WHAT IS VIDEO EDITING?

Video editing is the process of modifying and reorganizing video clips to create a new work. Video editing involves cutting, combining, and manipulating film to construct a narrative or convey a message. It may also involve the addition of special effects, audio, and text. Indeed, video editing is a crucial stage in the post-production process in the video and film industry.

WHAT DO WE UNDERSTAND BY THE TERM “TERMINOLOGY”?

The precise terms and phrases used in a particular sector or industry are known as terminology. These terms can have specific meanings and implications that those outside the industry may not fully understand. For example, in video editing, “sequence”, “timeline” and “rendering” are all terms that have different meanings and applications. Mastering the vocabulary of a discipline is essential for effective communication and understanding of its principles and practices.

A

1. A-Roll: The primary footage used in video editing is referred to as A-roll. It is often the primary video source and is used to create the key visual clip in a video edit. 
2. Aspect Ratio: The proportional relationship between the height and width of an image. Common aspect ratios include 4:3, 16:9, and 21:9.
3. Assembly: The technique of stitching keyframes or parts together to create a whole video is called “assembly”.

B

4. B-Roll: B-roll is auxiliary material used in video editing to supplement the primary visual track (A-roll).
5. Bit Rate: The bit rate represents the amount of data needed to convey one moment of audio or video. It is usually expressed in bits per second (bps) or megabits per second (Mbps)
6. Bumper: A bumper is a brief video segment that serves as either an introduction or transition between programs.

C

7. Call and Respond: A musical idea in which a leader or “caller” performs or produces a phrase and is responded to by a choir or group known as the “responders”. 
8. Chroma Key: Chroma Key is a technique that replaces a solid-colored backdrop (often green or blue) with a digital image.
9. Codec: A codec is a program that enables you to compress and decompress data for storage and playback.
10. Color Correction: The technique of adjusting a video’s color balance, saturation, and brightness is known as color correction.
11. Composting: The act of integrating numerous layers of video, photos, and special effects into a unified final shot.
12. Continuity Editing: By matching images and scenes in time, place, and action, continuity editing focuses on creating a smooth, seamless, and cohesive story.
13. Continuity Error: Continuity errors are noticeable discrepancies within a scene that detract from the viewer’s experience.
14. Cross-Cutting: Cross-cutting is used to create the illusion of synchronization by cutting between two or more scenes taking place at the same time but in different locations.
15. Cut: A cut is the transition between two shots.
16. Cut to Clock (CTC): A cut to clock is a transition from one shot to a shot of a clock that is frequently used to show the passage of time.
17. Cut-In (Insert Shot): A cut-in is a rapid movement from one shot to another inside the same scene, typically to display close-ups or extra information

D

18. Dissolve: A dissolve is a transitional effect that progressively mixes one shot into another.
19. Diffusion: Diffusion is a technique for softening light to lessen harshness and give a more natural appearance.
20. Dolly Shot: A dolly shot is a camera movement that creates the appearance of motion by mounting the camera on a track and moving towards or away from a subject.

E

21. Established Shot: A panoramic shot of a location intended to acquaint the audience with the setting of a drama is known as an established shot.
22. Eyeline Match: When two frames are spliced together, a character’s gaze appears to be staring straight at another figure or item in the next shot.

F

23. Fade: A fade is a transition effect in which an image gradually comes on screen or where the soundtrack gets louder.
24. Foley: Foley,(Upsound), refers to the act of adding or altering sound effects in a video. 
25. Frame Rate: The amount of individual frames seen per second is referred to as the frame rate. 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, and 60 frames per second are frequent frame rates (fps).
26. Frankenbiting: It is the act of splicing and rearrangement of audio snippets to produce new and changed dialogue.

G

27. Greyscale: Greyscale refers to a monochromatic color scheme in which all hues and saturations are absent and all colors are portrayed as shades of grey.

H

28. High-Definition Media Interface (HDMI): Digital media and audio files are sent from one gadget to another using the HDMI interface.
29. High Dynamic Range (HDR): It refers to the increasing of the contrast range of a video image to accurately represent the full range of light and color visible in a scene.

I

30. Internal Edit: A short-term cutaway from the main narrative to show another scene before reverting to the actual event in an internal edit
31. Iris: It describes a transition in which the departing shot gradually gives way to the entering shot by either getting smaller or growing bigger.

J

32. J-Cuts: In a J-cut, the audio from the entering clip begins just before the accompanying cut. The term “J-cut” alludes to the timeline cut’s form.
33. Jump Cuts: Jump cuts are abrupt changes in a video that provide an observable discontinuity in the audiovisual flow.

K

34. Ken Burns Effect: An effective panning-zooming animation method for bringing static pictures to life.
35. Key / Keying: A key is a technique of transparently deleting a certain color or brightness range to reveal a different video or picture layer.
36. Keyframe: An individual frame in a video sequence known as a “keyframe” designates the beginning or end of a change in the video characteristics.

L

37. L-Cuts: L-cut is a method that includes mixing the audio from one shot with the image from the following one.
38. Layering: The act of layering involves placing several visual components on top of one another to produce a composite image.
39. Letterboxing: By inserting black bars to the top and bottom, or both sides, of a video, letterboxing preserves the video’s original aspect ratio while allowing it to fit into a frame with a different aspect ratio.
40. Linear Video Editing: Traditional, linear video editing includes physically cutting and combining cassettes to produce the finished result.
41. Lower Third: The lower third is a visual component that projects text or images across the bottom third of the screen, generally to convey details about a character or scenario.

M

42. Matched Cut: Matched cut, otherwise referred to as a sync cut, is a form of editing method used in cinema and television to provide a seamless and inconspicuous transition between two shots that have a common tone or rhythm.
43. Memory Bank: A feature called Memory Bank enables the saving of a particular frame or frames in a video so they may be readily accessed and used.
44. Montage: Montage is a method in which several brief pictures are put together to form a new sequence that expresses a narrative, or an emotion.

N

45. Non-Linear Editing (NLE): Non-linear editing (NLE) is a video editing method that allows footage to be accessed and arranged in any order rather than sequentially.

O

46. Overwrite: Overwrite refers to the technique of replacing old footage on a time frame with new film without impacting the total duration of the project.

P

47. Pans: A camera maneuver in which it pivots to the left or right, or up or down, on a fixed axis to record a changing perspective.
48. Picture Lock: This stage marks the end of the editing process and the beginning of post-production.
49. Pillarboxing: Pillarboxing is a methodology for preserving a video’s aspect ratio by inserting black bars into the image’s sides.
50. Pixel Aspect Ratio (PAR): It refers to the proportionate connection between the height and width of subpixel rendering in a frame.

R

51. Rendering: Rendering is the process of creating a final output clip from altered source material.
52. Resolution: The amount of pixels in a picture or video is referred to as its resolution. The most common video resolutions are 720p, 1080p, 2K, 4K, and 8K.
53. Rotoscoping: Rotoscoping is a method used to extract a dynamic item in a scene and remove it from its surroundings.
54. Rough Cut: Rough cut is the first compilation of a video, generally made from sorted and arranged rushes.
55. Rushes: Rushes are spontaneous, unedited footage acquired during production.

S

56. Saturation: Saturation refers to the strength or accuracy of colors.
57. Sequence Shots: It is a succession of consecutive shots that are combined to produce a single, ongoing take.
58. Shot List: A shot list is a collection of shots or sequences that a filmmaker intends to record during shooting.
59. Shot Reverse Shot: Shot reverse shot is an editing method in which two shots of two main characters are combined back and forth to depict their interaction.
60. Smash Cut: A smash cut is a transition in which one shot is rapidly replaced by another, resulting in a startling effect. It is utilized in stories to produce a dramatic or abrupt transformation.
61. Splicing: Splicing is the process of cutting and merging several shots or scenes to generate a finished video.
62. Storyboard: A storyboard is a graphic depiction of a video that outlines the important sequences and their interconnect. It acts as a guide.
63. Stringout: Stringout refers to the process of grouping clips in succession. Selecting and organizing individual shots to produce a fluid and logical sequence that tells a tale or communicates a message.
64. Sweetening: Sweetening is the technique of adding or modifying audio elements to improve the acoustic and overall production value.
65. Sync (Synchronisation): Sync entails the process of syncing audio and video streams so that they play in sync to provide a constant and seamless experience.

T

66. The Rule of Thirds: The rule of thirds is a fundamental concept in videography and photography that helps determine where to position subjects or elements within the frame.
67. Three-Point Lighting: Three-point lighting is a common lighting approach used in photography and cinematography to enhance depth and clarity in a scene.
68. Tilts: A tilt is a camera movement in which the camera rotates on its vertical plane, whether up or down.
69. Timecode: Timecode alludes to a numerical representation of a video’s actual state in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. It is commonly written as hh:mm:ss:ff (hours:minutes:seconds: frames).
70. Timelapse: Timelapse refers to a method for recording a lengthy duration of time in a brief, accelerated video. It is used to capture slow-moving events such as plant development, cloud movement, or the passage of time in a bustling metropolis.
71. Twist Control: The practice of altering the trajectories of a shot is referred to as twist control.

V

72. Variable Frame Rate (VBR): Variable frame rate (VBR) refers to the process of capturing or producing footage at a frames per second. 
73. Virtual Reality: Virtual reality (VR) refers to the usage of VR technology to generate and enhance realistic video material.
74. Vision Mixing: The technique of combining several video inputs into a real-time video output, is referred to as “vision mixing” (“video mixing”)…
75. Voiceover: A “Voice-over” is a transcription of spoken dialogue that is added over a visual interface such as footage.

W

76. White Balance: White balance describes the process of altering the colors in a movie such that white objects appear genuinely white rather than yellow, blue, or some other hue. 
77. Wide Angle: A “wide-angle” shot is one captured with a variable aperture that covers a broader field of vision than a standard lens… 
78. Wipe: The transitional effect of one-shot substituting another shot by sliding the very first shot off from the frame, displaying the second shot beneath it is referred to as a “wipe”. 

Y

79. YUV: YUV is a color space that is used during video editing and picture processing. It distinguishes between luminosity (brightness) and chrominance (color) information.

Z

80. Zero Cut: A “zero cut” is a gradual progression from one clip to another, when the two clips seem to be blended into a single shot with no breaks or transitions.

This information might seem overwhelming to grasp at once, especially if you are new to the field. But keep practicing and keep finding reasons to use all these terminologies in your work and your speech as well. Soon enough you will be confident in all of them and have them all at your fingertips.

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Authored and Graphics by: Divyangi Jain

GStudios India