Glossary
Throughout this book, several terms will be used that relate to video and audio technology and to
nonlinear post-production in particular. You may already be familiar with some of these terms,
but there are several that may be new to you if you are learning to edit for the first time.
The following terms will make more sense as you explore the lessons in this book. Still, you may
find it useful to bookmark this page and return to the list from time to time to make sure you are
clear about the language used in the exercises.
Aspect ratio: This describes the shape of an image. 1:1 is square. Most video is 16:9.
Regardless of the size of the screen or the resolution of an image, the frame will have a
particular aspect ratio.
Bin: Bins look and work very much like a folder in the Finder (macOS) or Explorer
(Windows). However, they exist only inside the Premiere Pro project file you are working
on and contain only clips.
Clip: This is a link (or shortcut) to a media file (which might be video, a graphic, audio, or
any other kind of media). Clips look and behave as if they were the thing they link to, with
information that relates to the media file, such as image size and frame rate (fps).
Codec: This is short for coder/decoder. This is a way to store information (like video and
audio) as a smaller file. Like shorthand writing, this takes less space but requires more
effort to write and, later, to read. Most video is recorded using a codec to reduce the file
size, with the exception of camera systems that record data as raw media with no processing
applied.
Compression: This is usually used in one of two ways: 1) a way to reduce the size of video
and audio files by storing the information using a codec, which normally produces a file
that is smaller than the original uncompressed file; 2) a way to reduce the difference
between the loudest and quietest parts of sound. This allows the overall sound level to seem
louder.
Cut: In a sequence, a cut is the moment one clip ends and another begins. The term comes
from celluloid film editing, where the film is literally cut. A cut is technically a form of
transition and is the most common kind.
Effect: This is a way to modify the appearance of images or the quality of sound. Effects
are used to change the shape of an image, to make visuals brighter or darker, to animate the
position of images on the screen, to make audio louder or quieter, or to apply any number
of other adjustments.
Export: When your clips are combined in a sequence, you will then export to share the
creative work with the world in the form of a new media file. When you export, you choose
the format, codec, and settings for the file that will be created.
Footage: Originally a film term used to indicate recording duration because film is
measured in feet, this now refers to any original video material and is usually described in
hours and minutes.