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Glossary of Terms |
Absolute Frames - This is a method of expressing durations or lengths as the absolute (total) number of frames. Instead of a length of film being written as '2+03', it would be expressed as '35'. Ambiance and Room Tone - It is the sound recorded during production which captures the random noise and atmosphere for a room or location without any dialogue or vocal emissions. Ambiance usually refers to exterior location of a scene and Room Tone usually refers to the interior location of a scene. Sometimes they are used interchangeably. Batch Digitize - This is the process of digitizing multiple clips at once in your editing system. The editing system controls the deck automatically to find the in and out points based on a log manually created or imported into your system. Camera Roll - Every Camera Roll (no matter how short or long it is) gets a unique number assigned to it by the assistant camera person. This number is written down on the camera reports and the script supervisor's notes. Camera Report - Each camera roll has a Camera Report which lists all the scene and take numbers which were shot, as well as listing all of the circled takes. These reports are filled out by the camera person on the set and get sent to the lab with the film to be developed. The Editor and the telecine house should get copies of these reports. Check Sync - Usually refers to checking the synchronization of the picture and the sound. Sometimes sound and picture are not in sync because during telecine the picture and sound clapper were not lined up properly or a clapper could not be found. The most common way to assure sync is to visually check that the frame where the clapper stick closes matches the sound of the clapper stick hitting the clap board. The other way to check sync is to look for a visual reference such as an object being placed on a table, or any action that produces a sharp, distinct sound. Circled Take or Circled Print - These are the director's selects - the shots he considers best. When the director on the set yells out 'cut', if he likes the shot he will usually say, "that's a print" or "circle that take." Then, the script supervisor, the sound recordist and the assistant camera operator will circle the number of that take on their reports. The circled take is what gets printed (transferred) to video by the telecine operator. Clapper Sticks - This is the board that is put in front of the camera at the beginning of every take and 'claps' shut to provide a common sync reference between the picture and sound. It has written on it the scene and take numbers, camera roll, sound roll, what camera (A,B,C etc.) is shooting the scene, and sometimes the sound timecode (smart slate). The clapper (or slate) is shot at the head or tail of every take. Clip Name - Is a name given to a shot to describe it. It is usually comprised of the Scene and Take numbers. CMX - This is the most common EDL format. CMX was the pioneer of the EDL concept for video. Cut List - The Cut List contains all the necessary information needed to finish on film. The negative cutter uses this list to cut the negative and refers mainly to the key numbers present in the list. Dailies - Refers to all of the film that was shot in one day. Sometimes they are called 'Rushes'. DAT - Digital Audio Tape (DAT) is an audio recording tape format popular amongst many sound mixers and sound recordists. Dupe - Dupe is short for duplicate and refers to when one or more frames of film are used more than once in an entire edited movie, and therefore are duplicated. EDL (Edit Decision List) - A video EDL is generally a machine readable file that tells a video controller how to assemble your program. It contains all the video timecode in and out points of each cut in your movie, as well as other information such as dissolves, wipes or fades. Film EDLs are not machine readable and contain key number information. Film EDLs are usually called Cut Lists or Assemble Lists. Event Number - This is the number corresponding to the placement of each edit from the first edit to the last edit of a reel. This number appears on the cut lists, dupe lists, and pull lists. Evertz - A telecine log format. These files are named "xxx.FTL". Flex - A telecine log format. These files are named "xxx.FLX". GVG - This is an EDL format created by the Grass Valley Group. Slingshot will support GVG versions 4.0-7.0. Keycode or Key Number - Keycode (or Key Number) is the numbering system that identifies each and every frame of your film. It is burned into the edge of each piece of film by the manufacturer of the film (i.e. "KS 07 9876-5432+00"). Keyscope - A telecine log format. These files are named "xxx.KSL" Laboratory Standard Opticals - For A/B roll negative cutting, Laboratory Standard Opticals are the fades and dissolves that have durations of 16, 24, 32, 48, 64 or 96 film frames. Matchback - This is the process of taking an movie from your non-linear editing system and matching it back to the original audio and film elements. Motion Effects - Motion Effects refers to any clip in your movie that you slowed down or sped up in your editing system. Nagra - An audio recording deck popular amongst most film sound mixers and recordists. It uses 1/4" reel-to-reel magnetic tape. Optical - An optical refers to any piece of film in your movie that was not shot in the camera. They include dissolves, wipes, special effects, freeze frames, motion effects, etc. Optical List/Optical Count Sheet - Optical Lists are generated by hand or electronically and contains the key number information that your lab needs to create your opticals. Out of Sync - When picture and sound are out of sync, i.e. don't match and or play together in sync. Pulldown (NTSC) - It is also referred to as the 3:2 or 2:3 pulldown process which occurs during your telecine. It results from the fact that film runs at 24fps and video runs at 30fps. In order to compensate for the different frame rates, the first frame of film is written to 2 fields of video, then the next frame of film is written to 3 fields of video. The third frame of film is written to 2 fields of video, the fourth frame of film is written to 3 fields of video, and so on. Pulldown (PAL) - It results from the transfer of film at 24fps to video at 25fps. In order to compensate for the different frame rates, the twelfth and twenty-fourth frames of film are written to 3 fields of video while all other frames of film are written to 2 fields of video. This allows one second of film time to exactly match one second of video time. Re-telecine - When it is necessary for telecine to re-do rushes that have already been telecined. There are a variety of reasons why a shot needs to be re-telecined. If a burn-in is incorrect, if picture and sound are out of sync, if the video tape is bad or contains dropout, if any of the keycode or sound timecode information was not transferred properly, then the shot(s) must be re-telecined. Room Tone - See Ambiance. Scene and Take (Sc/Tk) - This is the Scene number (from the script) and the Take number (the number of times that this scene has been shot, or "taken") assigned by the script supervisor or camera assistant. Script Supervisors Reports (Notes) - The Script Supervisor is the person on the set who sits close to the director and takes notes on everything that happens on the set. These notes are vital to the efficiency of the production while shooting, and the editor's only record of what was shot. They are essential to a smooth post production process. Single Strand - When conforming each reel of a show a Single Strand of negative is created by the negative cutter. It is used mainly for 35mm film shows. 16mm-40 Count - Film stock where a new key number occurs every 40 frames. 16mm-20 Count - Film stock where a new key number occurs every 20 frames. Slate - See Clapper Sticks Sound Report - Each sound roll has a report that lists all of the scene and take numbers that were recorded, as well as the circled takes. These reports are filled out by the sound recordist on the set, and the assistant editor and the telecine house should get copies of these reports. Sound Roll - This refers to the physical audio tape (or roll) onto which the production sound was recorded. Sound Tracing - This is the process of creating an audio EDL for your final sound sweetening and mix. It replaces the telecine tape numbers and the telecine timecodes with the original sound roll numbers and the original sound timecodes from your production sound rolls. Syntax Error - These are errors of formatting or errors of omission in EDLs or Telecine Logs. Some information may be there, but it is incomplete, missing, or of the wrong format. Telecine - This is the process of transferring Film to Videotape. Telecine Errors - These are errors in the telecine log generally caused by human input error or telecine equipment problems. Telecine Log - This is an electronic log that contains information relative to your telecine transfer including camera roll #, sound roll #, keycode, sound timecode, scene and take, etc. The telecine log is essential for your film and sound matchback. Timecode - This is the numbering system that is used for video tape and sound rolls that identifies each and every frame on your tape. It is expressed as hours:minutes:seconds:frames. TLC File - This is the converted telecine log file created by Slingshot's Telecine Log Converter that contains all of the essential information you need for your film and sound matchback. Traced Sound EDL - This is the EDL that you will use to auto assemble your production sound from your original DAT or Nagra Tapes. Voice Slates - During production, an audio voice slate is recorded for each take which identifies what the scene and take number is. The voice slates for sync audio should be identical to the information written on the picture slates. In addition to sync audio, the sound recordist also gives voice slates for wild lines, wild tracks and ambiance (room tone). Wild Lines - During production, dialogue is sometimes recorded when film is not rolling. These are called Wild Lines. The voice slate given to the wild lines should match the scene for which it refers, such as "Wild Line, Scene 10, Take 1". Wild Tracks - During production, vocal emissions, music or other sounds inherent to a scene are sometimes recorded when film is not rolling. These are called Wild Tracks. The voice slate given to the wild tracks should match the scene for which it refers, such as "Wild Track, Scene 16, Take 2". Window Burn-ins - This refers to any information which is "burned-in" to the picture of your video and is usually created during telecine. Common window burn-ins are key numbers, video timecode, & sound timecode. |