Glossary on Film Terms (T-Z)

T
TAKE. When a particular scene is repeated and photographed more than once in an effort to get a perfect recording of some special action, each photographic record of the scene or of a repetition of the scene is known as a "take." For example, the seventh scene of a particular sequence might be photographed three times, and the resulting records would be called: Scene 7, Take l; Scene 7, Take 2; and Scene 7, Take 3.
TBC (Time Base Corrector): An electronic device with memory and clocking circuits to correct video signal timing errors which affect image stability and color when editing from multiple video tape sources.
TELECINE: Device for transferring motion picture film to video tape.
THIN. As applied to a photographic image, having low density.
TIME CODE: A frame numbering system adopted by SMPTE that assigns a number to each frame of video which indicates hours, minutes. seconds and frames (e.g., 01:42:13:26).
TIMING. The process of selecting the printing values for color and density of successive scenes in a complete film to produce the desired visual effects.
TRAVELLING MATTE. A process shot in which foreground action is superimposed on a separately photographed background by optical printing.
TYPE C: SMPTE standard for 1-inch non-segmented helical video recording format.

U
U-MATlC: Trade name for 3/4-inch video cassette system originally developed by Sony. Now established as the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Type F video tape format.
ULTIMATTE: Trade name of a high-quality special effects system similar in application to a chromakey switcher. Electronic implementation of the "blue screen" used for motion picture special effects.
UNDERSCAN: Reducing height and width of the picture on a video monitor so that the edges, and thus portions of the blanking, can be observed.
UNSQUEEZED PRINT. A print in which the distorted image of an anamorphic negative has not been corrected for normal projection.
USER BITS: Portions of VITC and LTC reserved for recording information of the user's choosing, e.g., Keykode numbers, footage count, etc.

V
VECTORSCOPE: An oscilloscope designed for television which is used to set up and monitor the chrominance portion of a video signal. See, also, waveform monitor.
VERTICAL INTERVAL: Indicates the vertical blanking period between each video field. Contains additional scan lines above the active picture area into which non-picture information (captioning, test and control signals, user bits) can be recorded.
VERTICAL SYNC: Synchronizing pulses used to define the end of one television field and the start of the next, occurring at a rate of approximately 59.94 Hz (color), and 60 Hz (black & white).
VISION MIXER: British video switcher.
VITC (Vertical Interval Time Code): Time code recorded in the vertical blanking interval above the active picture area. Can be read from video tape in the "still mode."

W
WAVEFORM MONITOR: Oscilloscope designed for television which looks at luminance and all other parts of the composite video signal. See, also, vectorscope.
WEAVE. Periodic sideways movement of the image as a result of mechanical faults in camera, printer or projector.
WET-GATE PRINTING. A system of printing in which the original is temporarily coated with a layer of liquid at the moment of exposure to reduce the effect of surface faults.
WIDESCREEN. General term for form of film presentation in which the picture shown has an aspect ratio greater than 1'33:1.
WINDOW DUB: "Burned-in windows," usually on a video workprint, displaying Keykode numbers and time code, footage count, audio time code, scene, take, etc. (May also be burned in.)
WIPE. Optical transition effect in which one image is replaced by another at a boundary edge moving in a selected pattern across the frame.
WORK PRINT. In a motion picture studio or processing laboratory, a rough print of a motion picture film used for editing and study of action and continuity.

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