Glossary

Artifact
A visual defect encountered in digital playback in which the image sticks or repeats itself, thereby creating an artifact of itself. Also, any glitch that may occur when using digital technology: primarily "break-up," where the image looks like a series of Jackson Pollock-like boxes on the screen. Remember, something you may consider an artifact may be due to your attempt to screen a foreign video standard (PAL or SECAM) through a North American standard (NTSC) system.
Assembly
An early version of a film that has been assembled with very minimal editing, and is probably still without sound or subtitles. These are closely guarded by filmmakers and rarely made available. If they are, it is usually only to A-list festivals who may show them, providing the filmmakers with the positive buzz needed to help with post-production financing and greasing the wheels of the press for eventual release.
Booking Agent
A professional go-between who works with cinema owners/managers to program and procure films from distributors. The agent sees the latest films, reads the trades, watches box office figures, then recommends the most suitable films to his/her clients. Once the theatre has selected its slate of films, the agent will negotiate the rate and the booking dates with the distributor(s).
Bootleg (Pirate)
An unofficial, illegally-copied or distributed version of a movie. Bootleg videos are often available for movies that have yet to be released in a particular country, or for films that have been banned by local authorities. They are sometimes the product of a camcorder-wielding individual taping the image off the screen at an all-night cinema, in the wee hours of the morning, and therefore of substandard quality. Bootleg videos - the accepted term is now pirated - are currently the bane of Hollywood, because both the quality and delivery methods of pirates are improving and therefore, the market is growing.
Change-Over Cues (Change-Over, Reel Change)
Marks on a 35mm film that signal to the projectionist that one reel is approaching the end and, in a two-projector system, it is time for a changeover to the next reel. The marks are usually seven seconds apart (the first set of cues to tell the projectionist to get the projector started, the second set to signal the changeover). This is irrelevant in the case of a platter system, where all reels are spliced together in sequence.
Cinch Marks
Scratches on a print that run parallel to the edge of the film. These are typically caused by improper reel winding which has allowed one coil of the print to slide against another. Also, an indication that the film has played repeatedly on a platter system; these are notorious for causing vertical scratches.
Classic
Classics are tough to define, like antiques. Strictly speaking this term refers to works from the Golden Age of Cinema (1920 - 1950), however it can also mean any enduring work.
Classification (Rating)
The mechanics of labelling entertainment for consumption by the masses. Deciding what is acceptable to society, and at what age , is based on a standard of social ethics and morality, drug use, language, sexual content and violence -all of which are measured against "community standards". Films are rated from G to R (or beyond), and this rating must be clearly displayed, before the distributor can release the work to the public. Classification is a provincial responsibility and terminology varies from province to province. As an exhibitor, you must be aware of and abide by these decisions. Note: In some cases, relief for this exists for registered non-profit societies presenting works only to individuals over 18 years of age. Film festivals, for example operate under this type of exemption; check your province's regulations carefully (see Classification System).
Close-Captioned
A system that displays the current dialogue on screen for deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers. Close-Captioning, or CC, is available only on video formats, and requires special decoding equipment to play it back. For films, there are specially trained interpreters who can be hired to provide an interpretive translation if you are screening specifically for a deaf audience.
Concessions
No, we don't mean yielding your position in an argument; we mean popcorn! Typically, the venue keeps concession sales and you get ticket sales after costs, but if you are in a venue you control, concessions can be a good revenue stream at your event. The most obvious are popcorn and soft drinks, but depending on what your venue will allow to be spilled and dripped over their seats, the sky (and your refrigeration options) is the limit. Remember, the serving of liquor is covered by provincial liquor licensing regulations so be sure to check with your local government if you want to serve beer, wine or cocktails.
Contra
Trading "favours" when you don't have the budget for everything you need. Many businesses and suppliers will be happy to provide you with in kind services or goods in exchange for a credit, sponsor status or an ad in your program.
Cue/Cueing
The fine art of film projection hinges upon smooth presentation without any annoying glitches. No-one wants to see the countdown on a film leader, or the screen go bright white at the end of a reel. Therefore, your projectionist should position each reel, disc or tape at the appropriate place so that the show is seamless. "Cue or die" is the professional projectionist's motto. Make sure your projectionist knows what s/he is doing.
Digital
Digital refers to any kind of information that is stored as digits; the same 1's and 0's that computers use to store information. With this system of recording information, there is no degradation in quality providing you have the right translation device and application to read digital information correctly.
Distributor
The professional whose job it is to distribute physical copies of a film to theatres, stores, libraries and schools. A distributor licenses rights from one or more studios or producers for a specific market (theatrical, educational or home) within a country or territory and is then responsible for co-ordinating the dissemination of the finished product to exhibitors, and/or the sale of videos and other media versions of the work. A distributor has at the very least a telephone and a second bedroom full of "product" or they may have an international warehouse network and a complicated order processing mechanism complete with marketing and shipping departments. Fundamentally, this is where art meets business and the rubber meets the road.
Documentary
There is some argument about exactly what a documentary is, but broadly speaking it is non-fiction storytelling. Typically a documentary has meant a journalistic record of an event, person, or place but these days it can be much more imaginative and still be called a documentary.
Double Bill
A double bill means two feature films shown back to back, usually for one price. Using a short before a featured film is not referred to as a double bill, but taking two films of similar duration and playing them one after the other is. Since the demise of drive-ins, the two films in a double bill tend to be related thematically in some way.
Dub (tape)
A dub of a tape is a second-generation copy from (usually) the same kind of tape. If you take a tape or disc and copy it onto another tape or disc you have made a dub, and if you have not obtained permission from the owner of the tape's contents then you have just violated copyright law! Most reputable duplicators will ask you for a written permission from the copyright holder before they will make you a copy.
Dubbing (dialogue)
This refers to replacing the native tongue of the original actors with dialogue spoken by "dialogue-dubbers" native to the country of release. As with colourization, this is considered by many artists and distributors to be an infringement of artistic integrity. However, in some countries (for example, Germany and Eastern Europe), it is the preferred translation mechanism.
Experimental Film
Works produced in order to advance the state of the art of filmmaking despite the likelihood that they will not recoup their expense. They tend to be the result of a filmmaker's creative curiosity and desire to experiment with the medium and sometimes they produce a miracle that is eventually emulated by the mainstream. These works are often screened in museums and filmmaker cooperatives or distributed over the internet.
Feature
A feature is defined primarily by duration. In the film world, a feature usually refers to a work over 60 minutes. A feature can also be used to refer to the main attraction in your program, whatever its length in minutes.
Filmography
A filmmaker's track record, from their early student work to their latest hit. It is usually listed in festival programs and press releases to remind the audience what came before. A "selected filmography" is a usually a list of hits without the misses included.
Focus
The sharpness of an image, or the adjustments made on a camera or projector necessary to achieve this.
Foreign
Foreign simply means that a cinematic work was paid for and produced somewhere other than Canada, although for some reason we don't count the USA, despite the fact that they generally see us as foreign. Sometimes we even see ourselves as foreign; look in your local video shop to see how many Canadian films are in the foreign category.
Format
Format refers to the type of medium and structure in which a film is made or stored. Format might be film (35mm or 16mm) or any of the analog and digital versions of video. The format lets you know what kind of machine you need to play back a work. Note that format does not refer to either the broadcast standard or region coding, which are additional considerations if you are screening video.
Framing
This term refers to the attempt to make the image on the screen replicate what the director envisioned. In the case of 35mm, a film has gone "out of frame" when you see a bar in the middle of the screen with the bottom of the image at the top of the screen and the top at the bottom. This can occur for technical reasons which should be familiar to your projectionist and which can be quickly corrected via the projector's framing knob. With video, the main concern is to make sure you are using the right aspect ratio so that the film is "framed" correctly on the screen. For example, if it is a 4:3 ratio you will have a square frame; if it is 16:9 (anamorphic), you will have a horizontal rectangular one.
Genre
Grouping by the theme, style, content, creators or technical process of a film. Common genres are drama, comedy, horror, biography and the like. "Rock Opera Tragedy" might be a genre as would "Lesbian Travel Documentary". "Chick Flick" and "Superhero Pets" are probably not suitable descriptions and "New Releases" is NOT a genre. For themed home video collections selected by Guest Curators, visit our subscription site: www.showamovie.ca/map
Head and Tail Leaders
The beginning (head) of the film reel and the end (tail) have several feet of non-image frames (leader) to allow spooling and cueing before the actual film content begins and ends on each reel.
Home Video
This category was created to legally allow sales to the public of movies they could previously only see in theatres; it came with the advent of home video tapes and players around 1980. "Home Use Only" licensing from studios meant that commercial and educational distributors had their territory protected because renters and purchasers of this new category could not legally show a film outside of their actual home or charge money to members of the public coming to their home screening room. This still applies, unless negotiated with the appropriate parties.
Independent
An independent can refer to a filmmaker or distributor who is not associated with or financed by a major Hollywood studio. Other distinguishing characteristics are that an independent film is usually one with multiple sources of financing and is often owned by its producer(s). A note: the "indie" label is generally applied only to U.S.-made films; many foreign films are "indie" by definition, but are not included in this North American terminology. Indepdendent video stores means retailers who are not a member of a chain or franchise operation.
Intermission
This used to be the moment for cute girls in short costumes with trays of ice-creams to appear, but these days intermissions only happen on rare occasions. Sometimes a filmmaker will build an intermission into a long film (common 20 years ago, rare now). These days, a cinema may manufacture a break - usually at an arbitrary point in the story, thus disrupting the screening - in order to sell more concession snacks. From an artistic point-of-view, this is uncouth and not cool. In certain countries where people need small cups of strong black coffee and a smoke in order to get them through a full-length feature (for example Italy and Turkey, where even an 80-minute feature has an arbitrarily selected intermission at the half-way point) this is the norm. Intermissions are generally considered death to art and an insult to artists so even though it might help you make money, don't even think about it.
Internet Delivery
Refers to acquiring a film by downloading a digital file via an internet connection rather than by picking a video up from the store, a satellite signal or a cable provider. As described in the text, this will be the delivery mode of choice for mainstream cinemas as soon as the financial details and piracy issues are worked out.
Intertitles
A title card appearing on the screen prior to a scene in order to explain the action. These are commonly used with silent films: think Charlie Chaplin. These are the pre-cursor of subtitles and the more recent "sur-titles" , which use a computerized system to project the English dialogue on a small screen either above or below the image. Sur-titles are often used in opera and, increasingly, in those film venues which can afford the technology.
Jurying
A group of experts (the jury) recruited to view the film and decide if it merits entry into a film program, festival or similar event. This happens either as a group, or individually. In the latter case the film has to travel to each jury member and votes are submitted to a co-ordinator. If you are a filmmaker, you are probably familiar with this process, which is also used by arts grant juries, whose decisions affect whether or not you need to recruit your parents to help finance your film. Not to be confused with award-giving film festival juries, although the process is the same.
Keystoning
A projection term that refers to an image that is out of focus at the top, bottom or either side due to the projector not being perpendicular to the screen's surface. The image can be adjusted by the projectionist to make it square with the edges of the screen and eliminate the trapezoidal look of a keystone. This is not generally a problem in a dedicated cinema, but something to look out for if you're screening in a make-shift venue like a hall.
Licensing
Licensing refers to official permission to use someone's work. Licensing usually requires a fee, but if you're extremely charming you might convince the licensor to waive this. Of course, if they are even more persuasive, they may convince you to waive more of your profits. Whatever the final decision, be sure you get it in writing.
Magnetic Soundtrack
In film, a composite print in which the soundtrack is recorded on the attached strip of magnetic tape that resembles those cassettes you still have. Largely obsolete due to high cost and maintenance difficulties, although still occasionally present on 16mm prints from Germany. Very few venues (or rentable projectors) can accommodate this format. Avoid.
Mockumentary
Posing as an actual documentary, a mockumentary uses the tools of documentary to create a wholly fictional piece. The best kind are the ones where you think it's real, or don't care that it isn't (think Christopher Guest's Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show or Spinal Tap, or the wonderful Canadian cult hit Fubar).
Negotiating
Coming up with a particularly compelling reason why a distributor or producer should reduce their licensing fee; if you succeed in convincing them of that fact, then you are a good negotiator. Many areas of the film industry are "gray" and not written in stone so you can always negotiate.
Optical Soundtrack
In film, a transparent strip with one, two, or more variable "lines" alongside the image which, through the amplitude and differences in shape of said lines (all of which are read by the projector's electronic cell) produce sound.
Origin
Where a film comes from. If you are dealing with origin you might be producing a festival that deals with work primarily from a single country or a specific region.
Pacing
Pacing refers to the rate or speed at which the story appears to develop. If a film is well paced, you probably don't spend much time at all thinking about how quickly or slowly it appears to move along.
Patch
Industry jargon for "connect". For example, you don't connect your RCA cable to the back of the player and the back of the projector to link the two together ; you "patch" the player into the projector.
Piggybacking
Far from getting taken for a ride, piggybacking is when two entities agree to work together to acquire and present a film. Even more often it is when a larger presenter, who might have a larger budget for bringing in films, helps to carry a smaller presenter.
Point-of-view
The particular perspective of the maker of the film. Or, as a production term, a camera angle in which the screen presents the visual point-of-view of the protagonist or any other character.
Press Kit (and EPK/Electronic Press Kit)
The informational package used to promote a film's release that is put together by the production company's or distributor's publicist. This will usually include a synopsis, background on the production, credits, biographies of the cast and crew and often still-photographs. The EPK will usually include film clips and possibly interviews with cast or director. Web-based EPKs which allow the media to download everything mentioned above, including publicity stills and all other elements, are the preferred choice.
Press Release
The information-loaded sell-sheet for your event that will woo the media into giving you the coverage you need to bring in the crowds. A press release needs to highlight, in a very readable way, the main selling points of your film and/or event and, ideally, it should do this in one page.
Preview
Generally, a special showing of a film ahead of its general release aimed at promoting good word-of-mouth. This term can also refer to a Special Event or Festival Press Screening for members of the media, and to the tape or DVD a distributor or production company sends to a Programmer for review.
Previewing
What you should always do when you receive a tape or film for programming consideration. For instance, does this work actually have subtitles? Or audio? Are the credits there? Does it fit the mandate of your program?. Find out before you are in a room filled with paying customers, at 8:00 pm, on a weekend.
Print
The term used by professionals to refer to the 35mm or 16mm version of the movie you may want to show.
Print Source
The distributor, filmmaker or production company that can provide you with a print of the film you want to show.
Print Traffic Coordinator
The person who knows all the ins and outs about how to physically get the work you have selected and licensed from the Print Source to the screening. S/he must also know how to send the print/video on to its next engagement. This may be as simple as arranging for a work to travel by bus to a nearby city, or as complex as arranging for multiple transactions across international borders.
Production Values
The technical components (cinematography, pacing, editing, overall quality of colour, crispness of image and so on) that give a work its character and audience drawing-power. Good production values mean there are no technical glitches getting in the way of the story and the atmosphere that the filmmaker is seeking to convey; in fact you might even go "wow", and want to see a particular work more than once.
Program
The components of your show/event, particularly the slate of films; also the sheet or booklet that describes the show.
Program Notes
The written words that give the basic information about what you are showing, and the words that will, if well-written, sell the film you've chosen to your audience when they peruse the program.
Programmer
Just as a computer programmer describes a sequence of events to a computer so its applications will run, a film festival programmer describes a sequence of films to his or her festival team so that people will run to buy tickets. In bigger organizations, such as major festivals, the lead programmer is often referred to as the artistic director.
Projector
The machine which, by means of a very bright and expensive bulb, enables the image to appear on the screen. In a purpose-built cinema, it will be in the "projection booth" at the back of the theatre. In an auditorium or other non-theatrical setting it will likely be digital and may be hung from the ceiling, sitting on some seats or standing in the middle of the floor. It is usually the most expensive piece of equipment in the theatre and the first thing that will break down.
Provenance
The source and/or ownership history of a film.
PSA/Public Service Announcement
A concise promotional summation of your event containing only the who, what, why, when, and where and intended for a 30-second radio spot or a 50-word print placement.
Public Performance Rights
Usually conveyed through a contract faxed around until it is barely legible, these rights are what you pay for so that you can legally make money by charging people to see someone else's work.
Quick: go to Legalities and get a professional opinion!
Rake
Refers to the slope of the note deletion rows in a theatre. In a theatre with a good rake, everyone can see the film without the annoyance of the hair of the person in front of them blocking the view. A medium rake allows the best view, especially if you have to read subtitles at the bottom of a screen!
Reel
A strip of film wound on a metal spool. Typical reels hold 15-25 minutes of film. Reels are stored in cans so they can be lugged from one venue to the next with minimal damage.
Retailer
A Home Use Only sales and/or rental outlet or website that offers movies directly to consumers. Sometimes they are the best or only place to find a DVD or VHS version of a film, but remember: these are for Home Use and you still have to get Public Performance Rights.
Rights, Permissions & Fees
The things you must acquire, sign for and pay in order to legally be allowed to screen a film in public.
Rough Cuts
A close to final version of a film, which the production company, at its discretion, may make available to A-list film festivals, and funders for review. It will probably be a bit longer than the final version and be missing credits and possibly some sound effects. It will be close enough to the final version for previewing purposes.
Royalties
Royalties are the percentage of the income derived from the use of a work of art due to the creator or owner. In the case of movies, this income is usually a result of exhibition (public or private).
Running-time
The total length of a film/video, from the first image or sound that presents itself on the screen or through the sound system, until the last credit rolls by or the exit music fades away. You need to keep this information in mind when planning your event in order to avoid two things from trying to exist in the same place at the same time, or to keep an audience from trying to exist in a dark place with nothing happening.
Screener
A preview tape/disc, often imprinted with "for preview only, not for distribution, sale or rental" or something similar appearing permanently or occasionally on the screen. Do not worry, this will not appear on the version you show; it is to keep you from pirating it.
Short/Short Subject
Technically a work that is shorter than 60 minutes. In reality there is a distinction between a short of anything from 1 - 30 minutes which can be played before a feature, and a TV hour or featurette which might be paired with another work of similar length to form a full-length program.
Silent
Believe it or not, there was a time before Dolby, even before analog mono, when film had no sound. Some of these films have experienced a renaissance of late and are often presented with live music accompaniment to create a very special film event.
Slots
You might have one 3-hour slot in an evening event or 5 two-hour slots in an all day festival. Make sure you've timed things correctly to ensure no overlap.
Softitler
A digital display that runs text above or below the cinema screen. If you are a festival with a wealthy benefactor this might be where you run subtitles so you can get original prints of foreign language films; in that case you are probably way beyond the scope of what we have to offer here.
Source/Sourcing
Finding a person or company that both holds the rights to a film you want to acquire and can provide you with a decent print. This can be immediately apparent or as difficult as finding the source of the Nile.
Standards
The world's three broadcast standards: PAL, SECAM and NTSC. These are the agreed- upon set of technical conventions for recording media in each country. None are compatible with the other when it comes to playback, so be very careful when dealing with other countries, and make sure to ask for media in a standard you can use. (See World Broadcast Standards chart)
Subtitles
The visual translation of their dialogue into your language, that appears at the bottom of the screen when you see a foreign film. When you preview, make sure you can read the subtitles and that they are comprehensible. If they are white titles on a light colour you may need to reconsider. Subtitles are a good reason to be sure that your film is properly framed on the screen and that none of those vital words are being cut off.
Themed Programming
Using a specific concept or criteria to unite all the films in your program. This approach can help your audience to develop more understanding and appreciation and can also help to focus your publicity. For themed programming ideas selected by Guest Curators, visit our subscription site: www.showamovie.ca/map
Throw
The distance the light beam has to travel between your projector and the screen. The "throw" can sometimes dictate the type of lenses you need on your film projector or indicate the strength of your video projector.
Timecode
Electronic guide track added to video or audio material to provide a time reference for editing, synchronization, and so on. Usually this is invisible in finished work but you will often encounter it on rough cuts and advance copies or preview tapes.
Trailer
A short film advertisement for a movie that contains scenes from the film. Historically, these advertisements were attached to the end of a newsreel or supporting-feature, hence the name. Doing this reduced the number of reel changes that a projectionist would have to make. Now they are a reel unto themselves and are generally shown before the main attraction. Festivals and special events usually do not run trailers of other movies. Tape and DVDs often include trailers; be sure to cue to avoid these.
Transfers
A "transfer" refers to the conversion of a tape format and/or standard from the original into a format and/or standard you can use. For example, you might have a video on Digital Beta and need to transfer it to VHS. Or you may receive a tape in PAL and need to transfer it to NTSC. The quality will be as good as the equipment used to produce the transfer so be sure to go to a professional if you plan to use the transfer as the work you screen.
Umbrella Licensing
A non-theatrical license covering the works of a number of different production companies and/or distributors. You can pay either for a one-time screening or negotiate an annual fee that depends on various factors, to cover rights, fees and permissions for the works the licensor represents. This is the kind of umbrella that will protect you from legal lightning!
Usage
Home - For viewing at home only. Not for use in public- not even bars, nursing homes, day-care centres or churches. Non-commercial. Think of it as private consumption, like a good wine.
Educational - Screening films in a classroom or similar setting. Learning is the focus. Can be with or without a fee and generally costs less than Public use and more than Home use. You will be paying a royalty - usually not enough for the filmmaker to live on.
Public (performance) - You are inviting the public. If you advertise, charge admission, ask for a donation or just show the film in a commercial venue (such as a club, bar or gallery) you need Public Performance rights. You will be paying a royalty. The filmmaker might be able to live on this -- if s/he is public enough.
Venue
This means the place in which you show a movie. Usually a venue is a theatre, but it might also be a school, a church, a community hall or even a beach - anywhere that is a place to which people will come to see a film.
Will-Call
Will-call is the part of the event ticketing system that handles pick-up of prepaid reserved tickets. A separate table or booth is set aside for will-call pick-ups where tickets are filed alphabetically by surname.
Working Title
The name by which a movie is known while it is being made; this is frequently different from the title under which it is released.