Video Terms to Know for Corporate Videos
Understanding terminology for corporate videos can seem like a daunting task. You want to know how to best work with your agency and not feel like an outsider. There is certainly a long list of lingo to familiarize yourself with, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. UniMedia wants to always be as transparent as possible with our clients, and that means bringing them into our process. This is truly a collaborative effort and your corporate video is ultimately yours in the end. Once you have a handle on basic terminology, you’ll be better able to communicate edits needed as well as what outside vendors might need from your video. Here’s our A to Z list of top video terms to get a grip on.
Audio/Visual Script
A two-column screenplay that includes video description on the left and audio description on the right. This is utilized not only in corporate videos, but also for advertising purposes, documentaries, and training videos.
B-Roll Coverage
Relevant footage used to accompany voice-over
CGI
An abbreviation for “Computer Generated Image”
Dialogue
Conversation that occurs between parties in the video, usually already put into a script but other times an adlib speech
EXT. – Exterior
Outside
FG
Abbreviation for foreground vs. background imagery
Gigabyte (GB)
A multiple of the unit byte used to measure digital information (equal to 1,000 megabytes (MB)
Harmonic Distortion
Refers to the acoustics of sound recorded that occurs from unwanted changes between input/output
INT. – Interior
Inside
Jump-Cut
An editing technique where the viewer sees an obvious advance in time
Kick
An object that has a reflection from another object
Library Shot
The footage or video equivalent to a stock photo
Montage
Arranging a general idea or theme through the use of several short shots
NTSC
Abbreviation for the National Television Standards Committee, which sets format standards for the FCC
O.S.
Abbreviation for Off Screen, meaning the speaker is not within the scene but can be heard
Pan
A film technique where a camera, held on a fixed axis, moves left-to-right or right-to-left
Room Tone
A term that denotes the noise of a room during production; a standard for measuring audial continuity
Slug – Name of Story
Alternative term for Scene Heading
Transition
The call to action in a script that refers to the way editing will be utilized to tell the story (example: DISSOLVE TO)
Underscore
Emotional or mood-setting music to complement the footage or dialogue on screen
VO
Abbreviation for Voice Over, otherwise known as narration.
Wild Track
Pieces of audio that aren’t recorded in sync with the picture
XLR
A sound connector with three pins and an outer shell to protect and secure the connectors
Zoom
A film technique where the imagery quickly grows or shrinks as the camera moves towards or away from the subject
UniMedia and You: Let’s Work and Learn Together
Our team takes pride in knowing that our clients are never in the dark. We strive to make conversations as open as possible and enjoy learning alongside our clients. Our hope is you’ll feel comfortable and confident throughout the corporate video process. You’re letting us into your world, so we want to let you inside of ours. Try throwing around some of these terms with your creative friends and see how they react. Our guess is they’ll be nothing but impressed. Want to keep learning? Check out this post on Video Production Basics. Then you’ll really be a pro.