Video Production Chapter 1

Front 1

Alter

Back 1

To change a video or audio signal so that it is different from the original signal that was transduced.

Front 2

Analog

Back 2

A method of representing video or audio signals using a “wave” of continuously varying value.

Front 3

Aspect Ratio

Back 3

The ratio of the height of a video or film picture to its width.

Front 4

ATSC

Back 4

A series of digital television formats developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee.

Front 5

Audio Console

Back 5

The piece of equipment that is used to gather, mix, select, and amplify sounds and send them on to their next destination.

Front 6

Bit

Back 6

An individual unit of a digital signal; it can have a value of either “off” (0) or “on” (1).

Front 7

Blu-ray/Blu-ray Player

Back 7

A player designed for use with bluray discs. A blu-ray disc is an advanced optical disc with the same physical size as a CD or DVD disc, but with much higher capacity.

Front 8

Byte

Back 8

A group of digital zeros and ones that has a particular meaning.

Front 9

Cables

Back 9

Wires that transport the signals needed for audio and video production.

Front 10

Camcorder

Back 10

An integrated unit that combines a camera and a recorder; usually used in field production.

Front 11

Camera Control Unit

Back 11

The part of a studio camera used to adjust various video settings of the camera.

Front 12

CD Player

Back 12

Equipment that plays back discs on which sound has been recorded digitally.

Front 13

Channeling

Back 13

Moving signals from one place to another.

Front 14

Character Generator

Back 14

An electronic device used to display lettering on-screen.

Front 15

Connectors

Back 15

Metal housings that allow audio, video, or other signals to travel from one cable to another.

Front 16

Control Room

Back 16

The area where all video signals are mixed. The director and technical director (and other crew members) control all program elements from this location.

Front 17

Convergence

Back 17

A term used to define the coming together of technologies with previously differing applications to create a digitally based video system. This process involves such things as broadcasting, cable TV, telephones, satellite transmission, and the Internet.

Front 18

Daily Hire

Back 18

Someone who is hired to work only one day or a few days at a time, as opposed to someone who is a regular staff member at a particular company.

Front 19

Diaphragm

Back 19

The vibrating element in a microphone that responds to the compressed air molecules of sound waves

Front 20

Digital

Back 20

A method of representing video or audio signals that uses discrete “on” and “off” pulses. The value of a digital signal at any point can be either “off” (0) or “on” (1).

Front 21

Dimmer Board

Back 21

A lighting control unit, operated on the same principle as a rheostat, that determines the intensity of a light by controlling the amount of electric current flowing to the instrument.

Front 22

DVD

Back 22

Digital Versatile Disk. An optical disk that can be used to store and play back digital information, through a computer or a set-top DVD player.

Front 23

Earphones

Back 23

Tiny speakers that cover or are inserted in the ear so that one person can hear sound coming from equipment.

Front 24

Field Production

Back 24

Television production, usually consisting of single-camera recording and post production editing, that takes place outside of the studio.

Front 25

Freelance

Back 25

Working by the hour or day on one project at a time and without being an employee of any particular organization.

Front 26

Graphics Generator

Back 26

An electronic device used to create and display titles, charts, and other graphics on the screen.

Front 27

Green Room

Back 27

The place in a studio complex where people who are about to appear on a TV show can wait.

Front 28

Grid

Back 28

A structure of battens, or pipes, and supporting mechanisms positioned several feet beneath the studio ceiling, allowing lights to be placed at the proper angle while leaving the studio floor uncluttered for the cameras, talent, and set elements.

Front 29

Hard Drive

Back 29

A motor-driven disc system used to store digital information on a computer.

Front 30

Headset

Back 30

Connected earpiece and mouthpiece device worn by crew members so they can communicate with each other. Also worn by equipment operators so they can hear the sound from their equipment without disturbing others.

Front 31

High-definition Television

Back 31

A television format with more lines of resolution and a wider aspect ratio than standard-definition NTSC television.

Front 32

Interruptible Feedback (IFB)

Back 32

An audio setup that allows the talent, wearing a small earpiece, to hear program audio or receive instruction from the director or someone else.

Front 33

Intercom

Back 33

A closed-circuit audio network connecting all production personnel with headsets.

Front 34

Kinescope

Back 34

An early form of recording a TV program by placing a film camera in front of a television.

Front 35

Linear Editing

Back 35

A method of video editing that progresses from the beginning to the end of the program and usually uses videotape for playback and recording.

Front 36

Master Control

Back 36

The primary engineering control center where all video and audio signals are ultimately channeled; program input, camera controls, and transmitter distribution often are handled from this location.

Front 37

Monitoring

Back 37

Listening to or viewing sound or a picture as it is being manipulated.

Front 38

Monitor

Back 38

A screen for viewing material produced during TV production as opposed to broadcast signals; also used to refer to audio speakers.

Front 39

Nonlinear Editing

Back 39

A method of video editing that uses computers and random access media for recording and playback.

Front 40

NTSC

Back 40

The original television standard approved in the United States in the 1940s. The letters stand for National Television System Committee.

Front 41

Optical Disc

Back 41

A type of media used to record and play back digital information. Common types of optical discs include CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs.

Front 42

Playback

Back 42

The process of retrieving electronic signals from a storage device and turning them into sound and/ or images.

Front 43

Preview Monitor

Back 43

A video monitor that shows the preview line output of a video switcher.

Front 44

Production House

Back 44

An organization that produces various types of video material, including commercials, corporate videos, broadcast programs, educational programs.

Front 45

Program Monitor

Back 45

An audio speaker on which you can hear the output of the audio board.

Front 46

Program Monitor

Back 46

A video monitor that shows the program line output of a video switcher.

Front 47

Prompter

Back 47

The generic term for TelePrompTer, a mechanical device that projects the moving script, via mirrors, directly in front of a camera lens. It allows talent to read the script as they look into the camera lens.

Front 48

Recording

Back 48

Using audio and/or video electronic signals to arrange iron-oxide particles on a magnetic recording tape or arrange data on a computer disk or other media so it can be retrieved later.

Front 49

Remote Production

Back 49

Taping video material or airing it live away from the studio, usually with numerous cameras and a truck that serves as a control room.

Front 50

Selecting

Back 50

Choosing which audio or video signal is to be recorded or aired, usually through an audio board or a switcher.

Front 51

Server

Back 51

A computer-based unit used to store and retrieve video signals in digital form.

Front 52

Solid State Media

Back 52

A type of recording/storage media that use electronic circuitry to store data. With no moving parts, power consumption is lower, durability is better, and size can be smaller. Examples of solid state media include secure digital cards and USB jump drives used on computers.

Front 53

Standard-definition Television

Back 53

With the advent of highdefinition television, this term is used to refer to NTSC television and ATSC formats that have 480 lines of resolution.

Front 54

Studio

Back 54

The primary room devoted to video production containing all the paraphernalia for sets, lighting, cameras, microphones, and so forth; the space where all acting or performing takes place.

Front 55

Studio Address

Back 55

A public-address loudspeaker system, allowing those in the control room to talk directly to the studio floor.

Front 56

Studio Production

Back 56

Program creation that takes place in a controlled environment meant for it, as opposed to production that takes place in the field.

Front 57

Switcher

Back 57

A device consisting of selection buttons and control levers that permits the selection and combining of incoming video signals to form the final program picture.

Front 58

Synergy

Back 58

The interaction of two forces (such as the news department of a TV station and a news department of a radio station) so that the combined effort produces improved coverage (e.g., more in-depth or broader or better coverage), than either entity alone.

Front 59

Transducing

Back 59

Receiving energy in one form (such as sound waves or light energy) and converting it into another form of energy (such as electromagnetic signals).

Front 60

Videotape Recorder (VTR)

Back 60

A device used to record video and audio information onto a magnetic tape.

Front 61

VU Meter

Back 61

A display meter that shows the relative volume of an audio signal.

Front 62

Waveform Monitor

Back 62

A piece of diagnostic equipment used to evaluate the brightness qualities of a video signal.

Front 63

Waveform

Back 63

An electronic representation of a signal.

Front 64

Wi-fi

Back 64

A wireless computer network in which signals are transmitted through the airwaves.