Post Production – glossary and terms
Here’s a list of common post-production terminology with explanations:
- Offline Editing
- Explanation: The initial stage of editing where raw footage is assembled into a rough cut. This version is used to determine the structure and flow of the final product, but it is not the final edit.
- Online Editing
- Explanation: The process that follows offline editing, where the final cut is polished, including colour correction, visual effects, and the incorporation of high-resolution footage. It’s the last step before the final version is completed.
- Color Grading
- Explanation: The process of adjusting and enhancing the colour of footage to achieve a desired look or mood. This step ensures visual consistency across all scenes.
- Conform
- Explanation: The process of matching the offline edit with the high-resolution footage in preparation for online editing. This involves replacing the low-resolution proxies with the original high-quality files.
- Rendering
- Explanation: The process of generating the final image or video file from raw data. In post-production, rendering can refer to the final creation of effects, transitions, or the entire edited video.
- Codec
- Explanation: A format for compressing and decompressing video files. Different codecs are used depending on the needs of the project, balancing quality and file size.
- LUT (Look-Up Table)
- Explanation: A file used in colour grading that maps one set of colours to another, often used to achieve a specific look or colour grade across footage.
- VFX (Visual Effects)
- Explanation: Digital effects added to footage during post-production, including CGI, green screen compositing, and other visual enhancements that are not achievable during filming.
- ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement)
- Explanation: The process of re-recording dialogue in a studio to replace or enhance the original audio recorded on set, often used to improve audio quality or alter lines.
- Sound Design
- Explanation: The creation and integration of sound effects, ambient sounds, and other audio elements to enhance the narrative and atmosphere of the film.
- Mixing
- Explanation: The process of balancing all the audio elements (dialogue, sound effects, music) to create the final soundtrack of a film or video. This includes adjusting levels, EQ, and adding effects like reverb.
- Mastering
- Explanation: The final step in audio post-production, where the mixed audio is prepared for distribution. This involves ensuring consistent levels and quality across all audio tracks.
- Dailies (Rushes)
- Explanation: The raw, unedited footage shot during production, usually reviewed daily by the director and key crew members to ensure everything is being captured as planned.
- Proxy
- Explanation: Lower-resolution copies of high-resolution footage used during offline editing to make the editing process faster and more manageable. These are later replaced with the original high-resolution files during conforming.
- Timeline
- Explanation: The visual representation of a video project in editing software, where clips, audio, effects, and transitions are arranged chronologically to create the final product.
- Deliverables
- Explanation: The final output of a project, including all necessary formats, versions, and documentation required by the client or distributor, such as different file formats, closed captions, or subtitles.
- B-Roll
- Explanation: Supplemental footage that is intercut with the main footage (A-Roll). It’s often used to add context or cover cuts in the main footage.
- Keying
- Explanation: The process of removing a specific color (often green or blue) from footage, allowing another image or video to show through in its place. Commonly used in green screen effects.
- Split Screen
- Explanation: A technique where the screen is divided into two or more sections, each showing different footage or perspectives simultaneously.
- Foley
- Explanation: The art of creating and recording everyday sound effects (like footsteps or doors closing) in sync with the visuals during post-production to enhance the audio realism.
These terms cover a wide range of post-production processes and tools that are essential in creating a polished final product in television and film.
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