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Academy leader : a leader placed at the head of release prints containing information for the projectionist and featuring numbers which are black on a clear background, counting from 11 to 3 at 16 frame intervals (see SMPTE leader).

Action (in a screenplay) : • The action is just what it sounds like; it describes all the action in the film. Action can only describe something that the camera can take a picture of, hence a line like, “Judy wanted to be a teacher when she grew up” is not good action. There is no way the camera can capture this statement • Action is always in the present tense • Action always uses active language. “He is trying to run” is passive “He tries to run” is active • Verbs proceeded by the word is and ending with “ing” are generally passive

BCU : Big Close-up

Big Close-up : (abbr. BCU) a shot taken very close to the subject (closer than would be necessary for a close-up), revealing extreme detail. (i.e., part of the human face)

Bridging shot : a shot (cut) used to cover a break in time, or other break in continuity

canted shot. : shot is tilted 25 to 45 degrees to one side, causing horizontal lines to run up or down hill. Also called dutch angle shot

Character ( in a screenplay) : Refers to the names of the characters in the script. Character names are always centered on the page and always in all caps

Clapper : the sticks that are slapped together in view of the camera for the purpose of synchronizing film sound. These are usually, but not always, attached to the slate and appear at the head or tail of a sync sound take.

Close-up : (abbr. CU) a shot taken very close to the subject ( or with the subject of the shot very large in the frame), revealing a detail only. (i.e., the human face, or hands).

Coding : once the workprint and sound stock (mag) have been placed in sync, the rolls are coded with matching yellow edge numbers so they can be matched up later once they have been cut up into pieces.

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