Black & White Film Factory

Glossary of Film Terms

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A or B WIND. When a roll of 16mm film, perforated along one edge, is held so that the outside end of the film leaves the roll at the top and toward the right, winding "A" should have the perforations on the edge of the film toward the observer, and winding "B" should have the perforations on the edge away from the observer. In both cases, the emulsion surface should face inward on the roll.

ASA. Exposure Index or speed rating that denotes the film sensitivity, defined by the American National Standards Institution. Actually defined only for black-and-white films, but also used in the trade for color films.

ADDITIVE COLOR. Color mixture by the addition of light of the three primaries, red, green, and blue.

ADVANCE. The separation between a point on the sound track of a film and the corresponding picture image (sound advances 26 frames in 16mm print).

ANSWER PRINT. The print combining picture and sound submitted by the laboratory for the customers' approval. (each scene has been corrected in density and color).

B

BASE. The transparent, flexible support, on which photographic emulsions are coated to make photographic film (cellulose acetate, polyester).

BLEACH. Converting a metallic silver image to a halide or other salt which can be removed from the film with hypo.

BLEACH BY-PASS. Skipping the bleach bath in the lab processing. Possible for a colour negative and colour reversal stock if process in colour negative processing chemicals. Does not apply to the black & white stock and processing procedure.

BREAK-DOWN. The separation of a roll of camera original negative into its individual scenes.

C

CAMERA LOG. A record sheet giving details of the scenes photographed on a roll of original negative.

CINCH MARKS. Short scratches on the surface of a motion picture film, running parallel to its length; these are caused by improper winding of the roll, permitting one coil of film to slide against another.

CINEX STRIP. A short test print in which each frame has been printed at a different exposure level.

CHECK PRINT or EVALUATION PRINT. The first print (middle light) combining picture and sound submitted by the laboratory.

COMPOSITE PRINT. A motion picture print with both picture and sound on the same strip of film.

CONTRAST. (1) The general term for describing the tone separation in a print in relation to a given difference in the light-and shade of the negative or subject from which it was made. Thus, contrast is the general term for the property called "gamma" (Y), which is measured by making an H & D Curve for the process under study. (2) The range of tones in a photographic negative or positive expressed as the ratio of the extreme opacities or transparencies or as the difference between the extreme densities This range is more properly described as "scale" or "latitude" (3) The ability of a photographic material, developer, or process as a whole to differentiate among small graduations in the tones of the subject. Black & White negative has "gamma" value between 0.60 and 0.70.

CRI. Color Reversal Intermediate, a duplicate color negative prepared by reversal processing.

CROSS MOD. A test method for determining the optimum print requirements for a variable area sound track.

CROSS PROCESSING. Reversal film stock processed in a negative developer.

CURL. A defect of a photographic film consisting of unflatness in a plane cutting across the width of the film. Curl may result from improper drying conditions, and the direction and amount of curl may vary with the humidity of the air to which the film is exposed.

CUTTING. The selection and assembly of the various scenes or sequences of a reel of film.

D

DAILIES. The first positive prints made by the laboratory from the negative photographed on the previous day.

DENSITY. The negative logarithm to the base ten of the transmittance (or reflectance) of the sample. A sample which transmits 1/2 of the incident light has a transmittance of 0.50. or 50% and a density of 0.30.

DISSOLVE. A transition between two scenes where the first merges imperceptibly into the second (Lap Dissolve: Mix).

DUBBING. The combination of several sound components into a single recording.

DUPE, DUPE NEGATIVE. A duplicate negative, made from a master positive by printing and development or from an original negative by printing followed by reversal development.

E

EDGE NUMBERS. Numbers printed along one edge of a motion picture film outside the perforations to designate the footage.

EDIT SYNC (LEVEL SYNC) (EVEN SYNC). The relation between the picture and sound records during editing, when they are in alignment and not offset as for projection.

EMULSION, EMULSION LAYER. (1) Broadly, any light-sensitive photographic material consisting of a gelatin emulsion containing silver halide together with the base and any other layers or ingredients that may be required to produce a film having desirable mechanical and photographic properties (2) In discussions of the anatomy of a photographic film, the emulsion layer is any coating that contains light sensitive silver halide grains, as distinguished from the backing, base, substratum, or filter layers.

F

FADE. An optical effect in which the image of a scene is gradually replaced by a uniform dark area, or vice versa (16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 96 frames fade in or fade out).

FIXING. The removal of unexposed silver halides from the film during processing.

FLAT. An image is said to be "flat" if its contrast is too low. Flatness is a defect that does not necessarily affect the entire density scale of a reproduction to the same degree. Thus, a picture may be "flat' in the highlight areas, or "flat" in the shadow regions, or both.

f-NUMBER. A symbol that expresses the relative aperture of a lens.

FLICKER. The alternation of light and dark periods which can be visually appreciated.

FLUTTER. In sound, rapid period variation of frequency caused by unsteadiness of the film or tape drive.

FOG. Darkening of photographic film by its exposure to undesirable light, or by poor emulsion or improper development.

FORMAT. The size or aspect ratio of a motion picture frame.

FRAME. The individual picture image on a strip of motion picture film.

FREEZE FRAME. An optical printing effect in which a single frame image is repeated so as to appear stationary when projected.

G

GATE. The aperture assembly at which the film is exposed in a camera, printer or projector.