Embedded Files
AD - Abbreviation for Assistant Director (AD).
ADR - Abbreviation for Automatic Dialogue Replacement (ADR).
Aerial - Shorthand for aerial shot.
AGC - Abbreviation for Automatic Gain Control (AGC).
AI - Abbreviation for artificial intelligence (AI).
AIFF - Abbreviation for Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF).
Airbrush - A type of digital paintbrush available in paint packages that mimics traditional airbrush techniques.
Algorithm - A mathematical expression or procedure following a precise set of rules that specify how to solve a problem. It frequently involves many repetitions of a particular operation.
Aliasing - The jagged artifacts, sometimes referred to as jaggies or stair stepping, seen in the diagonal and curved edges of an image when displayed on a digital device with a limited number of pixels.
Alpha channel - Digital images typically store their information in four channels—red (R), green (G), blue (B), and the alpha, or matte channel. The alpha channel is a grayscale image that describes the opacity of the corresponding color channels with black being completely transparent and white being completely opaque. When compositing the foreground image over another image, it is the gray values of the alpha channel that determine what percentage of the color channels appear over the background image.
Ambient light -1. For computer graphics (CG), a directionless light source that uniformly distributes light in all directions, and all objects are equally illuminated regardless of their orientation. Ambient light sources are often used to simulate the indirect illumination of light bounced off of other objects in the environment that we see in the real world. The need for ambient light is removed when using radiosity, as it computes the actual light bounce between objects.
Analog - Data that is composed of continually varying electronic signals. Unlike digital information, which is either on or off, analog information is represented by continuous change and flow, such as current or voltage. Sometimes spelled analogue.
Animate - The process of creating animation.
Animatic - A rough animation created to give a sense about the timing and motion of a shot or sequence. An animatic can range in complexity from a sequence of edited storyboards to a full 3D representation of the scenes. Animatics often include rough music and sound effects to help get a sense of the work before it goes into production. An animatic created in computer graphics (CG) is often referred to as previsualization. Also called a leica reel.
Animation - Animation is the process of “giving life” to a sequence of still images that represent the illusion of motion over time. When a sequence of images is played back quickly enough, our eyes perceive them as in continuous motion.
Anime - A Japanese animation style whose roots originated from Japanese comic books.
Animo - A 2D software package, developed by Cambridge Animation, that is used for cel animation.
Anti-aliasing - A rendering technique used to make jagged edges, referred to as jaggies or stairstepping, appear smoother by inserting pixels of an intermediate color between adjacent pixels with abrupt edges.
Anticipation - A classic character animation technique used to simulate an anticipation of motion in a character in which a brief action in the opposite direction precedes and foreshadows the main action.
Aperture - The measurement of the opening in a viewing device, such as a camera, printer, or projector, that controls the amount of light that is allowed to reach the film. Aperture size is typically calculated in f-stop values where the larger the number, the smaller the aperture opening.
API - Abbreviation for Application Program Interface (API).
Assistant Cameraman (AC) - The individual on the Film Crew who works closely with the Cameraman and the Director of Photography (DP) during shooting. He is responsible for maintenance of the camera, changing lenses and magazines, focusing and zooming during the shot, clapping the slate, and keeping camera reports.
AVI - Abbreviation for Audio Video Interleaved (AVI).
Avid - The trade name for a nonlinear editing system developed by Avid Technology, Inc.
Betacam - The trade name for a camera/recorder component video system, developed by Sony, that uses a half-inch tape format.
Binary number - A numbering system that uses 2 as its base and represents data as a sequence of 0’s and 1’s. Also referred to as base 2.
Bit - Abbreviation for Binary digIT, a bit is the smallest unit of information a computer can recognize. One mathematical bit is defined by only two levels, or states, of information that can be obtained by asking a yes or no question. For example, the answer to the question can be only one of two values, such as true or false, 0 or 1, black or white. Two bits can define four levels of information, three bits can define eight, and so on. Eight bits are equal to one byte.
Bit depth - Each pixel component in a digital image is represented by a number of bits, and the number of bits per channel is known as the bit depth of that image. A commonly used bit depth is 8 bits per channel, which is also referred to as a 24-bit image (8 bits × 3 channels = 24 bits). If you have 8 bits per channel (also called 8 bits per component), it means that each channel can have 2^8 or 256 different possible color values from 0 to 255. Also referred to as color depth.
Blend - An image process that combines two source images, based on their alpha channel, into a new resulting image.
Blur filter -An image process that uses many varieties of blur algorithms to blur the pixels of an image. Commonly used blur algorithms include Gaussian filter, Box filter.
Boom - A long mechanical arm that supports a camera or a microphone.
Boot - The process of loading and initializing the operating system (OS) on a computer. Also called reboot, cold boot, warm boot, soft boot, hard boot, startup.
Broadcast - The transmission to multiple, unspecified computers using packets, in which all recipients are always open to receive data.
Buffer -Temporary memory storage in a computer used to modify or display an image.
Bug - An error in a computer program that causes the computer to perform incorrectly or erratically, stop completely, or crash. See also glitch.
Burn -To record data onto a medium, such as a recordable CD-ROM, that can be written to only one time.
Bus - An internal pathway in the computer that sends digital signals from one part of the system to another. The size of a bus is determined by the number of bits of data it can carry.
B/W - Abbreviation for black and white (B/W).
Byte - A group of 8 bits is equal to one byte of information, which is the amount of computer memory required to represent one character of alphanumeric data.
Cache memory Pronounced “cash,” a fast storage buffer in a computer that is used to hold recently accessed data. When data is read or written from main memory, a copy is also saved in the cache. The cache stores the address of the data and monitors the addresses of subsequent reads to see if the required memory for that data has already been allocated in the cache. The two main types of cache memory are memory cache and disk cache.
Camcorder - A device that combines a camera and videotape recorder into one.
Camera Crew - The individuals responsible for the operation of the camera during shooting. The Camera Crew generally consists of the Director of Photography (DP), Cameraman, Assistant Cameraman (AC), Second Assistant Cameraman (2nd AC), and Grips.
CD - Abbreviation for compact disc (CD).
CG -Abbreviation for computer graphics (CG).
CG Artist -Another term for Digital Artist (DA).
Channel - A digital image is, generally, broken down into 4 distinct color channels, representing the red (R), green (G), blue (B), and alpha channels.
Chroma key - A matte extraction technique that separates a subject from its background (BG) based on a color that is unique to either the foreground image or background image. In a bluescreen key or greenscreen key, the best results are obtained with a key color that contains strong chroma, or purity of color.
Cinematographer - An individual who is experienced in the art of capturing images on camera. The main Cinematographer for a film is the Director of Photography (DP).
Clipboard - A temporary storage area to hold information for copy, cut, and paste operations. Also called copy buffer, cut buffer, paste buffer.
Color depth- Synonymous with bit depth.
Color grading - 1. The process of color correcting a digital image to get the desired look or match to a reference clip.
Color palette - The range of available colors for use on a computer platform. For example, a system that supports 8 bits per channel will contain a palette with over 16 million colors.
Color range - The total number of colors that can be reproduced in an image or viewing device.
Color value - Referring to the lightness or darkness of a color.
Complementary colors -The color resulting from subtracting a primary color from white is its complementary color. Cyan, magenta, and yellow are complementary colors for red (R), green (G), and blue (B), respectively. Any two colors on opposite sides of a color wheel are complementary colors.
Compositing software - A software application specifically designed to allow the user to create and modify images to create a composite.
Compositor - An artist who combines the many elements of a particular shot into an integrated final shot. A Compositor needs to be able to pull a matte, work with various image formats and color spaces, and have a thorough understanding of color and composition.
Compression - A method of saving disk space by compressing the information used to represent digital data. A good compression scheme is said to be lossless if it completely reverses the compressed data back to its original state, as opposed to lossy compression, which loses information during compression and can never be restored to an identical version of the original. Opposite of decompression. See also image compression.
Computer Aided Design (CAD) - CAD is widely used software for the creation of computer graphics (CG) in the electric and engineering fields.
Contrast - 1. For digital, the ratio of the bright to dark values in an image.
Cookie - 1. Another name for cukaloris. 2. A program that is sent to a computer across the internet to record the actions of a user on a specific Web site. When a user returns to that Web site, the site will load according to the information saved in the cookie.
CPU Abbreviation for central processing unit (CPU).
Crash - A term used to describe a sudden failure of hardware, software, a disk drive, a program, or the operating system (OS) of a computer. A loss of data can result if the crash is a serious one. Also called system crash, network crash.
Database - A formally structured collection of data on a computer that is organized for fast search and retrieval.
dB Abbreviation for decibel (dB).
Debug -To search for and fix errors in hardware, software, or a program.
Decompiler - A program that converts machine code back into source code. Opposite of compiler.
Decoder - 1. The video device used to separate a composite video signal into a component video signal. The opposite of an encoder.
Decompress - To restore a compressed file to its original state. Also called uncompress, expand.
Depth of field (DOF) - The area in front of and behind the focus plane that remains in relatively sharp focus through the camera lens. The depth of field is determined by a combination of the lens and aperture settings used, as well as the distance of the lens from the primary focal plane. A large aperture creates a narrow depth of field, whereas a small aperture will widen it. Depth of field is proportional to the square of the distance of the subject. So, if the subject distance is doubled, the depth of field is quadrupled.
Diffuse - The color of an object when it is hit by direct light. A surface with a small diffuse component will be darker because it reflects less light, whereas a surface with a high diffuse component will be brighter because it reflects more light.
Digital editing- The use of nonlinear editing systems to edit film or video.
Director -The person responsible for overseeing the creative aspects of a production and for creating the final realization of the film. The Director guides the actors, defines the mood and lighting, determines the type of camera moves, and controls all aspects of the look and feel of the final film. In many cases, the Director also writes the screenplay.
Dissolve - An image transition that blends one image into another. Technically, a dissolve maintains image density by balancing the gain of brightness in the first image with the loss of brightness in the second image. Common types of dissolves include matched dissolves, distorted dissolves, and frozen dissolves. Also called a cross dissolve.
Dolly -1. To move the camera along the Z-axis either forward, dolly in, or backward, dolly out, relative to the scene.
Domain name -The address of a network address in the form of server.organization.type, such as www.sitename.com. See domain name system (DNS).
Dongle A security device sometimes used for 3rd-party software as a means of copy protection. The dongle is plugged into a port on a computer to ensure that only authorized users can copy or use the software. The use of dongles has become increasingly rare.
Dot matrix printer -A printer that prints one line at a time and uses patterns of dots from an ink ribbon to represent each character. Also called a line printer, dot matrix line printer.
Dots per inch (DPI) - A standard of defining the spatial resolution of a digital image in the print industry. DPI represents the number of individual dots reproduced both horizontally and vertically in any inch of the image.
DVD Abbreviation for digital versatile disc (DVD).
DXF - Abbreviation for drawing exchange file (DXF).
Ease - The interpolation of a curve in which the rate of change is slowly increased, ease in, or slowly decreased, ease out. For some animation packages, ease can automatically imply both an ease in and ease out.
ease in A curve in which the rate of change begins very slowly and then speeds up to a faster change rate.
ease out A curve in which the rate of change is slowly decreased at the end of a move.
ELS Abbreviation for extreme long shot (ELS).
e-mail - Abbreviation for electronic mail (e-mail).
emitter - Point that emit particles.
exposure - 1. The amount of light allowed to strike the film. 2. The length of time that the film is exposed to light. 3. The portion of the film that is exposed to light.
Gadget - A term used for an interface element.
Gaffer - The individual who heads up the electrical department and is in charge of the lighting for a film. Also called Chief Lighting Technician.
Gamma For video, the accuracy of the intensity of light that is transferred through a monitor display.
GB Abbreviation for gigabyte (GB).
GIF Abbreviation for graphics interchange format (GIF).
Glitch A temporary malfunction in a computer, as opposed to a bug, which is a recurring malfunction.
Greenscreen (GS) A primary green backing that is placed behind the subject to be photographed so that a matte can be extracted. Ideally, the greenscreen is uniformly lit and contains no color contamination in order to expose only the green layer of the film. Greenscreens usually require less light than bluescreen (BS) because film and video are more sensitive to the color green than to blue. See also greenscreen key, bluescreen, redscreen.
Hack A workaround used to solve a problem in a piece of software or a program.
Halftone A printing technique used to create the illusion of intermediate shades of gray based on the size and spacing of dot patterns that do not themselves vary in value. Large dots placed close together are used for dark areas, and small dots placed farther apart are used for light areas. Our eyes blend the dots together, and we see a perceived interpolation of varying shades of gray.
Hard disk A rigid magnetic disk that resides within a computer for storing data. Hard disks generally offer greater storage and faster access to data than floppy disks. Most hard disks are permanently fixed in the computer, but removable hard disks are also available. Also called a rigid disk, fixed disk.
Hardware A computer and the associated physical equipment that is directly involved in its performance and data processing. Unlike software, hardware refers to the material parts of a computer that can be touched. Computer hardware generally consists of a central processing unit (CPU), memory, and display device.
HD camera High Definition camera (HD camera).
hertz (HZ) The measurement of cycles per second (CPS) in frequency. The refresh rate of a monitor is expressed in hertz. One HZ is equal to one cycle per second. See also megahertz (MHZ).
high-resolution image Generally referring to a digital image whose resolution is high enough to be output to film and maintain a high level of quality.
Histogram -An image operation that stretches the range of values in an image to make the best possible fit between 0 and 1.
Host computer A computer connected to a network that provides data and services to other computers.
Hot key A keyboard shortcut to a command or tool without accessing it through a menu. For example, the menu selections required to switch the camera view to an orthographic camera of a particular object could simply be assigned to the “F1” key. Also called keyboard shortcut, accelerator.
HSB correction A color correction that modifies an image in the HSB color space based on the values of hue, saturation, and brightness.
HSL correction A color correction that modifies an image in the HSL color space based on the values of hue, saturation, and luminance.
HTTP Abbreviation for hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).
HTML Abbreviation for hypertext markup language (HTML).
hub - Hardware that is used to network a group of computers together, generally across an ethernet connection. A hub serves as the central location where information can flow from one computer to another.
hue - Hue is the attribute used to class such colors as red (R), blue (B), green (G), yellow, and so on. However, the term hue should not be confused with color. The distinction is that variations within a particular hue can create a wide range of colors. For example, a blue hue can be composed of such colors as light blue, dark blue, dull blue, and hot blue. The six basic hues are composed of the primary hues, red, green, and blue, and the secondary hues, orange, green, and purple. See also saturation, luminance, color wheel.
hybrid - The combination of two different technologies or systems.
hypertext - Any text in an HTML document that contains hypertext links.
IAP Abbreviation for Internet Access Provider (IAP). See Internet Service Provider (ISP).
IK Abbreviation for inverse kinematics (IK).
IK handle In inverse kinematics (IK), the handle that solves the joint rotations up the chain, based on the position of the end joint.
image - 1. In the computer, see digital image. 2. The area captured by the camera on film. 3. A single frame from a strip of film. Also referred to as picture.
image compression The type of filtering used to compress an image by throwing away redundant or unwanted data. Lossless image compression maintains the quality and detail of the original image, whereas lossy image compression results in image degradation.
image enhancement - A global term used to describe any technique used to improve the visual quality of an image, such as its sharpness, contrast, or color.
input - Information put into a computer or peripheral device for transmission or processing. Opposite of output. When the data is input via a keyboard, it is also referred to as key in.
input device 1. Any peripheral device used to enter information into a computer, such as a mouse, modem, scanner, or keyboard.
input/output (I/O) - Abbreviation for input/output. A general term used to describe the uploading and downloading of data and images between computers and peripheral devices.
install - The process of configuring new hardware and/or software to work on a computer. This job is generally performed by the System Administrators. Opposite of uninstall.
interactive Work done on a computer using a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows the user to quickly get visual feedback resulting from their input.
interface 1. See user interface. 2. See interface elements. 3. The process of making various computer components and/or peripherals work together.
International Animation Association (ASIFA) An organization founded in 1960 in France that encourages the dissemination of animation in film as an art form. The abbreviation ASIFA comes from its French name “Association Internationale du Film D’Animation.”
internal drive A drive located inside the computer. Opposite of external drive.
International Standards Organization (ISO) An organization responsible for creating international standards in many areas, including computers and communications. ISO is also responsible for setting the standards of the ISO index for film.
Internet The Internet is the world’s largest internet that originated in 1969 as a US Department of Defense research test bed.
Internet Protocol address (IP address) The address used by the domain name system to translate into a domain name.
Internet Service Provider (ISP) A company that provides users with a connection to the Internet. An ISP usually charges a monthly fee that gives users Internet access and the ability to send and receive e-mail.
interpolation 1. A method of creating new in-between data, based on calculating intermediate values with a series of surrounding key frames or control points.
intranet A local area network (LAN) of computers within an organization that may not be connected to the Internet but that provides some similar functions.
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) 1. JPEG is a widely used image file format that uses lossy compression. The typical filename extension used for images stored in this format is, typically, .jpg or .jpeg. JPEG and GIF are two widely used formats for transferring images across the World Wide Web (WWW).
JPEG compression A lossy compression method of image compression in which the RGB pixels are converted to YUV, where Y encodes the luminance and UV encodes the chroma. Because the human eye is less sensitive to changes in chroma than changes in luminance, some compression can be achieved by simply removing every second chroma sample.
KB Abbreviation for kilobyte (KB).
key 1. Another name for a matte. 2. The process of extracting a subject from its background (BG) by isolating it with its own matte and compositing it over a new background.
keyboard - An input device containing a complete set of ASCII character keys attached to the computer terminal that allows the user to interact with the computer.
key frame 1. In computer graphics (CG), the values such as translation, rotation, scale, and any number of deformation parameters used to define the position of an object or image at specific frames in time and space. In-between frames can then be calculated by interpolation techniques across these key frames and can be controlled by adjusting the slope and tangency of the resulting curves or by modifying the original key frames. 2. In cel animation, a specific frame that has been hand drawn by the Animation Lead to define the position in time and space of the subject. An In-Betweener then draws the frames needed in between the key frames in order to create continuous motion when played back.
key light - The primary light source illuminating a scene. It is used in conjunction with fill light, back light, and bounce light to light an environment. For outdoor shots, the sun is generally the key light.
Lambert shading model A shading model that reflects and scatters light equally in all directions and, as a result, is best used for objects with a matte finish.
LAN Abbreviation for local area network (LAN).
laser disc A plastic coated optical disk capable of storing digital data, such as music and movies that can be read by a laser beam.
laser printer - A printer that uses a laser beam, focused on a digital image placed on a rotating drum, to produce the image on paper.
layer 1. For computer graphics (CG), another name for element. 2. For film, another name for record.
L-cut An edit in which the audio and video are cut at different places instead of a straight cut, where they are cut at the same place.
lens flare A colorful flaring effect resulting from a bright light shining directly into the lens assembly of a camera and reflecting off its individual lens elements. A lens flare is actually made up of multiple lens artifacts due to the slightly different shapes and positions of each lens component. There are a variety of software packages on the market that attempt to mimic this effect digitally, but they often tend to feel too regular and not as amorphous as the real thing.
lens speed The largest lens opening, or smallest f-stop number, at which a lens can be set. A fast lens transmits more light and has a larger opening than a slow lens.
license key The string of unique numbers that a computer reads when 3rdparty software is launched as a means of verifying that the software is licensed to run on that particular system.
linear 1. Evenly spaced increments. Opposite of nonlinear. 2. Relating to or resembling a line. See linear curve. 3. Having only one dimension.
linear editing An analog editing method that requires the Editor to work in sequence by inserting frames, which is referred to as sequential access, rather than allowing for the random access methods available with nonlinear editing.
lines per inch (LPI) A less frequently used standard for defining the spatial resolution of an image in the print industry. LPI represents the number of individual dots used to reproduce one line in an image.
Linux Abbreviation for Linus Unix. An implementation of Unix, written from scratch beginning in 1991 by Linus Torvalds and his friends, that runs on many different computer platforms and is distributed for free over the Internet. Linux has gained popularity because it is very customizable and is a free substitute for Unix
load 1. The amount of traffic on a computer.
local area network (LAN) A small and isolated computer network set up within a limited area, such as within an office building. See also wide-area network (WAN).
log file The file that keeps a history of all the activity on a computer.
log in To gain access to a computer by identifying oneself with a user name and password. Synonymous with log on. Also spelled login.
logo The graphic representation of a company name or television station. See 2D logo, 3D logo, flying logo.
lossless compression Any compression algorithm in which no data is lost. All the original information can be perfectly restored back to its original state with a decompression algorithm. Opposite of lossy compression. See also lossless image compression.
lossless image compression An image compression technique that does not decrease or degrade the quality of the original image. With lossless compression, an image can be compressed to take up less disk space and can then later be decompressed back to its original state without any information loss. Opposite of lossy image compression.
luma-key Abbreviation for luminance key.
luminance 1. Often used synonymously with brightness. In the HSL color space, luminance typically represents the weighted average of the RGB channels. 2. The brightness component in video.
Luminance key - A matte extraction technique that separates a subject from its background (BG) based on the luminance values in the image. The best results are obtained from a brightly lit subject on a dark background (BG) or a darkly lit subject on a brightly lit background.
lux - A metric standard for measuring the intensity of light that illuminates a surface. 1 foot candle = 10.76 lux.
Mac -Abbreviation for Macintosh computer (Mac).
Macro 1. In computer graphics (CG), a combination of explicit commands or functions that are grouped together to perform a specific task. 2. In film, shorthand for macro lens.
Macro lens -A camera lens that is capable of focusing from infinity to an extreme close-up (ECU) on the subject.
manual data input - The process of a user inputting data into a computer by hand.
Map 1. The 2D image used to texture a 3D object. See texture map. 2. The process of applying texture coordinates to a 3D object.
mass storage A storage device, usually external, that can hold large amounts of data.
Matchmover - An individual who creates a camera move in the computer that mimics the camera motion used when shooting the live action plate. See also matchmove, 3D tracker.
material - The visual attributes of an object, such as its color and texture, that define how the object will look when hit with a light source.
matte - 1. A grayscale, single channel image used to control the opacity of another image. The pixel values of the matte control the opacity of the RGB channels that are combined with it to achieve the desired compositing operation. Many types of mattes are used, such as an articulate matte, complementary matte, difference matte, edge matte, garbage matte, hold-out matte, static matte, traveling matte.
Matte Painter - An individual who creates matte paintings.
Matte painting - A hand-painted image, usually intended to act as the background (BG) layer to be combined with other live action or full CG elements in the foreground (FG). Matte paintings can be created with a variety of techniques, including painting on glass for use in rear projection (RP) or front projection (FP) photography, with a computer paint program or with a combinaton of 3D geometry, texture mapping and additional hand painting techniques.
MBPS Abbreviation for megabytes per second (MBPS).
medium long shot (MLS) A shot between a long shot (LS) and a medium shot (MS). Also called a full shot.
megahertz (MHZ) One million cycles per second (CPS). The units used to measure the transmission speeds of devices, such as the speed of a processor. See also hertz (HZ).
memory The working space in a computer that can hold data in a machine readable format. Often used synonymously with main memory or random access memory (RAM). Main memory is lost when the computer is turned off.
memory cache The portion of memory between the main memory and the central processing unit (CPU) that enables the computer to process data faster. Also called internal cache.
menu A list of options available for the user to choose that generally falls into the category of a pull-down menu or pop-up menu.
menu bar A set of horizontal menus located at the top of a window that allow users to click on and select various functions such as file, edit, view, display.
mesh A specific type of surface whose points are ordered as a series of rows and columns. See polygon mesh.
microcomputer A small computer, such as a laptop or personal computer (PC), that is built with a microprocessor and designed to be used by one person at a time.
microprocessor An integrated circuit that holds the entire central processing unit (CPU) of a computer on a single chip. The first microprocessor created came from Intel, Corp. in 1971 and led to the development of personal computers (PCs).
Microsoft Windows The proprietary window system and user interface developed by Microsoft, Corp. to run with MS-DOS.
MIDI Abbreviation for Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)
midtones - A term used to describe the middle range of values in an image. See also black point, white point, highlights, shadows.
milky Another term to describe a flat or flashed image.
Miniature Any physical model of a subject built in a scale smaller than full scale
Modeling In computer graphics (CG), the process of creating geometry in 3D space.
Monitor 1. A display device, such as a computer or a television, used to display information on screen.
Monochromatic Meaning “of one chrominance” and referring to an image made up of a single hue. Variations within the image are based only on luminance. A grayscale image, and a sepia toned image are both examples of monochromatic images.
Montage An editing technique used to condense time or space by cutting a series of short scenes together with quick cuts, dissolves, and wipes. Used to portray a portion of the story that does not require great detail but must be included to maintain continuity.
Morph Generally, any technique in which a minimum of two 3D objects or two digital images are blended together to create a new interpolated result.
Mosaic An image process that divides an image up into equal squares. Also called pixellation.
Motion capture (MOCAP) An animation technique in which the precise position and movement of an actor is recorded so it can be applied to the skeleton of a 3D character. The two basic types of motion capture techniques are optical motion capture and magnetic motion capture. See also channel animation
Motion picture Another term for film.
MPEG Abbreviation for Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG).
MPEG compression A lossy image compression technique most commonly used for a series of images.
Multimedia An overall term used to describe a wide range of methods used to display information with a combination of sound and images.
multiprocessing 1. Synonymous with multitasking. 2. The ability of a single computer system to utilize and support multiple central process units (CPU). Also referred to as parallel processing.
multitasking The ability of an operating system (OS) to run several processes simultaneously.
multiuser An operating system (OS) that allows two or more users to simultaneously use the same computer. See also single user.
Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) A method for storing and translating music from one electronic device, such as a synthesizer, to another, such as a computer.
National Television System Committee (NTSC) 1. The video signal standard used in the United States that carries 525 scan lines of information and uses a playback rate of 30 FPS (29.97 FPS to be be exact) with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The field dominance of an NTSC image uses the first field to hold the even-numbered scan lines and the second field to hold the odd-numbered scan lines. NTSC is often humorously defined as “Never Twice the Same Color” due to its unreliable color reproduction. See also Phase Alternate Line (PAL), Sequential Color with Memory (SECAM), and High Definition Television (HDTV). 2. The committee responsible for the NTSC video signal standard in North America.
ND filter Shorthand for neutral density filter (ND filter).
negative The film on which a scene is first exposed. The light and color values of the negative image are the inverse of the values that existed in the actual scene during shooting.
node 1. A block of data with a name attached to it. It can be a parent, child, or an independent object, image, or other item within a hierarchy. A node contains attribute information about a particular object or image that the user has input. Although every software package is different, nodes are generally rectangular in shape and often contain an icon for quick identification. See also subnode.
nonlinear 1. Unevenly spaced or not directly proportional increments. 2. Not in a straight line. 3. In an equation, containing a variable with an exponent other than one. Opposite of linear.
normalize To convert values to a range between 0 and 1.
OBJ Abbreviation for object.
object-oriented programming language A programming language in which the Programmer can define the data type of each data structure as well as the types of operations and functions that can be applied to those data structures. With this method, each data structure is treated as an object, and each object is grouped into a hierarchy of classes, with each class inheriting the characteristics of the class above it. This type of programming allows for the creation of new object types that can inherit many of their features from other existing object types.
offline editing A preliminary edit, done on relatively low-cost editing systems, to create an edit decision list (EDL) for use during the online editing portion of the project.
on screen Meaning that the subject can be seen by the camera. Opposite of off screen. Also called on camera.
opacity Referring to the amount of light that can transmit through an object. For film this is measured in terms of its density, while for computer graphics (CG) it is measured by the degree of transparency contained in the alpha channel of an image. Transparency and opacity are the complement of one another. For example, an image containing 60% opacity is 40% transparent.
opaque To be impenetrable by light. The density of film is measured by how much light can transmit through it and is referred to as its opacity. An image whose alpha channel contains no transparency is said to be completely opaque and will fully obscure any objects it is placed in front of.
OpenGL Abbreviation for Open Graphics Library (Open GL)
operating system (OS) The main controlling program of a computer that communicates with its hardware and manages the interface to peripheral devices, allocates memory, schedules tasks, and presents a default user interface when no other application program is running. The main part of the operating system is the kernel. Without the OS, all software programs would be useless
optical mouse Any type of mouse that uses infrared or visible light to calculate changes in its position. Unlike a roller-ball mouse, an optical mouse contains no moving parts, but it does require a reflective mouse pad to move across.
optics The area of physics that deals with light and vision. For a camera lens, the optics refer to the various glass components that make up the lens. See lens assembly.
optimization 1. The analysis of applications, such as a program, shader, or compositing script to make it run as efficiently as possible. 2. Periodic operations that can be run on a computer to keep it in its optimum state.
orientation The angle of a given surface relative to the viewer.
orthographic view A 3D view in which the lines of the object being viewed do not converge. Because perspective is absent, an object appears to be the same size regardless of its distance from camera. This orthographic view is most often used for modeling and most software packages will default to three orthographic views representing the front view, side view, and top view of the 3D environment. Also called parallel projection view, orthographic camera, orthographic window. Opposite of perspective view.
overexposure The exposure of film to too much light caused either by excessive light or from opening the aperture in the camera or printer for too long a period of time. The resulting print is dark with low detail in the shadows. Opposite of underexposure.
overlay 1. In video, the ability to superimpose information, such as computer graphics (CG) or supers, over a video signal. 2. For compositing, see over operation
pan 1. Rotation of the camera around the horizontal axis. Also called yaw, camera pan. Opposite of tilt.
panorama A broad view of a scene, usually of a natural landscape.
Pantone Matching System (PMS) A color identification standard used in print work that contains over 3,000 different colors. Many computer graphics programs allow the user to select colors based on their PMS number.
parent 1. An object or node that controls the attributes and transformations of one or more children by grouping them together within a hierarchy. A parent is placed before its children in the hierarchy, and a parent can be a child of another parent. Character animation commonly uses parenting to control the way the different limbs of a character interact with one another.
particle emitter The source object used to create the particles within a particle system. See initial velocity.
particle - Particles are objects, containing no volume or surface, that are used to simulate natural phenomena, such as dust or snow. Each particle contains unique attributes, such as direction, velocity, age, life span, color, and opacity. Once the path of a particle has been defined, any object can be instanced to it. See particle animation, motion dynamics, zero-dimensional, image under particle system.
particle system A 3D animation technique used to control the behavior of large numbers of objects through the use of an explicit user-defined set of rules and dynamic simulations. This technique is commonly used to create smoke, fire, flocking, and any other type of natural phenomena effects. A wide range of parameters are used to control how particles move, such as particle emission rate, particle speed, particle life, particle age, initial velocity, particle trail, turbulence, and particle attributes.
path 1. For path animation, the curve along which an object or camera is animated. 2. Shorthand for path of extrusion. 3. Shorthand for the pathname of a file. 4. The route between any two computers or peripheral devices. 5. The route between the nodes in a hierarchy.
PDF Abbreviation for the Adobe portable document format (PDF)
perspective view A 3D view in which the distortion of an object in 3D space is simulated as in the real world. The lines of the object converge to a vanishing point and objects closer to camera appear larger than those further away. Also called perspective camera, perspective window. Opposite of orthographic view.
Phase Alternate Line (PAL) The video signal standard, developed in Germany and used in the United Kingdom and Western Europe, that carries 625 scan lines of information and uses a playback rate of 25 frames per second (25 FPS) with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The field dominance of a PAL image uses the first field to hold the odd-numbered scan lines and the second field to hold the even-numbered scan lines.
physical memory The memory, normally random access memory (RAM), that is installed in a computer. See virtual memory.
pixel A pixel, from the words “picture element,” is the smallest individual unit, defined as an array of dots, used to describe a digital image. The larger the number of these pixels, the greater the resolution of the image. Each pixel, which is always the same color throughout, is composed of the three components of red (R), green (G), and blue (B). By using a combination of these three primary colors, a digital image can be represented. When displayed on a monitor, each pixel is seen as a square dot.
pixel aspect ratio The ratio of width to height of a pixel on a display device. While most image formats use square pixels, some formats, such as video, use rectangular pixels that are 90 percent as tall as they are wide. So, for a pixel with a width equal to 1.0, the height would be equal to 0.9.
pixilation A stop-motion technique in which full-scale props or actors are photographed one frame at a time to achieve unusual motion effects. After each frame is exposed, the subject moves into a new still position for the next frame of exposure
plug in A subprogram that can be linked into the main program of an application to perform tasks that the main program cannot.
point light A light source in which all light rays originate from one point and illuminate equally in all directions. The intensity of the rays will remain constant regardless of their distance from the point source unless a falloff value is explicitly stated. A light bulb is a good example of a point light. Also called an omnidirectional light.
point of view (POV) 1. The relative position from which a subject is observed and viewed. See also camera angle. 2. See point of view camera angle. point of view camera angle A shot in which the camera films the scene from a particular actor’s viewpoint. The point of view (POV) shot is as close as an objective shot can be to a subjective shot and still be objective.
posterization 1. An image artifact similar to banding. 2. An image process used to intentionally reduce an image to a smaller number of colors.
post production Referring to work done after principal photography has been completed, such as the creation of digital visual effects (VFX), miniature photography, and editing.
PPI Abbreviation for pixels per inch (PPI)
preview 1. Synonymous with trailer. 2. An early screening of a film generally just before its proper release. This is usually used by the Filmmakers to gauge the audience reaction in time to make changes that might result in a better reception of the film. Also referred to as an advance screening. 3. A quick rendering and playback of a motion test. See motion preview. 4. For editing, the viewing of all the actions listed in the edit decision list (EDL) without actually recording the result.
prime lens A camera lens with a fixed focal length, as opposed to a zoom lens, which has a variable focal length. Prime lenses often come as a set of different focal lengths and tend to be sharper and faster than zoom lenses. Also referred to as a fixed lens, fixed focal length lens
primary storage See random access memory (RAM).
primitive - geometric primitive.
printer A peripheral device attached to a computer that is able to produce printed information originating from the computer onto paper. The speed of a printer is measured in terms of lines per minute that it can print.
production A global term referring to all phases that go into the creation of a film or commercial. To actively be making the film. See film production.
proxy A low-resolution image or 3D object used as a stand in for the high resolution original for purposes of increasing user interactivity with the computer. See proxy image, proxy scale.
quad 1. Abbreviation for quadrant. 2. Abbreviation for quadrilateral. 3. Two bits or a quarter of a byte.
queue An organization of jobs used for lining up requests for resources, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a printer. See job queue, printer queue, render queue.
QuickTime A popular format for storing sound and images developed by Apple Computer, Inc. Movie files stored in quicktime format, generally, carry .mov as their file extension name.
radial blur A compositing operation that can blur an image around a specific point radially.
random access memory (RAM) RAM is the portion of memory in a computer that can be accessed in any order and is used by programs to perform necessary tasks. Each time a program is accessed, it gets loaded from the hard disk into RAM because reading data from RAM is much faster than reading from disk. Generally, running programs from RAM allows them to function without any lag time. The more RAM on a computer, the more data that can be loaded from the hard disk. RAM is, sometimes, humorously referred to as “rarely adequate memory” to describe a computer with insufficient memory to handle the requested tasks. See also physical memory, volatile memory, virtual memory, nonvolatile memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), and extended data-out random access memory (EDO RAM).
raster 1. Synonymous with bitmap. 2. Synonymous with bitmap display
rasterize To convert an image into a bitmap for display.
read only memory (ROM) This is a small portion of computer memory that is reserved for permanently stored data. The data can be quickly accessed but cannot be modified in any way. ROM is an example of nonvolatile memory, whereas random access memory (RAM) is an example of volatile memory.
recover To bring back a file that was accidentally deleted.
redo A common menu option that repeats the last action input by the user. Opposite of undo.
remote login A program that provides a command line interface to a remote computer over a network.
removable disk A storage device that is not permanently attached to the hard drive, such as Zip drives and Jaz drives.
rendering The process of creating a 2D image based on 3D information, such as the camera, objects, lights, surface attributes, and animation curves contained in a 3D database. The field of view (FOV) created by the position of the camera in the scene relative to the location of the various objects determines what portion of the scene will actually be rendered. Any geometry falling within the camera’s field of view is mathematically projected onto a plane, just as a real camera projects the image within its field of view onto film. The rendering process must also calculate which objects are obscured by other objects closer to camera. Once the renderer has determined which surfaces will be rendered and where on the plane they will be projected, the last step is to calculate the actual color of each pixel that is being created in the resulting 2D image. See also wireframe rendering, hidden line rendering, surface rendering, Z-buffer.
resolution 1. The amount of data used to represent an object. See object resolution. 2. The number of pixels used to define an image. See image resolution. 3. The number of rows and columns used in a display device. 4. The number of dots per inch (DPI) that a printer can output. 5. Referring to the final viewing format.
rotoscope 1. A term used to describe the creation of articulate mattes for each frame in a sequence of images for use in digital compositing or optical compositing. 2. For cel animation, rotoscope is the process of photographing a sequence of images and using them as reference on top of which the hand-drawn animation is traced. 3. For 3D animation, rotoscope is similar to its use in cel animation, except that the series of reference images are used as a guide over which to pose a 3D model to the corresponding position of the character in the image.
Rotoscope Artist An individual who creates articulate mattes.
rough cut The roughly edited version of the cut. Often done in the offline editing portion.
safe title The region in which all text should be kept within if the final viewing display will be on a television screen. Most software packages offer a safe title box, that surrounds approximately 80 percent of the full video frame that the user can display over the view. Also called title safe.
saturation Saturation, or chroma, refers to the intensity or purity of a color. Colors with a strong chroma or full of saturation are the most brilliant and vivid colors we can create. The chroma of a color is relative to the amount of black or white that it contains. However, black, white, and shades of gray contain no chrominance and contain only luminance. All colors have both chrominance and luminance. A desaturated blue will appear dull, whereas a very saturated blue will be brilliant.
screenplay A script written to be produced as a film for release in movie theatres, as opposed to a teleplay, which is produced as a television movie.
SDK Abbreviation for software developer’s kit (SDK).
search engine A program used by the Internet to allow users to search for information.
SECAM Abbreviation, in English, for Sequential Color with Memory (SECAM).
sequence 1. A series of related shots and scenes that create a single and coherent story point or action. A sequence can take place in either a single setting or in several settings. Action in a sequence should match across several shots so that the events it is depicting occur in a continuous manner. 2. A series of images meant to be displayed sequentially.
SFX Abbreviation for special effects (SFX)
shading The effect of light across a surface based on the position of the object relative to the light source. The shading of a surface is also dependent on the shading model that has been assigned to the object, such as flat shading, Blinn shading, Gouraud shading, Phong shading, and Cook/Torrence shading
sharpening An image process that emphasizes the edges and contours in a digital image. Used to create a perceived increase in focus and clarity of detail.
shutter speed The length of time that the camera shutter is open during the exposure of each frame. A slow shutter speed allows more light to enter the camera and results in more motion blur. See also shutter angle, aperture, depth of field (DOF).
skew A geometric transformation that gives an angular slant to one side of an object or image.
snapshot Synonymous with screen grab.
soft focus 1. A term used to describe a shot that appears to be out of focus. 2. Referring to the use of a diffusion filter designed to create soft outlines
specifications The detailed plans for the network, hardware, and software configuration for a facility.
sphere A quadratic surface in which every point is equidistant from a given point within its center. The parameters required to define a sphere as a geometric primitive are its origin and radius.
spline A curve formed by the position of a series of control points. The shape of a spline can easily and quickly be manipulated by modifying the individual control points that regulate their own portion of the spline. Different types of splines include Bézier, B-spline, Cardinal, Hermite, and NURBS. See also hull, interpolating spline, approximating spline, spline interpolation
spool 1. The metal or plastic device used to wind film on. See also core. 2. Abbreviation for simultaneous peripheral operation on-line. The ability of a computer to process a peripheral operation, such as a printer request, while simultaneously performing another task.
spotlight A light source in which all light rays illuminate in the shape of a cone. The falloff, spread, and dropoff of a spotlight is adjustable.
stereoscopic film A film in which two pieces of film, each representing the left or right eye, are viewed simultaneously on a stereo viewing device. With the use of 3D glasses, each eye sees only the images specifically designated to be received by that eye.
stock footage Specific events shot on film that can be purchased for use in a film or commercial.
stop-motion animation A traditional animation technique in which a series of physical models in a scene are manually positioned and photographed for each frame of animation. When played back at a normal speed, this technique results in continuously animated objects. Unlike go motion, stop-motion techniques are not capable of producing motion blur. See also digital input device, clay animation.
storyboard A series of drawings outlining the key moments of a sequence or scene that indicate camera angle and movement, actor performance, and composition. Early rough storyboard sketches are often called thumbnails
subtitles Titles that are placed at the bottom of the screen, usually to translate foreign dialogue. See also main titles, end titles, insert titles.
supersampling A technique used to reduce aliasing by obtaining subpixel values for each pixel in an image and then averaging those values to obtain a new pixel value.
surface Referring to the series of polygons, patches, curves, vertices, and points that define an object in 3D space.
synchronization 1. For video, the precise alignment of two signals, usually picture and sound. 2. For film, the placement of two images or an image and a sound track relative to one another on the release print so they can be projected together. See also in sync, out of sync.
system memory The amount of memory that the operating system (OS) of a computer uses.
system software Any software required to support the execution of application programs but is not specific to a particular application. The system software generally includes the operating system (OS), command line interpreter, window system, and desktop.
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