Lexicon
Publications
This page lists both living heritage terms and specific film language used in this toolbox.
LIVING HERITAGE
Here we offer an overview of commonly used terms related to intangible cultural heritage within this toolbox. Because speaking the same language is the first step in working together to document intangible heritage.
intangible cultural heritage
Intangible (cultural) heritage are customs, knowledge and practices of today that people have inherited and would like to pass on for the future.
Intangible heritage moves with the times, changes and evolves with us. You grow up with it naturally or you choose to do it at some point. It's in your head and in your hands. Often it takes a lot of practice and especially a lot of doing.
safeguarding intangible heritage
Safeguarding means (helping) to ensure a sustainable future for intangible heritage.
safeguarding measures
Safeguarding, or heritage care, can be addressed through various actions, e.g. by documenting the practice well, archival care, research, communication, ... but above all, safeguarding living heritage always depends on passing on practices, skills and knowledge to new people. In each of these actions, the initiative or involvement of the heritage community is paramount.
heritage community
The intangible heritage community is formed by the people and organisations involved in intangible heritage and eager to (want to) pass it on and give it a future. They do so by practising or supporting the heritage: they may be practitioners, attendees, spectators, audiences, volunteers, heritage organisations, and so on.
intangible heritage professional
A heritage professional, or an intangible heritage worker, is someone who is employed to undertake intangible heritage work at a cultural heritage organisation.
intangible heritage practice
An intangible heritage practice includes practising, performing the practice (uses, skills, techniques,...) itself, but also ensuring that that practice has a future (safeguarding).
UNESCO 'domains' of intangible heritage
Intangible heritage comes in many sizes and types, and is therefore grouped into subsets called domains:
- Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage
- Performing arts
- Social practices, rituals and festive events
- Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe
- Traditional craftsmanship
Heritage can belong to any of these domains. Or it is none of these. Or something of everything.
intangible heritage operations
The operation that an organisation or person sets up concerning intangible heritage (and its safeguarding).
craftership
= usually know as ‘craftmanship'
Within the Toolbox Filming Living Heritage, we have made a conscious choice to use gender-neutral language and therefor use the term 'craftership'. We hope this contributes to changing gender-sensitive language in our functioning and daily interaction.
FILM
Film language is very specific. Below is an overview of commonly used terms around filming within this toolbox.
filming process
the filming process (pre/post/production)
1. Preproduction is the phase where filming itself is prepared.
During pre-production, the aim is to prepare as many tasks as possible so that during production all focus can go to delivering great images.
Preproduction will look different for every film project, but it often involves the following tasks: working out the budget, looking at potential filming locations, applying for permits (if necessary), reserving necessary equipment, working out the script and planning the filming moments with all involved. The more extensive and thorough the pre-production is done, the smoother the filming itself will go!
2. Production is the phase in which the filming and recording of images and sound takes place.
Depending on the type of film, certain fragments, or shots, may be re-filmed, as in a promo film. In others, such as a documentary, this cannot be done. The course of the production process depends on the preparations made in the pre-production phase. Filming in this phase is done according to the script prepared earlier.
3. Post-production is the phase in which the footage is processed into the desired (final) editing.
Generally, the term is used for all production phases after the shooting of the original audio and video recordings has been completed. Often the post-production phase of a film takes longer than the actual shooting.
playout
A playout is a screening of the (edited) film material.
This can be a screening of finished films as well as interim edits, or it can be a screening of footage to which a voice-over is added.
This is done during the post-production phase.
shotlist
A shot list is a numbered list of all the shots needed for a specific scene. This list is used as a checklist and tool during shooting.
The shot list includes:
- a brief content description of the shot
- which type of shot is involved (wide, medium, close-up)
- which camera set-up is provided
- other practical notes
A shot list helps to organise your ideas and steps and start with a solid plan.
This is done during the pre-production phase.
multi-camera set-up
Multi-camera set-up is a filming technique where several cameras are used on location at the same time in different locations.
A multi-camera setup can be useful in some cases: maybe you want to use several fixed cameras to film yourself, or maybe you need several operated cameras to capture the action from different angles.
Each camera thus films the same event from a different angle. Having different angles comes in quite handy in post-production.
In a multi-camera setup, make sure the recording formats and white balance of all cameras are set the same. The same recording format helps you to automatically synchronise the different camera streams in the editing software. The same white balance helps you get the same look for each camera, so the colour of each shot is consistent.
If you cannot use automatic sync in your editing software, use a 'clap' (by hand or with a board) in each shot as a visual and aural reference point. Make sure the clap is visible on all cameras used.
Try out in advance how the process works. You'll be glad you did once you start editing.
preview
A preview, as a rule, refers to an official first viewing of the film, with the aim of gauging the reaction of the desired audience. Any adjustments can follow before the official version is released.
This is like a general rehearsal. Based on the time code in the preview, changes can still be indicated.
This is done during the post-production phase.
equipment
action camera
An action camera (or 'action cam') refers to a camera used specifically to film action moments.
Because action moments often involve many factors that can damage a camera, an action cam is specifically designed to function well in these circumstances: they are small and can be easily set up or attached.
An action cam has a wide-angle lens that ensures it captures as much of the surroundings as possible. In addition, action cameras come in different shapes and sizes, depending on function and budget. They are often very compact and resistant to external factors.
An example of an action camera is a GoPro.
tie clip microphone
= lavalier microphone
A tie clip or lavalier microphone is a small microphone that can be attached to clothing or the body using a clip or other materials.
They are connected via a cable to a transmitter that transmits the audio signal to a receiver. The receiver is connected either directly to the camera or to a sound recording device.
A tie clip microphone is pinned to the clothing of the people in the frame, allowing you to record their voice cleanly and separated from background noise.
The advantage of a tie clip microphone is that its quality is very good compared to, say, a directional microphone that is far away from the sound source. The tie clip microphone gives a warm sound because it is always close to the sound source.
directional microphone
A directional microphone is designed to record ambient sounds or placed in a specific location to start recording a particular sound.
gorilla tripod
A gorilla tripod, or gorilla pods, are lightweight tripods with flexible legs so you can attach them to an object (e.g. a fence, a table, etc.).
hardcopy
A hardcopy refers to a physical printout or document that you can hold in your hands. It is a tangible representation of information or data that you can use in the field.
lens range
The lens range of your camera is equivalent to its focal length. The focal length is the distance between the centre of your lens and the point where the incident light rays converge again after breaking through the lens.
The point where the light rays converge is your camera's sensor. This determines the size of your field of view and how far you can zoom in. The focal length is always indicated in millimetres.
If the camera has a fixed lens, it is important to check whether the focal length is suitable for what you want to film.
If you only have a standard 50 mm lens then this may be insufficient if, for example, you have little room to move and want to film something that is far away, or want to film the whole room.
Therefore, carefully consider what you need and whether your camera meets it.
ND filter
A grey filter, also known as an ND filter or Neutral Density filter, is a filter you place over a lens to reduce overexposure.
When you place an ND filter on your lens, the filter ensures that less light reaches your camera sensor. The result is less likely to be overexposed photos.
A grey filter reduces the exposure of an image, weakening light evenly across the entire visible spectrum, making it colourless.
Editing
codec
Codecs are compression technologies for media and consist of two components, an encoder and a decoder. Codec stands for compressing and decompressing a file. This can be a picture, a video, an audio clip, or otherwise.
There are two types of codecs: lossless and lossy. Lossless codecs preserve the quality of the original file when decompressed. Lossy codecs produce a duplicate of the original file that differs from the original when decompressed.
Some examples of codecs for video are MPEG-2, H.264, ProRes HQ 422.
container format
A file is encoded by a codec and stored in a container format. A container format is a digital envelope, or metafile, that holds different types of media data together, such as audio, video and subtitles, so that they can be played in sync.
It is like a virtual box that ensures seamless playback of multimedia files on different devices and platforms. Well-known examples of container formats are archive files (such as the ZIP format) and formats used for multimedia playback (such as Matroska, MP4 and AVI).
For example: a video encoded in the H.264 codec and stored in a .MP4 container format.
cut
= transition
In the post-production process of film editing and video editing, a cut is a conscious or deliberate film transition from one shot to the next. It is synonymous with the term edit, although "edit" can include any number of transitions or effects.
deliverables
Deliverables are the media in which the finished audiovisual production must be delivered, according to the specific technical requirements of the end use.
For example: a production is finished in ProRes 4444 format at 25 fps. This is the master file. A version is requested for cinema screening as DCP at 24 fps. In addition, the producer wants an .mp4 at 25 fps to put on his website. The latter two are deliverables.
master file
The master file is the finished audiovisual production in the highest possible quality. The master file is used to create deliverables from.
master timeline
When editing, you use a timeline on which image and sound material are placed in a specific order. If you have a lot of material, you can simplify the process and make it clearer by using different timelines.
The master timeline is the one where you make the final order of the edit based on what was put together in the other timelines. This way, it becomes more practical to build the final edit.
colour grading
Colour grading is the deliberate adjustment of colours to convey an emotion or atmosphere to the viewer.
When colours are adjusted to create a certain atmosphere, this is called colour grading. Colours are then deliberately made more yellow to give the film a warmer feel, for example, or more blue to create a chilly atmosphere. Various characteristics of an image, such as contrast, saturation, details, black level and white balance can be improved.
Colour grading is usually performed in a controlled and dark or dim environment.
This is done during the post-production phase.
! This is not the same as colour correction. Colour correction is the correct reproduction and balancing of colour.
colour correction grading
Colour correction is the correct display and balancing of the colour of different images in an edit. In this process, you adjust the colours in a video to balance the differences between shots.
This is done during post-production.
! This is not the same as colour grading. Colour grading is the deliberate adjustment of colours to convey an emotion or atmosphere to the viewer.
graphics
Visual images or edits (such as drawings, additional photos, ...) that can be added to the montage to give a certain atmosphere or functionality to the images.
For example: showing the design plans in the montage, as in the tutorials of making a hurdy-gurdy in the toolkit transmission.
jump cut
A jump cut is a specific way of transitioning from one shot to the next. A jump cut occurs when a shot is interrupted by a cut that breaks the continuity of the moment. This makes the montage visible to the viewer.
You often get a jump cut when the composition of the subject of two consecutive shots is insufficiently different from each other. At best, it is indeed used to create a jump in time.
voice-over
A voice-over is a separate voice recording added to an edit. This audio mainly explains the images being played. This makes it easier to follow a story.
This is done during the post-production phase.