locked-down shot:refers to a camera shot in which the camera remains immobile, while something happens off-screen (e.g., an off-screen death) – a technique to create suspense
logline:a short, introductory summary of a film, usually found on the first page of the screenplay, to be read by executives, judges, agents, producers and script-readers; all screenwriters use loglines to sell their scripts; also known as premise; see also high concept hook
long-shot
(LS):a camera view of an object or character from a considerable distance so that it appears relatively small in the frame, e.g., a person standing in a crowd of people or a horse in a vast landscape; variations are the medium long-shot (or mid-shot) (MS) and the extreme long-shot (ELS or XLS); also called a wide shot; a long shot often serves as an establishing shot; contrast to close-up (CU); a full-shot is a type of long shot that includes a subject’s entire body (head to feet).
long take
(or lengthy take) :a shot of lengthy duration; see also mise-en-scene
looping :refers to the process in which dialogue is re-recorded by actors in the studio during post-production, matching the actor’s voice to lip movements on screen; aka ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement); contrast with dubbing; loop refers to a length of film joined from beginning to end for repeated continuous running
low-angle shot:a shot in which the subject is filmed directly from below and the camera tilts up at the action or character, to make the subject appear larger than life, more formidable, taller and more menacing; contrast to a high-angle shot
madcap comedy :a fast-paced, wild, and reckless humorous work, usually with plenty of slapstick humor, goofy and farcical action, and crazy characters; also see screwball comedy
made-fors:short for movies filmed or made-for-television, often mid-way in style between a short drama and a cinematic release
magic hour:the optimum time for filming romantic or magical scenes due to ‘warm’ and ‘soft’ lighting conditions, characterized by a golden-orange hue color; occurs for about 30 minutes around the time of sunset and sunrise; aka golden hour
mainstream:a Hollywood-made film with major stars, big budgets, and big hype; compare to independents; its extreme opposite is termed counter-cinema (forms of alternative cinema, such as avant-garde, art films, Third World cinema, etc.)
majors :refers to the major Hollywood motion picture producer/distributor studios at the present time (i.e., DreamWorks SKG, MGM/UA, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Sony (Columbia/TriStar), Warner Bros, Universal, and Disney); contrast to the smaller, mini-major production-distribution companies (i.e., Miramax, New Line Cinema, and Polygram) that compete directly with the bigger studios
