Look up the filmmaking terms you’ll hear on set, in prep and in post. Explore more than 600 entries covering camera, lighting, grip, sound, production and the language of storytelling.
Find a term by letter, explore departments and topics, or start with the basics.
Browse A–Z
Browse by number
Find filmmaking terms beginning with a specific number.
Start with the basics
New to filmmaking? Begin with call sheets, blocking, the 180-degree rule, continuity, f-stops and ISO. These give you a useful starting point for following the shooting day and understanding how scenes are put together.
Browse by department and topic
Choose an area you want to understand, then follow the links into the dictionary. These are starting points; the A–Z pages contain many more terms.
Camera & lenses
Framing, focus, exposure and the image recorded by the camera.
Lighting & electric
Light quality, lighting crew roles and preparing a setup.
Grip & camera movement
Camera support, grip equipment and moving through a shot.
Sound & recording
Dialogue, background sound and audio workflows.
Shots & editing
Shot sizes, coverage and the choices that connect images.
Production & crew
The paperwork, people and planning behind a shooting day.
Art, props & makeup
Design, props, practical effects and continuity.
Story & screen language
Narrative techniques and the ways films communicate meaning.
Build on the definition
Some terms change meaning between departments, regions and crews. Read the context in each entry, especially for set slang, and use the related links to connect it to the rest of the production.
For a wider view, explore our department guides or cinema studies and film history. Start with the term you need, then build out from there.