GLOSSARY

aperture

the opening in the lens that allows light into the camera body; variable in size and expressed in f-numbers or f-stops

aspect ratio

the ratio of the width to the height of a frame, commonly expressed as two numbers with a colon between them, eg 16:9

composition

the arrangement of visual elements in any one frame

cutaway

a shot or scene in a film which is of a different subject from those to which it is joined in editing

cutting on action

an editing technique where the editor cuts from one shot of a subject to another view that matches the first shot’s action

depth of field

the area of a frame, in front of and behind the point of focus, that is considered acceptably sharp

DSLR camera

digital single-lens reflex camera

exposure

the amount of light allowed to reach the camera sensor or film

GoPro

an HD-quality, waterproof video recording device that can be worn or mounted on vehicles, popular for capturing action and adventure sports footage

image stabilisation

techniques used to reduce the blurring associated with the motion of the camera during exposure

ISO

International Organization for Standardization, which sets the standards for film-speed rating

lens hood

a tube or ring attached to the front of a camera lens to prevent unwanted light from reaching the film

panning

a camera movement technique whereby the camera moves horizontally to the left or right

resolution

the degree to which digitally captured information displays detail, sharpness and colour accuracy

time-lapse

a technique whereby the frequency at which film frames are captured is much lower than that used to view the sequence, making footage appear sped up

tracking

a camera movement technique whereby the camera follows a subject by moving alongside it

vlog

a video blog

white balance

digital camera function that adjusts colour to ensure that white is recorded as white under all light conditions

wild track

an audio recording intended to be synchronised with film or video but recorded separately from picture »