Glossary

This video glossary covers the terminology and defines the meaning of common video terms related to cameras, codecs, lighting, film set lingo, post-production workflows, and everything else you ever wanted to know about film and video production.

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There are currently 4 names in this directory beginning with the letter I.
Image Sensor

An image sensor is a mechanism in a digital camera body that captures the image and records it as digital information. Different lenses impact how much light reaches the sensor, among other factors, while the size of the sensor will impact how well the resulting image will turn out. For example, a full-frame sensor, which is one of the largest possible sensors, will do better at reducing noise (the grainy stuff we mentioned earlier) as well as provide a wider field of view of your lens. This is where better image sensors on a camera can make the same lens look better, or in the case of a full-frame sensor, make a wider lens look wider. There are two other sensor sizes: M43 and APS-C, the latter of which is the standard for 35mm cinema cameras.

Importing and Exporting

Importing files is the process of uploading individual video files into your editing software in order to cut them up and splice them together on your timeline.

When you have assembled a finished timeline in your editing software and you want to share your video with the world, you will export it.

Exporting is the process of then taking your timeline and exporting it back into a single video file, which will usually be used as the master file that the sound mix and color correction is then added onto.

When all is finished, one last file is exported as the final video file.

Insert Shot
An insert is a shot that focuses on a specific detail. Insert shots can be from the point of view of a character, but not necessarily. Insert shots are often close-ups or extreme close-ups in order to draw the viewer's attention to the important details.
ISO
ISO refers to the sensitivity of your camera’s sensor to exposure from light. ISO is actually something you can change on your camera, with higher ISO rates equating to higher sensitivity, and lower rates of ISO equating to lower sensitivity. If you are shooting in a dark room, you will want to raise your ISO so that you let more light into your camera’s sensor. If you’re shooting outside during the day, you’ll want to lower your ISO so you keep as much light out as possible to prevent it from becoming washed out.

One note: the higher the ISO, the more your camera will pick up the grain on your image referred to as noise, and lose image quality, making your footage look grainy and, in the case of daytime shooting, very washed out. That’s why you want to keep to a lower ISO number known as the native ISO which is what your camera developer has deemed as the best ISO for your camera.