Autofocus
(Lesson 4)
Most video and SLR cameras
have auto focus. Auto focus allows the camera to
automatically adjust the focus for you. When shooting handheld,
auto focus is helpful but not necessary. Many cameras’ auto
focuses will adjust the focus to the center of the frame; keep this
in mind when filming a subject that is on the left or right side of
your frame. It is also important to note that auto focus will
change if you move, or if your lighting changes
significantly.
Beta
Movement (Lesson 3)
Beta Movement is a perceptual
illusion "whereby two or more still images are combined by the
brain into surmised motion." - Max Wertheimer discovered this
through an experiment by showing an audience a screen upon which he
projected two images in succession. The first image is a ball on
the left side of the screen, the second image is the same ball on
the right side of the screen. When the viewers are asked what they
saw, they claim that they saw a ball move from left to right.
They did not actually see this movement happen, but the cognitive
process of perception links the two images in time and
causality. The Beta Phenomenon can also create an illusion of
motion toward and away from an audience by changing the size of the
object from large to small or small to large.
Bit
(Lesson 6)
Data transmitted digitally is
expressed as a string of 0s and 1s; each digit is known as a
bit.
Byte
(Lesson 6)
A string of zeros and
ones is known as a byte which is the smallest unit of addressable
storage.
Camera
Obscura (Lesson 3)
A Camera Obscura is an
optical device that projects an image of its surroundings on a
screen. Light from outside passes through the h*** and strikes a
surface inside where the outside scene is reproduced upside-down,
but with color and perspective preserved.
Close-Up
Shot (Lesson 4)
In a close-up, the subject
framed by the camera generally fills the entire screen. This
style of shot creates intimacy between the audience or viewer and
the subject of the shot.
Composition (Lesson
4)
Composition is the spatial
arrangement of visual elements in a work of art. The term
means “putting together” and applies to any work of art. Lines,
curves, and shapes are all elements of composition.
Camera
Perspective (Lesson 4)
Camera perspective can be
thought of as the point from which the photo or the film is being
shot in relation to the subject that you are shooting. This
is the place that you are choosing to view your subject from. This
can also be referred to as camera angle; you can use a low angle, a
high angle, or an overhead angle to name a few.
Citizen
Journalism (Lesson 1)
Citizen journalism is news
and commentary from the public at large. Using wiki, forums, and
blogs, anyone can contribute information about a current event. The
concept behind citizen journalism is that many people help to
insure that the shared information is more accurate than when it
comes from only one source.
Clip
(Lesson 7)
A clip is an individual video
file usually containing one shot.
Compression (Lesson 8)
Video Compression refers to reducing the quantity of data used to
to digitally store your video files. Compression is achieved
through the use of pieces of software called Codecs (short for
compression/decompression.)
Close-Up
Shot (Lesson 4)
In a close-up, the subject
framed by the camera generally fills the entire screen. This
style of shot creates intimacy between the audience or viewer and
the subject of the shot.
Composition (Lesson
4)
Composition is the spatial
arrangement of visual elements in a work of art. The term
means “putting together” and applies to any work of art. Lines,
curves, and shapes are all elements of
composition.
Cornea
(Lesson 3)
Cornea- The transparent front
part of the eye which covers the iris, pupil, and anterior
chamber.
Coverage
(Lesson 4)
Coverage is a term in film
and video that refers to the type and amount of shots needed to
tell the story. Good coverage can be achieved by recording multiple
perspectives, angles, and performances of actions within the same
scene.
Cut
(Lesson 8)
In cinema, the word “cut” can
mean several things:
a verb meaning to join shots
together in the editing process
an order to end a scene
("cut!")
to make an abrupt change in
image and sound: to cut from one shot to another
a completed version of a
scene, sequence, or film
Digital
Camera (Lesson 3)
A digital camera is a camera
that records images through the electronic sensor which encodes an
image digitally and stores it for later use or reproduction.
Digital cameras can often take video, stills or
both.
Digital
Information (Lesson 6)
Digital information describes
electronic technology that generates, stores, and processes data in
terms of two states: positive and non-positive. Positive is
expressed or represented by the number 1 and non-positive by
0.
Documentary Filmmaking
(Lesson 1)
Documentary film is a broad
category of visual expression that is based on the attempt to
"document" reality. In a documentary film, the filmmaker chooses a
topic to document, and visually presents the facts about this
topic.
Editing
(Lesson 8)
Editing is organizing,
selecting, and structuring shots from raw footage into sequences
that give order and narrative to scenes that, when combined, create
a movie.
Exposure
(Lesson 4)
Exposure is a term that
refers to the total amount of light that is allowed to fall on the
image sensor during the process of taking a photograph or
video. The purpose of adjusting exposure is to control the
lightness and the darkness of the image. To set your exposure,
first set your white balance, then select the exposure option on
your camera and adjust so that the brightness on you camera screen
or viewfinder matches the brightness of the light in the space you
are in.
Export
(Lesson 8)
The process in editing
software programs that will transfer your sequence into a video
file.
External
Hard Drive (Lesson 6)
External hard drives are hard
disk storage devices existing outside of a computer that store
large amounts of data.
Extreme
Close-Up Shot (Lesson 4)
Even closer then a close-up,
an extreme close-up shows a fragment of a subject. It is a
way to signify the importance of an object, the movement of a body
part, or an action taking place in a scene.
Final Cut
(Lesson 8)
A final cut is the approved
final edited version of your movie.
Flip Book
(Lesson 3)
A flip book is a book with a
sequence of hand drawn images that progress forwards or backwards
gradually from one page to the next, so when the user turns or
"flips" the pages in a direction the images appear to be
animated.
Focal
Length (Lesson 4)
In photography focal is the
distance from the camera’s lens, to its recording surface (the
image sensor) when focused on a subject at infinity (the furthest
distance from the camera). To focus on something closer than
infinity, the lens moves away from the recording surface. This is
why most lenses get longer when you turn the focusing
ring.
Focus
(Lesson 4)
The lens on most cameras has
the ability to adjust to make an image distinct or clear based on
the distance from the subject. A subject that is in focus will have
sharp, crisp edges. A subject that is out of focus will be
blurry.
Frame
(Lesson 4)
A frame is one of many
single photographic images in a motion picture or video.
Generally, 24 frames are
needed for one second of film. Frame also refers to the edges
of
the image as seen by a camera
in the viewfinder or projected on a screen.
Frame Rate
(Lesson 3)
The rate of frames per second
in film and video. Modern theatrical film runs at 24 frames a
second. This is the rate for both traditional film and digital
cinema systems.
Framing
(Lesson 4)
Framing is the act of
creating a boundary between what the filmmaker chooses to show the
audience, and what happens beyond the view of the camera. Framing
creates a more pleasing image while keeping the focus on the
subject. Framing can add depth to the image, give context, and add
information to the picture.
Gigabyte
(Lesson 6)
A gigabyte or GB is a
multiple of the unit byte and is made up of 1,000,000
bytes.
Handheld
(Lesson 4)
Handheld is a term referring
to the handling of a motion picture camera. If it is handheld
footage, that means that the camera was held by human hands while
filming.
The
Internet (Lesson 1)
The Internet is a global
system of networks that are interconnected and use the standard
Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) to allow billions of users to
communicate with each other.
Iris
(Lesson 3)
The iris is the thin,
circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the
diameter and size of the pupil.
Manual
Focus (Lesson 4)
Manual focus allows the user
to adjust focus. When working with shifting light or
off-center compositions, manual focus is best.
Master
Shot/Wide Shot/Long Shot (Lesson 4)
This shot shows the full
scene and places that subject in relationship to its surroundings.
It is the biggest, or widest, view of the environment in which the
scene takes place.
Mid
Shot/Medium Shot (Lesson 4)
A mid shot, also known as a
medium shot, is shot from a medium distance. This shot falls
between a wide shot and a close-up shot, and can cover the full
subject or part of the subject in order to draw attention to a
specific area or action.
Motion
Picture Camera (Lesson 3)
A motion picture camera is a
camera that takes a sequence of images that can give the illusion
of motion when viewed in succession.
Panning
(Lesson 4)
In photography, film, and
video, panning refers to the horizontal rotation of a camera that
changes the field of view from side to side.
Participatory Culture
(Lesson 1)
Members of a participatory
culture not only act as consumers but also as contributors. While
not all members contribute, all have the belief that they are free
to contribute when they are ready and what they contribute will be
appropriately valued.
Persistence of Vision
(Lesson 3)
Persistence of Vision is a
commonly-accepted, although somewhat controversial theory, which
states that the human eye always retains images for a fraction of a
second (around 0.04 seconds). This means that everything we see is
a subtle blend of what is happening now and what happened a
fraction of a second ago.
Pinhole
Camera (Lesson 3)
A pinhole camera is a camera
that does not have a lens. In place of a lens is a single small
h*** on one side. Light from outside of the camera passes
through the h*** and projects an upside down image on the far side
of the box, across from the h***.
Pupil
(Lesson 3)
The pupil is a h*** located
in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to enter the
retina.
Retina
(Lesson 3)
The vertebrate retina is a
light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the
eye.
Rough Cut (Lesson 8)
A rough cut is a draft or
print of your movie that has not been completely edited. It
is unfinished but contains the main information that you want the
final project to have.
Rule of
Thirds (Lesson 4)
The rule of thirds is a
compositional guideline that states that an image should be thought
of as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced
horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines; important
compositional elements, or the subject of the image, should be
placed along these lines or their intersections.
Scene
(Lesson 4)
A scene is the action in a
single location and continuous time.
Selects
(Lesson 7)
Selects are specific selected
sections, of your footage that you set aside to consider for the
edit.
Sequence
(Lesson 4)
A sequence is a series of
scenes or shots that form a distinct narrative.
Shot
(Lesson 4)
A shot is a continuous series
of frames, running for an uninterrupted period of time, and coming
from one camera.
Social
Network (Lesson 1)
A social network is a a
social structure made of individuals or organizations which are
connected by one or more specific types of interdependency such as
friendship, common interests, knowledge, beliefs, or kinship. With
the creation of the internet, social network systems can now be
easily hosted by websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and even One
Day on Earth.
Tilt
(Lesson 4)
Tilt refers to the vertical
rotation of a stationary camera that changes the field of view
along a front to back axis.
Traditional Film
Camera (Lesson 3)
A still camera is a type of
camera used to take photographs. Traditional still cameras capture
light onto photographic film.
Tripod
(Lesson 4)
The word tripod comes from
the Greek word tripous, meaning “three feet”. It is a three
legged stand used to provide the stability to hold a camera.
You may or may not have access to a tripod. If you do,
consider using it to keep your camera steady to slowly rotate the
camera side to side (pan) or up and down (tilt) while
filming.
The 180
degrees rule, “Crossing The Line” (Lesson 4)
Crossing the line is a rule
stating that two subjects in the same scene should always have the
same left/right relationship to each other between
cuts.
Video
Camera (Lesson 3)
A motion picture camera that
utilizes an electronic sensor to capture images.
White
Balance (Lesson 4)
To make sure that your
footage best matches the real life light and colors of your
subject, you must set the white balance on your camera. White
Balance adjusts the the sensor in your camera to perceive light
from different sources (daylight, fluorescent, tungsten bulbs) to
try and match as close as possible the way your eye perceives those
colors.
Zoetrope
(Lesson 3)
A zoetrope is a device that
produces an illusion of animation in an image through a succession
of static pictures. The word is from the greek language with
“zoe” meaning "life" and “trope” meaning "turn", translating
loosely as "wheel of life". A zoetrope is made up of a
spinning cylinder with vertical slits on the sides. Below
these slits are individual images, or sequences of drawings or
photographs. The viewer spins the cylinder and looks through
the vertical openings at the pictures on the opposite side.
The vertical openings prevent the images from blurring together and
help the viewer to see a rapid succession of images that produce
the illusion of motion.
Zoom
(Lesson 4)
Certain lenses are designed
in such a way that their focal lengths can be changed, making
subjects appear closer (zoom in) or farther away (zoom out).
Generally this is a sliding button on a video camera, or manual
adjustment on your SLR camera.
