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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11 disciplines, one language

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One pictogram per category. Click → A–Z of that discipline.

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

O

60 terms
Theory Oater Hollywood slang for B-Western — cheaply made, thin plot, horses as special effects. Exploitation fodder for… Theory Oberhausen International Short Film Festival Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen Longest-running festival for avant-garde and experimental cinema since 1954 — curator's eye for formal risk… Theory Oberhausen Manifesto Oberhausener Manifest 1962 declaration by 26 German filmmakers rejecting commercial cinema — launched the New German Cinema… Sound · Terms Object-Based Audio Objektbasiertes Audio Audio technology encoding sounds as discrete 3D objects with spatial metadata rather than fixed speaker… Theory · Terms Objective Objektiv Objective is a technique of professional narrative filmmaking. Theory Objective Camera Objektive Kamera Camera shows reality impartially—without subjectivity or emotional coloring. Viewer sees what is, not what a… Camera object movement Objektbewegung Subject moves through frame while camera stays static — creates different visual momentum than camera… Directing Objects as Actors Objekte als Akteure Props and set elements carry narrative weight — they don't decorate, they act. Buster Keaton's ladder or a… Camera · Terms Object Tracking Objekt-Tracking Following specific objects through footage to apply effects or replacements. VFX · Technique Object Track / Object Tracking / 3D Object Track / Matchmove Object Objekt-Tracking / Objektverfolgung / 3D-Objekt-Track VFX technique that tracks the 3D position, rotation, and scale of a specific object within footage – enables… Directing Obligatory Scene Obligatorische Szene The plot moment audiences have waited for since act one—final showdown between protagonist and antagonist… Theory Observational Cinema Film style without narration, music, or dramatization—camera simply observes what unfolds. Documentary… Theory Observational Documentary Protokollfilm Camera observes reality without intervention, voiceover, or imposed narrative — pure witness. Wiseman, Varda… Production · Berufe Observer / Trainee Observer / Production Shadow / Visitor Hospitant / Praktikant / Beobachter / Gast German/European term for a production observer or educational visitor who shadows a professional department… Directing Obsession Director fixates on one idea, motif, or effect — can drive artistic vision or stall production. Recognize it… Production Obsolescence Obsoleszenz Gear outdates faster than planned — 4K standards shift, codecs update, sensors generationally leap. Budget… Camera Obstruction Behinderung Object or figure blocking the main action within frame — deliberate compositional choice or continuity… VFX Occlusion Okklusion Objects hidden behind other elements in 3D space — essential for realistic compositing integration and render… Production OCIC (International Catholic Organisation for Cinema and Audiovisual) OCIC Vatican-backed film body awarding prizes at major festivals since 1952 — once wielded soft censorship, now… Production Ocker Films German production company (Berlin/Cologne) — art-house, documentary and auteur-driven work. Known for… Grip · Equipment OConnor Irish manufacturer of professional fluid heads, known for precise, smooth pans and tilts. Lighting · Terms Octabox Octagonal softbox with collapsible metal frame, reflective interior, and front diffusion panel; produces soft… Theory Ocularization Okularisierung Whose point of view the camera inhabits — internal (we see what the character sees) or external (we see the… Directing Odd Couple Ungleiches Paar Dramaturgical principle: two characters with opposing temperaments, beliefs, or social status — conflict and… General Odeon UK cinema chain — largest arthouse and mainstream multiplexes in Britain and Ireland. Key for film… Production Odeon Isleworth Studios British film studio in Isleworth, London—opened 1929 for sound production. Hosted major UK and European… Theory Odorated Talking Pictures (OTP) Experimental method combining sound with scent effects—aimed at immersive multisensory cinema. Never reached… VFX ODT (Open Data Table) ODT Lookup table that converts digital values to display colors — ensures consistent color grading across… Theory Odyssey in Cinema Odyssee im Film Narrative structure following a prolonged, adversarial journey—protagonist moves through cyclical conflicts… Theory Odyssey in Film Odyssee im Film Narrative arc where a protagonist undertakes an arduous journey—physical or emotional—culminating in return… Theory Oeuvre Complete body of work of a filmmaker—all films showing consistent artistic signature, obsessions, and… Editing Off Sound or image originates outside the current shot — voiceover, music, ambient effects. Essential for… Editing Off and On O and O Edit rhythm technique — cut to off-screen sound (audio plays, image cut away), then back on-screen. Builds… Directing Off-camera Action Offak Action or movement outside the frame — actors or objects exiting the composition. Directs attention and… Directing Off-Camera / Off-Screen O.C. / O.S. Action or dialogue outside frame — actor stands beside camera delivering line unseen. Essential for reactions… Camera · Terms Off-Center Framing Außermittige Kadrierung Compositional technique positioning the main subject off-center, typically along the rule of thirds, to… Editing Offcuts Chutes Discarded footage from rough cut — unused takes, false starts, overlong shots. Often salvageable for B-roll… Production Offcuts Assistant Chutier Cutting assistant who catalogs and archives discarded footage — maintains inventory of all trims and reels… Editing Off-frame Cut Anschnitt Actor or object partially outside frame boundary — increases visual tension and avoids flatness. Key tool for… Camera Off-Framing Dekadrage Push subject deliberately out of frame center — to edge or corner. Creates tension, unease, or visual… General Off-Hollywood Independent film outside the majors — art over commerce, low budgets, director's artistic control. From the… Theory Office of War Information (OWI) Office of War Information US propaganda agency during WWII (1942–1945) — controlled film production, media content, and public… Production · Roles Office PA Büro-PA Office PA (Production Assistant): production office staff managing call sheets, contact lists, and production… Camera Off-Kilter Shot Schieflage Camera deliberately tilted — horizon runs diagonal across frame. Creates unease, tension, or… VFX off-line compositing Offline-Compositing VFX work at reduced resolution and frame rate — faster turnaround for movement, timing, keying. Scale to full… Editing · Terms Offline Edit Offline-Schnitt Editing workflow using low-resolution proxy files to preserve system performance and enable efficient remote… Editing Offliner Editor working in offline — assembles rough cuts from low-resolution proxies to establish timing and rhythm… Production Off-Network Syndication Off-Network-Syndikation Rerun licensing of series outside original broadcaster — airs parallel to prime-time slots. Standard revenue… General Off / On Off: sound or action outside frame—voice, footsteps, door slam. On: visible or audible within frame. Basic… Theory Off-Screen Action or objects outside the frame boundary — audience hears or senses them without seeing. Creates tension… Theory Off-Screen Action or objects outside the frame — audience hears or infers them, doesn't see them. Creates tension and… Sound Off-screen Audio Off-Ton Sound originating outside the visible frame — voices, effects, music without on-screen source. Creates… Sound · Terms Off-Screen Sound Off-Screen-Ton Sound from unseen sources within the scene, recorded with separate microphones outside camera view, typically… Camera · Technique Offset Color grading control adding a fixed value to all tones, shifting the entire image. Lighting · Terms Offset Arm Offset-Arm Extendable arm for C-stands that positions light sources up to 15 kg offset from the stand base. A… Art Department Off-Space Action occurring outside frame boundaries — tension builds from what the viewer doesn't see. Hitchcock… Editing Off-the-Tops Ab-Blende Cut at top of head, not chin—saves film stock, classic economy measure. Rare now, but quick, harsh cuts still… VFX Oil-on-Glass Animation Öl-auf-Glas-Animation Oil paint applied layer-by-layer on glass plates, photographed frame-by-frame. Painfully slow but unmatched… Camera Olden/Tri-Delta Filter Olden/Tri-Delta Tiffen color filter set for subtle color grading — Olden adds warmth, Tri-Delta creates delicate color… Camera · Equipment OLED Monitor OLED-Monitor OLED monitor with organic light-emitting diodes delivering 0.0001 nits true blacks without backlight…
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