A screen direction rule that camera operators must follow - an imaginary line on one side of the axis of action is made (e.g., between two principal actors in a scene), and the camera must not cross over that line - otherwise, there is a distressing visual discontinuity and disorientation; similar to the axis of action (an imaginary line that separates the camera from the action before it) that should not be crossed. Camera placement must adhere to the 180 degree rule.
24 frames per second
Refers to the standard frame rate or film speed - the number of frames or images that are projected or displayed per second; in the silent era before a standard was set, many films were projected at 16 or 18 frames per second, but that rate proved to be too slow when attempting to record optical film sound tracks; aka 24fps or 24p. Example: at 24 fps, 4 projected frames take 1/6 second to view.
3-D
A film that has a three-dimensional, stereoscopic form or appearance, giving the life-like illusion of depth; often achieved by viewers donning special red/blue (or green) or polarized lens glasses; when 3-D images are made interactive so that users feel involved with the scene, the experience is called virtual reality; 3-D experienced a heyday in the early 1950s; aka 3D, three-D, Stereoscopic 3D, Natural Vision 3D, or three-dimensional. Examples: the first major 3D feature film was Bwana Devil (1953) [the first was Power of Love (1922)], House of Wax (1953), Cat Women of the Moon (1953), the MGM musical Kiss Me Kate (1953), Warner's Hondo (1953), House of Wax (1953), a version of Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder (1954) and Universal's Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954), Comin' At Ya! (1981), a segment of Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), Spy Kids 3D: Game Over (2003).
Above the line
Usually refers to that part of a film's budget that covers the costs associated with major creative talent: the stars, the director, the producer(s) and the writer(s), although films with expensive special effects (and few stars) have more 'above the line' budget costs for technical aspects; the term's opposite is below the line.
Abstract (form)
A type of film that rejects traditional narrative in favor of using poetic form (color, motion, sound, irrational images, etc.) to convey its meaning or feeling; aka non-linear; see also avantgarde. Examples: Rene Clair's Entr'acte (1924), Ballet Mecanique (1924), Luis Bunuel's Un Chien Andalou (1929, Fr.)
Absurd (absurdism)
A stage, philosophical and literary term originally, adopted by film-makers, in which ordinary settings become bizarre, illogical, irrational, unrealistic, meaningless, and incoherent. Examples: Rhinoceros (1974) - an American Film Theatre recording with Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, of Eugene Ionesco's 'theatre of the absurd' comedy play
Anachronism
An element or artifact in a film that belongs to another time or place; often anachronistic elements are called film flubs Example: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002), the first feature 'film' shot using digital video cinematography, isn't really a film - an anachronistic term in this case; in the Civil War film, Glory (1989), one of the kids in the film wears what appears to be a Swatch watch; or in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), a U.S. Browning air-cooled machine gun is oddly featured before its time; or the use of 1873 Colt Peacemakers in Red River (1948).
Ambiguity
A situation, story-line, scene, or character, etc. in which there are apparent contradictions; an event (and its outcome) is deliberately left unclear, and there may exist more than one meaning or interpretation; can be either intentional or unintentional, to deliberately provoke imaginative thinking or confusion Example: Robert Altman's 3 Women (1977).
Ambient sound
This term generally refers to any sounds that are used to establish location. The ambient sound of a scene in a park, for instance, might include birds chirping, children laughing, or a dog barking. The ambient sound of a train station would include the whine of train brakes, the tinny sounds of arrival and departure announcements, and the general noise of people walking and talking.
Animation(and animator, animated films)
A form or process of filmmaking in which inanimate, static objects or individual drawings (hand-drawn or CGI) are filmed "frame by frame" or one frame at a time (opposed to being shot "live"), each one differing slightly from the previous frame, to create the illusion of motion in a sequence, as opposed to filming naturally-occurring action or live objects at a regular frame rate. Often used as a synonym for cartoons(or toons for short), although animation includes other media such as claymation, computer animation; see also CGI, claymation, stop-motion, time lapse. A still from Disney's full length animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Also the hand-drawn colorful laser-beams in the Star Wars films.
Antagonist
The main character, person, group, society, nature, force, spirit world, bad guy, or villain of a film or script who is in adversarial conflict with the film's hero, lead character or protagonist; also sometimes termed the heavy.
Audio bridge
A sound, dialogue, or sound effect in one scene that continues over into a new image or shot.
Auteur (or auteur theory)
Literally, the French word for “author.” Used in film criticism, the term attributes personal vision, identifiable style, thematic aspects, and techniques of the film to its director (auteur), rather than to the collaborative efforts of all involved. It was introduced in the 1950s by Francois Truffaut and the editors of the celebrated French film journal Cahiers du Cinéma.
Avant-garde film
A type of film, often experimental and abstract, that self-consciously emphasizes technique over substance and challenges conventional filmmaking.
Blue-screen or blue-screen shot
A special-effects process whereby actors work in front of an evenly-lit, monochromatic (usually blue or green) background or screen. The background is then replaced (or matted) in post-production by chroma-keying or optical printer, allowing other footage or computer-generated images to form the image; since 1992, most films use a green-screen.
Bridging shot
A transitional type of shot used to cover or 'bridge' a jump in time or place or other discontinuity; see also audio bridge and match-cut Examples of bridging shots include: falling calendar pages, newspaper headlines, railroad wheels, seasonal changes, and maps, such as the transitional travel maps (reminiscent of serials) in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).
Bumper
Usually refers to the pre-film segment of pre-made film that contains studio trademark and logo or title identification; also refers to a period of positive financial growth (i.e., it was a 'bumper year' for films) Examples: MGM's lion, Universal's spinning globe, DreamWorks' cloudy scene with boy fishing, etc.
Call sheet
A type of schedule given out periodically during a film's production to let every department know when they are supposed to arrive and where they are to report
Caption
The descriptive, printed line(s) of text that occasionally appears on the screen, usually at the bottom of the frame, to describe the time/place, or to translate a foreign word/phrase; different from closed-captioning (closed captions are all white uppercase (capital) letters encased in a black box that require a decoder or television with a decoder chip to be viewed) for deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers; see also subtitles.
Catharsis
During a film's climax, the audience may experience a purging or cleansing of emotional tension, providing relief or therapeutic restoration.
CGI or Computer-Generated Imagery (or Images)
A term referring to the use of 3D computer graphics and technology (digital computers and specialized software) in film-making to create filmed images, special effects and the illusion of motion; often used to cut down on the cost of hiring extras. Example: Jurassic Park (1993) and its giant dinosaurs, or used in large crowd scenes in Gladiator (2000) or in the prologue battle scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).
Cheater cut
The footage put into the beginning of a serial episode to show what happened at the end of the previous episode.
Composition
Refers to the arrangement of different elements (i.e., colors, shapes, figures, lines, movement, and lighting) within a frame and in a scene.
Continuity (editing or cutting)
The system of editing that developed in the early 20th century to provide a continuous and clear movement of events/images in a film; refers to the final edited structure of a completed film, with the events or scenes/sequences arranged as if they had occurred continuously, when, in fact, they were shot out of sequence; continuity also refers to the degree to which a film is self-consistent without errors, jump cuts, or mis-matched shots and details; a continuity cut refers to a editing cut that takes the viewer seamlessly, unobtrusively, and logically from one sequence or scene to another, to propel the narrative along; a blooper orflub is a continuity error.
Contrast
Refers to the difference between light and shadow, or between maximum and minimum amounts of light, in a particular film image; can be either high contrast (with a sharp delineation between the bright and dark areas) or its opposite low contrast; color can also be contrasted.
Coogan's Law
Refers to landmark legislation in the late 30s designed to protect a child actor's earnings, by depositing some of the minor's earnings in court-administered trust funds that the child receives when he/she reaches the age of majority; named after child actor Jackie Coogan Example: as a result of The Kid (1921)opposite Charlie Chaplin, 7-year old child actor Jackie Coogan was one of the most highly-paid actors in Hollywood, but lost his earnings to his exploitative parents.
Credits
In general, this term refers to the text appearing on screen - composed of a list of technical personnel, cast, and production crew of a film; specifically, it refers to the list of names and functions of persons and corporations contributing and responsible for the artistic or intellectual content of a film, such as: "Story by...", "Screenplay by...", "Photography by...", etc.; sometimes distinguished from the cast (the performers in front of the camera); see also front (or opening) credits, end (or closing) credits, or(beginning or end) titles.
Critic (or film critic, film reviewer)
An individual who writes and/or publishes a review of a film from either an artistic or entertainment point of view. Film reviews often analyze and discuss a film's details, its content and characters, a critique of the performances, camera work, directing, editing, production, and script; film critics are usually more philosophical and theoretical than film reviewers or commentators; film criticism refers to the analysis of the narrative, historical and stylistic characteristics of film; 'critics' is sometimes abbreviated as crix. Example: One of the best known and most knowledgeable film critics of all time, Chicago Tribune's Roger Ebert, known for his 'thumbs-up' and 'thumbsdown' reviews.
Cross-cutting
The editing technique of alternating, interweaving, or interspersing one narrative action (scene, sequence, or event) with another - usually in different locations or places, thus combining the two; this editing method suggests parallel action (that takes place simultaneously); often used to dramatically build tension and suspense in chase scenes, or to compare two different scenes; also known as intercutting or parallel editing.
Cue
A signal or sign for an actor to begin performing, from either another performer, from the director, or from within the script; a cue is often the last word of one character's line(s) of dialogue, when another performer is expected to 'pick up their cue' to speak.
Cult film
Usually a non-mainstream film that attracts a small, but loyally-obsessed group of fans, and remains popular and worshipped over many years; cult films have limited but special appeal, and often have unusual or subversive elements or subject matter; they are often replayed for repeat viewings and audience participation (and group identification) as midnight movies; not to be confused withB-films (not all cult films are B-films) Examples: most cult films are from thehorror and scifi genres, such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978), Repo Man (1984); also Harold and Maude (1971),Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982), the films of Roger Corman or David Lynch, etc.
Cyclorama
The curved backdrop used to represent the sky when outdoor scenes are shot in the studio.
Depth of field
The depth of composition of a shot, i.e., where there are several planes (vertical spaces in a frame): (1) a foreground, (2) a middle-ground, and (3) a background; depth of field specifically refers to the area, range of distance, or field (between the closest and farthest planes) in which the elements captured in a camera image appear in sharp or acceptable focus; as a rule of thumb, the area 1/3 in front of and 2/3 behind the subject is the actual distance in focus; depth of field is directly connected, but not to be confused with focus. Example: Extreme depth-of-field in many shots in Citizen Kane (1941) to heighten dramatic value, achieved by using very bright lighting and a slightly wide angled lens by cinematographer Gregg Toland, causing objects or characters close in the frame's foreground to appear massive, while other objects appear smaller in the background; other scenes with extreme depth-of-field include the early snowball scene, the 'Crash of '29' scene, and Susan's overdose scene.
Diegetic(diegesis)
Simply means realistic or logically existing, such as the music that plays on a character's radio in a scene; more generally, it refers to the narrative elements of a film (such as spoken dialogue, other sounds, action) that appear in, are shown, or naturally originate within the content of the film frame; the opposite is non-diegetic elements, such as sounds (e.g., background music, the musical score, a voice-over, or other sounds) w/o an origin within the film frame itself; in an objective shot, the most common camera shot, it simply presents what is before the camera in the diegesis of the narrative. Example: in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), diegetic sounds are heard of the 'keys' men (who drive trucks with glaring headlights) as they approach E.T.'s spaceship, to suggest danger.
Dynamic frame
A photographic technique used to mask the projected image size and shape to any ratio that seems appropriate for the scene (e.g., the image narrows as an actor passes through a narrow passageway, and then widens as he emerges).
Dystopia
An imaginary, wretched, dehumanized, dismal, fearful, bad, oppressive place or landscape, often initiated by a major world crisis (post-war destruction) coupled with, an oppressive government, crime, abnormal behavior, etc.; the opposite of utopia (a state of ideal perfection); see also nihilism. Example: the worlds of Metropolis (1927), Fahrenheit 451 (1966), A Clockwork Orange (1971), the comedy Sleeper (1973), Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1979), Blade Runner (1982) (pictured) and 1984 (1984).
Ellipsis
The shortening of the plot duration of a film achieved by deliberately omitting intervals or sections of the narrative story or action; an ellipsis is marked by an editing transition (a fade, dissolve, wipe, jump cut, or change of scene) to omit a period or gap of time from the film's narrative.
Ensemble (film)
A film with a large cast without any true leading roles, and usually with multiple plotlines regarding the characters; it also literally means 'the group of actors (and sometimes directors and designers) who are involved in a film'. Examples: The Philadelphia Story (1940), Rio Bravo (1959),The Last Picture Show (1971), The Godfather (1972) films, St. Elmo's Fire (1985), The Breakfast Club (1985), Steel Magnolias (1989), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), Reservoir Dogs (1992), and numerous Altman films, such as Nashville (1975) and Short Cuts (1993).
Establishing shot
This term has two meanings. In one context, establishing shot refers to the shot at a beginning of a film or scene that established location. For instance, if the setting of a film is 1940s Occupied France, the film might open with a shot of the Eiffel Tower with two Gestapo soldiers in the foreground. This shot establishes place (and sometimes, as in this example, time). Establishing shot is also used in continuity editing to describe a shot that establishes the spatial relationships in a given scene.
Eyeline match
The directions that actors look affect the way we perceive their spatial relationships to one another. Eyeline matches are important for establishing who a character is talking to or what a character is looking at. For instance, if a character is talking to two people on either side of him or her, then the character will look to the left of the camera to connote that he or she is talking to the person in that direction.
Featurette
a term often used before the 1970s to refer to a 20 to 45 minute film (longer than a short subject but shorter than a feature film), usually a "making of" or "behind the scenes" mini-documentary, or an extended trailer, which was usually displayed by theater owners to "sell" a film for exhibition in their movie house -- nowadays, featurettes are commonly run on premium cable stations, or offered as a 'bonus feature' as part of a DVD's extras. Examples: One of the most notorious featurettes was Alfred Hitchcock's extended trailer for Psycho (1960), in which the director explored the set of the Bates Motel, and coyly described the film's murders.
Film-noir
A French phrase literally meaning "black film" that developed in the early 40s; refers to a genre of mostly black/white films that blossomed in the post-war era in American cinema, with bleak subject matter and a somber, downbeat tone; the plot (often a quest), low-key lighting (harsh shadows and chiaroscuro) often in night scenes, camera angles (often canted or high angle shots), the setting (the gloomy underworld of crime and corruption), iconography (guns, urban settings), characters (disillusioned, jaded), and other elements (voice-overs and flashbacks) combined to present a dark atmosphere of pessimism, tension, cynicism, or oppression. Film noirs, often crime films, were usually set in grim and seedy cities, with characters including criminals, anti-heroes, private detectives, and duplicitous femme fatales. Examples: American films of the 1940s and early 1950s, including The Maltese Falcon (1941), Double Indemnity (1944), Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), and Sunset Boulevard (1950). Also present day noirs, such as Body Heat (1981) and The Man Who Wasn't There (2001); Carl Reiner's Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) was a parody of film noir (and contained excerpted footage from classic film noir films).
Flash frame (or shot)
A single clear frame that is inserted between two shots that can barely be perceived, giving the appearance of a flash of white when viewed, and for the intention of producing a shock or sudden dramatic effect Example: in Hitchcock's black and white Spellbound (1945), two frames are hand-tinted red (Hitchcock's first use of color) in a gigantic closeup of a gun that rotates slowly and fires directly at the camera.
Frame
Refers to a single image, the smallest compositional unit of a film's structure, captured by the camera on a strip of motion picture film - similar to an individual slide in still photography; a series of frames juxtaposed and shown in rapid succession make up a motion (or moving) picture; also refers to the rectangular area within which the film image is composed by the film-maker - in other words, a frame is what we see (within the screen). A strip of film negative, showing a single rectangular frame or box that contains the image that is projected. There are 16 frames per foot of 35mm film.
Frames per second or fps
Present-day films are usually run through a camera or projector at a frame rate (running speed or camera speed) of 24 fps (frames per second); older films, made at 18 fps, appear jerky and sped-up when played back at 24 fps - this technique is referred to as undercranking; overcranking refers to changing the frame rate (i.e., shooting at 48 or 96 fps), thereby producing slow-motion action when viewed at 24 fps. Examples: Action films often film explosions with overcranking, so that the action is prolonged; also, the William Tell Overture sequence in A Clockwork Orange (1971)is an example of undercranking.
Freeze (or freeze-frame)
An optical printing effect in which a single frame image is identically repeated, reprinted or replicated over several frames; when projected, a freeze frame gives the illusion of a still photograph in which the action has ceased; often used at the end of a film to indicate death or ambiguity, and to provide an iconic lasting image Example: in the opening of All About Eve (1950) - the freeze frame on the character of Eve (Anne Baxter) as she reached for the Sarah Siddons Award as Best Actress; also the final freeze-frame image of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) (pictured) as they were gunned down, the ending of Gallipoli (1981) (pictured also), and the conclusion of the remake Breathless (1983).
Gothic
A literary or film style characterized by dark and dreary influences, such as ghouls, the supernatural, the grotesque, deathly forces, and the mysterious. Settings include old mansions, castles, and a threatened heroine. Often used in reference to horror films with these characteristics, to increase the film's prestige. Examples: archetypal gothic romances include Wuthering Heights (1939) and David Lean's Great Expectations (1946); Dracula (1931)and Rosemary's Baby (1968) are archetypal gothic horror films.
Grotesque
A term originally coined by Federico Fellini to describe the bizarre-looking or deformed background characters in his films; a grotesque is a live-action caricature with exaggerated features, but not necessarily to be viewed as frightening or sinister Examples: Most of Fellini's films have an eye for the "grotesque", such as Fellini - Satyricon (1970), Fellini's Roma (1972), Amarcord (1973), and City of Women (1981).
Hitting a mark
An actor's term for moving to the correct, predetermined position during rehearsals and during camera takes so that the camera can smoothly record the action; 'mark' refers to pieces of crossed tape on the floor to signify positions.
Hold over
The term used by a director for an actor used for an extra day.
Homage
Usually a respectful tribute to someone or something; this often occurs within one movie when a reference is made to another film's scene, image, etc. Examples: Woody Allen's Shadows and Fog (1991) pays tribute to German Expressionism and classic b/w horror films, including Cat People (1942) and Freaks (1932); also the final shot of The Grifters (1990), paying homage to The Maltese Falcon (1941).
Juxtaposition
In a film, the contiguous positioning of either two images, characters, objects, or two scenes in sequence, in order to compare and contrast them, or establish a relationship between them; see also sequence, symmetry, andcomposition. Example: the famous 'baptism scene' - the murders of the heads of various crime families juxtaposed with the baptism ceremony for Michael's god child at the conclusion of The Godfather (1972); the parallel imagery in the "Making Christmas" sequence of The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
Mise en scène
A French term for "staging," or "putting into the scene or shot"; in film theory, it refers to all the elements placed (by the director) before the camera and within the frame of the film -- including their visual arrangement and composition; elements include settings, decor, props, actors, costumes, makeup, lighting, performances, and character movements and positioning; lengthy, un-cut, unedited and uninterrupted sequences shot in real-time are often cited as examples of mise-en-scene; contrast to montage. Examples: the harsh lighting or expressionistic angles used in classic film noirs (such as in Fritz Lang's work), in F.W. Murnau's Sunrise (1927) with the striking contrast between the marsh, rural life and the city; or in angular set designs of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920, Germ.); or in the visual magnificence of the sets in David Lean's epic films, such as the frozen dacha in Doctor Zhivago (1965) (pictured) or the searing desert in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), or in the claustrophobic feel onboard the Orca searching for the Great White in Spielberg's Jaws (1975).
Monologue
A scene or a portion of a script in which an actor gives a lengthy, unbroken speech without interruption by another character; see also soliloquy. Example: Keyes' (Edward G. Robinson) long speech about suicide statistics in Double Indemnity (1944), or Romeo's last embrace and death scene inRomeo and Juliet (1968).
Montage
A French word literally meaning "editing", "putting together" or "assembling shots"; refers to a filming technique, editing style, or form of movie collage consisting of a series of short shots or images that are rapidly put together into a coherent sequence to create a composite picture, or to suggest meaning or a larger idea; in simple terms, the structure of editing within a film; a montage is usually not accompanied with dialogue; dissolves, cuts, fades, super-impositions, and wipes are often used to link the images in a montage sequence; an accelerated montage is composed of shots of increasingly-shorter lengths; contrast to mise-en-scene. Examples: the famous 'breakfast' montage scene in Citizen Kane (1941) - that dramatized the deterioration of Kane's first marriage; the ambush scene inBonnie and Clyde (1967), the 45 second shower scene in Psycho (1960) - with between 71-78 camera set-ups for the shooting of the scene and 50 splices (where two pieces of film are joined); or the 'Odessa Steps' montage in Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin (1925) including three successive shots of stone lions in various positions - filmed to look as though they were one lion rising to its feet and roaring in fury and anger at the massacre.
Nickelodeon
The term for a makeshift motion picture theater, often a converted store, which proliferated all over the US, mostly in working-class areas of metropolitan centers, during the first decade of the 20th century. The name was derived from the 5 cents/nickel charged to patrons. A nickelodeon or 'storefront theatre' from the late 1800s or early 1900s.
Plot and plot point
Refers to a series of dramatic events or actions that make up a film'snarrative; a plot point is a key turning point or moment in a film's story that significantly advances the action; plot points either set the story further into motion, or disrupt and complicate the plot; also known as beat or A story; contrast to a subplot (aka B story or C story) - a secondary plot in a film; a plot plant is the technique of 'planting' an apparently trivial piece of information early in a story - that becomes more important later on .
Rear (screen) projection
A special effects technique to create backgrounds, in which actors are filmed in front of a screen on which a background scene is projected; commonly used in early films to produce the effect of motion in a vehicle.
Rough cut
An early edited (or 'cut') version of a film - with all the pieces of the film assembled in continuous, sequential order, but without any fancy editing; also sometimes known as first cut; one of the stages toward the final cut; often used in a focus group screening.
Satire
A mocking, ridiculing commentary on an economic, political, religious or social institution, ideology or belief, person (or group), policy, or human vice. Examples: The Great Dictator (1940), Dr. Strangelove, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love the Bomb (1964), Brazil (1985).
Scene-stealing
Usually refers to a character (or group of characters), usually subsidiary, whose appearance, actions and/or dialogue draws more attention than other actors in the same scene; similar to the term 'chewing up the scenery.' Examples: Tim Curry as Darkness in Legend (1985); William Bendix as Jeff in The Glass Key (1942); John Gielgud as Hobson the butler in Arthur (1981).
Sequence
A scene, or connected series of related scenes that are edited together and comprise a single, unified event, setting, or story within a film's narrative; also refers to scenes that structurally fit together in the plot; sequence usually refers to a longer segment of film than a scene; sequences are often grouped into acts (like a three-act play); a sequence shot refers to a long, normally complicated shot with complex camera movements and actions; see also shot and scene. Examples: the wedding sequence in The Godfather (1974), the drug-bust sequence in GoodFellas (1990).
Series
A string or sequence of films with shared situations, characters or themes and related titles, but with little other inter-dependence, especially with respect to plot or significant character development. Usually presented without cliffhangers; the term also applies to feature films with more than one sequel; contrast with serials and sequels. Examples of films made in series: The Thin Man (1934),Blondie (1938), Superman (1978), Rocky (1976), Star Trek - The Motion Picture (1979), the James Bond 007 films, and Planet of the Apes (1968).
Setting
The time (time period) and place in which the film's story occurs, including all of the other additional factors, including climate (season), landscape, people, social structures and economic factors, customs, moral attitudes, and codes of behavior; aka locale.
Shot, scene, and sequence
A shot, scene, and sequence together make up the larger dramatic narrative of film; scenes are composed of shots, sequences are composed of scenes, and films are composed of sequences.
Skip frame
The optical printing effect of skipping or cutting out certain frames of the original scene to speed up the action.
Special effects(or F/X, SFX, SPFX, or EFX)
A broad, wide-ranging term used by the film industry meaning to create fantastic visual and audio illusions that cannot be accomplished by normal means, such as travel into space. Many visual (photographic) or mechanical (physical) filmic techniques or processes are used to produce special illusionary effects, such as optical and digital effects, CGI, in camera effects, the use of miniatures/models, mattes, rear camera projections, stop-motion animation, bluescreens, full scale mockups, pyrotechnics (squibs (miniature explosions, i.e. a gunshot)), stunt men, animatronics (electronic puppets), rain/snow/wind machines, etc.; F/X are coordinated by the visual effects and the special effects supervisors; known negatively as trick photography; see also visual effects - a sub-category of special effects.
Split-screen
The combination of two actions filmed separately by copying them onto the same negative and having them appear side by-side within a single frame (without overlapping); a slight variation on split-screen is termed multiple image (different images are set alongside each other within a single frame); split-screen is usually intended to signify simultaneous action; also see bluescreen and matte shot.
Stock footage (or stock/library shot)
Previously-shot footage or film of common elements or scenes, such as canyons or deserts in the American West, or travelogue shots (e.g., skylines, airplane takeoffs/landings, famous places, etc.) that are kept in a film archive or library and used to fill in portions of a movie in different film productions, thereby saving the time of reshooting similar scenes over and over; a stock shot refers to an unimaginative or commonplace shot that looks like it could be stock footage. Example: The DC-3 flying over the Himalayas when Indy leaves Nepal in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) was lifted from Lost Horizon (1973); many films use historical footage of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, street scenes in NYC, or destruction sequences.
Time lapse
A method of filming where frames are shot much slower than their normal rate, allowing action to take place between frames, and giving the appearance of the action taking place much faster in the finished product; often done for nature filming (the blooming of a flower, the movement of clouds, etc.), allowing the viewer to witness the event compressed from real time (hours or days) into a few seconds; (one frame shot every 30 seconds over 24 hours of real time would equal two minutes of film time); opposite of slow-motion. Example: Koyaanisqatsi (1982).
Voice-over (or v.o.)
Refers to recorded dialogue, usually narration, that comes from an unseen, off-screen voice, character or narrator (abbreviated as o.s. meaning beyond camera range), that can be heard by the audience but not by the film characters themselves; narration is a type of voice-over; v.o. often conveys the character's thoughts, either as a 'voice' heard within one's head, or as other narrative information and commentary to explain the action or plot; often a technique in film noirs; the abbreviation is used as an annotation in a script.
Zoptic special effects
A revolutionary special effects, 3-D process invented by cameraman Zorian Perisic, incorporating a camera system and a projector with synchronized zoom lenses, to create the illusion of movement in depth. Example: the unique flying sequences of the Man of Steel in the first two Superman movies and in Disney's Return to Oz (1985), in which a projected background scene remains constant while the camera zooms in on the foreground subject.
Further reading : https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/9781444304794.gloss
https://www.academia.edu/1235575/Oxford_Dictionary_of_Film_Studies