Below is the DEF section of our film dictionary. Our goal is to create the most in depth film and television dictionary the internet has ever seen. If you would like to submit a term to our dictionary please feel free to get in contact with us HERE.
A–B–C–D–E–F–G–H–I-J-K-L-M–N–O-P-Q-R-S–T–U–V–W–X-Y-Z
Film & Television Dictionary – Letter D
Dailies: The raw footage, usually viewable the day after shooting. Viewed by the Director, Cinematographer and Producer to insure they are getting the correct images.
Dance Floor: smooth wooden flooring laid down for dollies
Day for Night: Shooting during the day, but shooting in such a way that the footage looks like night
Deal Memo: Paperwork filled out by crew member outlining payment and crew member information
Deep Focus: Focus pulled deep into a frame
Deferral: Usually refers to payment or rates. Often used in addition to a lower rate as an incentive. Often a warning sign that the production might not be up to par or that you will never get paid.
Depth of Field: The area within the frame that is seen as in focus.
D.G.A.: Directors Guild of America
D.G.C.: Directors Guild of Canada
Diffusion: White paper or cloth put in front of lights to soften light quality.
Director’s Cut: The version of a film’s edit that best shows the Directors vision for the film
Director: Main creative force behind film or project
Director of Photography (DOP): The person in charge of the overall look of the film when it comes to camera and lighting.
Dissolve: The gradual transition from one image to another.
Distribution: The process in which a film is being made available to watch.
Ditty Bag: Bag used by a department or crew member to keep and carry tools.
Diving Board: The front board of a dolly.
Dolly: A four wheeled vehicle that rides on dolly track and is used to move camera.
Doorway Dolly: A lighter dolly made of wood which has 4 tires and is narrow enough to travel through a doorway.
Dolly Grip: Grip in charge of camera movement. They set up dolly, lay track and work with DOP to create camera movement on a dolly. Key grip often times acts as dolly grip on smaller sets.
Dolly Track: The track on which a dolly sits and movies. Usually comes in 4foot, 8foot and various curves.
Donut: A ring that is placed around the lens to seal gaps between the matte box and lens.
Dot: A small round flag.
Double: A net or scrim that reduces amount of light by 1 full stop
Dress: Dressing is when the art department arranges materials on a set, such as furniture and artwork.
Dry Run: The rehearsal of a scene of shot where camera does not roll.
Dubbing: Replacing the audio on a project with a better quality sound mix. Dubbing also refers to replacing dialogue with an alternate language for international releases.
Dulling Spray: spray used to dull reflections on set.
Dutch Angle: A crooked angle often used to show tension in a scene
Duvetyne: black cloth used to block light. Cloth flags and large blacks are make of.
A–B–C–D–E–F–G–H–I-J-K-L-M–N–O-P-Q-R-S–T–U–V–W–X-Y-Z
