Film & Broadcast Glossary
Film & Broadcast is about telling stories – whether fiction or factual. This combines high standards of training in production skills to make programs – dramas and documentaries for radio, television and cinema
Film & Broadcast
Baby Legs
A short tripod. (Camera)
Film & Broadcast
Baby Plate
A steel plate with a baby pin (5/8 inch pin) welded on to it. These plates are used for mounting lights or grip heads on a wall, box, or other surface. (Grip/Lighting)
Film & Broadcast
Background
This is a term with a broad range of meanings, depending upon the context. In production, it has the same connotation as ‘atmosphere’, meaning extras who are staged to supply detail in the form of normal human traffic in a scene. In sound, it can mean the same as ‘ambience’ or it may refer to […]
Film & Broadcast
Backing Track
Prerecorded accompaniment for a singer or voiceover actor who then listens through headphones to a replay as he/she performs. Generally, the two signals are ultimately mixed to produce the final recording. (Post Production)
Film & Broadcast
Backlight
A light which is generally mounted behind a subject to light the subject’s hair and shoulders without illuminating a subject’s front. (Lighting)
Film & Broadcast
Balance Stripe
On magnetic-striped film, a narrow band of magnetic coating applied to the edge opposite the magnetic sound track which serves to make the film lie flat when it goes over magnetic sound heads.
Film & Broadcast
Balanced
An audio circuit with 3 wires, two which carry signal, and a third which is contected to a ground (grounded). (Sound)
Film & Broadcast
Bar Sheets – Lead Sheets
A chart showing words of dialogue which have been recorded, and the number of motion picture frames of duration for each syllable.
Film & Broadcast
Barndoors
Folding doors which are mounted on to the front of a light unit in order to control illumination. (Lighting)
Film & Broadcast
Base-to-Base Splice
A splice made with the base side of the end of one piece of film overlapping the base side of the piece to which it is being attached. (Film Editing)
Film & Broadcast
Bazooka
Similar to a 2K stand, but without support legs. It has a junior hole at one end and a junior stud at the other, and it usually has a sliding riser. (Grip/Lighting)
Film & Broadcast
Beat
A periodic variation of amplitude resulting from the addition of two slightly different frequencies. (Sound)
Film & Broadcast
Beaver Board
A 2K pigeon on an apple box. (Lighting/Grip)
Film & Broadcast
Bed
Background music used underneath a narrator or foreground dialog. Primarily applied to commercial radio or television spots.
Film & Broadcast
Beef
The output of a light. (Lighting)
Film & Broadcast
Beefy Baby
A heavy duty 2K stand without wheels. (Lighting/Grip)
Film & Broadcast
Beep
A short duration sound track tone aligned to a point on the film for precise reference in synchronization in the editing and printing processes.
Film & Broadcast
Below the Line
Refers to the technical elements of the production staff. Literally, these are the budget elements that appeared below a bold line on a standard production budget form. (Production)
Film & Broadcast
Best Boy
The assistant chief lighting technician or the assistant to the key grip. (Grip/Lighting)
Film & Broadcast
Bin
A reference to a storage container lined with a cloth bag, into which cut film or sound stock may be arranged and hung. In digital audio and video terms, this can be related to a film and/or directory from which stored shots or sound segments are selected for use.
Film & Broadcast
Bit
A minor acting role in which an actor may only speak a few lines.