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.

Open entry Surprise me
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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

U

60 terms
Theory UbuWeb Free-access archive of experimental film, avant-garde cinema, sound art, and video — essential research… Theory Uchronia Uchronie Fictional scenario departing from an actual historical juncture — what if? Core narrative device for… Camera · Terms U-Crane Camera crane mounted on vehicle with gyro stabilization to counteract road vibrations. Delivers steady… General UDI-GRUDI Artistic movement or experimental approach without fixed industry definition — indie or academic context. Set… Post Udio AI-powered software for automated music composition and audio generation tailored for film production and… Camera Ufacolor German two-color film process (1930s–40s) — cheaper, simpler alternative to Technicolor. Warm, saturated… Production Ufa-Film GmbH (Ufi) Postwar production company (founded 1955), born from Ufa assets — competitor to original Ufa. Made homeland… General Ufa-Lehrschau Ufa instructional film series (from 1930s onward) — school documentaries, didactically structured. Precursor… Production Ufa Theater AG Ufa-Theater AG Legendary German production house (1917–1945), later state monopoly — shaped Weimar cinema and Nazi… Camera · Technique UHD UHD is a specialized term used in filmmaking and video production. Sound UHF / VHF Radio frequency bands for wireless mics — VHF (30–300 MHz) is legacy, prone to interference; UHF (300 MHz–3… Camera · Terms UHS-II SD card standard with 17 contacts and parallel data transfer, supporting write speeds up to 260 MB/s for 4K… Camera Ukraine Color Soviet three-color process (1950s onward) — competitor to Technicolor and Ufacolor. Warm, saturated stock… Theory Ulmer Scale Ulmer Skala Classification system for film quality based on composition and narrative coherence — developed by critic… Camera · Technique Ultimate Arm Competitor to the Russian Arm developed by Adventure Equipment. Won Academy Award 2006. Known as the… VFX Ultimatte Specialized color-difference algorithm for greenscreen/bluescreen — separates foreground and background via… VFX · Technique Ultimatte Ultimatte / Ultimatte-Keyer Industry-standard chromakey technology and hardware/software developed by Ultimatte Corporation for… Directing Ultimatum Dramatic device: one character gives another an irrevocable deadline — binary conflict with no escape route… Camera · Format Ultra 16 Ultra 16 / Ultra 16mm / Ultra-16 An extended 16mm film format utilizing the full width of the film stock including the area normally reserved… Lighting · Terms Ultrabounce White vinyl reflector material by Matthews Studio Equipment with textured surface for even… Camera · Equipment Ultra Contrast Filter Ultra-Contrast-Filter Ultra Contrast Filter reduces film contrast via frosted glass with 0.1–0.5 micrometer particles between… Camera Ultra-high definition (UHD) Ultra-Hochauflösung 4K and beyond — 3840×2160 pixels minimum. Cinema and streaming standard, but demands matching glass and… Camera · Lenses Ultra Panatar II Panavision's newest 1.3x anamorphic primes (2024), developed for large format and Super 35. Combines vintage… Camera · Equipment Ultra Panavision 70 Panavision's 1957 65mm anamorphic system using 1.25× lenses to achieve 2.76:1 ultra-widescreen. Featured in… Theory Ultra-short film Ultrakurzfilm Narrative film under 3 minutes—prioritizes punch, gag, or emotional beat over plot development. Distribution… Camera Ultra Slow Motion Ultrazeitlupe Recording at 1,000+ fps — stretches one second of real time into 30+ seconds. Reveals what the eye misses… Sound Ultrasonic Ultrason Sound frequencies above human hearing threshold (>20 kHz) — inaudible but relevant in Atmos mixes and animal… Camera · Terms Ultrasonic Distance Measure Ultraschall-Entfernungsmesser Non-contact distance measurement using 40 kHz ultrasound (10–50 ms), range 30 cm to 6 m. Operates in low… Camera Ultra-Speed Anscochrome High-speed Kodak color stock rated ISO 400/500—warm, grainy texture with distinctive reds and flesh tones… Sound Ultra Stereo Dolby Surround variant with extreme spatial separation — aggressive panning between front and surround… Camera Ultra Toruscope Ultra-wide supplementary lens delivering extreme field of view with pronounced barrel distortion—creates… Camera · Terms Ultra Wide Angle Superweitwinkel Ultra-wide-angle lens with 8–24mm focal length and 84–180° field of view for extreme wide perspectives… Lighting · Equipment Umbrella Schirm Collapsible reflective or translucent umbrella for soft light diffusion on set. Silver coating reflects… Lighting · Terms Unbleached Muslin Ungebleichter Musselin Natural cotton fabric for light diffusion with 40–70% transmission, cream tone, and 98–99 CRI. Standard… Production Unboxing Auspacken Sequence where talent removes product from packaging and reveals details — staple of commercials, YouTube… VFX Uncanny Valley Effect Uncanny Valley Discomfort triggered by hyperrealistic but imperfectly human faces or motion — CGI characters that sit too… Theory Uncles and Aunts (in-laws, background figures) Onkel und Tanten im Film Minor characters with no dramatic function — visual texture that makes the world feel inhabited, rarely… Camera · Equipment Uncoated Lens Unvergütetes Objektiv Lens without anti-reflective coating — produces warm flares, reduced sharpness, and lower contrast for a… Directing uncontrolled cinema Freie Kamera Handheld aesthetic without tripod or stabilization—authentic, documentary-style imagery. Creates immediacy… Production Uncoupled / No-Sync Rule Koppelverbot Legal or contractual rule allowing separate processing and archiving of image and sound — prevents technical… Production uncredited Nicht genannt Role or performance without screen credit—sometimes intentional (spoiler protection), sometimes contractual… Editing uncut version Ungeschnittene Fassung Film without censorship or distribution cuts—longer cut or original directorial intent. Home video selling… Camera · Terms Undercrank Unterkurbeln Filming at a reduced frame rate (6–20 fps instead of 24 fps) to create accelerated motion during normal… Camera Underexposed Unterbelichtet Shot lacking sufficient light — blacks crush, detail is lost. Can be intentional for mood, but barely… Camera · Terms Underexposure Unterbelichtung Shot captured with insufficient light — the image goes dark, shadow detail is crushed, and noise becomes… Production · Terms Under Five / U5 / Under-Five Under Five / Unter Fünf / U5 SAG-AFTRA contract category for actors with five or fewer lines of scripted dialogue in a single episode or… Theory Underground Independent experimental cinema outside studio control — radical aesthetics, DIY ethos, deliberately… Theory Underground Film Undergroundfilm Independently financed, often experimental film outside studio systems — experimental narrative, lo-fi… Lighting · Terms Under Lighting Unterlicht Lighting directed upward from below, creating dramatic, unnatural shadows with a threatening or eerie quality. General Underscan Monitor displays full frame including overscan area — essential to see what's actually recorded. Broadcast… Sound · Terms Underscore Untermalung Quiet background music placed beneath dialogue or scenes to reinforce emotional tone without drawing… Camera Underwater cinematography Unterwasserfilm Filming beneath the surface with pressure-sealed housings, specialized rigs, and diving crew — color… Camera · Terms Underwater Shot Unterwasseraufnahme Camera in waterproof housing submerged. Red wavelengths absorb immediately, artificial lighting becomes… Theory Underworld Unterwelt Genre exploring criminal hierarchies and illicit power structures as protagonists — narrated from inside the… Production Unfinished Film Unvollendeter Film Production halted during post — funding dried up, rights dispute, or director abandoned it. Kubrick's… Production UNIATEC Brazilian guild for independent producers and technicians — advocacy union for crew standards, rates, labor… Production UNICA (Union internationale du cinéma non professionnel) UNICA Umbrella organization for amateur and non-professional filmmakers — sets standards for festival circuits and… Sound Unidentifiable Sound Object Unidentifizierbares Klangobjekt Sound without identifiable source — abstract audio that creates unease or otherworldliness. Lynch and Nolan… Production Unifrance French export promotion and international marketing agency — part of the CNC. Funds festivals, screenings… Production Unique selling point Alleinstellungsmerkmal The singular distinctive element that makes your film stand out in a crowded market — visual signature…
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