Movie Terms A - Z

ANGLE ON - Directs the camera to focus on a person or thing.

AD LIB - Instructs actors to make up and fill in dialogue in the scene.

CONTINUED - Used at the beginning and end of a screenplay page. However fashion has changed and it isn't used in screenplays anymore.

CRANE SHOT - The camera, fixed to a crane mechanism, is allowed to float through the air (Rather than use this in a screenplay suggest the same shot in another way)

BEAT - A pause written into a character's speech or action. Longer pauses can be written as "two beats", "three beats", etc. Equivalent to the beat of a waltz.

COVER PAGE - The first page of the screenplay. It contains the title, author names, and author address data.

CUT TO - To immediately go to another person or setting

DISSOLVE TO - A film editing technique where one scene "melts" or fades into another scene. Can be used in place of "cut to" to suggest a longer passage of time but not strictly necessary

ESTABLISHING SHOT - Used to give an overall perspective of a scene. This is rarely used now but would be done thus " EXT. ROBIN'S HOUSE - DAY (ESTABLISHING) "

EXT. - Used in the scene heading. Short for exterior.

FADE IN - This is the start of the screenplay. The screenplay always begins with this statement.

FADE OUT - Equivalent to THE END in a novel. The screenplay always ends with this statement.

INT. - Used in the Master Scene Heading. Short for interior.

INSERT - An item that is inserted into the camera view. Usually a note, or picture is inserted so the audience can either read what is on the note, or see the picture.

LOG LINE - A one or two sentence summary of your screenplay which is designed to intrigue someone enough to want to read it.

MASTER SCENE HEADING (SLUG LINE) - Begins each new scene. It consist of three parts: The LOCATION, PLACE, and TIME of the scene. e.g. * EXT. PLAYGROUND - NIGHT or * INT. BEDROOM - DAY

MONTAGE / SERIES OF SHOTS - A number of different scenes shown one after the other. Used to show a number of events passing in a short period of time.

O.S. / O.C. - OFF SCREEN or OFF CAMERA. A character talks, or something happens out of view of the camera.

PARENTHETICAL (WRYLIES) - Direction for the actor in a scene e.g. "wryly" or "sadly" Usually signals an emotional action. Only use when it isn't obvious.

PAN - A camera shot from side to side. (Rather than use this in a screenplay suggest the same shot in another way)

PLOT POINT - A turning point, or transition in the screenplay that propels the screenplay forward.

POV - Point of View. The perspective view of one character as they look at another character, or thing in the scene.

SPEC SCRIPT - A speculative screenplay written while not under studio contract.

SPLIT SCREEN - The location of the scene is divided in to two, or more, sections. (Rather than use this in a screenplay consider how bloody stupid the technique looks and decide not to)

SUBLIM - A shot lasting less than a second. (A very brief flashback)

SUPER - A superimposition. One image merged into another image.

TREATMENT - A detailed, third person, present tense, narrative summary of a script.

V.O. - Voice Over. Usually used by a narrator of a scene. The character doing the VO is usually not in the same location as the scene.

ZOOM - A camera focus upon something in the scene. (Rather than use this in a screenplay suggest the same shot in another way)