Glossary

Practical effects - Effets pratiques

Any special effect which uses things that are actually there as opposed to computer-generated images is a practical effect. A lot of effects can be made this way but there are serious limitations. A great example of practical effects is the movie inception. There is a scene in this movie where one of the main characters has a fight in a hallway that is literally spinning. The hallway was made into a set and actually rotated as the actors fought, creating an extremely complex practical effect.

Sharp, Nathan. (2019, December 21). 10 Best Practical Special Effects Seen In The Past Decade. Screen Rant. https://screenrant.com/best-practical-movie-special-effects-decade-2010s/

CGI - Images générées par un ordinateur

The acronym means computer-generated imagery. This is used for special effects to make anything appear on the screen that does not actually exist. Steven Spielberg, for example, wanted Jurassic Park to be made completely with practical effects. This didn't happen because the gigantic dinosaurs simply looked much better added in later through CGI after the entire scene has been filmed.

Roberts, Joe. (2020, June 19). Why Jurassic Park's CGI Still Looks So Good. Screen Rant .https://screenrant.com/jurassic-park-cgi-still-good-how-explained/#:~:text=Jurassic%20Park%20Doesn't%20Actually,scenes%20were%20entirely%20computer%20generated.

Master shot - Prise de vue maîtresse

The master shot is essential when making any scene in a movie. In this type of shot, you have to make sure that you have just the right angle to capture everything because the whole point of the master shot is to capture an entire scene and incapsulate all its action without interruption. The master shot is a bit like the spine of your scene, you have all the action in the right order and can rely on this shot for your editing process. A master shot is not the same as a long shot. Master shots are broken up into pieces when editing but long shots are meant to be the entire scene without any cuts.

(2021, April 26). What is a master shot?. Clipchamp. https://clipchamp.com/en/blog/master-shot/

Director - Directeur

The director of a movie has many roles. They have a part in every single step of the process of making a movie. In the preproduction of the movie, they have to share how they see the movie because it is their creative vision that the film is bringing to life. They are working closely with the head of each department to make sure that everyone is heading in the same direction. In the production stage, they are almost always with the actors on set to get to know them and how they like to work. The director's responsibility here is to bring out the best in the actors and in turn, make to most of their talents. In the post-production, the director has to work with each department again and oversee the process of having the movie come together.

(2021, August 15). What Does a Director Do? The Film Director’s Job Description. Studiobinder. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-does-a-director-do/

Storyboard - Scénario

A Storyboard is basically a visual representation of each shot in the movie. You make this before you start filming and it helps to know exactly what you have to film. It is built kind of like a graphic novel. You should have a board with a certain number of pictures and draw roughly each shot in the spaces without going into to much detail.

Spivak, Eden. (2020, March 20). What Is a Storyboard and How to Make One. Wix Creative. https://www.wix.com/blog/creative/2020/03/what-is-a-storyboard/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12188669214^114296906861&experiment_id=^^497047742397^^_DSA&gclid=Cj0KCQiA47GNBhDrARIsAKfZ2rDG9lPyEUpGAHkogF2bQE-PFzM2HxpCETQ9HF8Pii_M-I1Mxof9V1kaAscVEALw_wcB

Preproduction - Préproduction

Preproduction is the first step to making any movie. This is the part where you develop your ideas with storyboards and shot lists. You also have to find where you will film your movie. The script should be complete in this part of the process so you are well prepared to start filming and you have to pick all the people who are going to be in your movie during pre-production.

MasterClass staff. (2021, November 9). Guide to Preproduction in Film: 7 Elements of Preproduction. MasterClass. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/guide-to-preproduction-in-film#why-is-preproduction-important-in-filmmaking

Production - Production

Production is the part of the process where the movie is filmed. It is incredibly important to check all the settings in the camera for the lighting, the colours and the framing. There should be a team of at least three people working behind the camera, a director who has general control, a camera operator who makes sure that everything is filmed and someone responsible of capturing all the sounds for the moie.

MasterClass Staff. (2020, November 8). Understanding Filmmaking: The 5 Stages of Film Production

Post-production. MasterClass. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/understanding-the-stages-of-film-production#the-5-stages-of-film-production

Postproduction - Postproduction

Postproduction is when the movie comes together. All the shots are edited together and then the sounds and music are added to complete the movie. If necessary, this is also when the special effects are edited in. This is the time when you have to make sure that you have not forgotten anything while filming so you do not have to go back to film in the middle of postproduction. At the end of this step, the movie should be complete so it is ready to be shared.

MasterClass Staff. (2021, August 16). Learn About the Postproduction Process in Film. MasterClass. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/learn-about-the-postproduction-process-in-film