National Alliance of Broadcast Engineers and Technicians (NABET)

The brand of the most well-known crystal-motor-driven recording device used for sound recording in studios and on location. Stefan Kudelski won an Academy Award for developing this device.

A voice-over that narrates the story or provides commentary.

Synopsis, explanatory notes.

The most common format is 16 mm. It is not as high-quality as 35 mm, but it is inexpensive. It is generally used in documentaries, student films, or research films.

A labor organization closely affiliated with the AFL-CIO, originally founded by radio technicians and engineers, and later joined by television technicians and engineers. When television producers began shooting their own films for broadcast, an agreement was reached with the IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees). Nowadays, NABET generally handles television productions, while IATSE handles film productions. However, on low-budget films (especially in New York), crews affiliated with NABET are more common.

Natural light, such as sunlight or moonlight.

A film term that refers to extreme realism. In naturalism, life is depicted in an impartial, stoic manner. *On the Waterfront* is an example of a naturalist film.

2) Abbreviation for "NEUTRAL DENSITY FILTER."

A film strip containing “Arab” images that has been exposed and developed. It also refers to unexposed raw film used for shooting or film that has been shot but not yet developed.

All expenses incurred until the negative, from which copies will be printed, reaches its final form. This is specified as a clause in financing and partnership agreements. It varies from contract to contract, particularly regarding indirect expenses such as fixed costs and contingencies.

A person who cuts and splices the negative based on the final edited print.

The process of cutting and splicing the negative to match the final edited print. The negative editor uses frame numbers to perform this task.

Same as "Negative Cutter."

A term indicating that an agreement has been reached between a distribution company and a film’s producer, under which the distribution company will pay the producer a specific amount of money for the film’s distribution rights. Unlike pre-production financing, this payment is typically made after the film is completed and the negative is delivered. If the negative purchase agreement is made with one of the major distribution companies, the producer usually deposits the funds in a bank. Many productions are financed entirely or partially in this way.

An innovative movement originating in Italy that emerged in the late 1940s and 1950s. It refers to films made outside the studio system. They are shot on location, sometimes do not feature professional actors, and generally do not require a script.

Net Profit

A major television network that creates and produces television programs and broadcasts them on its own stations. The major networks in the United States are: ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS.

A filter placed in front of the camera lens to adjust the exposure without altering the colors, or placed in front of lights to reduce light intensity.

A film movement that took place in the United States from approximately 1967 to 1976. This movement was led by film students such as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese, and embodied a passion for filmmaking and a desire to challenge the status quo.

Originally, this term referred to non-traditional, innovative French filmmakers such as Alain Resnais, Eric Rohmer, and Jean-Luc Godard. They embrace the principles of auteur theory. French New Wave films are characterized by non-linear narrative, improvisational direction, and jump cuts.

Color rings caused by the refraction of light in the layer of air between two shiny surfaces in contact with each other. They can occur when multiple glass filters are used in front of the lens.

An abbreviation for the words “No Good.” It is used to indicate a bad take.

A business that could be described as a movie theater. Visitors would pay a nickel to watch short films on individual machines such as a Kinetoscope or Mutoscope.

Night Effect

An increase in employees’ base pay for work performed after certain hours (usually 8:00 p.m.).

Shooting night scenes at night. This method is typically used for exterior night scenes or interior night scenes where it appears to be nighttime outside through windows and doors.

A highly flammable film base used in films produced up to 1950 and no longer manufactured today. See ACETATE BASE, SAFETY BASE.

Unwanted sounds picked up by the microphone during recording.

A camera without a through-the-lens viewing system, but one that projects the image onto the viewfinder through a separate lens. Older Bolex and Bell & Howell cameras are non-reflex.

In addition to the theatrical market, there is a limited-distribution film market that caters to specific audience groups. Television, cable television, film museums, film clubs, schools, airlines, and the armed forces are among the main channels. Today, the most widespread market is the video cassette market.

A 25mm lens on 16mm film, a 50mm lens on 35mm film. This represents the point between a wide-angle lens, which widens the field of view, and a telephoto lens, which magnifies the image.

Just like the name suggests. Nose oil is a substance used in an old trick where camera operators would wipe the side of the camera to lubricate the printing plate. Nose oil is a substance—scientifically known as squalene—that is also found in shark liver oil.

In a profile shot, the nose space is the gap between the face and the edge of the frame, similar to the head space. In a profile shot, the nose space is considered “good” when there is a little extra space behind the person’s head rather than in front of their face. The general rule is that the space around the subject should be divided into two-thirds in front of the head and one-third behind it.

A mark placed on the edge of the film strip to enable automatic density correction during printing. Today, this process is performed by computer.

A tool used by the editing assistant to print small numbers at regular intervals along the edge of the working copy.

This term refers to the operating expenses associated with a film. It is the process of determining the costs required to rent, operate, and run a theater. It is also known as the “house nut.”