Reference
Editor glossary
Plain-language definitions of the terms editors actually use, from LUTs and log profiles to J-cuts and match frame.
Terms are grouped alphabetically.
21 terms
B
- Bitrate
- The amount of data used per second of video, usually measured in Mbps. Higher bitrate means better quality and larger files.
C
- Codec
- Software that compresses and decompresses video or audio (for example H.264, ProRes). A codec decides the quality-to-file-size tradeoff.
- Container
- The file format that holds video, audio, and metadata together (for example MP4, MOV, MXF). A container can hold many different codecs.
F
- Frame rate
- How many frames of video are shown each second, expressed in fps (for example 24, 25, 30, 60). It shapes how motion reads.
I
- Interlacing
- A method of displaying video by scanning alternate lines (fields). Deinterlacing converts it to progressive for modern delivery.
J
- J-cut
- An edit where the audio of the next shot starts before its video appears, softening the transition into a scene.
L
- L-cut
- An edit where the video cuts to a new shot while the previous shot's audio continues, common in dialogue scenes.
- Log profile
- A flat, low-contrast recording setting that preserves more highlight and shadow data. Log footage is graded back to a normal look in post.
- LUT
- Look-up table - a preset that maps input color values to new output values. LUTs are used for conversions (for example log to rec709) and for creative looks.
M
- Match frame
- The action of finding the source clip and frame that a timeline clip came from, so you can see the original material around it.
- Mezzanine
- A high-quality intermediate format (for example ProRes, DNxHR) used for editing before final delivery, balancing quality with performance.
N
- Nondestructive editing
- Editing where the original footage is never altered - cuts, trims, and effects are stored separately, so you can undo or redo any step.
- Nonlinear editing (NLE)
- Editing that lets you access and reorder any clip at any time, rather than working through footage sequentially (Premiere, Resolve, FCP are NLEs).
P
- Proxy
- A low-resolution copy of footage used for editing so the timeline stays fast; the full-resolution original is swapped back in at the end.
R
- Ripple edit
- A trim that closes the gap left when you shorten or remove a clip, sliding later shots forward to fill the space.
- Roll edit
- An edit that trims one shot's end and the next shot's start together, moving the cut point without changing the total sequence length.
S
- Sequencing / Assembly
- The early phase of an edit where selected clips are laid in order to build the overall structure of the piece.
- Slip edit
- Moving the footage inside a clip without changing its position in the timeline, letting you choose where in the shot the clip starts and ends.
T
- Timeline
- The interface where video and audio clips are arranged over time for editing. The core workspace of any NLE.
- Transition
- A bridge between two clips, such as a cross dissolve or a cut. A hard cut between two shots is itself the most common transition.
W
- White balance
- Setting the color temperature of a shot so whites look white and skin tones look natural, regardless of the light in the scene.