Video Editing Terms
MPEG
(abbreviation for Moving Picture Experts Group) A set of standards used for coding audio/video data in a compressed format
NTSC
(abbreviation for National Television Standards Committee) The television broadcasting system used in North America and Japan, producing pictures made up of 525 alternating lines for each frame of video (60 fields/30 frames per second)
Jump cut
An abrupt, sudden and/or unnatural transition between two shots which feature the same subject
Delay
An audio effect that causes a sound to echo
Insert edit
An edit where the some or all of the original video and audio are replaced with new footage
Analogue
An older, lower resolution video and/or audio source which, when holding material to be edited using current technology, must be digitised. Degradation is common when duplicating analogue material from one generation to another
Linear editing
Analogue, tape-based editing, so-called because clips are laid in a line along the tape
History palette
Another feature of Adobe Premiere that's presented in a floating window, the history palette displays the editor's latest actions. The 'undo' feature returns a clip or file to a previous state
Info palette
Another feature of Adobe Premiere that's presented in a floating window, the info palette displays that displays information about a selected clip or transition.
CBR
Constant Bit Rate, the compression rate at which each unit of input material is always compressed to the same output size. Useful for streaming multimedia content on limited capacity channels
Interpolate
Creating smooth transitions for video effects by creating gradual steps between multiple key frames
Generation loss
Degradation in the quality of video and/or audio due to duplication from an original analogue recording
Field
For interlaced video sources, a full frame is constructed from alternating odd and even lines from two video fields captured at slightly different times
Mic
Microphone audio input
Mono
Monophonic audio, ie a single channel of audio
Anti-alias
smoothing out or removing jagged edges (also known as a 'stair-step' appearance) or motion between points within graphic elements, such as titles and 3D objects
DPP
the Digital Production Partnership, an initiative formed by public service broadcasters based in the UK and Ireland, which seeks to standardise television's technical delivery requirements
Channel
the components of a clip, be it audio (eg, left and right channels) or video (eg, alpha channel)
Dynamic range
the difference between the quietest and loudest sounds in a clip or production. Can be decreased (compressed) or expanded.
Duration
the length, or running time, of a clip or production
Master
the original video or audio source, or finished media from which copies are made
A/B editing
the process of combining two or more sources of footage with transition effects
Alpha channel
A channel used in graphics software for saving additional information to define transparent areas used for superimpositions and keying. Used in techniques such as animation. Also known as alpha mask
Lossless
A compression system which retains all the original video and audio data and does not degrade video and/or sound quality. A compression system that removes some of this original information - in order to reduce the size of the data - is known as lossy (eg, JPEG and MP3)
Fade
A gradual transition from a clip to or from a black or white full-frame
Blue screen
Also known as green screen: a special effects technique in which a background with a specific colour, typically within a studio, that is matched with a chroma key so that it can be 'replaced' with another video layer
Key frame
A key frame is a single still image in an animated sequence that occurs at an important point in that sequence. Key frames are defined throughout an animated sequence in order to define pivotal points of motion before the frames in between are drawn or otherwise created to 'tween' the motion between the two key frames.
Log
A list of clips which comprise a longer sequence and are identified by in- and out-points
Garbage matte
A mask used in a keying operation to remove unwanted objects within a frame
Four-point edit
A method of setting in-points and out-points to control where and how frames are inserted into a timeline
Import
A method used to bring media files into a current working platform or application
Marker
A placeholder used to mark a specific timecode in a clip or sequence
Crawl
A scrolling line of text usually at the bottom of the screen. Also known as a ticker
Gamma
A setting used to adjust the brightness of the mid-tones of an image
Commands palette
A small floating window within Adobe Premiere containing a customisable list of preset commands
Navigator palette
A small window within Premiere that displays a small view of the current Timeline work area within the overall programme
Chroma key
A special effects procedure. See Blue screen, above
Freeze frame
A technique in which a particular frame of video is held, for example at the end of a sitcom, where the action is 'frozen' just after delivery of the final punchline
Mask
A technique used to selectively obscure or hold back parts of an image while allowing other parts to show, for example, a selection might be laid over another layer or turned into an alpha channel
Dissolve
A transition, similar to the cross-fade, in which a clip gradually fades into the next
Composite video
A video signal that combines brightness and colour
Component video
A video signal that comprises three separate components
Layering
Adding (superimposing) multiple layers of video
Opaque
Areas of a superimposed image that are solid - not transparent - and therefore cover underlying images
AIFF
Audio Interchange File Format, developed by Apple and used on iOS systems.
AVI
Audio Video Interleaved (or Audio Video Interleave), a multimedia container format (ie contains both audio and video data) introduced by Microsoft
Bandpass effects
Audio effects intended to remove 'noise' (ie, specific frequencies that manifest as hisses and hums) from audio clips
DVE
Digital Video Effect(s): the modification of a picture (eg by 'squeezing' from one side), often used at the conclusion of a programme by broadcasters to reveal (advertise) a menu or other item that may be following or broadcast at a later time or date
Non-linear editing (NLE)
Digital, computer-based, non-destructive editing, so-called because a hard drive allows the easy arrangement of clips in any order
Balance
Distribution of two audio channels
FPS
Frames per second: the number of frames that are shown on a screen per second. PAL and SECAM video are delivered to the screen at 25 FPS, NTSC video at 30 FPS. Cinema films run at 24 FPS
Audio waveform
Graphical representation of an audio clip's signal levels
Hz
Hertz, a measurement used for audio sampling
Frames
Individual video images that comprise a moving sequence
NAS
Network-attached storage
MiniDV
Popular camcorder video format
Anamorphic
Shooting or storing widescreen video on media with a non-widescreen native aspect ratio. Widescreen pictures are 'squeezed' horizontally and stored in a 4:3 shape. The squeezed or distorted image is later 'stretched' by an anamorphic projection lens (such as a DVD player) to recreate the original aspect ratio for display on a viewing screen
Compositing
Superimposing, or overlaying, multiple layers of digital video (each may move independently), a facility found in painting, drawing and graphics applications
Edit
The post-production process of rearranging, adding and/or removing audio and/or video clips in a pre-determined sequence
Jog
The practice of spooling slowly through footage or a clip
Export
The process of saving a piece of work to an external device or as a file to be used on another device
Animate
The action of moving and/or manipulating a graphic or object (such as a slide, a photo with caption or a title) or to transition between frames
Editline
The editor's current editing point in the Timeline, as displayed in the Monitor window and used for inserts and deletes
Motion blur
The effect of blurring the background behind a speeding object
Chrominance
The element of a video signal that conveys colour, typically split into two components: U = B′ − Y′ (blue − luma) and V = R′ − Y′ (red − luma)
Gradient
The gradual change from one colour or level of intensity to another
Luminance
The intensity or brightness of a video signal, usually represented by the letter Y
Continuity
The logical progression of recorded or edited events which requires attention to on-screen items such as costume, props and sets
Data rate
The speed at which data is transferred between devices. Also known as bit rate
Dolby Digital
The standard audio format on DVDs, HD TV and digital cable and satellite transmission
In-point
The starting point of a clip, marked by a specific timecode
Bin window
The window, within Adobe Premiere, that's used to import and organise source clips
Gang
To adjust multiple audio tracks simultaneously (as in the Premiere Audio Mixer window)
Dub
To duplicate a file or other piece of content, traditionally from a master tape to another tape
Key
To specify a region of an image or video clip to be used as a mask for transparency (in order to make part of the scene transparent or semitransparent and composite it with other superimposed images or video tracks)
Bit stream
Video/audio data that has been compressed and/or is transmitted from one device to another
Monitor
Video: A display unit similar to a television set but with superior visual quality and without a tuner; Audio: a speaker
Gain
Volume of the audio output
Audio Mixer window
a feature within Adobe Premiere that monitors and controls the volume level and balance of multiple audio tracks
Audio Effects palette
a feature within Adobe Premiere that presents a list of available audio effects, sorted according to type, that can be customised
5.1
a six-channel surround sound audio system (comprising three front speakers, two rear speakers and a subwoofer). Currently the most commonly used audio configuration domestically and commercially
Batch capture
caching or ingesting a group of clips in a single, automated action rather than capturing them individually
Matte
combining two or more image elements into a single, final image. Usually used to combine a foreground image with a background image
2-3/3-2 pulldown
converting material from film to interlaced NTSC display rates - ie, from 24 frames per second to 30 frames per second - by duplicating fields, two from one frame followed by three from the next (or vice versa)
Assemble edit/assembly edit
one of the stages of editing, also known as the 'rough cut' or 'editor's cut', in which shots are assembled sequentially in a strictly linear fashion
Codec
short for compressor/decompressor. Technology for compressing (encoding) and decompressing (decoding) data, codecs can be implemented in software, hardware or both
Deinterlace
the process of correcting interlaced video in which each frame contains alternating pairs of lines from two separate fields. The error manifests as a visible 'shuddering' of the picture when viewed. Deinterlacing uses every other line from one field and interpolates new in-between lines without tearing
Aspect ratio
the shape of a picture or frame ('ratio' refers to the ratio of the width of the image to its height). Common aspect ratios are 4:3 (former standard television aspect ratio, also known as 1.33:1) and 16:9 (widescreen). Others include 2.35:1, which results in a 'letterbox' effect
Compress
to reduce the size of a digital file. Data/content that has been compressed must be decompressed for playback. Compression systems include MPEG, JPEG and DV
Attenuate
to reduce volume
Decompress
to restore a digital file to its original size
