Last Updated 5 days ago
Filmmaking Dictionary / Letter H
Browse filmmaking terms starting with H, including Hair Light, Half Apple, Hand Crank. Find a quick explanation below and follow the full-definition links where a detailed guide is available.
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Jump to a term · 28 entries
- Hair Light
- Half Apple
- Hand Crank
- Hand Held
- Hand Insert
- Hard Light
- Head of Department (HOD)
- Headroom
- Heads Up
- Heat Shimmer
- Hero
- Hero Room
- Herzogian (Werner Herzog Style)
- Hiatus
- High Angle
- Hi Hat
- Hitchcockian (Alfred Hitchcock Style)
- HMI (Hydrargyrum Medium-Arc Iodide)
- Hold the Roll
- Hollywood (as a verb)
- Honeycomb Grid
- Honeywagon
- Hook
- Hot Set
- Hot Spot
- House Lights
- Hydro (Canadian term)
- Hyperfocal Distance
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Hair Light
A light positioned to give definition or highlights to a performer’s hair. It can help separate the head from the background. The effect depends on hair colour, texture and the light’s direction and intensity.
Half Apple
A half apple is an apple box with a nominal height of 4 inches. A quarter apple is 2 inches high; the 1-inch eighth apple is commonly called a pancake. The dimensions describe the box lying on its broad face.
Hand Crank
Hand cranking drives the film transport and shutter by continuously turning a crank during the take. Winding a spring motor before filming is a different drive method, even when the same camera supports both.
Hand Held
Camera operation without a fixed support, usually with the camera held or supported by the operator’s body. It can produce deliberate movement and immediacy. Shoulder rigs and other supports influence the resulting steadiness and handling.
Hand Insert
A close shot of a hand performing a specific action, such as opening a letter or operating a device. It supplies detail for the edit and needs to match the scene’s action, props and continuity.
Hard Light
Light that produces relatively well-defined shadow edges because its apparent source is small from the subject’s position. Hardness is separate from lighting contrast: a hard source can be combined with substantial fill.
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Head of Department (HOD)
The person leading a production department, such as the gaffer, key grip or costume designer. The HOD coordinates that department’s work and communicates its needs with the production and other departments.
Headroom
The space between the top of a person’s head and the upper frame edge. Its amount changes the balance of a composition. Different shot sizes and intended effects call for different framing choices.
Heads Up
A warning intended to draw attention to an approaching action, movement or potential hazard. On a busy set, a clear and specific warning is more useful than relying on the phrase alone.
Heat Shimmer
Visible image distortion caused by variations in the refractive properties of heated air. It is often noticeable over hot surfaces or at long viewing distances. Refocusing does not necessarily remove the distortion.
Hero
A term for the featured or principal version of a prop, vehicle, costume or other element. A hero item may be selected for close views and detail, while alternate versions serve different shooting requirements.
Hero Room
The main room or interior selected to appear on camera at a location. The term distinguishes the filmed space from holding, storage or support areas, although its exact use varies between productions.
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Herzogian (Werner Herzog Style)
A description of work recalling Werner Herzog, often involving obsessive ambition, extreme landscapes and tension between people and the natural world. The term can apply to documentary or fiction and describes recurring concerns more than a single visual formula.
Hiatus
A planned or unplanned break in a production’s active work. It can occur between shooting periods or around holidays. A hiatus is a pause; it does not necessarily mean the project has been cancelled.
High Angle
A shot in which the camera looks down toward the subject. It changes the viewer’s spatial relationship to the action and may reveal surroundings. Its emotional meaning depends on the scene rather than a fixed rule.
Hi Hat
A low-profile support that holds a compatible camera head close to a mounting surface. It is useful for low camera positions. The head interface, base and securing method depend on the equipment and setup.
Hitchcockian (Alfred Hitchcock Style)
A description of suspense techniques associated with Alfred Hitchcock, including controlled audience knowledge, subjective viewpoints and carefully staged visual information. Suspense often grows from viewers anticipating a danger that a character does not yet fully understand.
Read the full Hitchcockian (Alfred Hitchcock Style) definition →
HMI (Hydrargyrum Medium-Arc Iodide)
An HMI is a metal-halide arc-discharge lamp used for high-output, daylight-type illumination, operating with a compatible ballast. The term is commonly expanded as Hydrargyrum Medium-Arc Iodide. It is not a hydrogen or incandescent lamp; color, output and operating requirements depend on the model.
Read the full HMI (Hydrargyrum Medium-Arc Iodide) definition →
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Hold the Roll
A request to delay starting the take or recording process while something is resolved. It is different from calling cut on an active take. The crew follows the production’s agreed calls and communication chain.
Hollywood (as a verb)
To hold a flag, modifier or other suitable item by hand for a shot instead of placing it on a stand. It describes the support method and does not make unsuitable loads or positions safe.
Honeycomb Grid
A grid used with compatible lighting or modifiers to limit the spread of light. It helps contain spill while retaining the source’s general character. Coverage and light loss depend on the grid and fixture.
Honeywagon
A production trailer or vehicle containing support facilities, often toilets and sometimes other rooms or offices. Layouts vary by vehicle and production; the name does not specify one universal arrangement.
Hook
An element that draws the audience into a story or prompts interest in what happens next. It may be a striking event, question, character or image. A hook can appear in a pitch, opening or later sequence.
Hot Set
A hot set is a set in which furniture, props and art department items have been placed and are ready for camera, the pieces are marked with tape and should not be moved for consistency.
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Hot Spot
An area noticeably brighter than its surroundings, caused by a concentrated beam, reflection or uneven illumination. It may be intentional and is not necessarily clipped or overexposed. Its importance depends on the shot.
House Lights
The general lights used to illuminate a theatre’s audience area or a working space. They are controlled separately from the scene’s creative lighting and may be lowered or switched off when filming requires it.
Hydro (Canadian term)
Canadian shorthand for electricity or electrical service, often heard when discussing location power. On set it does not identify the supply’s voltage, capacity or distribution; those details still need to be established.
Hyperfocal Distance
A focus distance that, under a chosen sharpness criterion, places infinity at the far limit of acceptable focus. The near limit is approximately half that distance. Aperture, focal length and the viewing criterion determine the value.
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