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Find filmmaking terms starting with 5, including 5.1 sound, 5K capture, five-pin DMX and the baby pin used throughout lighting and grip. Frame rates, mains frequency and colour-temperature references also appear here, with the distinctions that matter when setting up a shoot.
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5.1 Surround Sound
A sound format with five main channels—left, centre, right, left surround and right surround—plus a dedicated low-frequency effects channel. The “.1” identifies LFE, not a speaker that is one tenth the size of the others. Bass management and the number of physical subwoofers are separate matters. Confirm the required channel order when delivering or checking a mix; correct channel count alone does not guarantee correct routing. Compare 7.1.
5-Perf 65mm / 70mm
A large-format film arrangement using five perforations per frame, with the film travelling vertically. It commonly pairs 65mm camera negative with 70mm release prints and a roughly 2.20:1 image. It differs from the much larger horizontal 15-perf IMAX frame. Film width and perforation count must be stated together; saying only “70mm” does not identify every part of the capture or projection format.
5-Pin DMX
The five-contact XLR connection specified for conventional portable DMX512 lighting-control equipment. DMX carries control data, not the fixture’s operating power. Some equipment uses three-pin connections, but that does not make an ordinary microphone cable a suitable DMX cable. Use the correct data cable and suitable adaptors for the system. A fixture’s channel mode and address are separate from the number of connector pins. See gaffer.
5/8″ Baby Pin
A common spigot used to mount film-lighting and grip equipment, nominally five eighths of an inch in diameter, or approximately 16 mm. It mates with a compatible baby receiver. It is different from the larger junior mounting system, and the pin size alone does not establish a safe load. Match the fixture, receiver, stand and securing method to the setup. See Baby and baby stand.
5-in-1 Reflector
A collapsible light-control kit offering several surfaces around a diffusion disc. A common set includes white, silver, gold or sunlight, black and translucent diffusion, although combinations vary by product. The surfaces perform different tasks: black can provide negative fill, while a translucent panel is placed between a source and subject to diffuse light. It is not five simultaneous lights. Specify the surface needed as well as the kit’s size.
5K Resolution
A resolution label indicating roughly five thousand horizontal pixels. A common cinema-camera example is 5120 × 2700, but the recorded height and usable image area depend on the model and aspect ratio. A 5K capture can provide room for reframing or downsampling into a smaller delivery raster. It does not automatically improve focus, lens detail or compression quality. Compare 4K and 6K.
50 fps
A capture or playback rate of 50 complete frames per second. Played back at 25 fps with each recorded frame retained, it produces half-speed motion. Played at 50 fps, it remains real-time with more frequent temporal sampling. It is not the same as 50 interlaced fields per second. Specify progressive versus interlaced scanning and the intended playback rate.
50 Hz Mains Frequency
An AC electrical supply completing 50 cycles per second, common in many regions. Some lamps driven from it can vary in brightness at 100 Hz, while electronic drivers may introduce different modulation. That interaction can cause camera flicker or bands. It does not require shooting 50 fps. Test the actual fixtures, dimming level, camera rate and shutter setting rather than assuming every lamp behaves the same way. Compare 60 Hz.
59.94 fps
A frame rate of 60000/1001 frames per second, approximately 59.94006. It is distinct from true 60 fps. Be careful with shorthand: 59.94p means that many progressive pictures, whereas an interlaced system described by 59.94 fields has about 29.97 frames per second. Confirm the scan mode and actual rate when setting cameras, monitors and recording devices.
5600K
A common daylight colour-temperature reference for film lighting, camera white-balance settings and daylight-balanced stocks. Actual daylight changes with time, weather and the direction you are facing, so 5600K is a useful reference rather than a description of every outdoor situation. Matching CCT also does not guarantee a tint or spectral match between fixtures. See colour temperature, CTB and CTO.
Keep the complete setup in mind when using these terms. A connector, frame rate or mounting size is one part of a working system, and the connected equipment still needs to agree. Continue with terms starting with 6, or return to the filmmaking dictionary.
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