Table Of ContentThe
Practical Media
Dictionary
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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.
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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
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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
Description:A key to understanding how the media works is uncovering how media professionals talk to each other about their industry. Untangle the jargon and provide those studying or starting work in the media with the knowledge to participate. In this practical dictionary, the definitions are clear, uncomplic
