324 Moving Images: Making Movies, Understanding MediaOptical eff ects – Eff ects achieved through the printing stages of fi lm processing,
such as fades or dissolves.
Producer – Administrator of all budgetary and supervisory aspects of
production from development to distribution.
Production designer – Department head responsible for the creation and
decoration of the physical appearance and design of interiors and exteriors
in a production.
Production value – Term used to describe the overall quality of a motion
picture production as it is seen on the screen, including sets, design excellence,
costumes, vehicles, and historical, fantastical, or futuristic details.
Rear projection – Optical eff ect in which the actors are fi lmed in front of a
screen onto which a fi lm is projected from the other side of the screen, most
commonly used in scenes with actors in a moving car. Th is “process shot,”
whose use began in the 1930s, had distinct fl aws because of the unavoidable
lower light level of the background image. Rear projection was improved by
front projection, in which the image is projected from the front, as used in
fi lms such as 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Refl ector – Surface used to refl ect light toward subjects in a scene, such as
a bounce board used to brighten a certain part of the scene or a character.
Refl ectors can be positioned to bounce light back from illumination units
that face away from the scene.
Schüfft an process – Optical technique that allows the combination of live
action with miniature sets and paintings through the use of a mirror placed
at a 45-degree angle in front of the camera with part of its surface scratched
away to leave transparent glass. Th e mirrored section of the surface shows
whatever image is bounced off at the 45-degree angle, such as a miniature
or a scene with actors, while the transparent glass portion reveals what is
behind the glass.
Scrim – Circular screen that slides into place in front of a light to lower its
intensity.
Second assistant camera – Th e second AC, also known as clapper/loader,
assists the fi rst AC by setting up the camera, loading and removing fi lm
from magazines, and preparing and clapping the slate, although there may
be a separate fi lm loader.
Second assistant director – Th e second AD assists the fi rst AD on the set and
creates call sheets daily to inform the crew and actors about the locations
and schedule.
Set designer – Member of the art department in charge of draft ing blueprints
and plans from the directions of the production designer. Set designers create
drawings and scale models for the construction of sets and props.
Sound stage – Acoustically designed soundproof studio engineered for ease
of motion picture production and construction of sets.Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).