AN ENGLISH-ROMANIAN TERMINOLOGICAL

GLOSSARY FOR

FILM PRODUCTION

Academic supervisor:

Associate professor Daria Protopopescu, PhD

Graduate student:

Andrei Mihaela Mădălina

Buchare s t

June, 2019
 WHAT IS FILM PRODUCTION?
The film production process is a difficult one that involves a lot of steps
(especially directions) but also creativity. From editing to music, color
and directing there is a lot of effort involved in this area. There are
many elements and details that need to be on point and same direction.
Many of us think about at a film like a piece of art and we have the
expectation that everything needs to be in balance but it is actually a
science. Art could not exist without a little bit of science. You can
imagine this by looking at the way a film is being made, where the
image is on focus or the colour of the images are being altered. We can
doubt about the actors performance but there is a lot more than plot of
the film and the play. It is about the behind of the scenes where science
and art are created.
WHY FILM PRODUCTION?
The topic of this thesis is film production that had been a topic of attentiveness for regular
people since the first projection. I think that almost everyone who is watching a film with
interest thought about how much effort is in creating one. Even though for us it only took two
or three hours of watching one we always wanted more of it but for filmmakers could be
taking months or years just for that time.

This thesis made me understand the work that goes behind the creation of a film and how
difficult it really is. There are not only pretty perfect pictures from the start or everything
goes in place and we all are happy. No, a film is a “titanium” piece of art, science and
people’s effort.
FOR WHOM IS DESIGNED THIS GLOSSARY?
• This glossary could help every person
who is interested about film
production and also how a film it is
created. The work that goes behind
the creation of a film and how
difficult it really is.
• I tried to use definitions and words
easy to understand by everyone, not
only by the persons that are
specialised in this domain.
 Director
Pre-production Producer

Screen writing Lines

screenplay

Documentary
Film genre Animation
sequel

Film
Characters
production Anti-hero
Antagonist
Archetype
Production

Camera
Costumes
Extra
Editing and film
production techniques
CGI
Dissolve

Post production
Premiere
Projector
IMAX

Film industry Hollywood

 TERM: DIRECTOR

ID language: English
ID country: UK/US
Definition: “a person who is in charge of a film or play and tells the actors how to play their parts”
Source of Definition: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/director (17.03.2019)
Grammatical information: noun
Nota bene: “late 15c., "a guide," from Anglo-French directour, French directeur, agent noun from Latin dirigere
Source of Nota bene: https://www.etymonline.com/word/director#etymonline_v_31457 (17.03.2019)
Generic concept: production
Hypernym: manageress
Hyponym: committee member, decision maker.
Synonym: regisseur (or régisseur), stage director
Context 1: “the creative artist responsible for complete artistic control of all phases of a film's production (such as making day-to-day
determinations about sound, lighting, action, casting, even editing), for translating/interpreting a script into a film, for guiding the
performances of the actors in a particular role and/or scene, and for supervising the cinematography and film crew. The director is usually
the single person most responsible for the finished product, although he/she couldn't make a film without support from many other artists
and technicians.”
Source of Context 1: https://www.filmsite.org/filmterms8.html (17.03.2019)
Context 2: “Because of all the work that goes into his job, a film director gets most of the creative credit for his finished piece of work. This
is largely because he is so intimately involved in all aspects of the film's development. He helps the screenwriter visualize the script. In most
cases, what the director says, goes. He also guides the actors and crew into the direction of his creative vision. Because of the amount of
influence a director has, the selection of the director is one of the most important decisions a film's producer must make in the early stages
of film development. He may also work directly with the sound mixers and film scorer for this reason. In the end, when you see a great film
on the big screen, it's creative vision is the result of the hard work of a film director.”
Source of Context 2: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-of-a-Film-Director&id=2724186 (17.03.2019)
 TERM:
ID language: English SCREENPLAY
ID country: UK/US

Definition: “a script or text for a film production written by a scripter orscreenwriter(s) (or scribe), written (scribbled, scripted, orpenned) in the
prescribed form as a series of master scenes, with all the dialogue provided and the essential actions and character movements described;.”

Source of Definition: http://kernvakckv.nl/film---terms-glossary.pdf (2.03.2019)

Grammatical information: noun

Nota bene: “1916, from screen (n.) in the cinematic sense + play (n.).”

Source of Nota bene: https://www.etymonline.com/word/screenplay#etymonline_v_37718 (2.03.2019)

Generic concept: screen writing

Hypernym: script, book, playscript

Synonym: scenario, script

Context 1: “Moreover, it is almost impossible to envision a good film with a bad screenplay. Syd Field, the “Father of Structure” and author of
Screenplay (a book CNN once called “The Bible of the Film Industry”) has spoken at length on this issue. Indeed, it is possible to have a good
script with poor production value and subsequently a poor film, but challenging to see the other way around. Field continued, “A screenplay is
the foundation of a movie.

Source of Context 1: http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/172/the-significance-of-the-screenplay (2.03.2019)

Context 2: “Screenplay, written text that provides the basis for a film production. Screenplays usually include not only the dialogue spoken by
the characters but also a shot-by-shot outline of the film’s action. Screenplays may be adapted from novels or stage plays or developed from
original ideas suggested by the screenwriters or their collaborators. They generally pass through multiple revisions.

Source of Context 2: https://www.britannica.com/art/screenplay (2.03.2019)

 TERM:
ID language: English DOCUMENTARY
ID country: UK/US

Definition: “a film or television or radio programme that gives facts and information about a subject”

Source of Definition: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/documentary (2.03.2019)

Grammatical information: noun

Nota bene: “1788, "pertaining to or derived from documents," from document (n.) + -ary. Meaning "factual, meant to provide a record of
something" is by 1921, originally in reference to film, from French film documentaire (by 1919).

Source of Nota bene: https://www.etymonline.com/word/documentary#etymonline_v_31769 (2.03.2019)

Generic concept: film genre.

Hypernym: movie, film, picture, moving picture, moving-picture show, motion picture, motion-picture show, picture show, pic, flick

Synonym: docudrama, documentary film, infotainment

Context 1: “In April 1989, 28-year-old Trisha Meili was brutally assaulted and raped as she was jogging in New York City’s Central Park. That
same night, five young men—four black, one Hispanic—were arrested for suspected gang activity in the park; after hours of interrogations and
coerced confessions, the teenage boys were charged with assault, robbery, rape, sexual abuse, and the attempted murder of Meili. What ensued
was a media firestorm, in which racism within the confines of the courtroom—and on the front pages of the city’s tabloids—led to the boys’
conviction.”

Source of Context 1: https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/g3342/best-documentaries-of-all-time/ (2.03.2019)

Context 2: “Filmmaker Doug Shultz's stirring documentary follows American conductor Murry Sidlin and his chorus as they travel to Terezin,
the Nazi concentration camp located near Prague, to perform Verdi's "Requiem" as a memorial to the Jews who were imprisoned there from
1941 to 1945. In particular, the concert is intended to pay tribute to and recognize the heroism of Raphael Schachter,.

Source of Context 2: https://www.thoughtco.com/documentaries-about-the-holocaust-1109903 (2.03.2019)

ID language: English
TERM: ACTOR
ID country: UK/US

Definition: “someone who pretends to be someone else while performing in a film, play, or television or radio programme”

Source of Definition: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/actor (04.05.2019)

Grammatical information: noun

Nota bene: “ "theatrical player, orator," from past participle stem of agere "to set in motion, drive, drive forward”

Source of Nota bene: https://www.etymonline.com/word/actor#etymonline_v_5078 (04.05.2019)

Generic concept: pre production

Hypernym: character actor, walk-on, ingenue, comedian

Synonym: play-actor, idol, role player

Context 1: “A person who behaves in the manner of a character, usually by reciting scripted dialogue, in order to entertain an audience,
especially in a play, movie, or television show.”

Source of Context 1: https://www.thefreedictionary.com/actor (04.05.2019)

Context 2: “The winner of two Oscars, once for Vito Corleone in “The Godfather: Part II” (1974) and another one for Jake LaMotta in “Raging
Bull” (1980), Robert De Niro is one of the most iconic Hollywood actors. He has played gangster roles in several films directed by the greatest
directors of his generation, such as “Goodfellas.

Source of Context 2: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2018/the-10-greatest-actors-of-all-time/ (04.05.2019)

 TERM:
ANTAGONIST
ID language: English

ID country: UK/US

Definition: “An antagonist is usually a character who opposes the protagonist (or main character) of a story, but the antagonist can also be a
group of characters, institution, or force against which the protagonist must contend.”

Source of Definition: https://www.litcharts.com/literary-devices-and-terms/antagonist (03.05.2019)

Grammatical information: noun

Nota bene: “"one who contends with another," 1590s, from French antagoniste (16c.) or directly from Late Latin antagonista”

Source of Nota bene: https://www.etymonline.com/word/antagonist#etymonline_v_13502 (03.05.2019)

Generic concept: character

Hypernym: enemy

Synonym: adversary ; opponent ; opposer

Context 1: “A strong antagonist is the key to making the writer’s message and belief clear to the audience as the protagonist struggles with
every fiber of his or her being to achieve their contrary goal. The antagonist may be referred to as the villain or “bad guy,” even though their
motives should be grounded in a strong, moral based belief system of right and wrong that simply comes into direct conflict with your
protagonist’s outer journey.”

Source of Context 1: https://www.scriptmag.com/features/script-notes-major-character-types-antagonist (03.05.2019)

Context 2: “Quite simply, an antagonist is a character who, for one reason or another, wants to keep the protagonist from reaching their
goal. Much of the time, the antagonist has a goal of their own, which – if reached – precludes the protagonist from succeeding.An
antagonist usually isn’t a character flaw.”

Source of Context 2: https://www.lightsfilmschool.com/blog/write-strong-antagonist-character-movie-aez (03.05.2019)

 TERM: ANTI-HERO
ID language: English

ID country: UK/US

Definition: “the central character in a play, book, or film who does not have traditionally heroic qualities, such as courage, and is admired
instead for what society generally considers to be a weakness of their character.”

Source of Definition: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/antihero (4.01.2019)

Grammatical information: noun

Nota bene: “anti-hero (n.)also antihero; 1714, "opposite of a hero, a villain," from anti- + hero.

Source of Nota bene: https://www.etymonline.com/word/anti-hero#etymonline_v_26351 (4.01.2019)

Generic concept: character

Hypernym: criminal

Synonym: antihero

Context 1: “the principal protagonist of a film who lacks the attributes or characteristics of a typical hero archetype, but with whom the
audience identifies. The character is often confused or conflicted with ambiguous morals, or character defects and eccentricities, and
lacks courage, honesty, or grace..”

Source of context 1: https://www.filmsite.org/filmterms2.html (4.01.2019)

Context 2: “An antihero is the main character of a story, but one who doesn't act like a typical hero. Antiheroes are often a little
villainous. Traditionally, the protagonist — main character and focus — of a story has been a hero: someone good, noble, and brave.
However, some stories change things up by having an antihero instead..”

Source of context 2: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/antihero (4.01.2019)

ID language: English TERM: CAMERA
ID country: UK/US

Definition: “an instrument made for taking pictures or making movies.”

Source of Definition: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/camera (20.03.2019)

Grammatical information: noun

Nota bene: “The word also was used from early 18c. as a short form of Modern Latin camera obscura "dark chamber" (a black box with a
lens that could project images of external objects”

Source of Nota bene: https://www.etymonline.com/word/camera#etymonline_v_635

Generic concept: production

Hypernym: instrument

Synonym: analogue camera

Context 1: “the basic machine involved in film-making, from a hand-held version to portables, to heavy studio cameras; some of the parts of
a camera include the aperture, lens, film magazine (for storage), viewfinder, etc; the positioning of the camera by the camera operator is
known as the setup”

Source of Context 1: https://www.filmsite.org/filmterms5.html (20.03.2019)

Context 2: “In one sense the camera moved very early in the history of cinematography even while seeming very still. It could be made to
move to catch the light of the sun. This was the idea behind the Black Maria, the moveable shooting stage Edison used to keep daylight as
long as possible..”

Source of Context 2: https://www.infoplease.com/features/movies-tv-and-music/movies-and-film-tracking-history-camera-movement

ID language: English TERM: COSTUME
ID country: UK/US

Definition: “refers to the garments or clothing worn by actors/performers in a film; a costume (or wardrobe) designer researches, designs””

Source of Definition: https://www.filmsite.org/filmterms7.html (17.03.2019)

Grammatical information: noun

Nota bene: “1715, "style of dress," but also more broadly "custom or usage with respect to place and time, as represented in art or literature;
distinctive action, appearance, arms, furniture, etc.," from French costume (17c.), from Italian costume "fashion, habit,"

Source of Nota bene: https://www.etymonline.com/word/costume#etymonline_v_19135 (17.03.2019)

Generic concept: production

Hypernym: masquerade, masquerade costume, academic costume, rigout, fancy dress.

Synonym: outfit, dress

Context 1: “Apparently, our brain processes visual information 60 000 times faster than text or audio – and 90 percent of the information
transmitted to the brain is visual. Despite all this, costume design, which provides important visual clues about the characters we watch “

“Source of Context 1: http://www.camberwellstudios.co.uk/blog/film-production-tips/costume-design-when-wardrobe-is-more-than-just-an-

outfit.html (17.03.2019)

Context 2: “Whether it’s conscious or not, what we wear can speak volumes and this becomes especially true when it comes to the big screen.
Audiences must be able to quickly understand a character and this all starts with.”

Source of Context 2: https://www.busstopfilms.com.au/character-design-costume-design-the-two-go-hand-in-hand/ (17.03.2019)

 TERM: COMPUTER-GENERATED IMAGERY
ID language: English

ID country: UK/US

Definition: “the process of using computers to create pictures or characters in film and television.”

Source of Definition: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/computer-generated-imagery (18.05.2019)

Grammatical information: noun

Nota bene: by 2004, initialism (acronym) for computer-generated imagery.

Source of Nota bene: https://www.etymonline.com/word/cgi#etymonline_v_27914 (18.05.2019)

Generic concept: production

Hypernym: production of image

Acronym: CGI

Context 1: “It stands for computer generated imagery where the visual images and graphics are made with the help of computer
and are three-dimensional in nature or 3-D and are used mainly to generate special effects in films and television shows. CGI is
also used in videos, video games, advertisements, television shows, print media, art etc. to simulate static or dynamic imagery.”

Source of Context 1: http://filmtheory.org/glossary/cgi/ (18.05.2019)

Context 2: “aka Computer-Generated Imagery (or Images), a term referring to the use of 3D computer graphics and technology
(digital computers and specialized software) in film-making to create filmed images, special effects and the illusion of motion;
often used for large crowd scenes to cut down on the cost of hiring extras, or for giant creatures, huge buildings, and other costly
items. See Visual/Special Effects.”

Source of Context 2: https://www.filmsite.org/filmterms5.html (19.05.2019)

 TERM: PROJECTOR
ID language: English

ID country: UK/US

Definition: “a device for showing films or images on a screen or other surface.”

Source of Definition: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/projector (17.05.2019)

Grammatical information: noun

Nota bene: “1590s, "one who forms a project," agent noun in Latin form from project (v.). In the optical, camera sense it is from 1884.”

Source of Nota bene: https://www.etymonline.com/word/projector#etymonline_v_36476 (17.05.2019)

Generic concept: post production

Hypernym: optical device

Hyponym: opaque projector

Synonym: optical device

Context 1: “the machine that rapidly puts ('projects') a succession of motion picture images (individual frames) up onto a screen, using
the principle of illusion of motion”

Source of Context 1: https://www.filmsite.org/filmterms15.html (17.05.2019)

Context 2: “Several inventors including Thomas Edison worked on developing the first film screemings, but French brothers
Auguste and Louis Lumière were the first to invent a machine to sucessfully project film for a large audience. The cinematograph
they created was able to record films and project them, leading to the world's first cinema screenings in Paris.”

Source of Context 2: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/0/important-inventions-19th-century-pictures/first-cinema-projector/

(17.05.2019)
ORIGIN OF TERMS.

 While analyzing these terms we could say that most of the

words have their specific origin Latin(ex. projector, comedy,
director) and sometimes in Old French(costume, crime, cult,
decoupage) or Greek(diegesis). In order to understand their
true meaning we have to figure it out from they are coming
from and we can do that with the help of etymology. A lot of
these words have similar form because of their origin which is
similar in English language as well as in Romanian.
THE MOST PROBLEMATIC TERM.

• The most problematic term analysed in this

glossary was “Dissolve” because in Romanian it
doesn’t have a perfect correspondent and I had to
research in many dictionaries and on the internet
Finally I found out that “Iris închis-iris deschis”
is the Romanian correspondent . It was a
challenge because it is an old editing technique
and nowadays it is rarely used so I
hardly found anything in Romanian. This
technique was mostly used in the silent
film .
CONCLUSIONS

 Film production in our days represents on of the important field

in entertainment industry. These days creating a film has
become on the succesfull moves in order to express your
creativity and learn about relationship between people to create
a product which is a film. It does not matter how small you
consider your job to be, in creating a film everyone is
important: from the extra(which could show in scene for just a
second but it represents something) to the leading actor or
director. This brings people and studios under one roof. This
thesis has 150 entries, specifically 75 English terms and their 75
Romanian correspondents that presents definitions for each one
of them and can be understood by anyone without having
special knowledge about film production.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Reference Books and PDF:

 -“Dicționar cinematografic”, Cornel Cristian, Bujor T. Rîpeanu, Editura Meridiane, Bucuresti, 1974, pag. 106-107

 -“Povestea poveștii în filmul românesc” Marilena Ilieșu, POLIROM, 2013, București,

 https://www.scribd.com/document/56661917/dictionar-cinematografic

 Web references: Main links:

 - https://www.etymonline.com/
 - https://www.britannica.com
 - https://www.merriam-webster.com
 - https://www.collinsdictionary.com/
 - https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/


 Web References:

 https://www.filmsite.org/filmterms7.html

 https://www.fandango.com/movie-photos/the-many-faces-of-johnny-depp-798

 https://www.etymonline.com/word/credit#etymonline_v_325

 https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/why-bother-having-separate-oscars-for-best-picture-and-best-director
https://entertainism.com/a-to-z-glossary-of-cinematography-terms

 http://cna.public.lu/fr/actualites/mediatheque/2014/10/CD-restaurer/1_2_Tools_FIAFTC_GlossaryTechnicalTerms.pdf