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

W

60 terms
Theory Wagnerian Cinema Wagnerismus und Film Monumental composition with leitmotif principle — music and image obey overarching dramatic architecture… Camera Wagon wheel effect Wagenradeffekt Spokes of spinning wheels appear stationary or reverse — aliasing artifact when frame rate undersamples… Theory Wagon Wheeling Wagenrad-Effekt Aliasing artifact: fast-spinning wheels slow down, stop, or reverse on screen. Shutter angle and frame rate… General Wakaliwood Low-budget film production from Uganda — handmade effects, improvised sets, maximum creativity on minimal… VFX Waldo Remote-controlled camera robot executing programmed motion paths with millimeter precision — reproducible… Directing walk and talk Geh-und-Sprechszene Actors move through frame while delivering dialogue — naturalistic, efficient exposition without static… Production · Terms Walk Away A clause allowing crew members to leave if a production runs excessively over scheduled time. VFX Walk Cycle Loopable animated sequence of a character walking — typically 24–30 frames per complete stride. Foundation… Production · Equipment Walkie / Walkie-Talkie / Two-Way Radio Walkie / Walkie-Talkie / Funkgerät Handheld two-way radio used for instant communication across film sets – essential production tool with… Production · Catering Walking Lunch / Walk-Away Lunch / Grab-and-Go Walking Lunch / Laufendes Mittagessen / Portable Mahlzeit Portable meal service during film production when schedule doesn't permit a full sit-down lunch break – crew… Production · Terms Walking Meal Laufendes Mittagessen Lunch provided in portable form while crew continues working. Art Department · Terms Walking Room Bewegungsraum Headroom-equivalent space ahead of moving objects: 60–70% of frame width in close-ups, 40–50% in wide shots… General Walk of Fame Hollywood sidewalk in Los Angeles with embedded stars honoring film professionals — more PR tool than… Production Walk-on Statist Uncredited extra with no dialogue, populating a scene — background presence only. Day-rate hire, union rules… Sound · Terms Walla Unintelligible background dialogue recorded from 6–12 speakers at 48 kHz/24-bit in studio to create crowd… Grip Wall sled Dolly Sled Wheeled cart that slides horizontally along a wall or structure — fast setup for tight lateral tracking in… Grip · Equipment Wall Spreader Wand-Spreizer Telescopic aluminum pole that spans between floor and ceiling to mount lights without ceiling fixtures; load… Theory Walter Lantz Productions U.S. animation studio (1929–1985), creator of Woody Woodpecker and pioneer of the Looney Tunes formula… Theory Waltz in Film Walzer im Film Three-quarter-time movement as composition or editing rhythm — creates elegance and melancholy. Kubrick… Theory Waltz Operetta Walzeroperette Operetta genre with dominant waltz rhythm — structures plot and score. Film adaptations (Stroheim, Ophüls)… Production WAMPAS Baby Stars Annual award by Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers since 1932 — honors promising young talent… Production Wanda Group Chinese conglomerate with film production and distribution arm — major investor in Hollywood and… Directing Want/Need Core dramatic principle: character pursues surface desire (Want) but truly needs something else (Need)… Theory War Cinema Kriegskino Film genre using warfare as its core subject — psychologically and morally interrogative, not merely… Directing War Correspondent Kriegsreporter Narrative perspective using war reporting as dramatic tool — protagonist often documents conflict directly… Theory Wardour Street London street, hub of British film and post-production industry — synonym for UK film commerce and… Theory War Drama Kriegsdrama Narrative drama translating warfare into character conflict and psychological trauma — emotionally and… Art Department Wardrobe Kleidung im Film Costume design and costume management on set — shapes character, period, social status. Costume designer… Art Department · Roles Wardrobe Garderobe Costumes worn by characters, coordinated by the Costume Designer with Director and DP. Continuity tracking… Art Department Wardrobe/Costume Klamotte Actor clothing and accessories—every background extra counted. Wardrobe department ensures authenticity… Art Department · Roles Wardrobe Supervisor Garderobier Costume Supervisor who manages 500–3,000 wardrobe items, coordinates fittings, cleaning, and continuity… Art Department · Roles Wardrobe Trailer Kostüm-Trailer Mobile facility containing costumes and equipment for the wardrobe department. Theory War Film Kriegsfilm Genre deploying warfare as narrative core—documentary, action-driven, or psychological. Perspective ranges… Lighting Warm Color temperature above 3500K — amber light conveys intimacy and comfort. Tungsten lamps, practical lights… Art Department · Terms Warm Colors Warme Farben Color tones with elevated red and yellow values (2700K–3200K), achieved via CTO filters or digital color… Camera · Terms Warm Pro-Mist Tiffen diffusion filter with warm color cast that softens highlights while preserving shadows. Available in… Directing Warm-Up Actor Warm-Upper Actor warming up leads before rolling — rehearses and feeds lines during lighting tests so principals are… Production Warner Bros. Discovery Media conglomerate formed by merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc. (2022) — produces and distributes… Sound Warner Bros. in-house sound technology Warner Bros. Soundtechnik Proprietary audio processing and mixing to Warner Bros. standard — applied for theatrical and streaming… General Warnercolor Budget Technicolor variant from 1950s–60s — vibrant saturation, cheaper stock but less archival stability… Camera WarnerScope Warner Bros. widescreen format with anamorphic-like character — classic cinema format with warm optics and… Theory Warnography Theoretical framework for visual warning systems in narrative cinema — color codes, graphic patterns, or… VFX Warping Geometric pixel displacement warping image space without rerendering — reshapes perspective or liquefies… VFX Warping Engine Software algorithm that warps and remaps image geometry without quality loss — essential for digital… Theory War Romance Kriegsromanze Hybrid pairing love story with wartime setting—emotional core via shared trauma, separation, choice… Theory War Satire Type I Kriegssatire I Dark comedy on war machinery—absurdity of command chains and military bureaucracy. Kubrick's *Dr… Theory War Satire Type II Kriegssatire II Front-line tragicomedy with documentary eye—soldiers in realistic scenarios, irony through mundane moments… Sound Warwick Cinephone British sound recording device from the 1920s–30s for silent-to-sound transition — portable, played back in… Production Warwick Film Productions British production company (1954–1991), founded by the Danzigers — B-movies, TV series, exploitation. Solid… Camera Warwickscope Anamorphic widescreen format from Warwick Productions — budget alternative to VistaVision with unique optics… Stunts Waterfall Kaskade Stunt performer tumbling backward down stepped platforms — waterfall effect without water. Needs trampolines… General Water Tank Wassertank Large basin on soundstage or backlot for water, submersion, underwater sequences — temperature control… Camera · Technique Waveform Graphical display of brightness distribution in a video signal for precise exposure control, showing… Camera Waveform Monitor Real-time display of luminance distribution across the image — sharper than your eye. Essential quality… Editing · Terms Waveform Sync Waveform-Sync Synchronization of audio and video tracks using waveform visualization. NLE systems automatically align… VFX Wavelet Mathematical basis function for image compression and analysis — foundation of DWT and modern VFX denoising… Camera Wave (Steadicam Wave) Wave Rhythmic up-down pendulum motion of Steadicam — psychological tension through hypnotic sway. Kubrick and… Art Department Wax museum Wachsfigurenkabinett Set dressed with wax figures of celebrities or historical figures — visual cliché of artificiality and death… Stunts · Berufe Weapons Handler / Prop Weapons Specialist / Firearms Safety Coordinator Waffen-Handler / Waffenmeister / Waffen-Sicherheitsbeauftragter Trained specialist responsible for the safe storage, handling, and operation of prop weapons on film sets… VFX Wear and tear effect Abnutzungseffekt Visual aging via scratches, dust, decay — simulates realistic damage on surfaces, lenses, or film stock…
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