Last Updated 4 days ago
Filmmaking Dictionary / Letter C
Browse filmmaking terms starting with C, including Cable Puller (Cable Wrangler), Call Back, Call Sheet. Find a quick explanation below and follow the full-definition links where a detailed guide is available.
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- Cable Puller (Cable Wrangler)
- Call Back
- Call Sheet
- Call Time
- Cameo
- Camera Jam
- Camera Left / Camera Right
- Camera Op (Operator)
- Camera Report
- Camera Test
- Camera Truck
- Camlock
- Capraesque (Frank Capra Style)
- Cardellini
- Carpenteresque (John Carpenter Style)
- Carps (Carpenters)
- Cast
- Casting Director
- Character Arc
- Charlie Bar
- Cheat
- Check the Gate
- Cheese Plate
- Chicken Coop
- Chimera
- Choker (Choker Shot)
- Chromatic Aberration
- Cinema Verité
- Circle of Confusion
- Clamshell
- Clamshell Lighting
- Clapper
- Clapper Loader
- Clean Shot
- Closed Set
- Close Up (C.U.)
- Cold Reading
- Color Bars
- Color Temperature
- Common Marker
- Company Move
- Composite
- Compression
- Com-Tek
- Condor
- Continuity
- Continuity Error
- Cookie (Cuculoris)
- Co-Producer
- Co-Production
- Copy
- Costume Designer
- Counterbalance
- Coverage
- Cowboy Shot
- Craft Service
- Crane Shot
- Crash Zoom
- Creative Producer
- Crew Call
- Cribbing
- Cronenbergian (David Cronenberg Style)
- Crystal Sync
- C.S.C. (Canadian Society of Cinematographers)
- C-Stand (Century Stand)
- CTB (Colour Temperature Blue)
- CTO (Colour Temperature Orange)
- Cuculoris (Cookie)
- Cue
- Cue Card
- Cut
- Cutaway
- Cutter
- Cutting Room Floor
- Cyc light
- Cyclorama (Cyc)
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Cable Puller (Cable Wrangler)
A crew member assigned to manage cables connected to a moving camera or other equipment. The work keeps cables clear of the frame and movement path while avoiding strain on connections. Responsibility depends on the department, equipment and production.
Call Back
A callback is a return audition or further casting session requested after an initial assessment. It gives the casting team an opportunity to explore the performance, test chemistry or compare choices. A call time is the scheduled reporting time for work and is a different term.
Call Sheet
The document setting out the plan and reporting information for a shooting day. It commonly lists call times, locations, scenes, cast, crew contacts and relevant practical notes. Individual calls can differ from the general crew call.
Call Time
The time a performer or crew member is required to report for work at the specified place. Individual calls, pre-calls and department calls can differ from the general crew call, so each person should check their own listing.
Cameo
A brief appearance by a recognisable performer or other notable person. It may be a small character role, an appearance as themselves or a visual joke. Its effect often depends on the audience recognising the person.
Camera Jam
A malfunction in which motion-picture film fails to move correctly through the camera or magazine. The film may become stuck, damaged or improperly transported. The camera department investigates before further use; this differs from jamming timecode.
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Camera Left / Camera Right
Directions described from the camera’s viewpoint. Camera left appears on the left of the recorded frame, and camera right on the right. They are not the same as a performer’s left and right when that performer faces the lens.
Camera Op (Operator)
The camera-department member responsible for operating the camera and executing the shot’s framing and movement. The operator collaborates with the director and cinematographer and coordinates closely with assistants, grips and performers as the scene develops.
Camera Report
A record of camera material and relevant shooting information, such as roll or card identifiers, scene and take numbers, settings and technical notes. The information supports communication between the camera department, lab or data team and editorial.
Camera Test
A planned test of camera equipment or how elements such as lenses, lighting, costumes and makeup photograph. It helps the team assess the intended look and identify problems before principal photography or a technically demanding sequence.
Camera Truck
The vehicle used to transport and organise the camera department’s equipment. It can also provide a working base for preparing and checking the package. Its layout and facilities depend on the production and vehicle.
Camlock
Single-pole electrical connectors used in compatible power-distribution systems, commonly called Cam-Lok on set. They are associated with feeder cable and larger electrical supplies. Connector ratings, system configuration and connection procedures are matters for qualified electrical personnel.
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Capraesque (Frank Capra Style)
A description of stories recalling Frank Capra, often centring on ordinary people facing powerful institutions, community bonds and idealism under pressure. The term refers to recurring narrative and tonal qualities rather than a particular visual format.
Cardellini
A type of clamp with adjustable jaws for gripping suitable round, square or flat surfaces, often fitted with a baby mounting pin. Jaw arrangement, reach and rated capacity vary by model; the name is also a manufacturer’s brand.
Carpenteresque (John Carpenter Style)
A description of work recalling John Carpenter, especially economical visual storytelling, widescreen suspense, isolated characters and electronic scores. It is often used in discussions of horror and thrillers, though Carpenter’s films span several genres.
Read the full Carpenteresque (John Carpenter Style) definition →
Carps (Carpenters)
Set carpenters who build, adapt and maintain scenery and structures for a production. They work within the construction department to turn the art department’s designs into usable sets, under the production’s construction leadership.
Cast
The performers engaged in a production, including principal, supporting and background roles. A cast list identifies performers and characters, while a call sheet adds the reporting and scheduling information needed for a particular shooting day.
Casting Director
The professional who organises the search for performers, proposes candidates and manages auditions in collaboration with the director and producers. Casting decisions balance performance, chemistry, availability and the production’s requirements.
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Character Arc
The development of a character’s beliefs, behaviour or emotional state over a story. An arc may involve growth, deterioration or resistance to change. It connects the character’s choices to the events and consequences of the narrative.
Charlie Bar
A narrow strip of shadow deliberately introduced into a lighting setup, often using a flag or cutter. It can break up a wall or shape the light on a subject. The shadow’s edge depends on source size and placement.
Cheat
To adjust an actor, object, light or camera position so the shot works better on screen. A cheat may depart from the exact physical arrangement established elsewhere, provided the resulting image and continuity support the scene.
Check the Gate
A request to inspect a film camera’s gate for hair, dirt or other material that could intrude into the image. The check is commonly made before leaving a setup so the team can assess whether affected material needs another take.
Cheese Plate
A mounting plate with multiple holes or slots for attaching compatible camera and rigging accessories. It offers flexible attachment positions, but thread sizes, load ratings and mounting arrangements must match the intended equipment.
Chicken Coop
A set-lighting nickname for an overhead box or assembly used to provide a broad downward wash. Designs and lamp arrangements vary. The term describes a style of lighting rig rather than a universal number of bulbs or fixed specification.
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Chimera
A lighting-accessory manufacturer known for softboxes and lightbanks. Crews also use “Chimera” as shorthand for one of those modifiers. Compatibility, heat rating and mounting requirements depend on the particular lightbank, speed ring and fixture.
Choker (Choker Shot)
A very tight shot of a person’s face, used to concentrate attention on expression. The exact crop is not universally fixed; agree the framing with the director and camera team instead of relying on the nickname alone.
Chromatic Aberration
Chromatic Aberration is a type of optical distortion that occurs when a lens fails to focus all colors of light to the same point. This misalignment causes color fringing—often seen as red, blue, green, or purple edges—around high-contrast areas in an image. In filmmaking and photography, chromatic aberration is generally considered an optical flaw, though it can also be used stylistically to create a vintage, dreamy, or digital-glitch effect.
Cinema Verité
A documentary approach associated with direct engagement in real situations and awareness that filming can influence events. Handheld work and location sound are common associations. Cinema vérité and purely observational direct cinema overlap in discussion but are not identical traditions.
Circle of Confusion
The small blur circle produced when a point in the scene is not focused exactly on the image plane. An acceptable circle-of-confusion criterion is used in depth-of-field calculations and depends on viewing conditions, enlargement and the required image detail.
Clamshell
A hinged clamp that closes around compatible pipe or tubing. It provides a mounting or connecting point in a rig, with size and permitted use determined by the specific model. It is separate from the clamshell lighting arrangement.
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Clamshell Lighting
A portrait-lighting arrangement with a source above the face and fill from below, often supplied by a reflector or second light. The balance controls facial shadows and catchlights; the arrangement does not require two powered fixtures.
Clapper
A Clapper—also known as a Clapperboard or Slate—is a tool used in film and television production to synchronize picture and sound and to record essential production information for each take. The clapper consists of a board (or slate) displaying scene and take information, with a hinged stick at the top that makes a distinct “clap” when snapped shut. That sharp sound, paired with the visual cue of the clap closing, allows editors to sync separately recorded sound with the camera footage.
Clapper Loader
A camera-department title commonly associated with the second assistant camera in the UK and other markets. Work can include slating, camera records and film handling. The division between loader, 2nd AC and data roles depends on the production.
Clean Shot
A shot without the foreground person or object that would otherwise overlap the main subject. A clean single, for example, isolates one performer. It does not necessarily mean an empty effects plate or a shot free of every visual detail.
Closed Set
A set with access restricted to personnel required for the work being filmed. It is often used for intimate or sensitive scenes. The approved personnel, monitoring arrangements and privacy procedures are established for the particular production and scene.
Close Up (C.U.)
A shot that frames a person or object closely to emphasise expression or detail. It can isolate a face, hand or significant prop. The intended subject and actual framing matter more than a rigid universal crop.
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Cold Reading
A performance of material with little preparation, often during an audition. The actor works from recently supplied pages while making choices about character and scene. It tests interpretation and adaptability rather than memorisation alone.
Color Bars
A video test pattern used to check aspects of a signal path and monitor setup. The pattern, levels and interpretation depend on the video standard and workflow. Bars alone do not replace a complete display-calibration process.
Color Temperature
A way of describing a light’s colour along a warm-to-cool scale, expressed in kelvin. For many fixtures, correlated colour temperature is the relevant measure. Matching CCT does not guarantee identical tint, spectrum or colour rendition.
Common Marker
A slate mark recorded for more than one camera during a take. It gives editorial a shared visual and audio reference where the cameras can see the mark. Each recording still needs clear identification and appropriate sync information.
Company Move
A relocation of the production between filming locations during a shooting day. It involves moving the relevant people and equipment and preparing the next location. Travel, parking, access and setup time affect the schedule.
Composite
A Composite is a single visual shot or image created by combining multiple separate elements—such as live-action footage, visual effects (VFX), matte paintings, computer-generated imagery (CGI), or graphics—into one seamless final frame. The process of creating a composite is known as compositing, and it’s a central part of modern post-production and visual effects (VFX) work.
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Compression
Compression in filmmaking and post-production refers to two primary concepts: Data Compression — the process of reducing file size for video or audio. Dynamic Range Compression — an audio technique used to control volume levels. Both forms of compression are vital in modern production, balancing quality, efficiency, and control over how sound and image are captured, stored, and delivered.
Com-Tek
COMTEK is a manufacturer whose name is often used on set for wireless listening receivers. These let directors and other designated crew hear a feed from the sound mixer. A monitoring feed is separate from the production’s master audio recording.
Condor
A set nickname for a boom lift used in suitable aerial lighting work. The actual machine, approved equipment, loading and operation requirements matter more than the nickname. These setups are planned and operated by appropriately trained personnel.
Continuity
Consistency of action, appearance, screen direction and story details across shots. The script supervisor records and monitors continuity, while each department contributes to matching its own work. Continuity helps separate takes cut together convincingly.
Continuity Error
A Continuity Error is a mismatch or inconsistency between shots that disrupts the visual or narrative flow of a film. These errors occur when an element—such as a prop, costume, makeup detail, actor position, or background feature—changes unintentionally from one shot to another within the same scene. Continuity errors are among the most common on-set and post-production mistakes, and even large-budget films can contain them.
Cookie (Cuculoris)
A Cookie, short for Cuculoris, is a lighting tool used to break up light and create patterned shadows or texture on a surface or subject. It’s typically a wooden or metal panel with irregular cutouts that allow light to pass through in scattered or shaped beams. Cookies are used to add visual depth, realism, and interest to a scene—turning a flat light source into something more dynamic and dimensional.
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Co-Producer
A producer credit for a person or company with an agreed share of producing responsibilities. Those responsibilities may be creative, financial or operational. The title does not automatically mean line producer or identify a standard set of duties.
Co-Production
A production made jointly by two or more producing organisations. The arrangement can involve shared financing, resources and responsibilities. An officially recognised treaty co-production has additional criteria beyond simply having multiple producers.
Copy
A spoken acknowledgement that a message has been received, commonly used on a walkie-talkie. It confirms receipt; it does not necessarily mean that a requested task is finished. Clear follow-up avoids confusing understanding with completion.
Costume Designer
The department head who develops the clothing and costume choices for the story’s characters. Working with the director and other creative departments, the costume designer considers character, period, movement, continuity and how the garments photograph.
Counterbalance
A force or weight arranged to oppose an unbalanced load, such as a camera on a jib or a head’s tilt mechanism. Correct counterbalance depends on the load and its distance from the pivot, along with the equipment’s design and rated limits.
Coverage
The collection of shots available to edit a scene, such as a master, singles, over-the-shoulders and inserts. Coverage gives the editor choices about performance, emphasis and timing. The useful combinations depend on the scene’s intended construction.
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Cowboy Shot
A shot commonly framing a person from around mid-thigh or the knees upward. Associated with showing a holstered weapon in Westerns, it also provides room for hands and body language. The exact framing varies.
Craft Service
Usually referred to as craft or crafty, it is the food and snacks that are provided throughout the day on a production. Craft is not meals, meals are usually hot, catered food that is brought in. Craft generally consists of coffee, tea, fruit, muffins, bagels, granola bars, chips, chocolate, etc.
Crane Shot
A shot made with the camera supported by a crane or jib. The support permits changes in camera height and position during the shot. Its movement can reveal geography, follow action or alter the relationship between subject and surroundings.
Crash Zoom
A deliberately rapid zoom that abruptly changes the field of view. It can emphasise a reaction, reveal a detail or add comic or dramatic energy. The camera need not move physically toward the subject.
Creative Producer
A producer whose contribution includes developing and shaping the project’s creative direction. This can involve the script, collaborators and editorial decisions. The title’s responsibilities vary and may overlap with financing or production work.
Crew Call
A crew call is the general call time given to the crew of a production. Individual calls and pre-calls may also be given, but the crew call will be large at the top of the call sheet and meant for anyone who doesn’t have a specified time beside their name.
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Cribbing
Blocks or timbers arranged to support or level suitable equipment or structures. It is part of a planned support setup, not simply spare wood placed under a load. Materials, arrangement and capacity must suit the application.
Cronenbergian (David Cronenberg Style)
A description of work recalling David Cronenberg, particularly unstable identity, bodily transformation and the uneasy relationship between people and technology. Often associated with body horror, it can also describe psychological and social concerns beyond explicit physical effects.
Read the full Cronenbergian (David Cronenberg Style) definition →
Crystal Sync
Crystal sync uses a quartz reference to regulate a camera’s transport speed or recording clock within specified tolerances. It can apply at different supported frame rates; true 24 fps is one setting. A separate reference is still needed to align picture and sound.
C.S.C. (Canadian Society of Cinematographers)
The Canadian Society of Cinematographers, a professional organisation supporting the art and craft of cinematography. Its name and membership designations identify the society; they are separate from a crew job title or union classification.
Read the full C.S.C. (Canadian Society of Cinematographers) definition →
C-Stand (Century Stand)
The C-stand (Century Stand) is a grip stand used for flags, diffusion, bounce and other modifiers. Its offset legs support close nesting with compatible stands. A detachable turtle base and a sliding/Rocky Mountain leg are separate model features.
CTB (Colour Temperature Blue)
Blue colour-correction material used to shift a light toward a higher colour temperature. Different strengths provide different corrections and transmission losses. Its effect depends on the starting source and the particular filter.
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CTO (Colour Temperature Orange)
Orange colour-correction material used to shift a light toward a lower colour temperature. Different strengths produce different shifts and light losses. It can help balance sources or create a warmer effect when the camera settings remain fixed.
Cuculoris (Cookie)
A Cuculoris (often shortened to “cookie”) is a lighting tool used to break up light and cast patterned shadows on a subject, wall, or background. Typically made of wood, metal, plastic, or fabric, a cuculoris contains irregular cutouts or shapes that allow light to pass through unevenly, creating texture, depth, and visual interest within a scene. On set, the term “cuculoris” refers to the technical or formal name for the tool, while “cookie” is the common slang used by grip and electric crews.
Cue
A signal that prompts an action, line, movement or technical change. It can come from dialogue, a physical action or a crew call. A clear cue lets performers and departments coordinate timing within a take.
Cue Card
A card or display carrying words for a performer to read during a presentation. Cue cards are common in television and live performance. Their placement and lettering help the performer read while maintaining the intended eyeline.
Cut
The call to stop the current take, usually made by the director. In editing, a cut is also the transition from one shot directly to another. The context distinguishes the set command from the editorial technique.
Cutaway
A shot that leaves the main action to show a related detail, reaction or surrounding activity. It can add information, change emphasis or help bridge an edit. It should still make sense within the scene’s space and timing.
Cutter
A narrow flag used to block or shape light, for example to keep spill off a background or lens. Its size and placement determine the area controlled. The term can also have other meanings in editing or equipment discussions.
Cutting Room Floor
An expression for material left out of the finished edit. It comes from physical film editing, when unwanted sections were cut away. Today it can describe unused footage or scenes in entirely digital productions.
Cyc light
A fixture designed to illuminate a cyclorama evenly, often with an asymmetric light distribution. Tungsten and LED versions exist. “Cyc” identifies the lighting application rather than a single lamp technology or colour.
Cyclorama (Cyc)
A continuous background surface, often curved where the wall meets the floor to avoid a visible corner. With suitable lighting, it can appear to extend without an obvious boundary. Cycs are used for studio backgrounds and compositing work.
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