Packaging:
A combination of several creative elements such as a script, actor/s, and director which is used to attract interest in a production for the purposes of obtaining financing or distribution.
PAL (Phase Alternating Line):
The European color television standard that specifies a 25Hz frame rate and 625 lines per frame.
Pan:
A horizontal movement of a camera on a fixed axis.
Parallels:
Temporary Scaffolding, used as a platform for the camera, lighting, or other rigging. (Grip/Lighting)
Pay or Play:
A contract provision which commits the production company to compensate a cast or crew member for a project whether or not that project ever goes into production.
Phase Distortion:
This is a shifting of output voltage relative to input by an amount which is disproportional to frequency. This will not detectable until it an amplifier. (Acoustics)
Phase shift:
The displacement of a waveform in time. Some electrical components introduce phase shift into a signal. When various frequencies are displaced differently, distortion occurs. Electrical cancellation may occur when two equal signals are out of phase by 1~3()¡. However, this may also be used are a encoding method where the shift is removed on playback (similar to the method in which a Dolby Surround sound track is encoded and played back. (Post Production)
Phantom Power:
A method of remotely powering the preamplifier or impedance converter which is buitlt into many microphones by sending a voltage along the audio cable. (Audio)
Phase:
The timing relationship between two signals. (Audio/Electronics)
Pick-up Shot:
Reshooting a portion of a scene, the rest of which was acceptably filmed in a previous take.
Pilot Tone:
A sine wave signal, recorded by various field audio recorders at a known frequency, which is used to resolve the tape speed on playback to retain sync with film camera footage.
Pin:
A component of a camera or printer mechanism which engages with a perforation hole to move and locate film for exposure.
Pink noise:
A sound signal that has an equal amount of energy per octave or
fraction of an octave. (Sound)
Pitch:
The distance between two successive perforations along a strip of film.(Film) The frequency of audible sound (Sound).
Plate:
A background for any type of process shot. (Laboratory)
Playback:
A technique of filming music action first, the playing the music through loudspeakers while performers dance, sing, etc.
Positive Scratch:
The black image on a print of a scratch on the positive from which the print was made. (Film Editing)
Post-Production:
The period in a project's development that takes place after the picture is delivered, or "after the production." This term might also be applied to video/film editing or refer to audio post-production.
Practical:
Any light that appears in the scene. (Lighting)
Preamplifier:
An electronic device that boosts extremely weak signal voltages, such as those from microphones or mag heads, to a level that is usable by power amplifiers. (Electronics)
Pre-Blacked:
A video tape which has already had a control track, usually with SMPTE encoded time code, but without any picture or sound. This is done to facilitate the video editing or assembly process.
Prescoring:
Recording of music or other sound prior to the shooting of the
picture which is to accompany it. The most common usage is in animated film. (Sound)
Principal Photography:
The main photography of a film and the time period during which it takes place. (Production)
Printing Sync:
The relation between the picture and sound components in which they are printed to give the necessary displacement for projection as a composite print. (Laboratory)
Prism Shutter:
A device used on many film viewers, editing machines, and some high-speed cameras, consisting of a rotating prism of four or more sides through which the viewer light passes as film is pulled continuously through it. (Film Editing)
Process Shot:
A shot that will be composited from two other shots. The background part of this process is called a 'plate'. (Laboratory)
Production Dupe:
A duplicate negative prepared in the final form for release printing. (Laboratory)
Production Sound:
Recording and/or mixing sound on location during the film or video shoot. Typically this has been recorded to an analog Nagra reel-to-reel machine, though DAT recorders and other digital formats are now making significant inroads.
Projection-Contrast Original:
An original reversal film which is designed to have normal contrast when projected. (Film Editing)
Projection Leader:
A short length of film having standard markings on it, used to enable projectionists to make instant changeovers from one projector to another. (Film Editing)
Punch:
A device for punching a hole in film leader to locate a starting point for editorial or printing synchronization. (Film Editing). Also refers to specular light. (Lighting)
