The following defines terms used in this IRP as they pertain to film and television
production.
| artistic components | The elements that make film and television productions unique and interesting, including visual images, shot sizes, shot compositions, special effects, casting, colour or black and white, dialogue, director's style or interpretation, art direction (sets, props, wardrobe), script development, production techniques, cinematography, lighting, editing, and sound. |
| background action | What background or supporting artists do at the back of a shot. |
| blocking the scene | Determining the moves for a scene (can apply to both actors and cameras); usually done at the first rehearsal. |
| camera presence | An actor's character type and sense of energy on camera. |
| cold reading | An audition technique in which an actor reads a script without advance preparation. |
| cue (also Q) | The signal to start. |
| cut |
1. A direction given to stop the camera and action. 2. The point at which one shot is changed for another, either by editing or in a multicamera studio. |
| discovery | The moment of revelation for a character. |
| hit a mark | When an actor moves to a specific marked location within the camera frame. |
| in the moment | When an actor draws on the immediate emotional impulse while delivering a line. |
| mark | A tape or chalk mark to indicate where an actor should stand or look. |
| opposites | A way that actors bring out the subtext in a scene by establishing the opposite intent of motivation of the character. |
| pan | Rotating the camera through an arc. |
| point of view (POV) | What a character sees. |
| primary objective | The most important motivation behind the actions of a character in a given scene. |
| secret | When an actor knows what the character is not saying. |
| shots | The pictures taken by the camera (e.g., wide-angle, wide shot). |
| silent on camera (SOC) | When a character does not have a speaking role; used mainly in commercial production. |
| slates | 1. When actors say their names, and agencies if appropriate, on-camera. 2. The clapboards on which such information is noted. |
| stages of production | Pre-production, production, post-production, distribution. |
| storyboard | A cartoon-like layout of all the shots planned for a production and how they relate to one another. |
| storyline | A brief synopsis of a film or production. |
| take | An individual shot of a given scene. |
| treatment | A description of the production without the dialogue. |
| type | A character stereotype such as hero, ingénue, or villain. |
| VCR | Video cassette recorder. |
| VTR | Videotape recorder. |
| voice-over (VO) | Voice taped over a film or video. |
| zoom | Changing the field of view by using an adjustable lens. |
Revised: January 28, 1999
