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.
Description
A light-sensitive material in a film’s emulsion or coating, creating a fine or coarse aesthetic depending on light requirements for filming.
Description
A French term meaning “black film,” describing a genre from the 1940s with dark subject matter, downbeat tones, and low-key lighting, often featuring an anti-hero or private detective.
Description
A critique evaluating a film’s various aspects such as plot, themes, direction, script, and performances.
Description
A device used to digitize film negatives or positives, converting the analog footage into a digital format for editing or restoration.
Description
The sensitivity of the film stock to light, commonly referred to as ISO or ASA rating.
Description
Refers to a film’s gauge or size and film speed, also referring to unused, unexposed film where photographic images will be stored.
Description
A catch-all term for technical and theoretical ways of studying film.
Description
A British experimental filmmakers' group active in the early 1970s, known for creating avant-garde films and performances using unconventional cinematic techniques.
Description
A plastic, glass, or gelatinous substance placed behind or before a camera lens to change the character and effect of the lighting within the frame.
Description
A term describing the culture and art of the late 19th century, particularly the 1890s, characterized by a sense of pessimism, decadence, and a rejection of the 19th-century values.
Description
A special, often cinematic, move that allows a player to deal a devastating blow to a weakened enemy, typically in fighting games or action RPGs.
Description
An extreme lens filming subjects at super wide angles with a short focal point and infinite depth of field, distorting linear dimensions for a curved image.
Description
A black, light-absorbing cloth stretched on a metal frame, used to block out areas of light in various sizes.
Description
Lens flares occur when light enters the camera lens, creating a scatter of light that can be visually striking. While often unwanted, they can be added intentionally in post-production for stylistic effect, especially in action films.
Description
The opposite of a flashback, showing future events to interrupt the natural order of the story.
Description
A technique interrupting the narrative to show past events, providing backstory on the actions currently taking place.
Description
A lighting instrument that provides broad, even illumination, often used for large sets or outdoor scenes.
Description
An avant-garde art movement of the 1960s that sought to blur the boundaries between art and life through performances, installations, and interdisciplinary approaches to art-making.
Description
A concept popularized by French poet Charles Baudelaire, referring to a detached observer of urban life, often depicted in literature and art, symbolizing modernity and the cityscape.
Description
The distance between the lens and the image sensor when the subject is in focus, determining the field of view and magnification.
Description
The clarity or sharpness of an image, achieved by adjusting the lens to ensure the subject is clearly visible.
Description
The degree of distinctness or sharpness in an image; adjusting or manipulating a lens to create a sharper image, with types including shallow, deep, or soft focus.
Description
A member of the camera crew responsible for adjusting the focus of the camera during filming, ensuring the subject remains sharp.
Description
Foiling is a process where metallic or pigmented foil is applied to a surface using heat and a die, creating a shiny, eye-catching effect commonly used in packaging and branding.
Description
An individual who adds or creates incidental sounds and noises during the editing and post-production phase, named after pioneer Jack Foley.
Description
A technique where the focus is adjusted during a shot to keep a moving subject sharp and clear.
Description
A camera shot that tracks or follows a subject as they move, maintaining their position within the frame.
Description
A specific style and size of typeface, often used in graphic design, web design, and typography to create readable and visually appealing text for both printed and digital media.
Description
Font colour refers to the specific hue chosen for the text in a design, essential for readability and visual appeal in both print and web design.
Description
Font size is the measurement of the height of a typeface, usually measured in points, indicating the size of the text from the highest ascender to the lowest descender.
Description
Font weight refers to the thickness of the characters in a typeface, with variations such as light, bold, and black. It helps convey emphasis or mood in a design.
Description
Any sequence, portion, or length of film, either shot or to be shot, measured in feet, also referring to specific sequences of events depicted in the movie.
Description
An optical illusion technique that makes objects appear larger, smaller, closer, or farther away than they actually are by manipulating the viewer's perspective.
Description
The opposite of background; any action or object closest to the camera, often abbreviated as b.g. in writing.
Description
A literary device giving hints or indications of future events in the story, developing curiosity, suspense, and narrative harmony.
Description
A technique in art, particularly in painting, where an object or figure is depicted in perspective, making it appear to recede or extend in space, creating a sense of depth.
Description
The physical structure or shape of an object or artwork. In art, form refers to the visual elements such as line, volume, and texture that make up a piece, contributing to its overall composition.
Description
An approach in art criticism that emphasizes the formal elements of art such as color, shape, composition, and technique, rather than the subject matter or emotional content.
Description
The size and proportions of an artwork, particularly in terms of its canvas or the physical dimensions of a piece.
Description
A concept in art that rejects the traditional emphasis on formal structure, embracing chaos, decay, and disorder, often used by artists exploring non-traditional materials or expressions.
Description
A genre of film where the narrative is presented through discovered footage, often used in horror or thriller genres.
Description
Everyday items or materials repurposed for use in art. These objects, often mass-produced and commonplace, challenge traditional notions of art and elevate the ordinary to a subject of creative expression.
Description
The illusory plane through which the audience watches the film, which can be broken by characters or the narrative to acknowledge the audience’s presence.
Description
A single image, the smallest compositional unit in a film’s structure, with a series of frames shown in rapid succession to create a moving picture.
Description
A frame is a single still image in a sequence of video or film. Frames come together to form moving pictures, with each frame capturing a moment in time.
Description
The rate at which film stock passes through the camera, typically 24 frames per second in modern films, with older films at 18 fps and some contemporary films at 48 or 96 fps.
Description
Frame rate refers to how many individual frames are shown per second in video playback. The standard for most films is 24 fps, but different frame rates can be used for varying effects or stylistic choices.
Description
A portion of memory used to store visual output, typically as an image or bitmap, which represents what the player sees on screen, influencing display resolution.
Description
Refers to the number of frames (individual images) displayed per second in a game. A higher frame-rate results in smoother motion and improved gameplay fluidity.
Description
The placement of subjects and other visual elements within the boundaries of the camera frame to create a desired composition.
Description
A technique where a single frame of film is held for an extended period, creating a still image within the moving picture.
Description
A mural painting technique where pigments are applied onto wet plaster so the colors bind with the wall surface, creating long-lasting, integral art.
Description
A hard-lensed light coming in different sizes, each with a different nickname, pronounced “fruh-NELL.”
Description
A scenario where players or their allies can accidentally or intentionally harm each other in combat, typically in multiplayer games.
Description
A technique in which an object is placed beneath paper, and then rubbed with a pencil or other medium to reveal the texture and form of the underlying object. It is often used to create abstract patterns.
Description
A film frame with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, commonly used for traditional 35mm film stock before the advent of widescreen formats.
Description
A surrealist technique involving the use of smoke from a candle to create art on a surface, allowing the smoke’s traces to form abstract shapes or images.
Term
Furniture and interiors
Description
The design and decoration of functional objects and spaces within a built environment, such as chairs, tables, and room layouts, which also serves an aesthetic and artistic purpose.
Description
An Italian art movement that emerged in the early 20th century, emphasizing the dynamism of modern technology, speed, and energy, often depicted through fragmented forms and motion.
Description
Short for "graphics double data rate," a type of RAM used in gaming hardware, optimized for handling the high demands of 3D rendering and video processing.
Description
Acronym for "good game," a common expression used to acknowledge the conclusion of a match or game, typically as a form of sportsmanship.
Description
Acronym for "graphics processing unit," a hardware component responsible for rendering graphics and processing complex visual tasks within games.
Description
The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is a specialized processor designed to accelerate the rendering of images and video. In VFX and 3D rendering, GPUs handle complex calculations to deliver faster and more efficient graphics.
Description
The head electrician on a movie set, responsible for the design and execution of the production’s lighting.
Description
A strong fabric-backed tape that is easily removable, used for various purposes on set.
Description
The process of creating and developing the mechanics, systems, and narrative of a game to ensure engaging and enjoyable gameplay.
Description
The software framework used to create and run video games, handling aspects such as physics, graphics, and sound to allow developers to build and control the game.
Description
A time-limited event where participants develop a game from scratch, often with a specific theme or constraints, fostering creativity and rapid prototyping.
Description
An application used to launch games, often providing features like updates, matchmaking, or digital-rights management (DRM) alongside the game itself.
Description
The screen or moment in a game indicating the player has lost, typically when they run out of lives, health, or fail to meet a game's win conditions.
Description
A designed experience involving rules that balance chance, skill, and player decisions, offering emotional engagement and optional consequences, central to the experience of play.
Description
The act of overwhelming and killing a player by a group of enemies or players, often in an unfair or unexpected situation.
Description
The process of securing additional funding for a film through investors or financial institutions, covering the gap between budget and production costs.
Description
A mechanism inside a camera or projector that holds the film steady as it passes by the lens. "Checking the gate" ensures no dust or particles obstruct the film's exposure.
Description
A tinted, transparent colored plastic sheet used as a movie light filter to create a colored glow over a scene and evoke a certain mood.
Description
A photographic print developed using silver halides in a gelatin binder, popular for its tonal range and sharpness, and widely used in the 20th century for black-and-white photography.
Term
Gelatin silver printing-out-paper print (POP)
Description
A 19th-century photographic process using strong ultraviolet sunlight to develop images on paper, resulting in direct contact prints, widely used before chemical development methods were perfected.
Description
The widespread distribution and simultaneous exhibition of a movie, contrasting with a limited release.
Description
Art created using an autonomous system or computer code, often incorporating randomness or chance, and creating unique, algorithm-driven outcomes.
Description
A French word meaning “type” or “kind,” referring to a specific class of film with common thematic or artistic elements, such as science fiction or musicals.
Term
Geometric abstraction
Description
Abstract art that focuses on geometric shapes and forms, removing representational or symbolic content and emphasizing structure and design.
Description
Refers to the period of art and architecture during the reigns of the four King Georges in Britain, marked by elegance, order, and neoclassical influences.
Description
An early 20th-century movement in Germany that emphasized subjective emotion and distorted reality, often through bold colors, exaggerated forms, and dramatic brushstrokes.
Description
An art-making technique where the artist’s physical actions, such as sweeping or bold strokes, are central to the creation of the artwork, especially in painting.
Description
A high-quality inkjet printing process used for creating fine art prints. Giclee prints are highly valued for their color accuracy and ability to reproduce the textures and details of original artworks.
Description
A group of artists and designers centered around Charles Rennie Mackintosh in Glasgow, known for their innovative and symbolic works that combined fine art with decorative arts.
Description
A thin, transparent or translucent layer of paint applied over another layer, altering the color, texture, or appearance without covering the underlying surface.
Description
Global Illumination (GI) is a rendering technique that simulates the way light bounces off surfaces, affecting how light interacts with materials in a scene. It’s essential for creating realistic lighting in 3D environments.
Description
A stop-motion technique that incorporates motion blur to make animated sequences appear more fluid and lifelike.
Description
A stencil or template placed in front of a light source to create patterns, such as shadows or textures, often used in stage or film lighting.
Description
The Golden Ratio, often symbolized by the number 1.618, is a proportion considered aesthetically pleasing and is used in design to create well-balanced compositions.
Description
An opaque watercolor paint, known for its smooth, matte finish, and made by mixing pigment with a binder, typically gum Arabic, and a white filler to enhance opacity.
Description
A gradient is a smooth transition between two or more colours or shades, often used to create depth, dimension, or a sense of movement in designs.
Description
Grading, or color grading, is the process of adjusting and enhancing the colors of a video or image to achieve the desired look or mood. It’s an important part of post-production to create a consistent visual tone.
Description
A form of urban art where artists use spray paint or markers to create images, words, or designs on walls or other public surfaces, often with an element of rebellion or social commentary.
Description
A style of painting popular in the 18th century that depicted subjects with idealized grandeur, usually of historical or mythological themes, to convey power and nobility.
Description
The visual communication discipline that involves creating aesthetically appealing designs for print, digital media, and environments, using text, images, and layouts.
Description
A soft, black mineral used in drawing materials, typically found in pencils, that allows for smooth, varied shading and easy manipulation of marks.
Description
A surrealist technique where paint is scraped off a canvas to reveal textures and patterns from the surface below, often creating unexpected imagery.
Description
A historic migration of over six million African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North and West between 1910 and 1970, significantly influencing cultural production, especially in art and music.
