Black & White Film Factory

Glossary of Film Terms

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OPTICAL EFFECTS. Trick shots prepared by the use of an optical printer in the laboratory, especially fades and dissolves.

OPTICAL SOUND. A sound track in which the record takes the form of variations of a photographic image.

OUT-TAKE. A take of a scene which is not used for printing or final assembly in editing.

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PERFORATIONS. Regularly spaced and accurately shaped holes which are punched throughout the length of a motion picture film. These holes engage the teeth of various sprockets and pins by which the film is advanced and positioned as it travels through cameras, processing machines, and projectors (Single or Double perforated film stock).

PITCH. (1) That property of sound which is determined by the frequency of the sound waves. (2) Distance from the center of one perforation on a film to the next; or from one thread of a screw to the next; or from one curve of a spiral to the next.

PUSH OR PULL or Forced Developing. The lab process altering the film's processing time or/and temperature to compensate for underexposed (Push process) or overexposed (Pull process) films. It comes in terms of Push (Pull) 1 or 2 stops. Kodak does not recommend more then 2 stops correction. Technically we can Push 5 and Pull 3 stops.

Q

RACK. A frame carrying film in a processing machine.

REDUCTION PRINTING. Making a copy of smaller size than the original by optical printing.

REGISTRATION. The accurate positioning of film or the images formed on it.

RELEASE PRINT. In a motion picture processing laboratory, any of numerous duplicate prints of a subject made for general theater distribution.

RETICULATION. The formation of a coarse, crackled surface on the emulsion coating of a film during improper processing. If some process solution is too hot or too alkaline, it may cause excessive swelling of the emulsion and this swollen gelatin may fail to dry down as a smooth homogeneous layer.

REVERSAL PROCESS. Any photographic process in which an image is produced by secondary development of the silver halide grains that remain after the latent image has been changed to silver by primary development and destroyed by a chemical bleach. In the case of film exposed in a camera, the first developer changes the latent image to a negative silver image. This is destroyed by a bleach and the remaining silver halide is converted to a positive image by a second developer. The bleached silver and any traces of halide may now be removed with hypo.

S

SAFETY FILM. A photographic film whose base is fire-resistant or slow burning. At the present time, the terms "safety film" and "acetate film" are synonymous.

SENSITOMETER. An instrument with which a photographic emulsion is given a graduated series of exposures to light of controlled spectral quality, intensity, and duration. Depending upon whether the exposures vary in brightness or duration, the instrument may be called an intensity scale or a time scale sensitometer.

SKIP FRAME. An optical printing effect eliminating selected frames of the original scene to speed up the action.

SLASH PRINT. In a motion picture studio or processing laboratory, a rough print (positive print from cutting copy) of a motion picture film used for editing and study of action and continuity.

SPLICE. Any type of cement or mechanical fastening by which two separate lengths of film are united end-to-end so they function as a single piece of film when passing through a camera, film processing machine, or projector.

SPROCKET. A toothed driving wheel used to move film through various machines by engaging with the perforation holes.

STEP PRINTER. A printer in which each frame of the negative and raw stock is stationary at the time of exposure.

STRIPE. A narrow band of magnetic coating or developing solution applied to a length of motion picture film.

SUPER 16. The Super 16 format has a 22 percent larger image area than a conventional 16 mm frame. That results from eliminating the perforations down one side of the frame. 1:1.66 ratio.

SYNC, SYNCHRONIZATION. Two picture records or a picture record and a sound record are said to be "in sync" when they are placed relative to each other on a release print so they can be projected in correct temporal or spatial relationship. When this condition is not met, the two records are said to be "out of sync."