The Practical Media Dictionary This page intentionally left blank Practical Media Dictionary Jeremy Orlebar First published in Great Britain in 2003 by Arnold, a member of the Hodder Headline Group, 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH http://www.arnoldpublishers.com Distributed in the United States of America by Oxford University Press Inc., 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 ©2 003 Jeremy Orlebar All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without either prior permission in writing from the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying. In the United Kingdom such licences are issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency: 90 Tottenham Court Road, London WIT 4LP. The advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of going to press, but neither the authorfs] nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress ISBN 0 340 809035 (hb) ISBN 0 340 809043 (pb) 123 45 6 789 10 Typeset in 9/11.5 Baskerville Book by Phoenix Photosetting, Chatham, Kent Printed and bound in Great Britain by MPG Books Ltd, Bodmin, Cornwall What do you think about this book? Or any other Arnold title? Please send your comments to [email protected] To my wife Amanda and daughter Tessa, for untold love and inspiration. This page intentionally left blank ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to thank the kind people who helped bring this publication to fruition. Michael Turner, for contributing so many good photographs. The many students from Farnborough College of Technology, and elsewhere, who agreed to be photographed while working on their projects. Richie at VMI, for kindly supplying action photographs. Lesley Riddle at Arnold, for so much good-humoured advice. Vll This page intentionally left blank INTRODUCTION The media industry covers an extensive range of activities, jobs, organisations, companies, equipment and new developments associated with creating broadcast television, radio, film, video, print publications, and new digital and interactive media. There is a great deal of specialist language and jargon, and many media-specific definitions used in all these areas. The difficulty for students embarking on any media or multimedia course, or for new entrants to the industry, is how to get up to speed. Not only is there a lot of new information to absorb, but no single book covers the language of the film crew as well as that of multimedia. This is an industry whose parts are converging. Students need to be able to communicate across the different areas, skills and methods typically understood in the industry. The Practical Media Dictionary aims to define and explain a comprehensive selection of the most commonly used vocabulary of practical media production throughout the industry. It encompasses the everyday language, the most encountered phrases, typical job definitions, relevant organisations and institutions, most utilised equipment and much of the commonly employed technical jargon associated with practical activities. More importantly, it attempts to demystify the language and idiom used right across the media. This includes a whole range of processes, jobs, skills and associated working practices. Each entry tries not only to define and explain, but also to develop further understanding. It may be a piece of equipment such as a SOUND MIXING DESK or a DIGITAL BETACAM, or an activity such as creating a filming schedule. After each definition there is accessible text explaining more about what the equipment does or what the activity involves, and, if appropriate, how and why. An entry may be an explanation of one of the many production or technical jobs found in the media, such as RUNNER or ASSISTANT CAMERAMAN. The role and nature of the job is fully explained. Organisations and associations that people working in the media are likely to come across are also included, along with their website addresses. The dictionary aims to be a companion that can be referred to again and again, with easy-to- read, clear and uncluttered definitions. Under each heading there are clearly identified links to related entries. Only a few ubiquitous and easily understood words are not identified, although there are entries for each one. These are: camera, film, internet, software, television and radio. Photographs and illustrations offer further information, enhancing a range of entries. Virtually all media and multimedia educational courses have elements of practical work. This can range from creating a poster with a desktop publishing package to making an animated film, working with computer-generated graphics or producing a sophisticated drama on digital video. The day-to-day working language, the customised roles, the specific deployment of skills and specialist activities in a practical media environment can at first be daunting. This dictionary aims to smooth the pathway into practical media production. It demystifies the commonly used language and industry-specific vocabulary, develops knowledge, increases confidence and helps the student understand the way practical media works. 1