This document provides a glossary of technical terms related to television and film production. It defines terms such as asynchronous sound, backlighting, blue screen, canted framing, cinema vérité, continuity editing, crane shot, cross cutting, and many other terms used in film and television production, editing, lighting, and other technical aspects.

1. Glossary
A Glossary of Technical Terms
Asynchronous Sound
Sound not matched to the images on the screen, although usually related.
This mismatch can be caused by poor sound editing or by the intentional
addition of sound, such as an unexpected train whistle, to cause surprise. It
also can refer to voiceover narration.
Backlighting
Light that originates from behind figures in a scene. This type of lighting
creates silhouettes of people’s shapes, often to sinister or frightening
effect.
Blue Screen
A process in which actors are filmed while standing in front of a blue
screen. In post-production different backgrounds are added where the
screen was to create an illusion of the actors physically being in that
location. Today, this screen is often green.
Canted Framing
A tilt, either to the left or to the right, that slants objects or people
diagonally within the frame.
Cinema Vérité
French for ‘cinema truth,’ this documentary style movement emphasised
the use of available light, hand-held cameras, and long takes. Drama
shot in this style tends to strive for as much realism, and as little director
intervention, as possible.
7. Glossary
Continuity Editing
A style of editing that emphasizes the continuous and seemingly
uninterrupted flow of action in a story. It constructs the illusion of events
happening in real time, and avoids drawing attention to cuts and edits.
Crane Shot
A very high angle shot taken with the use of a crane. Generally, these shots
give an overhead view of a scene. (See hospital shot in Cutting It.)
Cross Cutting
Cutting between two separate sequences as they unfold in order to show
a relationship between them. Frequently used to show parallel action, or
simultaneous events, but sometimes also used to show time elapsing.
Cut
An editing transition, or change, from one shot to another.
Cutaway
A quick shot that temporarily redirects audience attention away from the
main action in order to provide commentary, to construct the illusion of
continuity, or to hint at an impending change.
Cut-in
A quick shot that moves away from the main action to provide a close up
of an object, such as a clock.
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2. Glossary
Depth of Field
The part of a scene that is in sharp focus within an image. In photography, this is determined
by the distance of the camera, the type of lens used, and the size of the camera’s aperture. In
a shallow focus shot, only areas closest to the camera are in sharp focus; a deep focus shot
is one in which everything, including the far background, is sharply focused – made more
possible through digital technology. (See the 1922 Oliver Twist extract for an example of
shallow focus.)
Diegetic
Any element, usually sound, that originates from action within the frame or the immediate
world of the drama.
Dissolve
One image fades out while another fades in so that the two are briefly superimposed. Often
used to signify passage of time, or changes in mood or mental state. A variety of editing
transitions such as wipes, keyholes, page turns etc can also be used between scenes.
Ellipsis
The compression of time within a moving-image narrative. The viewer fills in the narrative
gaps, using cues from editing transitions such as wipes, dissolves, and fades. Time can also be
expanded, using editing devices such as slow-motion, parallel action, or montage.
Establishing Shot
A shot that provides us with a view of the setting, to establish the location for the action.
Eye-Level Shot
A shot taken with a camera placed at approximately the same eye-level as the film subject, not
the equipment operator. This type of shot places the viewer on the same level as the subject.
(See the BBC version of Oliver Twist.)
Eyeline Match
A cut between two shots that creates the illusion of a person in the first shot looking at
something or someone in the second shot.
Fill Light
Part of the three-point lighting system, this lower-powered light helps erase or soften
shadows created by the key light.
Fly-on-the-Wall
A phrase used originally in documentary referring to a filmmaker’s role as an unobtrusive
observer. (The fight sequence in Criminal Justice arguably ‘borrows’ this effect.)
Hand-Held Shot
A shot taken with a camera held in an operator’s hand, usually appearing wobbly or unsteady
as a result. A convention of news reporting and documentary and frequently used in realist
drama. (See The Cops.)
High Angle
A shot taken from above the subject, usually from overhead. (See the Oliver Twist extracts.)
High Contrast
Sharp delineation between the bright and dark areas in a scene.
High-Key Lighting
A type of lighting with bright, even illumination and minimal shadows. Often used in musicals
and comedies.
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3. Glossary
Incidental Music
Music specifically composed to accompany the action of a drama or to fill intervals between
scenes.
Intercut
An editing technique that intersperses two perspectives on the same scene; for example, a
couple talking at a cafe table and a killer setting a bomb in the corner.
Location
The physical place or setting (outside a studio) where a film or TV sequence is shot.
Low Key Lighting
A lighting style using only one key light which creates a high contrast or chiaroscuro effect
accentuating shadow, drama and a sense of alienation. Often used in horror, film noir, or
suspense; frequently associated with the visual concept of Expressionism. (See the David Lean
Oliver Twist extract for a classic example.)
Master Shot
An establishing shot used as a cover for an entire scene, into which further more specific
shots are edited to draw attention to detail, point of view, etc. The master shot is returned to
throughout the scene, thus creating a sense of coherence and avoiding lack of continuity.
Non Diegetic
Any element, usually sound, that does not originate from action within the frame or the
immediate world of the drama; for example, background mood music, a voiceover from a later
or earlier date commenting on action. An important way of building atmosphere or mood.
Nonsynchronous Sound
A situation when the soundtrack fails to match the image on the screen; for example, we see a
person open his or her mouth in a scream but we hear a train whistle instead.
Pan
A shot in which the camera moves from left to right or vice versa in order to follow the action.
Parallel Editing
A type of editing that cuts between two sequences taking place at different locations and
possibly different times. (See Cutting It.)
Point of View
The perspective from which the camera sees the action. The point of view can be either
objective (from the standpoint of a spectator outside the narrative) or subjective (from the
standpoint of a particular character experiencing events in the story).
Point of View Shot
A PoV shot shows the scene subjectively, from the perspective of a character, as above.
Production Design
The overall look and visual style of a moving image text, including all aspects of set design
and locations, costume and styling, lighting, colour palette, special effects and art direction.
A hugely important aspect of the emotional and visual impact of a narrative, involving
collaboration with director, producers, director of photography, and editor. (See Skins trailer or
Oliver Twist extracts.)
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4. Glossary
Rule of Thirds
An aesthetic guideline drawn from art and photography which suggests that the most
important points of interest within an image, shot or frame should be situated about 1/3 of the
way down. For example, a horizon looks best 1/3 from the top or bottom of a shot, rather than
bang in the middle; in a close-up shot or portrait, the eyeline looks most pleasing a third of
the way down the frame.
Shot Reverse Shot
An editing convention used frequently in dialogue where A is shown looking (often off-
screen) at B, and then B is shown looking ‘back’ at A. A and B are shown facing in opposite
directions; thus the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other. This is a feature of the
‘classical’ Hollywood style of continuity editing, which aims to ‘disguise’ editing transitions to
create the effect of a continuous action that develops linearly, chronologically, and logically.
(See Cutting It.)
Synchronous Sound
Sound that appears to match the image on the screen, such as a person’s lips moving as we
hear dialogue; or a music score, bridge or motif cut to time with action.
Sequence
A series of shots linked by time, place, and action that forms a coherent unit of narrative with a
specific start, middle, and end.
Shallow Focus
A shot focusing sharply on a small area of the frame while the rest of it is blurry.
Steadicam
A professional harness supporting a camera and counterweights worn by a camera person
that allows the camera to be moved anywhere with graceful, gliding movements. Frequently
used in both drama and documentary to acquire a 360-degree shot, it can create a sense of
freedom, disorientation or surveillance. (Possibly used in the Skins’ trailer.)
Three-point Lighting
A system of lighting that uses light from three sources: one bright (called ‘key’), one behind
(called ‘backlight’), and one fill.
Tilt
The upward and downward movement of the camera.
Tracking Shot
A shot taken while the camera moves on a wheeled platform.
Two Shot
A medium shot with two people in it.
Wide Angle Lens
A type of lens that exaggerates the disparity between the foreground and background within
a film frame. Objects in the foreground become disproportionately larger, while those in the
background become disproportionately smaller.
Widescreen
Any image ratio greater than 1.33:1. Academy standard, a type of widescreen image, is 1.85:1,
the one used in most 35mm pictures.
Wipe
A visual effect in which one image replaces another by seemingly pushing it off the screen.
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5. Bibliography
Books
Casey, Calvert, French and Lewis: Television Studies: the Key Concepts
(Routledge, 2002)
Cooke, Les: British Television Drama (BFI, 2003)
Creeber, Glen (ed): The Television Genre Book (BFI, 2001)
Day-Lewis, Sean: Talk of Drama: views of the Television Dramatists now and
then (ULP/John Libbey Media, 1998)
Fiske, John: Television Culture (Methuen 1987)
Holland, Patricia: The Television Handbook (Routledge, 2007)
Martin, Roger: TV for A Level Media Studies (Hodder, 2000)
Nelson, Robin: State of Play: Contemporary High-End TV Drama (MUP, 2007)
Points, Jeremy: Teaching TV Drama (BFI, 2006)
Branston and Stafford: The Media Students’ Book (Routledge, 2007; 4th
8. Bibliography
edition)
Weblinks
The BBC
Portal for the BBC’s databases on TV and radio drama:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama
Excellent source of promotional material and links to microsites for past
and present BBC drama output: http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice
Fascinating insiders’ glimpse into BBC audience research and
commissioning practices: http://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/
marketresearch/
Broadcast Magazine
The website of the trade magazine for the television industry is well worth
an occasional (pricey) trawl through the print version to identify what’s
coming up, identify current institutional issues, budget and production
trivia, and industry gossip: http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk
Channel 4
Microsites, clips, interviews, blogs, and downloadables for a range of
popular C4 dramas: http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/drama
See also http://www.channel4.com/more4/drama/ and
http://www.e4.com/search.e4?query=e4+tv+shows for more of the
same, including the Skins website.
Off the Telly
Lively site covering a range of drama review, topics and debates:
http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/drama
MediaMagazine
The website of the English and Media Centre’s MediaMagazine contains an
archive of over 400 articles, including material on The Sopranos, Lost, Ugly
Betty, Shameless, Six Feet Under, Bleak House, examples of textual analysis of
TV drama, and examiners’ guidance: http://www.mediamagazine.org.uk
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6. Bibliography
BFI
An extensive and well-documented TV archive and commentary site, with many useful
background articles: http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/482184/index.html
Television Heaven
Archive of material on popular TV programmes past and present with useful links to reviews, a
television history resource site, a forum, features and downloadables:
http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk
TV Cream
Fan site for archive TV coverage which includes YouTube features, blogs, links and clips: http://
www.tvcream.org
The National Media Museum
A range of useful film and TV online resources and images:
http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/Television/
The Guardian
Indispensable source of industry news and analysis, critical debates, previews, reviews etc:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/television
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/television
See also Charlie Brooker’s ‘Screenburn’, Lucy Mangan’s ‘Cable Girl’, the TV and Radio blog,
Gareth McLean’s TV blog etc.
Weblinks checked March 2009
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