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Terms for subject Cinematography (689 entries)

billing	A great deal of importance is placed on the relative sizes, positions, and order of names and the movie's title in printed publicity material as well as the opening credits. Generally, higher positions designate higher importance. Additionally, there is significant given to names which appear before or above the actual title of the movie. The person whose name is shown first in the credits or whose name is at the top of an advertisement is said to have received "top billing". If more than one name appears at the same time or at the same height, they are said to have "equal billing", with the importance of the people concerned decreasing from left to right. In some movies with a large number of stars, the publicity department must go to great lengths to satisfy the demands of various parties. "Diagonal billing" is where a different name appears first, depending on whether the material is read from top to bottom, or from left to right. In some extreme cases, multiple stars in the same movie have each demanded top billing, in which case an equal number of differently-billed advertisement have been created.
biographic picture	A filmed story of a person's life story.
bit part	A small unimportant role, usually lasting only one scene.
black and white	Indicates that the images have no color. The first movies were black and white (as color film stock hadn't been invented) but in more recent times many films have been shot in black and white either for artistic reasons or because it is cheaper. Some films are shot using color film stock with the final print in black and white.
black comedy	A comedy in which the humour is derived from subjects which are typically considered "serious", or for which humour is usually considered as unsuitable. Common examples are death, war, suffering, and murder.
blackface	The make up technique of making an actor, usually white, to resemble an African American or at least a caricature thereof such as in the final scene of The Jazz Singer (1927) There were also equivalents for Asians (Yellowface) and Native Americans (Redface) It was a standard practice in the early 20th century for the casting of actors in non-white roles and abandoned when it was recognized to be an insult to minorities which also cheated them of casting opportunies.
blacklisting	A list of filmmakers or actors who have either been formally or informally discriminated against, due to their personal, political, social, or religious beliefs. In 1950s America, McCarthyism resulted in numerous filmmakers being blacklisted.
blockbuster	A movie which is a huge financial success. In common usage a "blockbuster" is a movie that has a box-office of more than $100 million upon release in North America.
blocking	A process during which the director and actors determine where on the set the actors will move and stand, so that lighting and camera placements may be set.
blooper	See also out-take. A take of a scene not used in a movie, usually because of an on-camera mistake made by the cast or crew.
bluescreen	A process whereby actors work in front of an evenly lit, monochromatic (usually blue or green) background. The background is then replaced in post production by chromakeying, allowing other footage or computer-generated images to form the background imagery. See also greenscreen.
BO	box office	Michae­lBurov
body double	For some shots, a director may consider that a particular actor's body may not be suitable for the impression desired. In these situations, the actor is "doubled" (replaced) by a person whose body is more suitable. Typically, body doubles are used for shots requiring nudity or depictions of physical fitness. Contrast with stunt double and stand-in.
body makeup	Makeup applied below the neck or above the wrists.
bomb	A movie which is a financial disaster. Exception: in the United Kingdom, when used with "down" (e.g. "went down a bomb") the term means a rousing success.
Bondage Dominance	BD
boom microphone	A long pole with a microphone on the end. The boom is extended out near the actors. Ideally, the microphone at the end should be placed in the camera's safe area.
boom operator	A member of the sound crew who operates the boom microphone. See also sound recordist.
bootleg	An unofficial and illegally copied or distributed version of a movie, often of a substandard quality. Bootleg videos are often available for movies that have yet to be released in a particular country, or have been banned.
bounce board	A large white card made of foam or posterboard used to reflect soft light and for the soft key and fill.