Filmclusive Encyclopedia
Equipment
Film production roles, equipment, workflows, and terms.
16 mm film
Motion-picture film approximately 16 millimetres wide, available with one or two perforated edges.
35 mm film
Motion-picture film approximately 35 millimetres wide, used in several camera and projection formats.
65 mm negative
A wide motion-picture camera negative format used for a large image area and high-resolution capture.
70 mm release print
A wide exhibition print format that adds space beyond a 65 mm camera negative for soundtrack or handling.
8 mm film
A family of narrow-gauge motion-picture formats using film approximately eight millimetres wide.
Anamorphic lens
A lens that compresses the horizontal image for capture and expands it during viewing or finishing.
Antenna distribution system
An active or passive system that shares receive antennas among multiple compatible wireless receivers.
Apple box
A standardized wooden riser used to change an actor, camera, prop, furniture, or support height in repeatable increments. Full apples are commonly about 8 × 12 × 20 inches and can be placed in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles orientations; they are not substitutes for rated access equipment or engineered support.
ARRI-style rosette
A toothed circular interface used to position and lock handgrips or camera accessories at repeatable angles.
Autopole
A telescoping compression pole used between suitable surfaces for lightweight backgrounds or accessories.
Baby pin
A nominal five-eighth-inch mounting pin used for compatible lighting and grip equipment.
Baby plate
A flat mounting plate with a 5/8-inch baby pin used to attach a small fixture or accessory to an approved surface.
Baby spot
Traditional set-lighting slang for a small Fresnel spotlight, commonly in the roughly 500-to-1,000-watt tungsten class.
Baby stand
A portable lighting stand ending in a baby pin for small and medium compatible fixtures.
Ball camera head
A support head that levels or positions a camera through a lockable ball-and-socket platform.
Ballast
A device that starts and regulates current for certain discharge or fluorescent lighting systems.
Barn doors
Hinged metal leaves mounted at the front of a lighting fixture to limit spill and shape the beam.
Basso blocks
A compact modular riser system that provides apple-box-like height combinations while nesting for transport.
Beadboard
A lightweight textured board used to bounce a soft, broad source.
Beefy Baby stand
A heavier-duty steel baby stand with a 5/8-inch pin, designed for greater strength than a lightweight aluminum baby stand.
BFL
Informal abbreviation for a very large, high-output lighting fixture; the expanded phrase is often vulgar and is not a technical model name.
Billy clip
Set slang for a locking plier or vise-grip fitted with flat plates for gripping scenic or rigging material.
Blackwrap
A heat-resistant black foil used to flag, mask, or shape light around a fixture or accessory.
Blimp windscreen
A rigid basket surrounding a microphone to create still air and reduce outdoor wind noise.
Blonde light
Traditional name for a 2,000-watt open-face tungsten fixture, especially an Italian-made design used for broad, hard output.
BNC cable
A bayonet-lock coaxial cable used for video, reference, timecode, and other production signals.
Bobbinet
A fine open mesh, commonly black, used in nets and overhead fabrics to reduce light with limited change to beam quality.
Body-mounted camera support
A vest-and-arm system that transfers handheld camera weight to an operator’s torso.
Book light
A bounced-and-diffused lighting arrangement that creates a large, soft source close to the subject.
Boom cradle
A support attached to a stand or cart that safely rests a boom pole between takes.
Boom pole
A telescoping pole used to position a microphone near performers while remaining outside the frame.
Bounce
A reflective surface used to redirect and enlarge a light source for softer illumination.
Boundary microphone
A microphone designed to operate on or near a large surface, reducing certain reflected-path cancellations.
Bridge plate
A rigid camera-bottom interface that provides standardized support and rod positions for professional accessories.
Broad light
A broad-beam open-face fixture or, contextually, a lighting direction that illuminates the side of a face turned toward camera.
Butterfly frame
A large collapsible frame used to hold a fabric modifier over or beside a subject.
C-stand
A three-legged grip stand with a column and arm for positioning flags, reflectors, and small fixtures.
C47
A wooden clothespin used to hold diffusion, gels, or small fabric pieces without transferring heat like metal can.
Cam-lock connector
A keyed single-pole power connector used in matched systems by qualified electrical crews.
Camera aperture plate
A precision opening at the film plane that defines the photographed image area.
Camera barney
A fitted padded camera cover used to reduce mechanical noise and sometimes help protect or warm a camera in cold conditions.
Camera baseplate
A mounting platform that connects a camera body to support, rods, or a quick-release system.
Camera body
The imaging unit that records an image to film or a digital sensor and accepts lenses or accessories.
Camera body cap
A cover that closes an empty camera lens mount against dust and damage.
Camera cage
A fitted protective frame that adds threaded mounting points around a camera body.
Camera car mount
A purpose-built rig that secures a camera to a vehicle or vehicle-mounted platform for controlled moving photography.
Camera dolly
A wheeled platform or vehicle that moves a camera through a controlled path.
Camera heater
A controlled warming accessory used to reduce cold-related battery, lens, condensation, or mechanism problems.
Camera media card
Removable storage media rated for a camera’s codec, data rate, capacity, and operating conditions.
Camera rain cover
A fitted weather-resistant cover that protects camera equipment while preserving needed operation and ventilation.
Camera return feed
An audio or video signal sent back from a camera, recorder, switcher, or remote destination for confidence monitoring.
Camera roll
A uniquely identified roll of film exposed through a camera during production.
Camera slider
A short rail system that moves a camera smoothly along a linear path.
Camera stabilizer sled
A balanced post, stage, monitor, and battery assembly used for inertial camera stabilization.
Camera top handle
A camera-mounted handle used for controlled carrying and attachment of lightweight accessories.
Camera tripod
A three-legged support that stabilizes a camera for repeatable, controlled framing.
Cardellini clamp
A compact jaw clamp with a baby-pin mounting point used to secure small lighting, grip, camera, or accessory loads to suitable surfaces.
Cardioid microphone
A microphone with greatest sensitivity toward the front and reduced pickup toward the rear.
Century light
A historical spotlight name associated with Century Lighting equipment, distinct from a Century stand or C-stand.
Chain vise grip
A chain-jaw clamp used to wrap irregular or round members and provide a mounting point.
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