The Glossary of Terms is a curated collection of definitions from the worlds of film, games, art, and design. Whether you're a student, artist, creative director or technical developer, this glossary is made to streamline your workflow and sharpen your understanding. All terms are written with clarity in mind, so you can move from confusion to creation faster.
The glossary includes industry-specific language used in animation, storytelling, production, visual effects, interactive media, conceptual art, and design systems. It’s structured for creative professionals, by creative professionals.Browse through categories like visual language, camera techniques, character design, game mechanics, UI principles, rendering technology, and more.
What is the Glossary of Terms?
The Glossary is a living index of essential concepts across entertainment and creative industries. It helps define and demystify production terms, art direction language, cinematic devices, and technical terminology — all in one place. You can use this glossary to learn the language of the industry, write clearer documentation, improve production notes, or enhance your storytelling vocabulary.
Why use a Glossary?
Many terms in the entertainment industry are often used inconsistently or misunderstood. The Glossary gives you clean, consistent definitions across mediums — helping teams stay aligned, students learn faster, and artists speak the same language. It also supports better communication between departments, whether you're working in pre-production, post, or interactive pipelines.
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A filmmaker collective founded by Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg in 1995, advocating for "honest" storytelling without contrived camera work or special effects.
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A stereo-sound process for movies developed by Dolby Laboratories to enhance sound quality, with dual optical sound tracks on 35mm films and six magnetic tracks on 70mm films.
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The crew member responsible for operating the dolly, a wheeled platform used to move the camera smoothly during tracking shots.
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A movie shot where the background and subject's perspective is altered by moving a camera mounted on a tripod or wheeled platform, often combined with a zoom for a dolly zoom effect.
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A camera technique that involves zooming in while moving the camera backwards or vice versa, creating a disorienting effect.
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Exposing one frame twice to make elements of two images visible in the final product, commonly used to create a "ghostly" effect.
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Double System Recording
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A technique where sound and picture are recorded separately and then synchronized in post-production.
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A photographic technique where two different images are superimposed onto the same frame, creating a layered and often surreal effect.
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The creation of images through marks made with tools like pencils, charcoal, or ink, typically on paper, and often used as preparatory work or as a final art form.
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Drawn on Film Animation
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A type of animation created by drawing directly onto the film stock itself, often used for abstract or experimental films.
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Refers to the items, resources, or equipment that are "dropped" by defeated enemies, often with random chances or drop rates.
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A printmaking technique where an image is incised into a metal plate using a sharp tool, creating characteristic lines with fuzzy edges that are then inked and pressed onto paper.
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Inserting a new soundtrack into a movie or adding music, sound effects, or dialogue post-production, matching lip movements and actions to appear natural.
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The period of time when studios release films that they expect to be unsuccessful or have low box office potential.
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A specialized area or level within a game, typically consisting of challenges, puzzles, and combat sequences, often rewarding players with loot or progression.
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A shot where the camera is tilted along the horizontal axis to produce a diagonal angle, creating a sense of unease in the viewer.
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Dye destruction print
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A photographic print process in which dyes embedded in the paper are selectively bleached or destroyed to form a full-color image, producing vibrant and saturated prints.
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A photographic printing method that applies layers of color dyes onto paper, producing vivid, stable images, popular in commercial photography from the 1920s to the 1950s.
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A photographic technique that masks the projected image shape and size to any ratio appropriate for the scene, like narrowing the aspect ratio when an actor walks through a narrow passageway.
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A technique used in the Nouveau Réalisme movement in which artists tore or ripped layers from posters or other surfaces to create new works, reflecting the deconstruction of images.
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An ear is a small stroke that extends from the bowl of a lowercase 'g.' Some typefaces may use the term "ear" for the lowercase 'r' as well.
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A form of environmental art in which artists use the natural landscape as their medium, creating sculptures or interventions that alter or interact with the earth itself.
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A hidden feature, message, or reference inserted into a game by developers, often as a playful secret for players to discover.
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A list created during post-production that outlines the specific edits and shots to be included in the final cut of a film.
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The process of arranging and selecting shots to create a coherent narrative, shaping the final version of a film.
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A set of identical prints created from the same original surface, often numbered to indicate their position in the series, with some reserved as artist proofs or for archival purposes.
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A term used in the mid-1990s to describe art that focuses more on the process of collaboration and education rather than simply producing an object, often involving participatory methods.
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Media that involve the use of electronic devices for creation and presentation, such as video, audio recordings, and digital content. Used extensively in contemporary and multimedia art.
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An early film projection device that utilized electrical signals to project moving images.
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A two-dimensional representation of one side of a building or structure, used in architecture to convey the material qualities and proportions of a design.
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Refers to the style of art, architecture, and design from the period during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603), characterized by elaborate ornamentation and classical influences.
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An ellipsis consists of three dots (...) used to represent an unfinished or omitted part of a text or statement.
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Ellipsoidal Reflector Spot Light
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A lighting instrument that produces a hard light with a sharp, defined beam, often used for stage or film lighting.
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A technique in which a raised or recessed design is created on a surface, often used in printmaking and paper arts to add texture and depth to the artwork.
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A printing technique that creates raised, dimensional patterns or designs on paper, often without the use of ink, giving a tactile and sculptural quality to the surface.
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Embossing & Debossing
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Embossing creates a raised design in material, while debossing creates a recessed design. Both techniques add texture and dimension to printed materials.
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The act of recreating or copying an artwork, often used as a means of preserving art in the face of evolving technology, ensuring that it retains its integrity across time.
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A mixture of oily and watery substances used in media such as photographic films and paints. The emulsion helps bind the materials together and allows them to interact effectively.
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A type of paint made from finely ground pigments suspended in a resin, known for its durability and glossy finish. Enamel paint is often used in both industrial and artistic applications.
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The content and challenges that come after completing the main storyline of a game, often more difficult and designed for high-level players.
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A French term meaning “terrible baby,” referring to a young director who is brash or egotistical, often innovative but using unorthodox techniques.
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A traditional printmaking technique where a sharp tool, called a burin, is used to carve detailed lines into a metal plate. The plate is then inked, and the image is transferred to paper.
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A concept in both art and philosophy, entropy represents decay, disorder, and the eventual breakdown of systems, often used metaphorically in artworks addressing themes of decay and time.
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Art installations that involve a large-scale, immersive experience, often creating a space that engages viewers in interactive or sensory ways, often designed for a specific site or time.
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Materials that were initially produced for temporary use, such as posters, brochures, or tickets, but which are now valued as cultural artifacts or historical documentation.
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Art that is designed to exist for only a short period of time, often using temporary materials or installations that are meant to be experienced and then dismantled or destroyed.
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A short scene at the end of a movie that concludes the film, often showing the main characters older and reflecting on the events just witnessed.
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A quest where the player must protect and guide a vulnerable non-player character (NPC) through dangerous or challenging environments.
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A long shot that shows the location from a distance, often an aerial shot, to inform the audience of the time and locale of the setting.
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An intaglio printmaking technique where an image is incised into a metal plate covered with a waxy ground, then exposed to acid to create detailed lines, which are then inked and pressed onto paper.
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A British realist art group formed in 1938 that focused on observational drawing and painting, emphasizing a return to traditional, life-based realism.
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The individual responsible for overseeing a movie’s financing and arranging various elements of a film’s production, such as a writer and actors.
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An experimental form of cinema that blends visual arts, performance, and multimedia technologies to create immersive and unconventional cinematic experiences, often in a live setting.
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Experimental ethnography
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A type of ethnographic study that combines traditional anthropological methods with avant-garde filmmaking techniques such as montage, found footage, and surrealism.
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Taking advantage of a game’s bugs or unintended behavior to gain an unfair advantage or bypass normal gameplay constraints.
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The conveyance of vital background information through actions or dialogue to further the events of a story or set up the movie’s story.
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The process of allowing light to fall on a photosensitive surface or material, which results in the creation of an image, whether in photography or other forms of visual art.
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A movie technique involving the distortion of reality through costumes, editing, and lighting to reflect the inner emotions of characters or the filmmaker.
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A movement in art that emphasizes the representation of emotional experience rather than physical reality. Expressionist art often features distorted forms and exaggerated colors to convey mood and meaning.
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A Surrealist collaborative drawing or writing game in which multiple artists contribute without knowing what the others have created, resulting in a spontaneous and unpredictable composition.
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Extended refers to a character that has an unusually wide form, often applied to specific letterforms or accent marks to achieve a specific aesthetic.
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Extended refers to a character that has an unusually wide form, often applied to specific letterforms or accent marks to achieve a specific aesthetic.
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A film's pacing or rhythm influenced by external factors such as editing, sound design, or music, impacting how the audience perceives time.
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An actor in a non-speaking, unnoticed role, such as part of a crowd or a patron in a restaurant, generally not receiving screen credit.
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A close-up shot filming the subject incredibly closely, often cutting out the outer portions of the subject, typically to showcase a singular part of the body.
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A shot taken from a great distance, often used to establish a location or provide a sense of scale in a scene.
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Extrusion is a 3D modeling technique where a 2D shape is extended in the third dimension to create a 3D object, often used for creating basic geometric models quickly.
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Eye Level Camera Angle
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A shot taken at the same height as the subject, often used to create a neutral or relatable perspective for the audience.
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A cut in filmmaking between two shots creating the illusion that the character in the first shot is looking at an object in the second shot.
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A measurement that determines the size of the aperture in a lens, influencing the amount of light entering the camera and depth of field.
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A setting on the camera that controls the size of the lens aperture, directly affecting the exposure and depth of field of an image.
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Short for "free-to-play," referring to games that are free to download and play, but may include in-game purchases or microtransactions for additional content.
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Short for "forfeit," commonly used in multiplayer games when a player or team concedes victory to the opposing side.
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An acronym for "first-person shooter," a game genre where the player experiences the game world from the perspective of the protagonist, typically involving combat.
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A transitional tool involving a slow change in intensity of a sound or image, such as a scene transitioning to black or vice versa, including sound fading in and out.
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A genre of painting, particularly popular during the Victorian period, that depicts fairies and other supernatural creatures, often with an ethereal or mystical aesthetic.
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A term for 18th-century paintings that depict imaginative, whimsical, or invented scenes, often incorporating elements of storytelling or fantasy alongside ordinary life.
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A movement of painters in the 1950s in Vienna that blended the precision of old master techniques with modern psychoanalysis and interest in surrealist art, creating symbolic and dreamlike imagery.
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Farm Security Administration (FSA)
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A government program in the 1930s and 1940s aimed at documenting the effects of the Great Depression through photography, providing a historical record of the hardship and resilience of American farmers.
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Repetitive actions or tasks performed in a game to gather resources, items, or experience points, often with minimal risk or challenge.
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A gameplay feature allowing players to instantly travel between locations within the game world, usually through a menu system, saving time and improving convenience.
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A movie editing technique with multiple fast consecutive shots, known as staccato shots, each lasting briefly to create a fast-paced effect.
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An early 20th-century art movement that emphasized bold, non-naturalistic color and expressive brushwork. Led by Henri Matisse, Fauvist artists rejected realistic color palettes to evoke emotion.
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When the camera focuses on or highlights a certain subject or action within a shot.
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A full-length film, typically around 90 minutes or longer, that is the main offering in theaters or on streaming platforms.
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Part of the New Deal during the Great Depression, the Federal Art Project employed artists to produce public art, murals, posters, and other works aimed at both beautifying the country and providing jobs.
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Art created with the intention of challenging the traditional roles of women in society and in the art world, often seeking to highlight issues of gender, identity, and equality.
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A type of quest where the player is tasked with retrieving an item and bringing it back to a quest-giver or location.
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The extent of the scene visible through the camera lens, often described in terms of wide or narrow perspectives.
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Art that represents real-world objects or figures, particularly the human form, in contrast to abstract art that does not depict recognizable subjects.
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Art that retains strong references to the real world, especially the human figure, as opposed to abstract art.
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Figure/ground relationship
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The visual interaction between the subject (figure) and its surrounding space (ground), which is key to the composition and balance of many works of art, especially in painting and photography.
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A light used to soften shadows created by the key light, providing a more balanced and even illumination in a scene.
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A medium used to capture and project images and sound, typically on photographic stock, although digital formats are now more common.
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A series of moving images, typically captured on celluloid or digital media, intended to be projected or displayed, often used as a form of visual storytelling or expression in the performing arts.
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The process of estimating and allocating financial resources for a film's production, marketing, and distribution.
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The group of people responsible for the production of a film, including directors, actors, camera operators, and other technical staff.
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The practice of analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating films, often focusing on artistic, cultural, or technical aspects.
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A piece of metal framing behind the lens allowing light into the camera.
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The classification of films into categories based on shared thematic elements, style, or narrative structure, such as action, comedy, or drama.
