Producing for TV and New Media: Glossary - S

In addition to being the acronym for this organization, SMPTE time code is the standard 8-digit time code used in video that represents hours, minutes, seconds, and frames per second

Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers

In video, the speed of a shot is slowed down to create a slower action or other desired effect

Slow motion

The audio that is recorded directly onto the videotape

Medium to large squares of translucent material that can be strategically hung and positioned to filter the sunlight and maintain lighting consistency

A person or company that has agreed to comply with the regulations of any union that covers writers, directors, talent, and/or crew members

Might also be the executive producer of a weekly television show, and is responsible for the creative direction of a series, guiding the writers along with the script, casting the actors, pitching a show idea to a network, and more

A short, single take that is edited into a longer sequence or scene

Projects that are usually less than 30 to 40 minutes in length

A mapped-out plan for the shoot, generally given to all cast and crew for each day’s shoot

The amount of material shot in production in relation to the actual footage used in editing

In production, all the shots needed in one location are grouped together and shot before moving on to the next location

Another term for a camera operator

All the elements needed for a specific shot, such as the placement of the camera, the lenses and microphones, and the composition of the frame

The set mixer records the dialogue and any other production sound that is produced on the set, as clearly as possible

The physical and aesthetic placement of furnishings and props in preparation for rehearsals and the actual shooting

Takes the production designer’s rough drawings and creates working blueprints and construction drawings that guide the building of the sets

Creates the visual look of the project, including the purchase, rental, and placement of furnishings that add to the set environments

A smaller production team that independently shoots extra footage, like exteriors, background reactions, etc., to be tied into primary scenes in the editing