IN THE STUDIO

Often it seems like people in the world of professional video speak a totally different language that relies heavily on slang for technical and creative concepts. Guilty as charged!  As media professionals we do in fact have a unique vocabulary to what we do.  A basic understanding of video terms helps business owners be informed consumers when contracting video services and be informed collaborators on a custom video project.

Part 1 of this series, (A – D) can be viewed HERE
Part 2 of this series, (E – M) can be viewed HERE
Part 3 of this series, (N – S) can be viewed HERE

Take--a single continuously-recorded performance, shot or version of a scene with a particular camera setup; often, multiple takes are made of the same shot during filming, before the director approves the shot; in box-office terms, take also refers to the money a film's release has made

Talking Head -- A clip that shows just the head and shoulders of a person who is talking. This tight focus is often used in interview situations where the background is not as important as the talking subject. It is also convenient in a movie destined for the Web because the small amount of movement in a talking-head shot compresses well for the Internet.

Teleprompter --A magical piece of equipment that lets a person look directly at the camera lens (and thus at the video’s viewers) while they read a script. The advantage of a teleprompter is that it lets you script what you’ll say. If you have several short videos to make, a teleprompter is essential. There are no "ums", no "ahs", no losing your thought because you’re nervous. Teleprompters make for very smooth video, especially if the person using it has had a chance to practice so he or she doesn’t appear to be reading.

TV Spot-- broadcast time slot set aside to be filled by either a commercial advertisement or a public service message

Transcode-- To convert from one compression format to another (that is, from DV video from a camcorder to MPEG-2 for DVD). Preferably done intelligently to minimize loss of quality from repeated compression, and not requiring fully decompressing the input and then recompressing to the output.

Underscore-- Music that provides emotional or atmospheric background to the primary dialog or narration onscreen.