Glossary
- ambient noise: The sounds of the room being recorded other than the speaker(s). This can include the ventilation system, hallway noise, projector/computer hum, audience noise, and any other sounds not integral to the event.
- analog video: Information recorded electronically as a continuously varying electronic signal. Analog video signals stored on tape (like VHS) deteriorate with each copy made.
- Audio ceiling: The maximum audio signal level that can be recorded by a device before distortion, which is just above 0 db for most digital camcorders.
- autofocus: The automatic focusing function that is often the default setting on cameras. The camera will choose the largest object or the closest object in the frame to focus on. This can be dangerous because the camera may decide to focus on something other than the speaker or may fluctuate between focusing on two different things.
- artifacting: The digital “noise” that can appear in a video that results from poor compression of movement in the frame. It is nearly impossible to eliminate all artifacting; however, at higher data rates and with careful composition and editing, it can be negligible.
- auxiliary lights: Extra lights used to illuminate a subject. Intended to be portable, they are usually lightweight and mounted on adjustable stands.
- bandwidth: The capacity of data that can be delivered over an Internet connection. The larger a video, the more bandwidth that is required to deliver it; the less bandwidth available, the slower and choppier a video will appear.
- board: An audio engineering device used to control the volume levels of multiple audio sources, combine them, and output one signal to the recording device. Also referred to as a “mixer.”
- Broadcast Safe/Legal: Video that conforms to industry standards for chrominance (vividness of color) and luminance (brightness). These standards are followed to prevent colors from bleeding, appearing blown out, interfering with audio, or harming electronic equipment.
- color temperature: Different types of light have varying values (measured in degrees Kelvin) and can create a pervading hue in video based on how this information is interpreted by the camera. Certain types of light may cause a greenish, bluish or rose cast in a shot. Correctly white-balancing the camera should solve this problem.
- Coverage clips: Unnecessary yet value-additive footage, used to cover edits or add variety. Often close-ups or alternative angles. Generally short in duration.
- close-up: Framing the subject so that most of the frame is filled with his/her head and shoulders.
- contrast: Visually, the balance of light/dark and shades in between. When video is high-contrast, the darks are black and the lights are white. In low-contrast video, the subtle variations are lost in shades of grey. A happy medium is ideal and should provide bold light and darks while maintaining detail in the subtle color variations.
- digital video: Video recorded as light information (series of pulses) and converted to the binary system, which is stored as data.
- digital video camera: A camera that records visual information using the binary system of 1s and 0s on magnetic, digital tape.
- down-lighting: When the light source is directly overhead, elongated shadows are cast on the face of a person standing beneath this type of lighting. When compressed, these shadows make it difficult to distinguish facial features and can produce a skull-like effect.
- exposure: The amount of light allowed to reach the image capturing device in a camera. If not enough light is allowed into the iris, then the details are lost in darkness. If too much light is allowed in, then the image is “blown-out” or so bright that details are lost.
- frame: Where you position the subject matter in the viewfinder of the camera.
- gain: The strength of the video signal that is being recorded. When gain is increased, the picture brightens but quality will be lost, resulting in video that looks rougher or “grainy.”
- Hard drive/card record: Recording digital video and audio onto a portable hard drive or flash memory card, either of which can be quickly erased and re-used.
- headshot: Same as a close-up. Framing the subject so that most of the frame is filled with his/her head and shoulders.
- High definition video: Video with more scan lines than standard definition video, which has 480 lines. HD generally has either 720 scan lines or 1080 scan lines, which represent the emerging HDTV broadcast standard.
- house: The indoor location of an event, controlled by a third-party. For example, the hotel, conference center, lecture hall/building, theater, etc.
- house lights: The lights that are a permanent part of the room where the event (and recording) is taking place. In large lecture halls, these lights are usually controlled from a central location and can be adjusted in subsets.
- house mic: The microphone used for speaker amplification, usually a permanent part of the lecture hall or room.
- house sound: The sound amplification system controlled by technicians employed by the hotel, conference center, lecture hall/building, theater or other the location where the event is being held.
- iris: This term is synonymous with aperture—the mechanism in the camera through which light is focused onto the focal plane. How much an iris is opened or closed determines the amount of light allowed in and how bright the image will be. Size of the aperture/iris also controls the depth-of-field, or how much of the background is in focus. By controlling the iris and shutter speed together, you can find a balance between the depth-of-field and the camera’s ability to capture fast motion smoothly.
- lock down (tripod head): Most tripods have the ability to tighten the pan and tilt movement of the tripod. If it is too tight, any movement will be jerky and produce an unprofessional result. It is better to keep it at a tightness that will allow you to smoothly follow the speaker if he/she leaves the podium.
- lossy compression: All video delivered online must be compressed to create a file size small enough to transfer over an Internet connection. Because some data are lost in the compression, it is referred to as “lossy.” Sophisticated compression technology scans the video and retains data where important (e.g., movement) and discards data that will not significantly impact the quality.
- Master Clips: The vital shots with all the necessary information. Often wide. Generally long in duration.
- master track: The primary audio recording made by the primary device in a multi-camera set-up. This recording should be the highest quality, without breaks or changes in settings, so that consistency can be maintained in the final edit.
- mic input: The port on a recording device where the mic or receiver is connected.
- MiniDV tape record: An inexpensive medium to record digital video and audio onto a digital magnetic tape. Depending on the recording device, either a miniDV SP, DVCAM or HDV signal can be recorded.
- mixer: An audio engineering device used to control the volume levels of multiple audio sources, combine them, and output one signal to the recording device. Also referred to as a “board.”
- omni-directional mic: A microphone that is sensitive to sound from more than one direction. This type of mic is recommended for recording multiple speakers when multiple individual mics are not available.
- pan: Pivoting the camera left or right. (Tilting is when the camera pivots up or down.)
- post: The period after shooting/recording during which the video is imported to a computer (captured), edited and compressed. This is the stage when audio levels are adjusted, filters are applied, and graphics are added.
- progressive download: A method of delivering video online that allows a viewer to begin watching the video immediately, as it is downloading. Traditional downloads require the file to be completely transferred before viewing. Benefits of this method over streaming is higher quality and that a streaming server is not necessary to deliver the file. The drawback is that a copy of the file is downloaded to the user’s local machine, which compromises control over the distribution of the content.
- pro-sumer: A mid-level camera that has many of the features standard on professional-level cameras but of the quality and pricing attractive to the consumer market.
- room noise: The sounds in the room that are not being produced by the speaker. For example: the audience, ventilation, hallway sounds, doors, projector hum.
- stand lights: Studio lights that are mounted on stands and can be adjusted in height and direction. Usually these are portable and easy to move around. Do not use lights that are too high voltage or place them too close to the podium; extreme brightness and heat will make the speaker very uncomfortable.
- stand mic: A microphone (usually wired) that is placed in a free-standing bracket connected to a base and placed in front of the speaker.
- streaming video: A method of delivering video online that allows a viewer to watch video instantaneously, without downloading the file. This method is much faster than downloading but results in a much lower quality output. Since there is no file downloaded, there is no threat of copyright infringement.
- table mic: A microphone that fits into a stand and can sit, unattended, on a table or podium.
- tripod head: The uppermost unit of the tripod on which the camera mounts. It is here that you will have controls over camera movement.
- white-balancing: A method of calibrating the camera to record white as truly as possible. Different types of light cast different hues—fluorescent light will cast a greenish hue, for example. By white-balancing the camera, you not only adjust the way whites are perceived, but all other colors will be adjusted as well. Some cameras have an automatic white-balancing option which often does quite well and you will be able to tell by how orange or blue skin-tones look. To white-balance manually, hold a piece of pure white paper in the camera’s field of view (relatively closely) under the lighting that your subject will be lit by and press the white balance button.
- wide shot (establishing shot): A preliminary shot that is zoomed out, showing a large area of the location and serves to give the viewer a general sense of the environment and especially, how the speaker (who will be framed tightly later on), fits into the larger space.
- wireless hand-held mic: A mic held by the speaker and connected to a transmitter. A receiver connected to the recording device receives the signal from the transmitter.
- wireless lavaliere: A small microphone clipped to the lapel, collar, or worn around the neck and connected to a transmitter that broadcasts the signal wirelessly to a receiver that is connected to the recording device.
- wireless mic: A microphone system that includes a transmitter and receiver and therefore does not require a wired connection to the camera. A very small mic and transmitter are attached to the speaker and the receiver is attached to the camera, giving the speaker more mobility.
- Zebra indicator: A display tool consisting of white stripes that is used to indicate “hot spots” that are over-exposed, and to serve as an indicator for gauging proper exposure.
- zoom: Using the camera’s ability to move closer to the subject matter, even though it remains stationary. (Tracking is when the camera itself physically moves in or out.)