Glossary
A reference of common post-production terms, acronyms, and jargon used throughout this wiki and in day-to-day finishing work.
A
AAF (Advanced Authoring Format) — A file format for exchanging video/audio edit information between NLEs and finishing tools. Avid’s native exchange format. Generally richer than XML for Avid projects.
Academy Leader — A traditional film-era countdown leader (SMPTE standard). In modern workflows, the term is often used loosely to describe any pre-program countdown leader.
Action Safe — The 95% area of the video frame where critical action should be placed to ensure visibility on all display types.
AE (Assistant Editor) — Supports the editor with media management, ingest, organization, turnover prep, and more.
AMA (Avid Media Access) — Avid’s technology for linking directly to source files without transcoding.
Anamorphic — Footage recorded with a lens that horizontally squeezes the image onto the sensor. Must be “de-squeezed” for proper display.
Aspera — A high-speed file transfer protocol/software commonly used for large media delivery over the internet.
B
B-roll — Supplementary footage (vs. primary interview/action footage) used to cover cuts, illustrate points, or establish scenes.
Bars & Tone — SMPTE color bars + 1 kHz reference tone placed at the head of a deliverable for video and audio calibration.
Bit Depth — The number of bits used to represent each color channel. 8-bit = 256 values; 10-bit = 1024; 12-bit = 4096.
Broadcast Safe — Video signal levels that stay within the legal range for broadcast transmission.
Burn-In — Text overlay (timecode, filename, etc.) rendered permanently onto a reference video file.
C
CALM Act — US broadcast loudness regulation requiring commercials to be at similar loudness to program content. Target: -24 LKFS ±2.
CDL (Color Decision List) — A metadata format for basic color adjustments (slope, offset, power, saturation) that can be applied before a full grade.
Chroma Subsampling — The practice of reducing color information relative to luminance. Notations: 4:4:4 (full), 4:2:2 (broadcast), 4:2:0 (streaming).
CMX 3600 — The standard EDL format, based on the old CMX Systems editing controller.
Codec — Coder–decoder. The format used to compress and decompress video/audio. Examples: ProRes, DNxHR, H.264.
Color Space — The mathematical model defining a range of colors. Examples: Rec.709 (HD SDR), Rec.2020 (UHD/HDR), DCI-P3 (cinema).
Commit (Multicam) — Avid’s operation for locking a multicam sequence to its selected angle, removing the multicam grouping.
Compound Clip — FCP and Resolve’s equivalent of a nested sequence — multiple clips bundled as one. Break apart before conform.
Conform — The process of rebuilding an edit in a finishing suite using XML/AAF and master-quality source media.
D
Data Burn-In — Resolve’s built-in feature for adding timecode, filename, and other metadata overlays to output files.
DCP (Digital Cinema Package) — The standardized format for theatrical delivery. Uses JPEG 2000 encoding.
DI (Digital Intermediate) — The high-quality digital master used as the source for all subsequent deliverables.
Dissolve — A transition where one clip fades out while another fades in simultaneously.
DNxHD / DNxHR — Avid’s intermediate codec family. HD variants for 1080p, HR variants for UHD and arbitrary resolutions.
Dolby Vision — A premium HDR format with dynamic per-scene/per-frame metadata.
Drop Frame (DF) — A timecode variant for 29.97/59.94 fps that skips frame numbers (but not frames) to keep TC in sync with real time.
E
EDL (Edit Decision List) — A text-based list of every edit in a sequence. The simplest form of edit exchange. Format: CMX 3600 is standard.
EXR — OpenEXR image format. The standard for VFX image sequences.
F
FFOP (First Frame of Picture) — The first frame of program content, after slate, leader, and 2-pop. Typically at 01:00:00:00.
FCPXML — Final Cut Pro’s XML format for exchanging edit data.
Flatten — To render a complex section (effects, retimes, multicams) into a single self-contained clip.
Foley — Custom sound effects performed to match on-screen action. Footsteps, cloth movement, prop sounds.
Frame Blend — A retime method that blends adjacent frames to create a new frame. Soft, preserves motion feel.
G
Gamut — The range of colors a color space can represent. Rec.709 has a narrower gamut than Rec.2020.
GFX — Graphics. Titles, lower thirds, full-screen graphics, logos.
H
H.264 / H.265 (HEVC) — Consumer/streaming delivery codecs. Highly compressed, used for web playback.
Handle — Extra frames of source media beyond a clip’s in/out points, needed for transitions and fine trimming in conform.
HDR (High Dynamic Range) — Video with an extended range of luminance and color. Common formats: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG.
HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) — An HDR format designed for backward compatibility with SDR displays. Common in broadcast.
I
IMF (Interoperable Master Format) — A component-based master format for streaming platforms. Netflix, Prime, and others use variants.
Interlaced — A legacy video format where each frame is composed of two fields (odd and even lines), sampled at different moments in time. Denoted by i (e.g. 1080i).
K
Keyframe — A specific point in time where a property (position, opacity, effect parameter) is set. The NLE interpolates between keyframes.
L
LKFS / LUFS — Loudness units. LKFS is broadcast term (ATSC/EBU); LUFS is the equivalent in audio production tools. -24 LKFS is US broadcast target.
LUT (Look-Up Table) — A mathematical transformation applied to color. Used for tech LUTs (color space conversion) and creative LUTs (looks).
Log — A camera encoding that preserves maximum dynamic range by distributing data logarithmically. Examples: S-Log, Log-C, RED Log.
M
Master — The highest-quality, canonical version of a deliverable. All derivative versions are made from the master.
Match Frame — Finding the source clip and timecode that corresponds to a specific frame on the timeline.
Media Manage — To consolidate and optionally transcode project media into a self-contained folder structure.
M&E (Music & Effects) — An audio deliverable containing everything except dialogue, used for foreign dubbing.
MOS — Filmed without sync sound. From a (possibly apocryphal) German director’s “mit out sound.”
MXF (Material Exchange Format) — A media container format commonly used with Avid and broadcast workflows.
N
NLE (Non-Linear Editor) — An editing system where you can access any part of the footage in any order. Avid, Premiere, FCP, Resolve.
Non-Drop Frame (NDF) — Timecode that counts every frame sequentially. Standard for 23.976 and 24 fps work.
O
OCM (Original Camera Media) — The primary footage shot for the production. Interviews, observational footage, B-roll.
Offline Edit — The edit phase using lower-resolution proxies. Followed by Online (conform + finish) using master-quality media.
Online Edit — Historically, the process of finishing picture using master-quality media. Today the term is often merged with “conform.”
Opacity — The visibility of a clip; 0% is invisible, 100% is fully visible.
Opticals — Overlay elements like light leaks, lens flares, film burns, grain.
Optical Flow — A retime method that synthesizes new frames by analyzing motion between existing frames. Smoothest result when it works.
P
PQ (Perceptual Quantizer) — The transfer function used in HDR10 and Dolby Vision. SMPTE ST 2084.
Pre-Roll — Footage before the intended in-point; similar to a handle but often specifically used for sync references.
ProRes — Apple’s professional intermediate codec family. ProRes 422 HQ is a common master codec.
Q
QC (Quality Control) — A technical review pass checking a deliverable for defects: sync issues, audio glitches, video artifacts, spec compliance.
R
Rec.709 — The standard HD color space for SDR broadcast and streaming. ITU-R BT.709.
Rec.2020 — The wide-gamut color space used for UHD and HDR. ITU-R BT.2020.
Relink — To restore a clip’s connection to its source media after files have moved or paths have changed.
Retime — To change the playback speed of a clip. Options: constant speed, speed ramps, optical flow, frame blend, nearest.
S
Safe Area — The portion of the frame guaranteed to be visible on all displays. Action-safe = 95%; title-safe = 90%.
Self-Contained — A video file that contains all its media internally, rather than referencing external files.
Slate — The information card at the head of a deliverable identifying the program (title, version, date, runtime, etc.).
SMPTE — Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. Publishes most broadcast and post standards.
Stems — Separate audio tracks for dialogue, music, and effects — each a final, independent mix.
Sync Pop — A one-frame 1 kHz tone at a known position (2 seconds before FFOP or 2 seconds after last frame) for sync verification.
T
Tail Pop — The sync pop at the end of a program, 2 seconds after last frame of picture.
Tail Slate — A slate at the end of a shoot’s take rather than the beginning. Not relevant in post but may appear in dailies.
Thru Edit (also “Match Frame Edit”) — A cut within a single continuous piece of media where there is no actual edit visible. Often caused by trimming across a clip boundary. Many can be safely collapsed; some are intentional.
Timecode (TC) — The HH:MM:SS:FF reference assigned to each frame. Drop frame uses semicolons; non-drop uses colons.
Title Safe — The 90% area of the video frame where text should be placed to ensure it reads on all displays.
Transcode — Convert media from one codec to another, typically from camera-native to a post-friendly intermediate.
U
UHD (Ultra High Definition) — 3840 × 2160 resolution. Four times the pixel count of HD. Sometimes called “4K” (technically 4K is 4096 × 2160).
V
VFX (Visual Effects) — Any image manipulation beyond basic editing: cleanup, compositing, CG, sky replacements, green screen.
X
XML (for post) — Typically Final Cut Pro XML or FCPXML, used to exchange edit data between NLEs and finishing tools.
xxHash — A fast non-cryptographic checksum algorithm. Better than MD5 for verifying large media transfers.
Numbers & Symbols
2-Pop — The sync pop at the head of the program, 2 seconds before FFOP.
4:4:4 / 4:2:2 / 4:2:0 — Chroma subsampling ratios. See Codec Reference.
23.976 fps — The NTSC-adjusted cinema frame rate. Derives from 24 fps × (1000/1001) for historical color-subcarrier compatibility.
29.97 fps — The NTSC broadcast frame rate. Historical artifact of adding color to a 30 fps system.
5.1 / 7.1 / Atmos — Surround audio configurations.