Scripts / 357-^ follows a careful time structure in accordance with FCC regulations regarding
the number of commercial breaks per broadcast hour,
-^ includes technical terms appropriate to camera work [see those terms, listed
and defined in the following list].
The following technical terms are essential for accurate video directions. Study them
until they become comfortable to you. Without them, no television script can succeed.
angle: the position of the camera; to angle on a character is to position the
camera so that the character is emphasized
beat: a one-second pause in a character’s speech or action
clip: a short piece of film or tape integrated into the program
close shot: a camera shot that eliminates everything except the person or item
on which the close shot is made
close-up, or CU: a camera angle that shows a person’s head or head and shoul-
ders; an extreme close-up (XCU) may show only the eyes or mouth
cut, or cut to: an editing direction that requires the abrupt shift from one
scene to another, as opposed to fade or dissolve
dissolve, or dissolve to: an editing direction that has one scene fading into
another so that for a very brief moment the two scenes appear simultaneously
dolly in/out: to move the camera and mount to establish a closer or more dis-
tant shot
establishing shot: a broad shot of a large area, used to help set the scene
fade in: an editing direction that requires the picture to start from black (or
some other color) and gradually become a full picture
fade out: an editing direction that calls for the picture to slowly go to black
full shot: a camera angle that shows all of a person or a scene, such as a yard,
room, or football field
hold: to maintain a camera shot on an individual to emphasize his or her reac-
tion or attitude
off-screen: a sound heard but whose source is not seen by the viewers
pan: to swing the camera from side to side without moving the base in order
to show a broad scene; hence, pan right, pan left, and whip (meaning to pan
quickly)
super: to superimpose, placing titles, credits, or images over the picture so
that both are simultaneously visible
two shot: a camera shot of two characters; thus, a three shot is of three char-
acters, and so on
voice over: a voice that is heard though the speaker is not seen, especially used
in newscasts and documentaries