Filmlexikon.
Term of the day · June 13
Iris Out
Editing · Terms

Iris Out.

Iris schließen.

Circular wipe where the image closes from edges to a point, created via iris diaphragm or digital radial mask.

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Camera 2.354 Lighting 1.205 Editing & Post 419 Sound 404 Art Department 202 Directing & Theory 480 VFX & SFX 613 Production 1.060 Grip & Stage 136 Stunts & Action 37 General 273 Manufacturers 49 Suggest + new

A

60 terms
Editing A and B rolls A- und B-Rollen Two film reels with alternating shots — allows optical transitions (dissolves, fades) without visible splice… General Aardman Animations Ltd. British stop-motion studio — Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, hyperrealistic claymation craftsmanship. Gold… Manufacturers Aaton French manufacturer (1971–2013). Rugged 16mm shoulder camera built for documentary work. Aaton Code printed… Camera · Kameras Aaton 35-III Aaton's first 35mm camera (2001), adapting the legendary 'cat on the shoulder' design to full format. Lighter… Camera · Kameras Aaton A-Minima World's smallest professional 16mm camera (800g). Developed 2000 for POV shots, hidden camera work, and… Camera · Kameras Aaton Penelope 35mm camera switchable between 2-perf and 3-perf formats. Cuts film stock consumption by 25-33%. Aaton's… Camera · Kameras Aaton XTR Aaton's legendary Super-16 camera (1984) revolutionizing documentary filmmaking. Extremely lightweight (2.7… Camera · Kameras Aaton XTR Prod Production version of Aaton XTR (1999), more robust and reliable for demanding film production. Combines XTR… Set · Kommunikation Abba Shot Final shot with a particular actor or at a location – the last take before wrapping that person or place… Lighting Abby Mobile LED fixture with dichroic filter — produces color shifts without heat loss. Standard for fast color… Set · Kommunikation Abby Singer Shot Abby Singer Abby Singer is the second-to-last shot of a shooting day—named after legendary script supervisor who always… Production · Dienstleister AbelCine Major US cinema equipment dealer and rental house – known for camera sales, rentals, technical support and… Production · Terms Abigail Film slang for the last shot before lunch break, sometimes also called the lunch shot. Theory Abject Abjekt Visual transgression that deploys disgust, bodily fluids, taboo matter as intentional image — waste, decay… Production · Terms Above-the-Line Above-the-Line Kosten Budget line for creative and management roles: producers, director, writer, lead cast, production designer… Production Above the line costs Above-the-line-Kosten Creative core budgets pre-production: script, director, lead cast, producers. The line-items that define the… Directing Ab ovo Storytelling from the beginning — no exposition voiceover, no in-medias-res jumps. Audience gets all context… Theory Absence Absenz What stays off-screen generates tension — the viewer's imagination outpaces any image you show. Hitchcock's… Theory Absolute Film Absoluter Film Cinema without plot — abstract shapes, rhythm, and visual music alone. 1920s avant-garde: movement and form… Theory Abstract Film Abstrakter Film Cinema without narrative — pure image, rhythm, color, and motion as autonomous artistic language. Fischinger… Theory Absurdism Absurdismus Dramatic approach revealing meaninglessness through everyday situations, broken dialogue, and illogical… Camera ABTO process ABTO-Verfahren Agfa's optical four-dye reversal process — color film without wet chemistry on set. Developed 1930s… Sound AC-3 Dolby Digital 5.1 surround codec — compressed audio format with up to 6 channels. Industry standard for… Sound AC3 / Dolby Digital AC3-Ton 5.1 surround codec with lossy compression — DVD, cinema, and streaming standard. Transparent enough for… Camera · Technique Academy Aperture Academy-Apertur Standard 35mm film frame size established by AMPAS in 1932 – the 1.375:1 aspect ratio became the industry… General Academy Award Oscar Highest honor in American cinema — awarded for excellence in directing, cinematography, editing, sound… Theory Academy Award / Oscar Oscar Gold statuette from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — industry's highest honor since 1929… Camera · Technique Academy Color Encoding System The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences standardized color encoding system that provides a universal… Camera Academy Curve Standardized tonal curve for B&W negative film — defines black, white, and gray levels per SMPTE spec… Camera Academy Format 35mm full frame at 1.37:1 — silent and early sound film standard, defined by sprocket limits and mag tracks… Theory Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (ACCT) Canadian film academy awarding Genie Awards annually for outstanding achievements in film, television, and… Theory Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) The Academy — awards the Oscars, cinema's highest honor. Founded 1927 with 10,000+ members across production… Production Academy Players Directory Academy's casting database listing actors, crew, and creatives with headshots, contacts, and credits. Long… Camera Academy Ratio Normalformat 1.37:1 aspect ratio — classic cinema standard from silent era through 1950s. Rarely shot now, but powerful… Camera · Technique Academy Ratio / 1.33:1 Academy-Format / 1.33:1 The classic 1.33:1 aspect ratio (Academy Standard), established in 1932 as sound film standard. The original… Camera · Technique Academy Sound Ratio / 1.37:1 Academy-Sound-Verhältnis / 1.37:1 1.37:1 aspect ratio (Academy Sound Ratio), developed in the 1930s for 35mm sound film with optical… Camera · Roles A-Camera Operator A-Kamera-Operator A-camera operator operates the production's primary camera and works closely with the Director of Photography. Editing · Terms Accelerated Montage Beschleunigte Montage Accelerated montage is an editing technique where shots progressively shorten to increase tension, pace, or… Theory Accented Cinema Akzentkino Films by immigrant or diaspora filmmakers navigating their origin culture in adopted language and setting… Lighting accent light Akzentlicht Targeted secondary beam highlighting specific subject areas — hair, rim, or effect light. Creates depth and… Camera Accessory Shoe Zubehörschuh Standardized mount on camera body or lens — accepts microphones, LED lights, monitors, viewfinders. Allows… Editing Accolade Cut between shots matching rhythm or movement trajectory — creates flow without being obvious. Subtler than… Editing · Terms ACES Color Correction ACEScc ACEScc is a logarithmic ACES encoding variant optimized for color grading with familiar curve characteristics. Editing · Terms ACES Color Correction with Toe ACEScct ACEScct extends ACEScc with a 'toe' region in shadows for more natural grading behavior in dark image areas. VFX · Terms ACES Computer Graphics ACEScg ACEScg is the linear ACES variant for VFX and CGI, optimized for physically-correct rendering and compositing. Camera Acetate Azetylzellulose Film base material—stable until archive heat/humidity spike. Prone to vinegar syndrome in poor storage… Camera Achromatic / Apochromatic Lens Achromatisches/Apochromatisches Objektiv Achromatic corrects two color channels, apochromatic corrects all three — fewer color fringes, sharper edges… Theory Acid Western Säure-Western Western distorted through psychedelic visuals, absurdist humor, and psychological deconstruction… Theory Acinéma Anti-cinema: rejection of narrative or aesthetic convention — Gilles Deleuze. Experimental film without… Lighting · Terms ACL ACL (Aircraft Landing) Repurposed aircraft landing light — extremely bright, narrow-beam spot used for dramatic hard-light effects… VFX Acme-Dunn Special Effects Optical Printer Acme-Dunn Spezialeffekt-Optikdrucker Optical printer for compositing multiple film layers — allowed practical effects like matte paintings and… Sound acousmatic Akusmatisch Sound without visible source on screen — off-screen voice, ambient audio. Creates spatial tension and… Sound Acoustic driving Akustisches Fahren Syncing cuts and movement to pre-recorded audio — actors speak or move to locked sound instead of live onset… Sound Acoustic Framing Akustische Klammer Sound design opens and closes a sequence — creates emotional bookends through audio alone. Framing without… Editing Act break Aktunterbrechung Narrative cut between scene blocks — divides story into acts and creates tension points for commercial breaks… Camera Actinism Aktinismus Short-wavelength light, especially blue and UV, exposes film more than the eye perceives. Critical issue when… Directing Action Director's command to start rolling. Camera runs, actors perform. Speak clearly, don't shout — actors need… Camera Action Angle Camera position that dramatizes the action — never perpendicular to stage line, slightly offset for depth and… Directing action axis Blickachse Invisible line between characters or character and object — crossing it breaks spatial continuity. The… Camera Action Camera Action-Kamera Rugged miniature camera for extreme conditions — skydiving, motorcycles, underwater. GoPro-standard: compact…
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