Encyclopedia

2106 entries · Page 20 of 36

• Lock rail

  The operating level containing rope locks for counterweight line sets.

• Lockdown

  A security action restricting movement and access during an immediate external or internal threat.

• Locked camera

  A camera secured to maintain an unchanged position, orientation, and framing across takes.

• Locked script

  A production script whose scene numbering is frozen so later revisions do not renumber existing scenes.

• Locked-off shot

  A static shot with the camera support controls secured against pan, tilt, or travel.

• Lockout/tagout

  A control procedure that isolates hazardous energy and identifies equipment before service or maintenance.

• Lockup

  A set condition in which movement or noise is paused to protect a take, often called by the assistant director.

• Loft block

  An overhead sheave guiding an individual lift line between batten and head block.

• Logline

  A brief statement of a project’s protagonist, goal, conflict, and distinctive premise.

• Long-GOP codec

  A codec structure representing some frames through differences from earlier or later frames.

• Longitudinal timecode

  A timecode signal encoded as audio-like data along a recording track.

• Look Development Artist

  A Look Development Artist defines how a computer-generated asset responds to light by building and tuning shaders, materials, texture relationships, displacement, subsurface behavior, reflections, and render settings. They translate design and real-world reference into a repeatable surface setup that remains convincing across lighting conditions, cameras, and shots.

• Look modification transform

  An ACES transform representing an intentional creative look within a color-managed pipeline.

• Lookbook

  A curated visual reference that aligns departments on color, texture, composition, wardrobe, and production design.

• Loop former

  A camera mechanism or guide that establishes the required slack loops around an intermittent film movement.

• Loop group

  A group of voice performers recording background and incidental dialogue for post-production.

• Los Angeles position

  The commonly used name for placing a full apple flat in its lowest and broadest orientation, roughly 8 inches high.

• Lost-child procedure

  A privacy-conscious process for protecting and reuniting a separated child and guardian.

• Loudness normalization

  The measurement and adjustment of program audio toward a specified perceived-loudness target.

• Loudness range

  A statistical measure describing variation in program loudness while excluding extreme short events.

• Loudspeaker processor

  A digital processor providing crossover, equalization, delay, limiting, and routing for speaker systems.

• Low-angle shot

  A shot made with the camera looking upward toward its subject.

• Low-boy stand

  A short heavy-duty stand that positions junior-mounted fixtures or equipment near floor level.

• Low-loader shot

  A vehicle scene photographed with the picture vehicle carried on a low platform trailer.

• Lower explosive limit

  The minimum concentration of a flammable gas or vapor in air capable of propagating flame.

• Lower third

  An on-screen graphic identifying a person, place, topic, score, or other contextual information.

• LPL mount

  A large-diameter ARRI lens mount designed for modern large-format cinema lenses and metadata contacts.

• LUFS

  Loudness Units relative to Full Scale, a unit used for measured program loudness in digital audio.

• Luma key

  Isolation of image regions using brightness values rather than hue selection.

• LUT

  A lookup table that maps input values to output values for preview, display transformation, or a creative look.

• M&E

  A music-and-effects mix prepared without primary dialogue so localized dialogue can be added.

• Macro lens

  A lens designed to focus closely and reproduce small subjects at relatively high magnification.

• MADI

  A multichannel digital-audio interface standardized for carrying many channels over coaxial or optical connections.

• Mafer clamp

  A compact padded jaw clamp with a receiver used to mount lightweight production accessories.

• Magic sheet

  A condensed graphical layout of lighting channels organized by area, direction, color, or purpose.

• Make-up test

  A camera-facing trial of hair, cosmetic, prosthetic, or character treatments before filming.

• Makeup Artist

  A film Makeup Artist applies and maintains approved beauty, corrective, period, character, injury, aging, body, and continuity makeup for performers. They prepare skin, use sanitary tools and products, document each look, make discreet on-set touch-ups, and remove products safely at wrap.

• Makeup Department Head

  A Makeup Department Head designs or leads the makeup plan for a production and manages the artists, products, continuity, tests, fittings, prosthetic interfaces, hygiene, schedules, budgets, and daily cast coverage needed to execute it. They align character looks with the Director, camera, costume, hair, and production requirements.

• Makeup FX Artist

  A Makeup FX Artist creates and applies physical character transformations such as wounds, scars, aging, creatures, appliances, teeth, hair pieces, blood, dirt, and other practical makeup effects. They sculpt, mold, cast, paint, fit, adhere, blend, maintain, remove, and reproduce approved effects while protecting performer skin, movement, vision, breathing, comfort, privacy, and continuity.

• Manual chain hoist

  A hand-operated lifting device using load chain and a geared mechanism.

• Manual cue

  A cue whose timing or level is directly controlled by an operator rather than fully automated.

• Marine Coordinator

  A Marine Coordinator plans and supervises production work on or around oceans, lakes, rivers, pools, tanks, docks, beaches, and vessels. They assess water, weather, tides, currents, access, craft, crew, permits, communications, rescue, environmental protection, and emergency plans; coordinate qualified operators and safety resources; and align camera, stunts, performers, transport, and shore teams before authorizing marine activity.

• Mark it

  A request for the slate operator to create the synchronization mark.

• Marketplace attachment

  A documented relationship with a distributor, broadcaster, platform, or sales agent supporting project viability.

• Marketplace contributor

  A distributor, broadcaster, platform, sales agent, or similar market participant contributing project finance or value.

• Martini shot

  Informal production slang for the final planned shot of a day or setup.

• Masking portal

  A coordinated header-and-leg assembly forming an adjustable visual frame around the stage picture.

• Master clip

  An Avid project object representing source media and its metadata for editorial use.

• Master coverage

  Coverage intended to preserve the scene’s principal geography and continuous action.

• Master shot

  A shot that covers the principal action of an entire scene or substantial section of it.

• Master-use license

  Permission to use a particular recorded performance of music in an audiovisual work.

• Match cut

  An edit joining shots through a corresponding shape, movement, composition, action, idea, or sound.

• Match frame

  An editorial command locating the source frame corresponding to the current sequence frame.

• Match grade

  A color correction aligning a shot’s appearance with adjacent or reference shots.

• Match move

  A tracking workflow that reconstructs camera or object motion for visual-effects integration.

• Matching action

  Performance and object movement repeated consistently enough to support continuity across edits.

• Matchmove Artist

  A Matchmove Artist reconstructs the movement and optical behavior of a photographed camera—and often moving objects—inside a three-dimensional scene. They solve camera position, orientation, focal length, distortion, scale, and timing so CG elements, set extensions, simulations, and projections remain locked convincingly to the live-action plate.

• Material sample

  A representative piece of proposed fabric, surface, finish, hardware, or construction material.

• Materials release

  Written permission to photograph, reproduce, adapt, or distribute specified artwork, documents, footage, or other material.

• Matte box

  A camera-front accessory that shades the lens and holds filters in a controlled position.

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