storyboards or basic 3D models.
   
   
 

Production (On Set)

 
• Camera & Lighting: 
   
  • Camera: The device used to capture images for a film.
   
  • Lens: An optical device used with a camera to focus light and form an image on the sensor.
   
  • Aperture: The opening in a lens through which light passes, controlling the amount of light and depth of field. Measured in f-stops.
   
  • Shutter Speed: The duration for which the camera's sensor is exposed to light, affecting motion blur.
   
  • ISO: A measure of a camera sensor's sensitivity to light. Higher ISO means more sensitivity but can introduce noise.
   
  • Depth of Field: The range of distance in front of and behind the subject that appears acceptably sharp in a photograph or video.
   
  • Focus: The sharpness or clarity of an image.
     
    • Rack Focus: A technique where the focus shifts from one subject to another within the same shot.
     
    • Deep Focus: A technique where all elements in the foreground, mid-ground, and background are in sharp focus simultaneously.
     
     
   
  • Framing: The way a shot is composed within the camera's frame, including the position of subjects and objects.
   
  • Composition: The arrangement of elements within the frame to create an aesthetically pleasing and meaningful image.
   
  • Rule of Thirds: A compositional guideline that divides the image into nine equal sections by two horizontal and two vertical lines, suggesting placing key elements along these lines or their intersections.
   
  • Headroom: The space between the top of a subject's head and the top of the frame.
   
  • Nose Room: The space left in front of a subject who is moving or looking off-screen, giving them "room to move into."
   
  • Eye Line: The direction in which a subject is looking, crucial for maintaining continuity in conversations between characters.
   
  • Lighting: The manipulation of light to illuminate subjects and create a desired mood or effect.
     
    • Key Light: The primary and strongest light source illuminating the subject.
     
    • Fill Light: A secondary light source used to soften shadows created by the key light.
     
    • Backlight: A light source placed behind the subject, creating a rim of light around them to separate them from the background.
     
     
   
  • Three-Point Lighting: A standard lighting setup using a key light, fill light, and backlight to illuminate a subject.
   
  • Gaffer: The chief electrician on a film set, responsible for the lighting plan and execution.
   
  • Best Boy: The assistant to the gaffer (Best Boy Electric) or key grip (Best Boy Grip).
   
  • Grip: A technician responsible for setting up and maintaining lighting and rigging equipment.
   
  • Reflector: A device used to bounce or redirect light onto a subject.
   
  • Diffuser: A material used to soften and spread light, reducing harsh shadows.
   
  • Gel: A colored, transparent sheet placed in front of a light source to change the color of the light.
   
  • Barn Doors: Adjustable flaps on a light fixture used to control the spread of light.
   
  • Flag: An opaque piece of material used to block light from hitting a specific area.
   
  • C-Stand: A versatile stand used to hold flags, diffusers, lights, and other grip equipment.
   
  • Dolly: A wheeled cart or device used to create smooth, tracking camera movements.
   
  • Crane: A large mechanical arm used to achieve high-angle and sweeping camera movements.
   
  • Steadicam: A camera stabilizing system that allows the operator to move smoothly while the camera remains stable.
   
  • Tripod: A three-legged stand used to provide stable support for a camera.
   
  • Fluid Head: A type of tripod head designed for smooth panning and tilting movements.
   
  • Tracking Shot: A shot where the camera follows the subject, moving along a track or on a dolly.
   
  • Zoom: The action of changing the focal length of a lens, making the subject appear closer (zoom in) or further away (zoom out) without moving the camera.
   
  • Pan: The horizontal movement of a camera from a fixed position.
   
  • Tilt: The vertical movement of a camera from a fixed position.
   
  • POV (Point of View): A shot taken from the perspective of a character or object, showing what they see.
   
  • Master Shot: A single, continuous shot that captures an entire scene from beginning to end, often including all characters and actions.
   
  • Coverage: All the additional shots (mediums, close-ups, inserts) taken in a scene to provide options for the editor.
   
  • Insert: A close-up shot of an object or detail within a scene, usually to emphasize something specific.
   
  • Cutaway: A shot that briefly takes the viewer away from the main action to show something else, often to provide context or cover an edit.
   
  • Establishing Shot: A shot, usually a wide shot or long shot, that sets the scene and shows the location where the action is about to occur.
   
  • Medium Shot: A shot that typically shows a character from the waist up.
   
  • Close-up: A shot that tightly frames a person or object, usually showing only their face or a small detail.
   
  • Extreme Close-up: An even tighter shot than a close-up, focusing on a very specific detail, like an eye or a single object.
   
  • Wide Shot: A shot that shows a broad view of the setting, often with subjects appearing small in the frame.
   
  • Long Shot: A shot that shows the subject from a distance, usually encompassing their full body and some of the surroundings.
   
  • Dutch Angle: A shot where the camera is tilted on its axis, creating a skewed or disorienting effect.
   
  • High Angle: A shot where the camera is positioned above the subject, looking down, often making the subject appear small or vulnerable.
   
  • Low Angle: A shot where the camera is positioned below the subject, looking up, often making the subject appear powerful or dominant.
   
  • Shot Reverse Shot: An editing technique where two characters are shown speaking to each other, with the camera alternating between their individual close-ups.
   
   
 
• Sound: 
   
  • Microphone: A device that converts sound waves into electrical signals for recording.
     
    • Boom Mic: A microphone attached to a long pole (boom arm) held above the actors, typically out of frame.
     
    • Lavalier Mic (Lapel Mic): A small microphone that can be clipped to a person's clothing.
     
     
   
  • Boom Operator: The crew member responsible for operating the boom microphone.
   
  • Sound Mixer: The person responsible for recording all on-set sound, balancing microphone levels, and ensuring audio quality.
   
  • Foley: The reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to film, video, and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality.
   
  • Sound Design: The art and practice of creating soundtracks for various purposes, often encompassing all audio elements of a film (dialogue, music, sound effects).
   
  • Diegetic Sound: Sound that originates from within the story's world and is heard by the characters (e.g., dialogue, on-screen music, footsteps).
   
  • Non-Diegetic Sound: Sound that comes from outside the story's world and is not heard by the characters (e.g., background music, voiceovers from a narrator).
   
  • ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement): The process of re-recording dialogue in a studio after filming, often to improve audio quality or change lines. Also known as "looping."
   
  • Room Tone: The subtle, inherent ambient noise of a specific room or location, recorded to provide a natural background sound for editing.
   
  • Soundscape: The overall acoustic environment of a scene, including all its auditory elements.
   
   
 
• Directing & Crew: 
   
  • Director: The creative lead of a film, responsible for the artistic and dramatic aspects, guiding the cast and crew.
   
  • Producer: The person responsible for the overall financial and organizational aspects of a film production.
   
  • Assistant Director (AD): Manages the set, organizes the cast and crew, keeps the production on schedule, and maintains order.
   
  • Director of Photography (DP/Cinematographer): The chief of the camera and lighting crews, responsible for the visual style and image quality of the film.
   
  • Camera Operator: The person who physically operates the camera during filming.
   
  • First AC (Assistant Camera): Responsible for maintaining the camera, changing lenses, and pulling focus.
   
  • Second AC: Responsible for slating scenes (operating the clapperboard), organizing camera equipment, and managing media.
   
  • Script Supervisor: The crew member responsible for ensuring continuity from shot to shot and tracking every detail of the script during filming.
   
  • Production Designer: The artist responsible for the visual concept of a film, including sets, locations, props, and costumes.
   
  • Art Director: Works under the production designer to oversee the construction of sets and the overall visual style.
   
  • Set Decorator: Responsible for furnishing and decorating the sets, working under the art director.
   
  • Prop Master: The person responsible for acquiring, organizing, and maintaining all props used in a film.
   
  • Costume Designer: Designs, creates, and acquires all costumes for the characters.
   
  • Makeup Artist: Applies makeup to actors to create desired looks.
   
  • Hair Stylist: Styles actors' hair according to character design.
   
  • Best Boy Electric: The lead assistant to the Gaffer.
   
  • Best Boy Grip: The lead assistant to the Key Grip.
   
  • Location Manager: Finds and secures suitable locations for filming and manages them during production.
   
  • Production Assistant (PA): Entry-level position, assisting various departments with day-to-day tasks on set.
   
  • Blocking: The precise staging of actors' movements within the frame and their relation to the camera.
   
  • Rehearsal: The practice or preparation of a scene before filming.
   
   
 

Post-Production

 
• Editing: 
   
  • Editor: The person responsible for assembling raw footage into a cohesive narrative.
   
  • Rough Cut: The first assembly of a film's footage, providing a basic narrative flow without refined pacing or effects.
   
  • Picture Lock: The stage in editing when all picture edits are finalized, and no more changes will be made to the visual sequence.
   
  • Transitions: The ways in which one shot moves to the next.
     
    • Cut: An instantaneous change from one shot to another.
     
    • Dissolve: A gradual transition where one shot slowly disappears as the next shot appears, often implying a passage of time or a thematic link.
     
    • Fade: A gradual transition where the image slowly darkens to black (fade out) or lightens from black (fade in).
     
    • Wipe: A transition where one shot replaces another by moving across the screen in a distinct pattern.
     
     
   
  • Montage: A sequence of short shots, often with music, used to condense time, convey a series of events, or evoke a particular emotion.
   
  • Pacing: The speed at which a film's narrative unfolds, influenced by editing, dialogue, and action.
   
  • Rhythm: The flow and cadence of a film, created by the interplay of shots, scenes, and sequences.
   
  • Continuity: The consistent flow of action and elements from shot to shot, ensuring logical progression and avoiding jarring discrepancies.
   
  • Jump Cut: An abrupt transition between two shots that are very similar, often creating a jarring effect or suggesting a break in continuity.
   
  • Match Cut: An edit that connects two different shots by a similar visual or auditory element, creating a seamless transition.
   
  • Non-Linear Editing (NLE): Digital video editing systems that allow for flexible arrangement of clips without altering the original source material.
   
  • Color Correction: The technical process of adjusting the color balance, exposure, and contrast of footage to ensure consistency and accuracy.
   
  • Color Grading: The creative process of altering the colors of an image to evoke a specific mood, style, or enhance storytelling.
   
  • VFX (Visual Effects): Digital imagery created or manipulated to enhance or create visual elements that would be difficult, dangerous, or impossible to capture live.
   
  • CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery): The application of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, films, television programs, shorts, commercials, videos, and simulators.
   
  • Compositing: The process of combining multiple visual elements from separate sources into single images, often to create the illusion that all those elements are part of the same scene.
   
  • Green Screen/Blue Screen: A backdrop of a solid color (green or blue) that allows specific colors to be digitally removed in post-production and replaced with other images or videos.
   
   
 
• Sound (Post): 
   
  • Sound Editor: Responsible for assembling and mixing all sound elements (dialogue, music, sound effects) after filming.
   
  • Sound Mix: The final stage of audio post-production, where all sound elements are balanced and combined into a cohesive soundtrack.
   
  • Score: The original music composed specifically for a film.
   
  • Soundtrack: The collection of music (both original score and pre-existing songs) used in a film.
  • Voiceover: A narrative voice, often by a narrator not seen on screen, providing information or commentary.
   
   
 
• Delivery: 
   
  • DCP (Digital Cinema Package): Digital Cinema Package): A collection of digital files used to store and convey digital cinema (DC) audio, image, and data streams. It's the standard format for theatrical film distribution.
   
  • Codec: A program or device that encodes and decodes digital data streams or signals. Used for compressing and decompressing video and audio files.
   
  • Aspect Ratio: The proportional relationship between the width and the height of the image (e.g., 16:9, 2.35:1).
   
  • Resolution: The number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed by a digital image or display device (e.g., 1920x1080 for Full HD, 3840x2160 for 4K).
   
  • Framerate: The frequency (rate) at which consecutive images (frames) are displayed in an animated display (e.g., 24 frames per second for film, 30 or 60 for video).
   
  • Deliverables: All the final assets and materials required by distributors, festivals, or broadcasters after a film is completed (e.g., final cut, sound mix, marketing materials, legal documents).
   
   
 

Distribution & Exhibition

 
• Marketing & Sales: 
   
  • Trailer: A short promotional video for a film, shown in advance of its release.
   
  • Teaser: A very short, early promotional video for a film, often released before a full trailer, designed to generate curiosity.
   
  • Poster: A static visual advertisement for a film.
   
  • Press Kit: A collection of promotional materials for media outlets, including synopses, cast/crew bios, production notes, and photos.
   
  • Publicity: The process of generating media attention and public interest for a film.
   
  • Distribution Deals: Agreements between filmmakers/producers and distributors for the release and exhibition of a film.
   
  • Sales Agent: A representative who sells the distribution rights of a film to various territories or platforms.
   
  • Film Market: An event held alongside a film festival where film rights are bought and sold.
   
  • Film Festival: An organized presentation and competition of films, often categorized by genre, subject, or length.
   
  • Premiere: The first official public screening of a film.
   
  • Exhibitor: A company or individual that owns or operates movie theaters.
   
  • Box Office: The total amount of money collected from ticket sales for a film.
   
  • Streaming Platform: A service that delivers media content over the internet, allowing users to watch without downloading (e.g., Netflix, Hulu).
   
  • VOD (Video On Demand): A system that allows users to select and watch video content whenever they choose, rather than at a specific broadcast time.
   
   
 
• Film Theory & Analysis: 
   
  • Mise-en-scène: All the elements that appear in the frame of a shot and their arrangement, including sets, props, costumes, lighting, and actors.
   
  • Narrative: The storytelling structure and sequence of events in a film.
   
  • Non-Narrative: A film that does not follow a traditional story structure, often focusing on abstract ideas, visual patterns, or a series of unrelated events.
   
  • Auteur: A film director whose individual style and thematic concerns are so strong that they are regarded as the primary "author" of the film.
   
  • Genre Conventions: The established and recognizable elements, themes, visual styles, and narrative patterns associated with a particular film genre.
   
  • Tropes: Commonly recurring themes, devices, or motifs in storytelling, literature, or film.
   
  • Symbolism: The use of objects, people, or ideas to represent something else, often abstract concepts.
   
  • Motif: A recurring element, image, sound, or idea in a film that takes on symbolic significance.
   
  • Subtext: The unspoken or implied meaning or emotional content beneath the surface of dialogue or action.
   
  • Metaphor: A figure of speech where a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. In film, it's a visual or conceptual comparison.
   
  • Intertextuality: The relationship between texts, especially literary ones, that occurs when one text references, alludes to, or incorporates elements from another.
   
  • Pastiche: An artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period, usually with respectful homage rather than satire.
   
  • Parody: A humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature, film, or music.
   
  • Homage: A public show of respect or honor paid to someone or something, often through an artistic reference in a film.
   
  • Suspension of Disbelief: The willingness of a viewer to temporarily accept the implausible or fantastical elements of a story for the sake of enjoyment.