The jargon, explained.
A plain-English guide to the production terms you'll come across when you work with us.
DoP (Director of Photography)
The person responsible for the look of a film: camera, lighting and framing. Also known as the cinematographer.
Cinematography
The craft of lighting and capturing images on camera in a way that serves the story.
Pre-Production
All the planning before a shoot, scheduling, casting, location scouting, permits and logistics.
Production
The filming itself, when the crew, talent and equipment come together on set or location.
Post-Production
Everything after the shoot, editing, colour grading, sound, graphics and final delivery.
Colour Grading
The final picture stage, where the colour and tone of every shot is balanced and styled for a consistent, cinematic look.
Sound Design
Creating and assembling the non-musical sounds in a film, from atmospheres to effects, so a scene feels real.
Sound Mixing
Balancing and blending all the audio elements, dialogue, music and effects, into a clean final soundtrack.
Dialogue Editing
Cleaning and shaping recorded speech so every line is clear and consistent.
Foley
Everyday sound effects such as footsteps and handled props, recorded in sync to picture to make a scene feel tangible.
Music Supervision
Sourcing, licensing and placing the right music for a film.
Motion Graphics
Animated text, graphics and design elements used to explain ideas or brand a film.
VFX (Visual Effects)
Imagery created or enhanced digitally that could not be captured in camera.
Storyboarding
Sketching a film shot by shot before the shoot to plan the visuals.
Scripting
Writing the words and structure that underpin a film.
Location Scouting
Finding and assessing places to film against the creative and practical needs of a production.
Permits
The official permissions required to film in many public and private locations.
Multi-Camera Production
Filming with several cameras at once, used for events, interviews and live coverage.
HDR (High Dynamic Range)
A delivery format with a wider range of brightness and colour for richer, more lifelike images.
Versioning & Delivery
Producing a film in the different formats, lengths and aspect ratios each platform requires.
Subtitling & Captioning
Adding on-screen text of the spoken audio for accessibility and silent viewing.
Showreel
A short, edited sampler of a studio's best work.