Glossary
- SVOD
- Subscription access to a catalogue; titles and options vary by territory and plan.
Choose a streaming subscription ↗ - TVOD
- Per-title rental or digital purchase, separate from subscription.
Choose a streaming subscription ↗ - AVOD
- Ad-funded viewing; access terms and catalogue depend on the service.
Choose a streaming subscription ↗ - FAST
- Ad-funded linear streaming channels. Programming follows a schedule rather than on-demand choice.
Choose a streaming subscription ↗ - HDR
- High dynamic range. Separate from resolution: 4K content is not necessarily HDR.
Understand 4K, HDR and picture quality ↗ - 4K UHD
- Common consumer resolution of 3840 × 2160 pixels. Quality also depends on compression and source.
Understand 4K, HDR and picture quality ↗ - VO
- Original version: preserves the original performance language. Subtitles are a separate option.
Original audio, dubbing, subtitles and audio description ↗ - SDH / CC
- Captions including sound information and sometimes speaker identification. Conventions vary by service and language.
Original audio, dubbing, subtitles and audio description ↗ - AD
- Audio description: narration of useful visual elements between dialogue; check language and title support.
Original audio, dubbing, subtitles and audio description ↗ - Aspect ratio
- Ratio of image width to height. Black bars may preserve it on a differently shaped screen.
Picture formats: preserve the frame ↗ - Intertitle
- Text inserted between images, notably to convey a line or information in silent films.
Discover silent cinema ↗ - Off-screen space
- What lies beyond the visible frame but may be suggested by a look, sound or story.
Understand editing without jargon ↗ - Sequence shot
- A continuous shot developing a sequence without a visible edit; duration alone does not explain its effect.
Understand editing without jargon ↗ - Diegetic sound
- Sound belonging to the story world, such as conversation or a radio heard within the scene.
Listen to a film: voices, music and effects ↗ - Shot
- A shot is a unit between cuts in the presented edit. Describe length, distance and movement before interpreting its effect.
Understand editing without jargon ↗ - Cut continuity
- A relationship between shots: direction, gaze, gesture or sound may create continuity or a visible break.
Understand editing without jargon ↗ - Ellipsis
- An omitted interval in the story. Look for the cue that establishes time passing without showing it.
Understand editing without jargon ↗ - Shot/reverse shot
- Alternating viewpoints often used in dialogue. Watch reactions and what remains offscreen too.
Understand editing without jargon ↗ - Non-diegetic sound
- Sound outside the represented world, such as music characters cannot hear. Its status may change within a scene.
Listen to a film: voices, music and effects ↗ - Master
- Reference element or file used to produce an edition. Editions with the same title can use different masters.
Cuts, restorations and editions: choose a version ↗ - Co-production
- Production involving partners from several countries. Listed countries depend on source scope and do not necessarily describe filming locations.
Explore world cinema ↗ - Re-enactment
- A scene re-enacted after an event. It may illuminate an account but is not direct footage of the original event.
Fiction, documentary and re-enactment ↗