Video Production Glossary: A Concise Guide
Film and video professionals use specialised terms throughout the process of making a video.
Below, you’ll find a handy glossary outlining commonly used terms in Australia.
This glossary will help you understand important video production terms. Whether you’ve hired a production company and are confused by industry jargon, or just want to refresh your knowledge, this resource will improve your understanding of key concepts and techniques. Knowing these terms will help you communicate better with a video production company.
B-CAM
B-cam is a term used for a supporting camera that complements the primary camera, the A-Cam. In an interview setting an A-Cam might capture a front on-angle wide shot of the person speaking, while the B-cam captures a more profile angle, positioned off to the side.
If there are more than two cameras they can be referred to sequentially as C-CAM, D-CAM and so on.
B-ROLL
B-roll is a general term for supplementary video footage that is shot to support the main video content (often an interview or voice over). For example, if your video includes an interview with a policeman, it may be paired with B-roll showcasing the officer driving a vehicle or engaging with colleagues, adding depth to the story.
Bitrate
The bitrate is the amount of data included per second in a video file. It affects video quality and file size. High bitrate footage will mean better quality and bigger file sizes.
Blocking
Blocking involves the strategic arrangement and coordination of actors' positions and movements within a scene.
Bokeh
Bokeh refers to the type of blur and appearance of subjects out of focus in your video content. Various lenses can create distinct types of bokeh, although these differences are often quite subtle.
Boom Mic
A boom mic is a directional microphone that is mounted on a boom pole and often used to record interview dialogue from above the speakers head, just out of view of the camera. In controlled settings such as interviews and movie shoots, the high directionality of a boom microphone makes it an ideal choice for capturing dialogue.
Bounce
A bounce is any material or object used to reflect light onto your subject. A bounce is often used to provide additional light to people's faces, particularly in outdoor settings. They are generally inexpensive tools, commonly made of fabric, card, paper, or foam core. One popular choice on smaller productions is the 3-in-1 pop-up reflector.