A GUIDE OF TERMS TO LEARN FOR MOTION PICTURE CREWS

From The Complete Film Dictionary by Ira Konigsberg. 2nd Ed

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Key to my abbreviations:



ALL= All should learn
ANIMATION= Animation
CAM= Related to Motion Picture Camera
CAM DIR= Camera Directions
CREW= Description of Crew Responsibilities
EDIT= Editorial
FILM= Film
GRIP= Grip Department
LAB= Laboratory Procedure
LITE= Lighting Department


OP FX= Optical Effects
POST= Post Production
PROD= Production
SFX= Special Effects
SND= Sound Department
STG= Stage
TERM= Terms used on a set.
TV COMM= TV Commercial terms
VIDEO= Video




Academy Aperture CAM
Action 5 Different Meanings EDIT
Anamorphic Lens CAM
Angle of View CAM
Animatics TV COMM
Answer Print POST
Aperture 4 Different Meanings CAM
Aperture Plate CAM
Apple Box GRIP
Arc Light LITE
Arriflex CAM
Art Director CREW
Artificial Light CAM
Aspect Ratio CAM
Assemble EDIT
Assistant Cameraman CREW
Assistant Director CREW
Audio SND
Available Light LITE
Avid EDIT
Baby Plate LITE
Baby Spot LITE
Baby Tripod CAM
Back Drop STG
Background ALL
Background Action CAM DIR
Background Plate SFX
Background Projection SFX
Backing STG
Back Light LITE
Back Lot ALL
Barn Doors LITE
Barney CAM
Battery Belt CAM
Base FILM
Batch FILM
Bead Board GRIP
Best Boy CREW
Black Limbo SFX
Blacks GRIP
Black Warp LITE
Blimp CAM
Blocking CAM DIR
Blow-Up OP FX
Blue-Screen Process SFX
Boom Man CREW SND
Boom Up CAM
Bounce Card LITE
Bounce Light LITE
Bracketing CAM
Breakaway SFX
Breathing CAM
Brightness CAM
Brute LITE
Buckle Switch CAM
Business CAM DIR
Busy CAM DIR
Butterfly GRIP
Call PROD
Camera (all entries) CAM
Can CAM
Car Rigs GRIP
Cat Walk LITE
Cel ANIMATION
Cel Animation ANIMATION
Cel Side ANIMATION
Century Stand GRIP
Changing Bag CAM
Cheat CAM DIR
Chicken Coop LITE
Circled Takes CAM
Clapboard/ Sticks CAM
Claw CAM
Clean Entrance/Exit CAM DIR
Clip EDIT
Close Down CAM
Close-Up CAM DIR
Color Balance CAM
Color Film CAM
Color Temperature CAM
Composite POST
Computer Graphics VIDEO
Conforming EDIT
Console SND
Continuity CAM DIR
Continuity Girl CREW
Continuous Action CAM DIR
Contrast CAM
Contrast Glass CAM
Cookie, Cuke GRIP
Core CAM
Coverage CAM DIR
Covering Power CAM
Cover Set PROD
Cover Shot CAM DIR
Crab GRIP
Craft Service CREW
Crane GRIP
Crawl EDIT
Crew Cal ALL
Cricket Dolly GRIP
Cropping ?
Cross Cutting EDIT
Crystal Motor CAM
Crystal Sync CAM
Cue Breakdown RDIT
Cue Cards PROD
Cut EDIT
Cut-Away CAM DIR
Cut Back CAM DIR
Cut-In CAM DIR
Cutter EDIT
Cutting EDIT
Cutting on Action EDIT
Cutting Room EDIT
Cut to EDIT
Cyclorama Strip LITE
Dailies EDIT
Daylight CAM
Daylight Color Film CAM
Degausse VIDEO
Density FILM
Depth of Field CAM
Developing LAB
Dialogue CAM DIR
Dialogue track EDIT
Diaphragm CAM
Dichroic Filter LITE
Diffuser CAM LITE
Diffusion CAM LITE
Digital Sound Recording SND
Dimmer LITE
Diopter Lens CAM
Direct Cut EDIT
Director CREW
Director of Photography CREW
Director's Cut EDIT
DGA ALL
Director's Viewfinder CAM DIR
Dissolve EDIT
Dolly (all entries) GRIP
Dot GRIP
Double LITE
Double System Sound SND
Drop GRIP
Dubbing Session EDIT
Dupe EDIT
Dupe EDIT
Dutch Angle CAM DIR
Eastman Color FILM
Editing EDIT
Editing Bench EDIT
Effects SFX
Electronic Compositing VIDEO
Emulsion FILM
Exposed FILM
Exposure CAM
Exposure Index FILM
Exposure Meter CAM
Exterior ALL
Extra ALL
Extreme close-up CAM
Eye Light LITE
Eye Piece CAM
Fade EDIT
Fall-Off LITE
Fast Motion CAM
FAY Light LITE
Fill Light LITE
Film Plane CAM
Film Running Speed CAM
Filter CAM
Final Cut EDIT
Fine cut EDIT
Fire Up LITE
Fish Pole SND
Flag GRIP
Flare CAM
Flashing CAM
Flat Lighting LITE
Fluid Head CAM
Fly LITE
Focal Length CAM
Focal Plane CAM
Focus CAM
Focus Pull CAM
Fog ALL
Fog filter CAM
Fog Machine SFX
Follow Focus CAM
Footage Counter CAM
Foot Candle LITE
Forced Development CAM
Four Wall Set ALL
Frame ALL
Frame Line CAM
Frames per Second CAM
Framing CAM
Freeze Frame EDIT
French Flag GRIP
Fresnel LITE
Front Light/Back Light LITE
Front Projection SFX
F- Stop CAM
Full Aperture CAM
Full Shot CAM DIR
Gaffer CREW
Gaffer's Tape LITE
Gag GRIP
Geared Head CAM
Gel CAM LITE
Gelatin Filter CAM LITE
Generation EDIT
Generator LITE
Glass Filter CAM
Gobo GRIP
Gofer CREW
Graduated Filter (grad) CAM
Grain FILM
Gray Card CAM
Grid LITE
Ground Glass Viewfinder CAM
Group Shot CAM DIR
Halation FILM
Half Apple GRIP
Half Scrim LITE
Hand Held CAM
Hand Model CREW
Hand Props ALL
Head CAM
Head Room CAM DIR
Head Slate CAM
Heads-Up EDIT
Helicopter Mount CAM
High Speed Cinematography CAM
Hi Hat CAM
HMI LITE
Honey Wagon ALL
Hot set ALL
House Lights ALL
Hyperfocal Distance CAM
Image CAM
Imaginary Line CAM DIR
Improvise ALL
In Camera Effects CAM
Incandescent LITE
Inching Knob CAM
Incident Light LITE
Incident Light Meter LITE
Infinity CAM
In Frame CAM DIR
Inky Dink LITE
Insert CAM DIR
Insert Car ALL
Insert Stage ALL
In Sync CAM
Intercut EDIT
Interior ALL
Intermittent Movement CAM
Internegative EDIT
Interpositive EDIT
In The Can ALL
Iris CAM
Jam CAM
Jenny LITE
Jib Arm GRIP
Joystick CAM
Jump Cut EDIT
Junior LITE
Key Light LITE
Keystoning CAMERA
Kicker Light LITE
Kill LITE
Lab FILM
Lab Report CAM
Laid in Music EDIT
Lamp LITE
Latitude FILM
Leader EDIT
Lens CAM
Lens Aperture CAM
Lens Hood CAM
Lens Mount CAM
Lens Speed CAM
Lens Support CAM
Library Shot EDIT
Lighting LITE
Lighting Balance LITE
Lighting Board LITE
Lighting Grid LITE
Lighting Ratio LITE
Lighting Stand LITE
Light Level LITE
Limbo ALL
Line Producer CREW
Lip-Sync ALL
Liquid Gate OPTICAL
Live Action ALL
Live Sound SND
Location ALL
Location Manager CREW
Location Scout CREW
Location Shooting ALL
Log Sheet CAM
Long Focus Lens CAM
Long Shot CAM DIR
Looping ALL
Loose Shot CAM DIR
Lose the Light ALL
Louma Crane GRIP
Low Angle Shot CAM DIR
Low Contrast CAM
Low Con (trast) Filter CAM
Low Key Lighting LITE
Low Speed Camera CAM
Luminaire LITE


Macro Lens CAM
Magazine CAM
Magic Hour ALL
Mag(netic) Film SND
Magnetic Recording SND
Mag(netic) Stripe SND
Magnetic Tape Recorder SND
Make Up Artist CREW
Make Up Call PROD
Mark It CAM
Master Shot CAM DIR
Match Cut EDIT
Match Dissolve EDIT
Matching Action CAM DIR
Matte SFX
Matte Artist CREW
Matte Box CAM
Matte Line EFX
Matte Painting EFX
Matte Shot EFX
Meal Penalty PROD
Meat Axe GRIP
Mechanical Effects EFX
Medium Close Up CAM DIR
Medium Shot CAM DIR
Microphone SND
Microphone Boom SND
Midget LITE
Mighty LITE
Miniature Model) ALL
Minimums PROD
Mirror Shutter CAM
Mitchell CAM
Mix EDIT
Mixer SND
Modeling LITE
Molevator LITE
Monitor VIDEO
MOS SND
Motion Control SFX
Moviola EDIT
Nagra SND
Narration ALL
Natural Light LITE
Natural Wipe CAM DIR
Negative FILM
Negative Cutting EDIT
Net GRIP
Neutral CAM
Nine Light LITE
Nodal Point CAM
Non Sync. Sound (wild) SND
No Print CAM
Obie LITE
Objective Camera CAM DIR
Off Camera CAM DIR
Off Mike SND
Off Screen CAM DIR
On Camera CAM DIR
One-Light Print EDIT
On Location ALL
Open Up
Operator CAM
Optical Effects OP FX
Optical Flip OP FX
Optical House OP FX
Optical Printer OP FX
Optical Zoom OP FX
Original FILM
Original Film FILM
Out of Focus Dissolve OPTICAL
Out of Sync. CAM SND
Out Take CAM
Overcrank CAM
Overcranked CAM
Over Development LAB
Over Exposure CAM
Overlap ?
Overlap Dialoque EDIT
Overscale PROD
Over the Shoulder Shot CAM DIR
Pace CAM DIR
Paddle Plug LITE
Painted Matte Shot SFX
Pan CAM
Pan Handle CAM
Parallax CAM
Parallel GRIP
Par Light LITE
Perforation FILM
Periscope (lens) CAM
Perspective CAM DIR
Photoflood LITE
Pick-Up Shot
Pilot(Register) Pins CAM
Pitching Lens CAM
Play Back ALL
Point of View Shot CAM DIR
Polarizing Filter CAM
Post Production EDIT
Practical LITE
Pre Production PROD
Prescore ALL
Presence SND
Pressure Plate CAM
Prime Lens CAM
Print CAM
Printing Down LAB
Processing LAB
Process (all entries) SFX
Production Unit PROD
Projector POST
Prompter PROD
Pull-Back Shot CAM DIR
Pyrotechnics SFX
Quartz Bulb LITE
Quartz Light LITE
Rack Focus CAM DIR
Reaction Shot CAM DIR
Reading ALL
Rear Projection SFX
Recording Studio POST
Red Light ALL
Reel EDIT
Reflectance LITE
Reflected Light LITE
Reflected Light Meter LITE
Reflector GRIP
Reflex Camera CAM
Reflex Viewfinder CAM
Reframe CAM DIR
Register Pins CAM
Registration CAM
Resolution CAM
Retake ALL
Reveal CAM DIR
Reversal Film FILM
Reverse Angle CAM DIR
Reverse Motion CAM-EDIT
Reverse Printing EDIT
Rewind EDIT
Rigging GRIP
Rim Light LITE
Riser CAM
Roll Camera CAM
Roll Sound SND
Room Tone SND
Rotoscope SFX
Rough Cut EDIT
Running Shot CAM DIR
Run Out CAM
Run Through ALL
Run Up CAM
Rushes FILM
Safe Action CAM
Sand Bag GRIP
Saturation CAM
Scene ALL
Scenery ALL
Scene Dock ALL
Scenic Artist CREW
Scouting CREW
Scratch Track ALL
Screen ALL
Screen Direction CAM DIR
Scrim GRIP LITE
Script Clerk (supervisor) CREW
Second Unit
Selected Takes CAM
Selective Focus CAM DIR
Senior LITE
Sequence ALL
Set ALL
Set-up ALL
Sharpness CAM FILM
Shoot Around CAM DIR
Short End CAM
Short Focal Length CAM
Shot ALL
Shotgun Microphone SND
Shot List ALL
Shutter CAM
Shutter Angle CAM
Shutter Speed CAM
Side Light LITE
Silk GRIP
Single LITE GRIP
Single Frame Exposure CAM
Skip Framing SFX
Sky Light LITE
Sky Pan LITE
Slate CAM
Slow Motion CAM
Slow Speed CAM
Snoot LITE
Snorkel CAM
Soft ALL
Soft Cut EDIT
Soft Focus CAM
Soft Light LITE
Sound Camera CAM
Sound Mixer SND
Sound Speed CAM/ SND
Sound Stage
Source Lighting LITE
Special Effects SFX
Speed CAM
Spider Box LITE
Spill LITE
Splice SND
Split-Field (diopter) lens CAM
Split Reel EDIT
Split Screen EDIT
Spot Light LITE
Spot Meter LITE
Spreader CAM
Sproket holes FILM
Spyder Dolly GRIP
Stage ALL
Stand-in ALL
Standing Set ALL
Steadicam CAM
Still Man CREW
Stock Shot EDIT
Stop Motion CAM
Story Board
Story Board Artist CREW
Straight Cut EDIT
Strike ALL
Strobe Light CAM
Strobbing CAM
Stunt Man CREW
Subjective Camera CAM DIR
Sun Gun LITE
Superimpose EDIT
Swing Gang CREW
Swish-pan CAM DIR
Synchronization CAM
Syncing Dailies EDIT
Tail EDIT
Tail a Way Shot CAM DIR
Tail Out EDIT
Tail Slate CAM
Take ALL
Take Number CAM
Take Up CAM
Take Up Spool EDIT
Taking Lens CAM
Talent ALL
Talent Agency ALL
Tank Shot SFX
Target Audience ALL
Telecine POST
Tele-Extender Lens CAM
Telephoto Distortion CAM
Telephot Lens CAM
Television Cut-Off CAM
Tener (ten-K) LITE
Thin (negative) FILM
35 mm Film FILM
Thread CAM
Three- Quarter Front Key LITE
Tight Shot CAM DIR
Time Code EDIT
Time Lapse Photography CAM
Timer LAB
Timing LAB
Tracking Shot GRIP
Transition EDIT
Traveling Matte SFX
Triangle CAM
Trim EDIT
Trim Bin EDIT
Tripod CAM
Tripod Head CAM
Trucking Shot CAM DIR
T-Stop CAM
Tulip Crane GRIP
Tweenie LITE
Two Shot CAM DIR
Two Wall Set ALL
Tyler Mount CAM
Undercrank CAM
Underexposure CAM
Upstage CAM DIR
Utility Man CREW
Variable Opening Shutter CAM
Video VIDEO
Video Assist CAM
Video Editing System POST
Video Tape VIDEO
Visual Effects SFX
Voice Over POST
Walla EDIT
Wardrobe Call PROD
Warm Image CAM
Western Dolly GRIP
Whip Pan CAM DIR
Wide Angle Lens CAM
Widen CAM DIR
Wide Open CAM
Wild Lines SND
Wild Motor CAM
Wild Track SND
Wild Wall ALL
Window Filter GRIP
Wind Screen SND
Wing It PROD
Wipe EDIT
Wireless Microphone SND
Wrangler CREW
Wrap ALL
Wrong Set ALL
Zoom Lens CAM
Zoom Motor CAM


© Copyright 1999-2004 Ron Dexter. All Rights Reserved.