Logging and Paper Edit Abbreviations

1. WS Wide shot. See -- LS (long shot)

2. WA Wide angle.
3. XLS Extra long shot.
4. MCS Medium close shot.
5. MLS Medium long shot.
6. MS Medium shot.
7. CS Close shot.
8. CU Closeup.
9. Single shot A shot containing only one character.
10. 2S Two-shot Shot of two people.
11. LA Low angle. Camera looking up at subject.
12. HA High angle Camera mounted high, looking down.
13. DUTCH ANGLE – a slightly skew shot
14. EXT. Exterior.
15. INT. Interior.
16. LENS (50mm, 85, 205mm, etc.).

-PRIMARY MOTION (Event) motion in front of the camera.

17. EYE LINE RIGHT / LEFT Direction of subjects eye

18. OFF SCREEN RIGHT / LEFT Subject moves off screen

-SECONDARY MOTION Camera motion,

19. PAN,
20. TILT
21. PEDESTRIAN (CRAB)
22. CRANE
23. BOOM
24. DOLLY
25. TRUCK
26. ZOOM
27. ARC (HOSEPIPE)
- AUDIO

28. VO Voice over.

29. SFX Sound effects.

- TRANSITION

30. FO Fade out.

31. FI Fade in. Fade-out/fade-in A transitional device in which the last image
of one scene fades to black as the first image of the next scene is
gradually illuminated.
32. DISSOLVE The gradual merging of the end of one shot with the beginning
of the next, produced by superimposing a fade-out onto a fade-in of equal
length or by imposing one scene over another.
33. OVERLAP cut Any cut in which picture and sound transitions are
staggered instead of level-cut.

- FILM GRAMMER

34. MASTER SHOT Shoot that shows most or all of the scene and most or all
of the characters.
35. INSERT A close shot of detail to be inserted in a shot containing more
comprehensive action.
36. JUMP CUT Transitional device in which two similar images taken at
different times are cut together so that the elision of intervening time is
apparent. From this the audience infers that time has passed.
37. ESTABLISHING SHOT A shot that establishes a scene's geographical
and human contents.
38. EYE-LINE SHOT A shot that shows us what a character is seeing.
39. POV Point of View shot
40. REACTION SHOT A shot that shows a character "reacting" rather than
acting. The reaction shot is usually a close-up of the emotional reaction
registered on the face of the person most affected by the dialogue or
action.
41. CUTAWAY A cut to a person or action that is not the central focus of
attention, perhaps to a spectator. Sometimes used by editors to delete
unwanted footage.

rafal@mcmail.com