Baby:
Usually a reference to a 1K light unit. It is also used to describe any light unit which is smaller than a standard size unit of comparable intensity (i.e. baby 1K, baby 2K, baby 5K, etc.). For grips, it refers to anything with a 5/8 inch stud (i.e. baby plate). (Grip/Lighting)
Baby Legs:
A short tripod. (Camera)
Baby Plate:
A steel plate with a baby pin (5/8 inch pin) welded on to it. These plates are used for mounting lights or grip heads on a wall, box, or other surface. (Grip/Lighting)
Background:
This is a term with a broad range of meanings, depending upon the context. In production, it has the same connotation as 'atmosphere', meaning extras who are staged to supply detail in the form of normal human traffic in a scene. In sound, it can mean the same as 'ambience' or it may refer to relative volume.
Backing Track:
Prerecorded accompaniment for a singer or voiceover actor who then listens through headphones to a replay as he/she performs. Generally, the two signals are ultimately mixed to produce the final recording. (Post Production)
Backlight:
A light which is generally mounted behind a subject to light the subject's hair and shoulders without illuminating a subject's front. (Lighting)
Balanced:
An audio circuit with 3 wires, two which carry signal, and a third which is contected to a ground (grounded). (Sound)
Balance Stripe:
On magnetic-striped film, a narrow band of magnetic coating applied to the edge opposite the magnetic sound track which serves to make the film lie flat when it goes over magnetic sound heads.
Bar Sheets - Lead Sheets:
A chart showing words of dialogue which have been recorded, and the number of motion picture frames of duration for each syllable.
Barndoors:
Folding doors which are mounted on to the front of a light unit in order to control illumination. (Lighting)
Base-to-Base Splice:
A splice made with the base side of the end of one piece of
film overlapping the base side of the piece to which it is being attached. (Film Editing)
Bazooka:
Similar to a 2K stand, but without support legs. It has a junior hole at one end and a junior stud at the other, and it usually has a sliding riser. (Grip/Lighting)
Beat:
A periodic variation of amplitude resulting from the addition of
two slightly different frequencies. (Sound)
Beaver Board:
A 2K pigeon on an apple box. (Lighting/Grip)
Bed:
Background music used underneath a narrator or foreground dialog. Primarily applied to commercial radio or television spots.
Beef:
The output of a light. (Lighting)
Beefy Baby:
A heavy duty 2K stand without wheels. (Lighting/Grip)
Beep:
A short duration sound track tone aligned to a point on the film for precise reference in synchronization in the editing and printing processes.
Below the Line:
Refers to the technical elements of the production staff. Literally, these are the budget elements that appeared below a bold line on a standard production budget form. (Production)
Best Boy:
The assistant chief lighting technician or the assistant to the key grip. (Grip/Lighting)
Bin:
A reference to a storage container lined with a cloth bag, into which cut film or sound stock may be arranged and hung. In digital audio and video terms, this can be related to a film and/or directory from which stored shots or sound segments are selected for use.
Bit:
A minor acting role in which an actor may only speak a few lines.
Black Leader:
Opaque film leader used in conforming original film for A and B roll printing. (Film Editing)
Black Wrap:
Black Aluminum foil which is used for wrapping lights, to control light spill, and for making small flags. (Grip/Lighting)
Blip Tone:
A sync pop. This is usually done by placing a piece of 'toned' tape on a particular frame of film to establish a 'synch' point. (Film Editing)
Blocking:
Plotting actor, camera and microphone placement and movement
in a production or scene. (Production)
Blonde:
An open face 2K lighting unit, also known as a 'mighty'. (Lighting)
Bloop:
The sound produced in an energized amplifier and speaker system
when a film splice passes the photo cell to which the amplifier
is connected.
Blooping:
Any method of silencing unwanted noise produced by the passage of a splice through a sound reproducer. Traditionally, a small opaque tape is fixed over a splice. (Post Production)
Blooping Tape:
Tape used to cover unwanted portions of sound tracks.
Blow-Up:
A film enlargement from a smaller gauge of film to a larger gauge (i.e. 16mm to 35mm).
Bobbinet:
Black mesh cloth which is used for grip scrims. It also is available in rolls for darkening windows. (Grip/Lighting)
Boom:
A telescoping arm for a camera or microphone which might be available in a variety of sizes from the very small handheld types to the very large, which might be transported as an integral part of a motor vehicle. (Production)
Bottom Chop:
A flag or cutter which is used to keep light off of the floor or the lower part of a scene. (Grip/Lighting)
Box Rental:
A fee or allowance paid to a crewmember for providing his/her own equipment or other specialized apparatus for use in a production. (Production)
Branch Holder:
A pipe-like unit with a locking nut which is used to hold branches, wooden poles, or other items. (Grip/Lighting)
Breakdown:
The separation of a roll of camera original negative (or in some cases a workprint) into its individual takes or scenes. (Film Editing) Also a very common term which refers to a preproduction function where discrete elements of a script are isolated and noted. (PreProduction)
Breast Line:
A guide line attached to anything being hauled up on a crane or by a pulley. (Grip/Lighting)
Broad:
A rectangular open-faced light which is used for general fill or for cyc illumination. (Lighting)
Brute:
A brute arc light, usually 225 amps DC powered.
Bulk Eraser:
A device which magnetically aligns all of the iron oxide molecules on a magnetic tape or film, thus eliminating any 'sound' on them.
Burn-in Time Code:
A videotape in which a "window" displaying the time code count on the tape is superimposed over part of lhe picture.
Bus:
A mixing network that combines the output of two or more
channels. (Electronics)
Butt Splice:
A film splice in which the film ends come together without overlapping. (Film Editing)
Butt-Weld Splice:
A film splice made by joining the two pieces of film, without an overlapping portion, usually by applying both heat and pressure. (Film Editing)
Butterfly (Butterfly Kit):
Assorted nets, silks, solids, and grifflons which are used for light control; usually 5' x 5', or 6' x 6' frame size. Commonly a 12' x 12' or 20' x 20' is called a butterfly kit, however, it they should be called an overhead kit. (Grip)
Butthead:
A producer who thinks he knows more about a film technicians job than the tech himself knows. (Film) Someone who changes lanes without looking. (General)
B-Wind:
An indication of the emulsion position on a roll of film. A 'B' Wind indicates that the emulsion is facing out, or away, from the center or core of the film roll. (Film Editing)
