The Complete Online Filmmaking Reference - Film Distribution ...

(Cinematography)
Craft Services - The people responsible for coffee, beverages and snacks on the set. They also perform various
small chores.
Crane shot - A shot where the camera is mounted on a crane and rises above the ground to offer an aerial
perspective. A famous example is the shot in High Noon where the crane shot of the Marshal in the empty street
prior to his confrontation with the four gunman emphasises his isolation, rejection and vulnerability.
Credit Arbitration - Process run by the Writers Guild of America in which disputes concerning the award of credit
(as in "Story by, "Screenplay by," "Teleplay by," and "Written by") are decided. The method in which these
decisions take place has the WGA sending all drafts of the disputed work to three separate individuals; separately
and without knowledge of each other, they decide which writer deserves the award of credit. When two of the
three individuals agree on the award of credit, the decision is considered final.
Credit - The authorship given to a written work in the entertainment industry. For film: "Story by," "Screenplay
by," and "Written by." For TV: "Created by," Story by," and "Teleplay by."
Crew/crew members - Collective term for anyone involved with the production of a movie who does not appear
in the movie.
CRI - Color Reversal Intermediate. This is a duplicate color negative which is made by the reversal process.
(Laboratory)
Cribbing - Short pieces of lumber which are used for various grip purposes. (Grip/Lighting)
Critial End - Label on a film can that notifies the lab that filming ran out during important shot and to salvage as
many frames possible.
Critic - Individual who publishes a review of a movie from either an artistic or entertainment point of view.
Cross cutting - Cutting back, giving the impression of parallel action and the two events happening
simultaneously. Famous examples include the finale of D. W. Griffith's Intolerance (1916), where the chase to
save the pardoned hero from execution in the modern story is cross cut with Christ's procession to Calgary; and
the scene in The Godfather (1972), where the baptism of Michael Corleone's godson is cross cut with the violent
elimination of Corleone's underworld rivals.
Crossfade - The gradual mix of sound sources accomplished by the simultaneous manipulation of two or more
mix console faders. (Post Production)
Crossmodulation Tests - Tests which are used to determine the correct negative and print densities for a
variable area optical sound track. (Sound)
Crossover - The frequency at which a signal is split in order to feed separate parts of a loudspeaker system.
(Sound)
Crosstalk - In stereo, this is the breakthrough between channels measured as separation (in decibels) between
the wanted sounds of the desired channel and the unwanted sounds from the second channel. (Sound)
Crystal Sync - Sync sound created using a camera that has a quartz crystal-governed motor.
Cucoloris - A perforate material used to break up light or create a shadow pattern. Also known as a cookie.
(Grip/Lighting)
Cue Patch - A piece of self adhesive magnetic or metallic material placed on the edge of film as a means of
actuating a printer light change or an automatic stop on a projector. (Film Editing)
Cueing - A term with a broad range of meanings depending on the particular context. For Voice-Over Narration
or Dialogue Replacement: The marking of the cue point in a way which will permit a signal to be given to the
'talent' to begin each element of work at the appropriate time. In General: Any system used by a second person
to signal 'talent' that recording should begin.
Cup Blocks - Wooden blocks with a dish or indentation in the center which are used to keep the wheels of light
stands from moving. (Grip/Lighting)
Cut - Change from one shot to another.
Cut - In filming, to change from one shot to another immediately. In directing, called by the director to stop
action by the performers, camera, and audio equipment. In film editing, to eliminate unwanted portions, visual or
audio, of a film.
Cutaway - A single shot inserted into a sequence of shots that momentarily interrupts the flow of action, usually
introducing a pertinent detail. (Production/Editing)
Cutting - The selection and assembly of the various shots or sequences for a reel of film.
Cyan - A blue-green color which is the complementary color to red.
Cyc Lights - Row lights for evenly illuminating a cyclorama or other background. (Lighting)
Cyclorama - Permanent background built in a studio which is nearly always coved or curved at the floor line to
create a shadowless, unending backdrop. (Grip/Lighting)
D.A.T. (Digital Audio Tape) - Audio recording and playback format developed by Sony, with a signal quality
capability surpassing that of the CD.
D1/D2/D3 - Professional digital video formats. The D1 system uses component video. The D2 and D3 systems
use composite video.