CGI computer-generated imagery. chroma-key see blue screen.
claymation an animation technique employing clay or plasticine models and stop-action photography.
composite the digital or photographic combination of two or more images on a piece of film.
crab dolly see dolly.
crosscutting showing alternating scenes in quick succession to illustrate parallel action.
cutaway a quick switch to a scene of action taking place at the same time as the previous scene, or on a related subject.
day-for-night photography filming night scenes in daylight by using dark filters over the camera lenses.
detail shot an extreme closeup.
dissolve an optical effect in which one scene gradually fades out and melds into another scene.
dolly a rolling platform on which a camera is mounted to gain mobility. Also known as a crab dolly.
dolly shot a shot taken from a rolling dolly.
Dutch angle a canted camera angle that produces a tilted image on the movie screen.
dynamation the process of combining live action with stop-action photography, using split-screen techniques originating with special effects artist Ray Har- ryhausen in 1958.
establishing shot a shot that establishes the location of the upcoming scene.
extreme long shot a panoramic shot taken from a great distance.
fade-in an optical effect in which a dark background slowly brightens to reveal the next scene.
fade-out an optical effect in which the picture slowly darkens to black.
filter a gelatin, glass, or plastic plate placed over a camera lens to produce various light or color effects.
fisheye lens an extreme wide-angle lens that distorts images and makes the horizon appear distinctly curved.
flag a device positioned in front of a light to create shadow.
flash cutting editing a section of film into brief scenes that quickly succeed each other.
flash frame a scene consisting of few frames, or even one frame, that passes so quickly the audience barely perceives it.
flick pan see swish pan.
freeze frame the repetition of a single frame of a movie to give the illusion that the action has frozen.
ghosting a special-effects technique that makes an actor or prop appear as a ghostly image, achieved through superimposition or reflective shots. Also, a dubbing technique in which a professional singer's voice is dubbed over or with that of an actor's to give the illusion that the actor can sing.
glass shot an effect in which the camera films a shot through scenery painted on glass, with the action occurring behind the glass.
gobo a wooden screen placed in front of a light to dim it or to cast a shadow.
green screen the same as blue screen, but green in color and often producing better results.
high-hat shot a shot taken from near floor or ground level looking up.
highlighting using a thin beam of light to illuminate a part of the actor's face.
jump cut a scene that jumps abruptly into another scene; the joining of two discontinuous shots.
mask a shield placed over a camera lens to give the illusion of peering through binoculars or a keyhole.
Massive a computer program that gives virtual life and random reactions to digitally created characters.
matte artist an artist who creates backgrounds for matte shots.
matte shot a special effect in which part of one scene is masked and combined with another to produce a realistic depiction of something that is normally too difficult or too expensive to shoot, for example, an astronaut filmed in a studio and melded into an image or photograph of space to produce an illusion of an astronaut floating in space.
mocap see motion capture.
morph to alter, or "metamorphose," the shape or appearance of an actor or object on screen through computer-generated special-effects techniques.
morphing a computer-generated special-effects technique in which actors or objects on screen can be altered in shape or appearance.
motion capture a special effects technique in which a live actor wears a body suit rigged with sensors that digitally record, or "capture," his or her movements. Animators add the captured movements to computer- generated images of the actor to convey realism in a digital landscape. The technique can even be used on animals, such as horses, to film dangerous scenes. Also known as mocap.
optical printer an apparatus that combines a projector and a camera with facing lenses, for creating composite shots.
overcrank to run the camera at a greater speed than normal to produce slow-motion images.
pan to film from side to side.
pixilation stop-action photography effect in which an inanimate object is moved between each frame or a small number of frames so that on film the object appears to move on its own, as if by magic.
point-of-view shot a shot as seen from a character's perspective.
pullback a shot in which the camera is pulled back to reveal a larger portion of the scene.
pushover an optical effect similar to a wipe, in which a new scene appears to push the preceding scene off the screen.
rack focus a change of focus from a subject in the background to a subject in the foreground, or vice versa, without moving the camera.
reaction shot a shot that shows a character's reaction to the action around her or him.
rear projection see back projection.
Rembrandt lighting backlighting method modeled after the techniques of the famous Dutch painter, in which a soft light is projected from behind a character for a subtle halolike effect, popularly used in the movies of the 1930s and 1940s.
reverse-angle shot a shot of an opposite view, as when switching from one character to another during alternating dialogue.
ripple dissolve an optical effect in which a wavering image serves as a transition to either a flashback, a flash-forward, or a dream sequence.
rotoscoping an animation method in which live action in a film is traced over.
scrim a plate placed in front of a light to produce shadow.
soft-focus slightly out-of-focus, as achieved by placing Vaseline or a special filter over the camera lens; used to soften lines in romantic shots.
split screen an optical effect showing two different scenes on one frame.
squib a tiny explosive charge used to simulate gunshots.
stop-action photography a special-effects technique in which objects are filmed one frame at a time, allowing the object to be moved between frames. The resulting moving image is known as pixilation.
substitution shot a shot in which the action is stopped midscene and the actors freeze in place. A substitution is made, either for an object or by a dummy representing one of the actors. The shot may be used, for example, when one of the characters is about to have his head cut off or some other unpleasantry.
superimposition a special effect in which one scene is superimposed over another, most notably used in creating scenes with ghosts. Also known as a super.