Every word an editor says, shown once.

also Axis of action, Crossing the line

Keep the camera on one side of an imaginary line between two subjects so screen direction stays consistent.

Cross the line and the characters appear to swap sides. Editors fix violations with a cutaway or a shot that travels across the line.

See also Shot / reverse shot, Continuity editing

The primary footage of a piece, usually the interview or the main scene.

Everything else is layered on top of it. In a documentary the A-roll carries the story; the B-roll decorates it.

See also B-roll

Supporting footage cut over the main interview or action to illustrate it and hide edits.

The main footage is the A-roll. B-roll is what you see while the A-roll audio keeps talking.

See also A-roll, Cutaway, L-cut

A single moment of story or emotion; the smallest unit an editor cuts for.

Editors say 'hold that shot one more beat'. It means give the moment a little more time to land.

See also Pacing

also Invisible editing

Editing that keeps space, time, and action consistent so cuts feel seamless.

Matching eyelines, screen direction, and props from shot to shot. The goal is that the viewer never thinks about the editing.

See also Cut on action, 180-degree rule

All the different angles and sizes shot of a scene, giving the editor choices.

Wide, medium, close-up, over-the-shoulder, inserts. More coverage means more ways to cut the scene.

See also Wide shot, Close-up

also Parallel editing, Intercutting

Alternating between two or more scenes to suggest they happen at the same time.

Chases, heists, and phone calls all rely on it. The rhythm of the cuts usually speeds up as tension builds.

See also Montage

also Straight cut, Hard cut

An instant change from one shot to the next with nothing in between.

Around 95% of all edits are plain cuts. If a cut is invisible to the viewer, it is doing its job.

See also Cut on action, Jump cut

also Cutting on movement

Making the cut in the middle of a movement so the motion carries across the edit.

The eye follows the action instead of noticing the cut. A door opening, a turn of the head, a punch thrown: cut halfway through.

See also Cut, Match cut, Continuity editing

A shot of something outside the main action, inserted before returning to it.

Cutaways hide jump cuts, add context, and give the editor a way out of a bad take.

See also Insert shot, B-roll

A wide shot at the start of a scene that shows where and when the action takes place.

City skyline, then the building, then the room. It orients the viewer before the details begin.

See also Wide shot, Sequence

A cut from a person looking at something to a shot of what they are looking at.

The direction of their gaze must point at the object in the next shot, or the geography breaks.

See also Continuity editing

A later version of the edit where timing, pacing, and shot choice are refined.

Comes after the rough cut and before picture lock. Notes at this stage are about frames, not scenes.

See also Rough cut, Picture lock

also Insert

A close-up of a detail inside the current scene, cut into the wider shot.

A cutaway leaves the scene; an insert stays inside it. Hands, a phone screen, a clock on the wall.

See also Cutaway

also Audio lead, Sound bridge

The audio of the next shot starts before its picture appears.

Named for the J shape it makes on the timeline: the audio clip sticks out to the left under the previous video. It pulls the viewer into the next scene.

See also L-cut, Split edit

Two pieces of the same shot joined with the middle removed, so the subject seems to jump.

Once a mistake, now a style. Vloggers use jump cuts to tighten talking-head footage and keep the pace up.

See also Cut, B-roll

also Audio tail

The picture cuts to the next shot while the audio from the first shot keeps playing.

Looks like an L on the timeline. The classic use is dialogue: cut to the listener while the speaker is still talking.

See also J-cut, Reaction shot

also Graphic match

A cut between two shots that share a shape, movement, or composition.

The famous bone-to-spaceship cut in 2001: A Space Odyssey is a match cut. It links two ideas without a word.

See also Cut on action

A sequence of short shots, usually cut to music, that compresses time or builds an idea.

Training montages, travel montages, falling-in-love montages. Each shot lasts a beat or two and the music holds it together.

See also Cross-cutting, Sequence

also Rhythm

The speed and rhythm of the cuts and of the action within them.

Fast pacing means short shots and quick cuts. Slow pacing lets shots breathe. Vary it, or the viewer goes numb.

See also Montage, Beat

The point where no more changes are made to the video edit, so sound and color work can begin.

Unlocking the picture after this point is expensive because every department has to redo work.

See also Fine cut, Color grading, Sound design

A shot of a person responding to what was just said or shown.

Reactions tell the audience how to feel. Editors often value the listener's face more than the speaker's.

See also L-cut, Shot / reverse shot

also Assembly cut

The first full version of the edit with all scenes in order but no polish.

Assembly, rough cut, fine cut, picture lock: the usual stages from raw footage to finished video.

See also Fine cut, Picture lock

also Pulls, Stringout

The best takes picked from the raw footage before editing starts.

Editors usually build a selects sequence first, then cut the real edit from it.

See also Rough cut, Bin

also Timeline sequence

A series of shots that together form one scene or unit of story; also the name of the timeline in most editors.

In Premiere and Final Cut, your project is built from sequences. Each holds its own clips, tracks, and settings.

See also Timeline, Montage

Alternating shots of two people facing each other, usually in conversation.

The backbone of dialogue scenes. Keep the camera on one side of the 180-degree line so the characters keep looking at each other.

See also Reaction shot, 180-degree rule

An abrupt cut between two shots of opposite mood or volume, meant to jolt the viewer.

Quiet to loud, dream to alarm clock, tension to joke. The contrast is the effect.

See also Cut

Any edit where the video and audio cut at different times.

J-cuts and L-cuts are both split edits. Editors make them by unlinking the audio and video and trimming one side alone.

See also J-cut, L-cut

also Drone shot, Helicopter shot

A shot filmed from high in the air, usually by drone.

The modern establishing shot. Slow, smooth moves work best.

See also Extreme wide shot, Bird's-eye view

also Orbit

The camera circles around the subject.

Used for reveals and hero moments. Gimbals made it easy.

See also Tracking shot

also Top shot, Overhead, Top-down

A shot pointing straight down from above.

Turns a scene into a map or a pattern. Popular for food, tables, and crowds.

See also High angle, Aerial shot

also CU

A shot that fills the frame with a face or a detail.

Close-ups carry emotion. Save them for the moments that matter, or they lose their power.

See also Medium shot, Insert shot

also Medium full shot, American shot

A framing from mid-thigh up, named for westerns that needed the holster in frame.

A useful middle size when a medium feels too tight and a full shot too loose.

See also Medium shot, Full shot

also Jib, Boom

The camera rises or descends on a crane arm, often sweeping over the scene.

The classic ending: the camera lifts away from the characters. Drones do most of this work now.

See also Aerial shot, Pedestal

A closer shot of something already visible in the previous wider shot.

An insert is a cut-in. The opposite, going wider, is a cut-out.

See also Insert shot, Close-up

also Shallow focus, Deep focus, Bokeh

How much of the scene, front to back, is in focus.

Shallow depth of field blurs the background and isolates the subject. Deep focus keeps everything sharp.

See also Rack focus, Blur

also Dolly in, Dolly out, Push in, Pull out

The whole camera moves toward or away from the subject on wheels, a slider, or a gimbal.

A slow push in builds intensity. A pull out reveals or leaves the scene.

See also Zoom, Tracking shot, Dolly zoom

also Vertigo effect, Zolly

Dollying one way while zooming the other, so the subject stays the same size but the background warps.

Hitchcock's Vertigo made it famous; Jaws used it on the beach. Reads as sudden dread.

See also Dolly, Zoom

also Canted angle, Dutch tilt, Oblique angle

The camera is rolled so the horizon sits at a tilt.

Signals unease, madness, or chaos. Editors can fake a mild one with rotation and a small scale up.

See also Transform

also ECU

A framing so tight it shows only part of the face or a single detail.

An eye, a mouth, a trigger finger. Save it for the one moment that needs it.

See also Close-up, Insert shot

also EWS, Extreme long shot

A very distant view where the subject is tiny or absent, showing landscape or scale.

Often the establishing shot of a place. Drone footage is usually an extreme wide.

See also Wide shot, Establishing shot, Aerial shot

The camera at the subject's eye height, giving a neutral, equal point of view.

The default angle. Break it on purpose to make someone look powerful or weak.

See also High angle, Low angle

also Long shot, FS

A framing that shows a person from head to toe.

Sits between wide and medium. Good for body language, dance, and costume.

See also Wide shot, Medium shot

The camera is held by the operator, so it shakes and drifts.

Feels immediate and documentary. Too much shake tires the viewer; stabilization can calm it.

See also Static shot, Stabilization, Steadicam / gimbal

The space between the top of a subject's head and the top of the frame.

Too much looks like the subject is sinking; too little looks cramped. Editors fix it with a small reframe.

See also Punch-in

The camera looks down on the subject.

Makes people look small, vulnerable, or part of a crowd.

See also Low angle, Bird's-eye view

also Worm's-eye view

The camera looks up at the subject from below.

Makes the subject look tall, powerful, or threatening. A worm's-eye view is the extreme version from ground level.

See also High angle, Eye level

A single wide take that covers the whole scene from start to finish.

Shot first, then the closer coverage. The editor can always fall back to the master.

See also Coverage, Wide shot

also MCU

A framing from the chest up.

The default interview size. Close enough to read the face, with a little room for hands.

See also Medium shot, Close-up

also MS, Mid shot

A shot framing a person from roughly the waist up.

The workhorse of dialogue and interviews. Close enough for expression, wide enough for gesture.

See also Wide shot, Close-up

also OTS

A shot of one person framed past the shoulder of another.

Standard in conversations. Pairs of OTS shots are cut as shot / reverse shot.

See also Shot / reverse shot

The camera turns horizontally on a fixed spot.

From the word panorama. A fast one is a whip pan. Editors fake a slow pan with a moving crop on high-resolution footage.

See also Tilt, Whip pan

also Boom up, Boom down

The whole camera moves straight up or down without tilting.

Different from a tilt, where the camera pivots. Common in studio and product work.

See also Tilt, Crane shot

also Point of view

A shot that shows exactly what a character sees.

Usually sandwiched between a shot of the character looking and a shot of them reacting.

See also Eyeline match

also Side view, Three-quarter

The subject seen from the side, at ninety degrees to the camera.

Flat and graphic. A three-quarter angle, halfway between profile and front, is the most flattering for faces.

See also Single

also Focus pull, Pull focus

Shifting focus from one subject to another within the same shot.

Steers attention without a cut. Needs shallow depth of field to be visible.

See also Depth of field

also Reverse shot

A shot from roughly the opposite direction of the previous one.

The second half of shot / reverse shot. Stay on the same side of the line.

See also Shot / reverse shot, 180-degree rule

also Storyboard

The planned list of shots for a scene, with size, angle, and movement for each.

Editors read it to know what coverage should exist. A storyboard is the drawn version.

See also Coverage, Master shot

also Framing, Shot scale

The family of framings from extreme wide to extreme close-up that describes how much of the subject fills the frame.

Editors cut between sizes to control emotion: wide for context, medium for talk, close for feeling.

See also Wide shot, Medium shot, Close-up, Extreme close-up

also Clean single, Dirty single

A shot with only one person in frame; a dirty single also includes part of the other person.

Dialogue scenes are usually cut from a pair of singles or over-the-shoulders.

See also Two-shot, Over-the-shoulder

also Locked-off, Tripod shot

The camera does not move at all.

Calm and observational. Also needed for tricks like clones and time-lapse.

See also Handheld

also Gimbal, Stabilizer rig

A rig that lets the camera move with the operator but float without shake.

The middle ground between tripod and handheld: smooth and mobile.

See also Handheld, Tracking shot

The camera pivots vertically on a fixed spot, nodding up or down.

A tilt up a building says tall. A tilt down from face to hands says reveal.

See also Pan

also Trucking, Follow shot

The camera physically travels with a moving subject.

Trucking is sideways movement; following is behind. Long tracking shots are a showpiece for directors.

See also Dolly, Steadicam / gimbal

A shot with two people in the frame.

Useful for showing a relationship in one image before cutting into singles.

See also Medium shot

also Long shot, WS

A shot that shows the whole subject and much of the surroundings.

Shot sizes run from extreme wide, wide, medium, medium close-up, close-up, to extreme close-up.

See also Close-up, Establishing shot

also Zoom in, Zoom out, Crash zoom

The lens changes focal length so the subject grows or shrinks while the camera stays still.

Different from a dolly: a zoom flattens perspective, a dolly moves through it. A crash zoom is a sudden fast zoom used for comedy or shock.

See also Dolly, Punch-in, Dolly zoom

also Dissolve, Mix, Lap dissolve

One shot fades out while the next fades in, overlapping for a moment.

The classic way to say 'time has passed'. Needs handles: extra frames on both clips for the overlap.

See also Handles, Dip to black

A general word for one thing fading out while another fades in; for picture it is a dissolve, for sound an audio crossfade.

Editors say dissolve for video and crossfade for audio, but the idea is the same.

See also Cross dissolve, Audio crossfade

also Fade through black

The picture fades to black and the next shot fades up from black.

Feels like a chapter break. Longer dips mean bigger jumps in time.

See also Dip to white

also Fade through white, Flash

Like a dip to black but through white.

Often used for flashbacks, dreams, or a camera flash. Very short versions read as a photo being taken.

See also Dip to black

also Fade up, Fade down, Fade to black

The picture rises from black at the start, or sinks to black at the end.

The oldest opening and closing in film. Usually paired with an audio fade.

See also Dip to black, Audio fade

also Iris in, Iris out, Circle wipe

A circle opens or closes to reveal or hide the shot.

A silent-film and cartoon staple. 'That's all folks' ends on an iris out.

See also Wipe

also Luminance dissolve

A dissolve driven by brightness, where dark or light areas change first.

Looks more organic than a plain dissolve. Also used to describe transitions through grey.

See also Cross dissolve

A transition that blends two takes of the same talking head so the jump between them is hidden.

Premiere's Morph Cut analyses the faces and warps between them. Works best with small differences.

See also Jump cut

also Mosaic

The image breaks into large blocks and rebuilds as the next shot.

A stylised transition; also the same effect used to censor faces and plates.

See also Blur

also Push, Slide

The new shot pushes the old one out of the frame, or slides in over it.

Common in slideshows and social video. A push moves both clips; a slide moves only the new one.

See also Wipe

Any effect used to move from one shot to the next that is not a plain cut.

Dissolves, wipes, fades, and dips are transitions. Use them for a reason, usually a change of time or place.

See also Cross dissolve, Wipe, Fade in / fade out

also Swish pan

A fast blurred pan that hides the cut between two shots.

Shot for real by whipping the camera at the end of one take and the start of the next, or faked with motion blur in the edit.

See also Zoom transition

The next shot slides across the frame with a visible edge, replacing the first.

Star Wars made it famous. Today it reads as retro or playful unless the edge is disguised.

See also Push / slide, Iris

The frame zooms into one shot and lands inside the next.

A fast, energetic transition popular on YouTube and TikTok. Usually paired with a whoosh sound.

See also Whip pan, Sound effects

How long a clip or sequence lasts.

Shown in timecode. The duration of a clip on the timeline can be shorter than the source clip.

See also Timecode, Trim

also Hold frame

Holding one frame still for a period of time.

Used for punchlines, name cards, and 'yep, that's me' openings.

See also Speed ramp

Keeping a shot on screen longer than expected, usually for emotion or comedy.

A held shot after a joke or a bad-news line lets the audience sit with it.

See also Beat, Freeze frame

also Frame interpolation, Frame blending

A method that invents new in-between frames so slowed footage stays smooth.

Frame blending mixes neighbours; optical flow tracks motion and is better but can create warping artifacts.

See also Slow motion

Playing a clip backwards.

Handy for fake magic, rewinds, and making a fall look like a jump.

See also Speed ramp

also Slo-mo

Playing a clip slower than real time.

Looks smoothest when the clip was shot at a high frame rate, such as 60 or 120 fps, then played at 24.

See also Speed ramp, Frame rate, Optical flow

The control that changes a clip's playback speed as a percentage or a new length.

50% speed doubles the duration. 200% halves it. 'Maintain pitch' keeps the audio from sounding like a chipmunk.

See also Slow motion, Time-lapse

also Time remapping

Changing speed inside a single clip, for example slowing down for a key moment and speeding back up.

Made with speed keyframes. Smooth the keyframes so the change eases in and out.

See also Slow motion, Keyframes

also Hyperlapse

Footage sped up many times so a long period passes in seconds.

A hyperlapse is a time-lapse where the camera moves too.

See also Slow motion

The ratio of frame width to height.

16:9 for TV and YouTube, 9:16 for Reels and TikTok, 1:1 for square posts, 2.39:1 for cinema.

See also Letterbox, Resolution

also fps, Frames per second

How many still images are shown per second.

24 fps is the film look, 25 is European TV, 30 is US TV and web, 60 is smooth sports and games. Shoot high, play low for slow motion.

See also Slow motion, Resolution

also Pan and zoom, Pan and scan

Slowly zooming and panning across a still photo so it feels like moving footage.

Made with scale and position keyframes. Keep it slow; fast Ken Burns looks cheap.

See also Keyframes, Punch-in

also Cinematic bars

Black bars above and below the picture, either to fit a wide film into a 16:9 frame or as a look.

Pillarbox is the same idea with bars on the sides, used for vertical or 4:3 video in a wide frame.

See also Aspect ratio, Pillarbox

also PiP

A small video inset inside the main frame.

Reaction videos, screen recordings with a webcam, and commentary use it constantly.

See also Split screen

Black bars on the left and right when a narrower picture sits in a wider frame.

What happens when a phone video is dropped into a 16:9 timeline without reframing.

See also Letterbox, Aspect ratio

also Digital zoom, Crop zoom

Scaling up a shot in the edit to fake a closer camera.

Great for hiding jump cuts in interviews. Stay under about 120% on 1080p footage or it goes soft. 4K gives more room.

See also Jump cut, Resolution

also Auto reframe, Recompose

Moving or resizing the picture inside the frame, often to convert 16:9 to vertical.

Auto Reframe tools track the subject so it stays centred while the crop moves.

See also Aspect ratio, Punch-in

The number of pixels in the frame, width by height.

1080p is 1920 by 1080; 4K UHD is 3840 by 2160. More pixels means more detail and more room to punch in.

See also Punch-in, Aspect ratio, Bitrate

Placing subjects on the lines that divide the frame into thirds instead of dead centre.

An editing concern too: when you punch in or reframe, put the eyes on the top third line.

See also Reframe

also Title safe, Action safe

Guide lines showing where text and action stay visible on every screen.

Title safe is the inner box; action safe the outer. On social platforms, also avoid the areas covered by buttons and captions.

See also Lower third

The frame divided into two or more areas, each showing a different clip.

Phone calls, before-and-after comparisons, and multi-cam moments.

See also Picture-in-picture

also Warp stabilizer

Removing camera shake from a clip in software.

The tool tracks the shake and counter-moves the image, cropping in slightly. Too much stabilization creates a wobbly, jelly look.

See also Punch-in

also Monochrome, Desaturate

Removing all color so only brightness remains.

Good black and white needs extra contrast. It is also a common flashback code.

See also Saturation, Contrast

Fixing exposure, white balance, and contrast so footage looks natural and matches shot to shot.

Correction comes first and aims for neutral. Grading comes after and aims for a look.

See also Color grading, White balance, Exposure

also The grade

Shaping colors on purpose to create a mood or a signature look.

Teal and orange, bleach bypass, the Matrix green: all grades. Done with wheels, curves, and LUTs.

See also Color correction, LUT

The difference between the darkest and brightest parts of the image.

High contrast looks punchy. Low contrast looks flat or dreamy. Log footage is low contrast on purpose until graded.

See also Exposure, Log footage

also Brightness

The overall brightness of the image.

Underexposed footage hides detail in noise; overexposed footage clips to pure white and cannot be recovered.

See also Color correction, Contrast

also Grain, Noise

Fine random texture added to imitate photographic film.

Adds a filmic feel and hides banding in gradients. Different from sensor noise, which is grain you did not ask for.

See also Color grading

also High dynamic range, SDR

A delivery format with a wider range of brightness and color than standard video.

HDR needs an HDR monitor to grade and an HDR-capable player to watch. Most web video is still SDR.

See also Color grading

also S-Log, C-Log, V-Log, Flat profile

Footage recorded with a flat, low-contrast profile that keeps more detail for grading.

Looks washed out straight from the camera. A conversion LUT or manual grade brings it back.

See also LUT, Contrast

also Look-up table

A preset file that maps every input color to an output color, applied as one step.

Technical LUTs convert log footage to normal; creative LUTs apply a look. Correct first, then LUT.

See also Color grading, Log footage

The intensity of color in the image.

Zero saturation is black and white. Skin tones are the first thing that looks wrong when saturation is pushed.

See also Black and white

also Waveform, Vectorscope, Histogram

Graphs that show brightness and color values in the image objectively.

The waveform shows exposure, the vectorscope shows hue and saturation, the histogram shows tonal spread. Trust them over your monitor.

See also Exposure, Color correction

Adjusting shots in a scene so they look like they were lit and shot the same way.

Different cameras, times of day, or lenses all need matching before the creative grade goes on.

See also Color correction, Scopes

Darkening the edges and corners of the frame.

Draws the eye to the centre. Keep it subtle; a heavy vignette is a beginner's tell.

See also Color grading

also Color temperature

Adjusting the image so white objects look white, removing an orange or blue cast.

Measured in Kelvin. Tungsten light is warm at 3200K; daylight is cool at 5600K.

See also Color correction

also Automated dialogue replacement, Dubbing

Re-recording dialogue in a studio to replace poor on-set audio.

The actor watches the scene and matches their own lip movements.

See also Sync

One sound fades down while the next fades up so the join is smooth.

Even a tiny crossfade of a few frames removes clicks and pops at cuts.

See also Audio fade, Cross-fade

Gradually raising or lowering volume at the start or end of a clip.

Fade in, fade out. Almost every audio clip on a timeline should have at least a short one.

See also Audio crossfade, Fade in / fade out

also Peaking, Distortion

Audio that exceeds the maximum level and gets squared off into distortion.

Shown as red in the meters. Cannot be fixed later; record and mix below the ceiling.

See also Loudness

also Compressor, Limiter

Reducing the gap between the loudest and quietest parts so a track sits at an even level.

Not the same as file compression. A limiter is a compressor with a hard ceiling.

See also Loudness, Ducking

Diegetic sound exists inside the scene; non-diegetic sound is added for the audience only.

A radio in the room is diegetic. The film score is not. Some scenes play with the line, like a song that starts on a radio and becomes the score.

See also Score, Sound design

also Auto-ducking, Sidechain

Automatically lowering the music whenever a voice speaks.

Most editors can do this with one button. Otherwise it is volume keyframes by hand.

See also Mix, Keyframes

also Equalization

Adjusting the volume of specific frequency ranges in a sound.

A high-pass filter removes rumble from voices. A small boost around 3 kHz adds clarity.

See also Mix

Sound effects performed and recorded in sync with the picture: footsteps, cloth, props.

Named after Jack Foley. Most films replace almost all on-set sound with foley.

See also Sound effects, Sound design

also LUFS, dB, Peak

How loud the audio is over time, measured in LUFS, versus peaks measured in dB.

Streaming services normalise to a loudness target, so mixing louder does not help. Keep peaks under -1 dB to avoid clipping.

See also Mix, Clipping

also Audio mix, Final mix

Balancing all the audio tracks against each other so the result sounds right on any speaker.

Dialogue first, then effects, then music. Web delivery usually targets about -14 LUFS loudness.

See also Loudness, Ducking

also Denoise, De-hum

Removing constant background noise like hiss, hum, or air conditioning from audio.

Works best on steady noise. Too much creates a hollow, underwater sound.

See also Room tone

also Ambience, Atmos

The background sound of a location recorded with nobody speaking.

Laid under dialogue edits to fill gaps. Silence sounds wrong; room tone sounds like nothing, which is right.

See also Sound design

also Music bed, Soundtrack

Music written or chosen for the video, usually non-diegetic.

A music bed is a low, continuous track under speech. A sting is a short hit for emphasis.

See also Diegetic and non-diegetic sound, Sting

Building the complete soundtrack: dialogue, effects, ambience, and music, and how they fit together.

Good sound design is invisible. Bad sound is the first thing viewers notice, before bad picture.

See also Mix, Sound effects

also SFX

Sounds added in the edit that were not recorded with the picture.

Whooshes, hits, ambience, footsteps. Half of what makes a transition feel good is the sound on it.

See also Foley, Sound design

Separate exported mixes of dialogue, music, and effects.

Delivered so a broadcaster can re-mix or dub the video without the full project.

See also Mix

also Stinger

A very short musical hit or sound used to punctuate a moment.

Logo reveals, jokes, and dramatic reveals get a sting.

See also Score, Sound effects

also Lip sync, Sync sound

Audio and video lined up in time so mouths match words.

Editors sync separately recorded audio with a clap, a slate, or automatic waveform matching.

See also Slate, Waveform

also VO, Narration

A voice heard over the pictures without the speaker appearing on screen.

Recorded separately and laid on its own track. Documentaries, ads, and explainers live on it.

See also B-roll, Ducking

The visual shape of an audio clip on the timeline, showing loud and quiet parts.

Editors cut dialogue by reading waveforms: the gaps between words are visible.

See also Sync

also Watermark, Logo bug

A small logo kept in a corner of the screen throughout a video.

TV channels use them constantly. Keep it semi-transparent and inside the safe area.

See also Safe area

also End credits, Roll

The list of people who made the video, usually scrolling at the end.

A credit roll is one long text layer with a position keyframe from bottom to top.

See also Title card, Keyframes

Animated text that moves in time with speech or music.

Lyric videos and explainer intros. Built with keyframes or text animators.

See also Keyframes, Title card

A name and title graphic in the lower part of the frame.

Animates in, holds for about four seconds, animates out. Keep it inside the title-safe area.

See also Title card, Safe area

also Mograph

Animated graphic elements such as titles, shapes, icons, and charts.

Made in After Effects, Motion, or template packs. Different from VFX, which imitates reality.

See also Kinetic typography, VFX

also Captions, Closed captions, SRT, Burned-in

On-screen text of the spoken words, timed to the audio.

Captions include sound descriptions for deaf viewers; subtitles translate. Burned-in text is part of the picture; a sidecar SRT file can be switched off.

See also Lower third

also Intertitle, Chapter card

A full frame of text that introduces the video, a chapter, or a place and time.

'Three years later' on black is a title card doing the job of a whole scene.

See also Lower third

also Text mask, Alpha matte, Luma matte

Using the shape of one layer to decide where another layer shows through.

Video inside letters is the classic example. An alpha matte uses transparency; a luma matte uses brightness.

See also Masking, Alpha channel

An empty layer that applies its effects to everything underneath it.

Put a grade or a vignette on one adjustment layer instead of on fifty clips.

See also Color grading, Nesting

also Transparency

The extra channel in an image that stores transparency for each pixel.

Logos and lower thirds delivered as PNG or ProRes 4444 keep their alpha. JPEG and H.264 do not.

See also Compositing, Track matte

also Compositing modes

Rules for how a top layer's pixels mix with the layer below.

Normal covers. Screen brightens. Multiply darkens. Overlay does both. Add glows.

See also Overlay, Compositing

also Gaussian blur, Motion blur

Softening the image on purpose.

Gaussian blur is uniform. Motion blur streaks along movement. Directional blur is used for whip transitions.

See also Whip pan

also Green screen, Keying

Making one color transparent so a different background can show behind the subject.

Green and blue are used because skin contains little of either. Even lighting on the screen is what makes a clean key.

See also Alpha channel, Masking

Combining several picture layers into one final image.

Green screen subjects over backgrounds, titles over video, effects over everything: all compositing.

See also Chroma key, Blend modes, Alpha channel

also Ease in, Ease out, Bezier

Making animated movement speed up and slow down instead of moving at a constant rate.

Linear keyframes look robotic. Ease in and out on almost everything.

See also Keyframes

also Datamosh, RGB split

Deliberate bursts of digital corruption: color channel shifts, slices, and noise.

Popular in music videos and tech intros. Pair with a static sound effect.

See also Sound effects

Markers that store a value at a point in time; the software animates between them.

Position, scale, opacity, volume: anything with a stopwatch icon can be keyframed. Easing makes the motion start and stop softly.

See also Easing, Speed ramp

also Mask, Garbage matte

A shape that hides part of a layer so only the area inside it is visible.

Used to isolate a region for an effect, to combine takes, or to cut a window into another clip.

See also Track matte, Rotoscoping

also Tracking, Planar tracking

Following a point or surface in the footage so graphics can stick to it.

Used to pin a blur over a face, a label to a moving product, or a screen replacement on a phone.

See also Stabilization, Keyframes

How solid or see-through a layer is, from 0 to 100 percent.

A dissolve is just two overlapping clips with opposite opacity ramps.

See also Cross dissolve, Keyframes

also Light leak, Blend mode, Screen mode, Multiply

A layer placed on top of the picture and blended with it rather than covering it.

Light leaks, dust, film burns, and lens flares are overlays. Screen mode keeps the bright parts; Multiply keeps the dark parts.

See also Blend modes, Picture-in-picture

also Effect preset, Motion template, Mogrt

Saved effect settings or graphics packages that can be dropped onto clips.

Mogrt files are Premiere motion graphics templates made in After Effects.

See also Motion graphics

also Roto

Drawing a mask around a moving subject frame by frame.

The slow way to separate a subject without a green screen. AI tools now do most of it.

See also Masking, Chroma key

also Position, Scale, Rotation, Anchor point

The basic controls for moving, resizing, and rotating a clip.

The anchor point is the pivot: change it and rotation and scale happen around a different spot.

See also Keyframes, Punch-in

also Visual effects

Imagery created or altered in post-production that looks like it was filmed.

Sky replacements, wire removal, explosions. Different from practical effects, done on set.

See also Compositing, Motion graphics

also Folder, Event, Media pool

A folder inside the project that organises clips.

Named after the physical bins film editors hung strips of film in.

See also Selects, Project

also Razor, Cut tool, Add edit, Split clip

The tool that cuts a clip into two pieces at a chosen point.

Shortcut C in Premiere, B in Final Cut, Ctrl+K or Cmd+K to cut at the playhead. Cutting does not delete anything.

See also Trim, Playhead

also Black gap, Close gap

Empty space between clips on a track that plays as black.

Most editors have 'close gap' or 'ripple delete' to remove it. Gaps in the audio track sound like a dropout.

See also Ripple edit

also Media handles

Extra unused frames before the in point and after the out point of a clip.

Transitions need handles to overlap. If a dissolve refuses to apply, the clip has no media left to use.

See also Cross dissolve, Trim

also Undo

The list of recent actions that can be undone step by step.

Ctrl+Z or Cmd+Z. Many editors also keep autosave versions of the project.

See also Project

also Mark in, Mark out, I and O

Marks that define the start and end of the part of a clip you want to use.

Press I and O in the source monitor, then drop the marked piece on the timeline.

See also Three-point edit, Trim

also Insert

Adding a clip at the playhead and pushing everything after it later to make room.

Nothing is lost; the sequence gets longer. The opposite of an overwrite.

See also Overwrite edit, Ripple edit

also Shuttle keys

The keyboard shortcuts most editors use to play backward, pause, and play forward.

Press L repeatedly to speed up. Hold K and tap J or L to step one frame.

See also Scrubbing

Lift removes a marked section and leaves a gap; extract removes it and closes the gap.

Extract is a ripple delete of a range instead of a whole clip.

See also Ripple edit, Gap

also Link, Unlink, Sync lock

A video clip and its audio that move and trim together as one.

Unlink them, or hold Alt/Option, to trim one side alone. That is how J-cuts and L-cuts are made.

See also J-cut, L-cut

A labelled flag placed on the timeline or a clip to note a beat, a note, or a to-do.

Editors mark the beats of a music track first, then cut to the markers.

See also Snapping, Beat

also Multi-camera editing

Syncing several camera angles of the same event and switching between them live while playing.

Interviews, concerts, and podcasts are cut this way. The editor presses number keys to switch angles.

See also Sync, Cross-cutting

also Compound clip, Nested sequence, Pre-compose

Grouping several clips into one clip that can be treated as a single item.

Apply one effect to the whole group, or tidy a messy stack of layers into a single bar.

See also Adjustment layer, Sequence

Moving a clip or keyframe by one frame with the keyboard.

Alt or Option plus the arrow keys in most editors. Precise timing is done by nudging, not dragging.

See also Snapping

also Overlay edit

Adding a clip at the playhead on top of whatever is there, replacing it without changing the length.

The sequence stays the same length. Use it when the timing is locked to music.

See also Insert edit

also CTI, Current time indicator, Scrubber

The vertical line on the timeline that shows the current frame.

Dragging it is called scrubbing. Edits like blade and add-edit happen at the playhead.

See also Timeline, Scrubbing

The file that stores everything about an edit: clips, bins, sequences, and settings, but not the media itself.

Project files are small because they only point to the media. Move the media and the project shows offline clips.

See also Offline media, Bin

also Ripple trim, Ripple delete

A trim or delete that closes the gap by moving everything after it.

Ripple delete removes a clip and pulls the rest left. Ripple trim shortens a clip and does the same.

See also Trim, Roll edit, Gap

also Rolling edit

Moving the cut point between two clips without changing the total length.

One clip gets longer, its neighbour gets shorter by the same amount. Good for finding the perfect frame to cut on.

See also Ripple edit, Trim

Dragging the playhead back and forth to look through footage quickly.

J, K, and L keys play backward, pause, and play forward; tap L twice for double speed.

See also Playhead, J-K-L

Moving a clip earlier or later while its neighbours stretch and shrink to keep the total length.

The clip's own content stays the same; only its position changes, and the clips on both sides absorb the move.

See also Slip edit, Roll edit

Changing which part of the source clip is shown, without moving the clip or changing its length.

The clip stays in the same place on the timeline; the content inside it shifts earlier or later.

See also Slide edit, Trim

also Magnet

Clips jump to line up with edit points, markers, and the playhead as you drag them.

Toggle it with S. Turn it off when you need to nudge something by a frame.

See also Marker, Gap

also Viewer, Canvas, Record monitor

The source monitor shows a raw clip; the program monitor shows the timeline.

Mark in and out in the source, watch the result in the program.

See also In and out points

Placing a clip by setting three of the four points: source in, source out, and timeline in or out.

The fourth point is worked out automatically. The fastest way to build a cut from a source monitor.

See also In and out points, Insert edit, Overwrite edit

The horizontal workspace where clips are arranged in time on video and audio tracks.

Time runs left to right. Higher video tracks cover lower ones; all audio tracks play together.

See also Track, Playhead

also Layer, V1, A1

A horizontal lane on the timeline that holds clips; video tracks stack, audio tracks mix.

A title on V2 shows over the footage on V1. Music on A2 plays together with dialogue on A1.

See also Timeline

also Trimming, Edit point

Adjusting where a clip starts or ends by dragging its edge.

A regular trim leaves a gap or overlaps; ripple, roll, slip, and slide are trims that also move neighbours.

See also Ripple edit, Roll edit, Slip edit, Slide edit

also Backup

Automatic copies of the project saved at intervals.

Check where they go before you need them.

See also Project, History

also 8-bit, 10-bit

How many shades each color channel can hold.

8-bit has 256 steps per channel and can band in gradients. 10-bit has 1024 and grades more smoothly.

See also Color grading, Log footage

also Mbps, Data rate

How much data is used per second of video, which decides quality and file size.

YouTube recommends about 8 Mbps for 1080p and 35 to 45 Mbps for 4K. Higher bitrate, bigger file.

See also Codec, Export

also 4:2:0, 4:2:2, 4:4:4

How much color detail is kept compared to brightness detail.

4:2:0 keeps a quarter of the color, fine for viewing. 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 hold up better for green screen and heavy grading.

See also Chroma key, Codec

also H.264, H.265, HEVC, ProRes, DNxHD, AV1

The method used to compress and decompress video data.

H.264 is small and universal. ProRes and DNxHD are large and easy to edit. The container, like MP4 or MOV, is a separate thing.

See also Container, Bitrate, Export

also Online, Finishing

Rebuilding the edit with full-quality media after cutting with proxies or in another program.

Editors hand an XML, AAF, or EDL to the colourist, whose software conforms the timeline.

See also Proxy, EDL / XML / AAF

also Wrapper, MP4, MOV, MKV

The file format that holds the video, audio, and metadata streams.

An MP4 can hold H.264 or H.265. The extension tells you the container, not the codec.

See also Codec

also Delivery specs

The list of files a client or platform needs: formats, versions, captions, stems.

A 16:9 master, a 9:16 cut, an SRT file, and a thumbnail is a common social deliverables list.

See also Export, Stems, Subtitles and captions

The range from the darkest to the brightest detail a camera or format can hold.

Measured in stops. Log profiles and RAW exist to capture more of it.

See also Log footage, HDR

also Edit decision list, FCPXML

Text files that describe an edit so it can be moved between programs.

An EDL is the oldest and simplest. XML and AAF carry more, such as effects and audio levels.

See also Conform

also Render out, Encode, Deliver

Creating the finished video file from the timeline.

Choose codec, resolution, frame rate, and bitrate to match where the video will play.

See also Codec, Render

also I-frame, Long GOP, Intra-frame

Compressed video stores full frames only now and then and describes the frames between as changes.

Long-GOP codecs like H.264 are small but hard to scrub. Intra-frame codecs like ProRes store every frame and edit easily. Not the same as animation keyframes.

See also Codec, Keyframes

also Import, Offload

Copying footage from cards or drives into the project, often with renaming and backups.

Good ingest names clips by camera and day, keeps a second copy, and makes proxies.

See also Proxy, Bin

also 1080i, 1080p, Deinterlace

Interlaced video draws alternate lines in two passes; progressive draws whole frames.

The i and p in 1080i and 1080p. Web video is progressive. Old TV footage needs deinterlacing to avoid comb lines.

See also Frame rate, Resolution

also Tags, Keywords

Information stored with a clip: camera, date, scene, take, notes, keywords.

Searching metadata is how editors find one shot among thousands.

See also Bin, Selects

also Non-linear editor, Premiere, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut

Non-linear editing software, where any part of the video can be changed at any time.

Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Avid Media Composer, and CapCut are all NLEs. Linear editing meant tape, in order.

See also Timeline, Project

also Missing media, Relink

Clips the project can no longer find, shown as red frames.

Happens when files are moved or renamed. Relinking points the project at the new location.

See also Project, Proxy

also Proxies, Offline edit

A small, low-quality copy of the footage used for editing, swapped for the original at export.

Lets a laptop edit 4K or 8K smoothly. Toggle proxies on and off with one button.

See also Render, Offline media

also BRAW, ProRes RAW, REDCODE

Sensor data saved before the camera processes it, leaving white balance and exposure adjustable later.

Huge files, maximum flexibility. Needs a strong computer or proxies.

See also Log footage, Proxy

also Render bar, Pre-render

Computing the final frames of effects so they play back smoothly.

A red render bar means the timeline cannot play in real time. Rendering it turns the bar green.

See also Export, Proxy

also Clapperboard, Clapper

The board clapped at the start of a take, showing scene and take numbers and giving a sync point.

The clap is a spike on the audio waveform and a single frame on the picture, which is how sound is synced.

See also Sync, Waveform

also Poster frame

The single still image shown before a video plays.

Editors often export a frame from the timeline, then add text in an image editor.

See also Deliverables

also TC, SMPTE

A frame-accurate clock written as hours:minutes:seconds:frames.

01:02:03:04 is one hour, two minutes, three seconds, and four frames. Drop-frame timecode uses semicolons.

See also Frame rate, Duration

also Convert

Converting footage from one codec or format to another.

Camera H.265 is often transcoded to ProRes so it edits without stutter.

See also Codec, Proxy