Glossary of Technical Terminology: Letter F (original) (raw)

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_f_-NUMBER

Designates size and light passing ability of lens opening on an adjustable camera. Larger the _f_-number, the smaller the lens opening. Indicates the ratio of the focal length of the lens to the effective diameter of the lens opening. Helps establish the correct exposure.

FADE IN OR OUT

Exposure special effect where an image gradually appears out of or into a uniformly dark field. In camera or in printing.

FAIR MARKET VALUE

An IRS appraisal term, defined as the price for which the property would sell in the open market, that would be agreed on between a willing buyer and a willing seller, with neither being required to act, and both having reasonable knowledge of the facts. This is essential in appraising donated property for which a tax deduction is claimed, or inherited property which is taxed as income. The appraisal value may be determined by an appraiser from sales of comparable properties or from the cost of donated property, adjusted to the date of valuation.

FAIRCHILD CASSETTE

An enclosure that holds an endless-loop of Super 8mm film. It projects by inserting it into a projector, avoiding threading and film handling.

FAST MOTION

Action on screen faster than the action when photographed. Film exposed in camera at speed slower than normal rate but projected at normal rate.

FEATURE

A commercially released motion picture that is four or more 35mm reels in length, totally 4,000 feet. The equivalent running time is approximately 40 minutes.

FEED

Generally describes a mechanism that pulls or guides film into a camera, laboratory processor or printer, or projector, such as a feed end or feed reel.

FEED REEL

Reel from which film or tape is pulled through a mechanism in a projector or camera.

FEED SPROCKET

A driven sprocket that withdraws film from a supply reel or magazine.

FERROTYPING

When moisture causes a photographic print or negative to adhere to glass or any glossy surface. Creates blotchy changes in density and separation of the emulsion from the base.

FIELDS OF FRAMES

Each video picture, or frame, is made up of two fields. One field contains only odd-numbered scan lines and the other contains only even-numbered scan lines. In the NTSC system, each field is shown on the screen for 1/60 second, making one complete frame containing all scan lines, in 1/30 second, at 30 frames per second. See also NTSC

FILL IN LIGHT

Auxiliary light from a lamp or reflector used to soften or fill in the shadows or dark picture areas caused by the main light source. Also called fill light.

FILM

Photographic emulsion coated on a flexible transparent plastic base. Raw stock, exposed film, processed film.

FILM LEADER

Length of protective film at beginning of a roll of unexposed or processed film. See also LEADER

FILM/MOTION PICTURE FILM

Thin, flexible, transparent ribbon with perforations along one or both length-wide edges, bearing either a succession of images or a light sensitive layer capable of producing photographic images.

FILM ARCHIVE

Institution that stores and preserves motion picture in its custody. It often must select and make the materials available to scholars for study and research.

FILM BASE

The plastic material on which a photographic emulsion is coated. It is the support for the emulsion in photographic film.

FILM CEMENT

Combination of solvents and solids used to make overlap splices on motion picture film by melting/welding film at the overlap.

FILM CLIP

See CLIP

FILM LIBRARY

Depository of prints of films for circulation, easy access, and frequent use, as well as for commercial/non-profit rental/leasing distribution and for study. See also FILM ARCHIVE

FILM RULER

Piece of steel film, 100 perforations in length, used to measure film shrinkage in percentages, comparing film with the standard on this ruler. See SHRINKAGE

FILM SPEED

Sensitivity of a given film to light, indicated by a number such as ISO 200. Higher numbers are more sensitive and faster film. ISO, International Standards Organization.

FILM STOCK

Unprocessed film and the various sizes of rolls in which it is available. Also, any specific type of film, usually designated by a manufacturer's number.

FILMSTRIP

A strip of film with a succession of images intended to be projected individually in sequence. May be synchronized with a phonograph record of audiotape. Also known as slidefilms, they became popular in the 1910s for schools and training programs, when the expense of motion pictures was not warranted.

FILM-TO-VIDEOTAPE TRANSFER

Recording filmed images onto videotape.

FILTER

Colored glass or other transparent material used in front of lens to emphasize, eliminate, or change color or density of entire scene or portions of it.

FINE GRAIN, FINE GRAIN MASTER, FINE GRAIN MASTER POSITIVE

High-definition positive black-and-white film element, made from an original negative. Used to make duplicate (dupe) negatives, from which release prints are made, in order to protect original negatives from wear. A fine grain film emulsion has a grain size smaller or finer than emulsions used prior to 1936. Graininess results from clumping of silver grains during development and is more pronounced with faster film, increased density of the negative, and degree of enlargement. Also called a fine grain sub-master or protection print. First-generation, high-quality prints to negatives made to save printing wear and tear on the camera-original, or for safe storage for us when the master film can no longer be used. A high quality print generally made on film stock of low contrast emulsion, usually from original negative film. A fine grain master positive is designed to be used in the preparation of duplicate negatives rather than for projection. A "composite fine grain master positive" combines, on one strip of film, the images from the picture negative and the sound track negative.

FINISHING

Preparation of release prints for distribution, including inspection, assembly, mounting on reels, placing in cans, labeling, and packaging. Some formats require cartridge loading for use on special projectors.

FIXED FOCUS LENS

Lens focused in fixed position by manufacturer of the camera. Not adjustable.

FIXING BATH

Solution to remove light sensitive silver halide crystals not acted on by light or developer. Leaves a black and white negative or print unalterable by the further action of light.

FLASH FRAME

A single frame inserted into a shot to provide an instant of a different image.

FLASH TITLE

Temporary form of titles for cutting, used merely to mark the places in films where titles belong.

FLASHBACK

Scene or sequence inserted to reestablish or recall an earlier situation.

FLASHING

Film subjected to an additional low intensity exposure after original camera exposure to increase the minimum density of each color layer in negative films, and a decrease in the maximum density of each color layer in reversal films. When negative film is printed, the screen effect is similar to that on reversal films, with shadow areas appearing lighter than without flashing. Neutral flashing lowers the apparent contrast and improves shadow and highlight detail. The change in each color layer is approximately the same. In color flashing, the contrast of the color layers is lowered unequally. The change is greatest in the color layer most sensitive to the color of the flash. That color is the cast of the shadow areas. Flashing can be done either before or after camera exposure.

FLAT

Too low in contrast. Too short range of density in a negative.

FLAT LIGHTING

Produces minimum contrast or modeling and a minimum of shadows.

FLATBED

Film editing/viewing/playback equipment in flat-table configurations. Silent or sound film and separate sound tracks rest on flat plates that run through the machine horizontally and with increased protection of the film. Slow and fast viewing speeds are available. Steenback, Moviola, and Kem are manufacturers.

FOCAL LENGTH

Distance from lens to a point behind the lens where light rays focus when a distance scale is set on infinity. Determines image size at given distance of lens to subject.

FOCAL PLANE SHUTTER

Opaque curtain that has a slit that moves directly across in front of the film in a camera. Allows image forming light to strike/paint on the film.

FOCUS

The maximum definition of image attainable with a lens, through adjustment of its optical relationship to the plane in which the image is formed. Adjusting the distance setting on a lens to define the subject.

FOGGING

Darkening or discoloring of a negative or print or lightening or discoloring of a slide caused by exposure to nonimage-forming light to which the photographic material is sensitive, too much handling in air during development, over-development, outdated film or paper, or storage of film or paper in a hot, humid place.

FOLD

Bend in a motion picture film that has no definite line, crease, crack, or tear. See also CREASE

FOLIO

Size abbreviation of 11 inches by 14 inches or larger.

FOOTAGE

A length of motion picture film, generally measured in frames, minutes/second, or feet.

FOOTAGE COUNTER

Various mechanisms indicating the number of feet of film passed. A device to measure the length of a film or mounted on sprocketed film machinery in laboratory and editing equipment, cameras, and projectors.

FOOTAGE-TIME CALCULATOR

A slide-rule scale or chart that correlates/calculates the length of film and its running time.

FORCED PROCESSING

Over-developing the original film in an attempt to compensate for under-exposure in shooting the film. Undesirable side effects include increased grain and higher contrast. Combined with loss of detail in shadows from underexposure, pictures may be unsatisfactory. Sometimes scenes are shot twice when lighting is doubtful. Test scenes are shot and processed before final shooting, as well.

FORMAT

In the broadest sense, any particular presentation of any motion production, such as film, videocassette, or videodisc.

FORMAT 1

Dimensions of a film stock and its perforations, and the size and shape of the image frame.

FRAME

One individual picture, as defined by the limits of the camera aperture. A photograph, negative, or print in still photography and motion picture photography. A single picture image on a strip of film. An object or shape that frames a subject in the image photographed.

FRAME-BY-FRAME MATCHING

After arranging two or more film rolls in parallel, the frame of a scene on one roll is aligned, precisely, with an identical or desired complementary frame on the opposite roll. With the further complication of a sound track, this type of editing is all the more demanding of meticulous care in order to keep picture and sound in sync.

FRAME LINE

The horizontal line by which a single frame is separated from an adjacent frame on a strip of film, especially in motion picture photography.

FRAMES PER SECOND (F.P.S., F/S)

The number of frames of film exposed in a camera or passing through a projector or laboratory printer in one second.

FRAMING

Operating the frame alignment mechanism on a motion picture film projector gate to center the projected image on the screen, avoiding presentation of portions of adjacent frames projected.

FREON 113

A solvent sometimes used for hand cleaning motion picture film because it is relatively low in toxicity.

FREQUENCY RESPONSE

For videotape, this factor determines the amount of fine detail in the picture. The stronger the signal at high frequencies, the more detail. Often measured as the ratio of the signal strength at 3 megahertz (3,000,000 hertz or cycles per second) to the signal strength at 0.5 megahertz (500,000 hertz.) A rating of 3 decibels down at 3 megahertz means the signal at 3 MHz is -3 dB or 50% as strong, as at 0.5 MHz.

FRONTLIGHTING

Light shining on a subject from the direction of the camera.

FULL MARKET PRICE

A premium amount greater than the median price that the fair market value represents, a price that a highly motivated, specialized, or ardent buyer is willing to pay. It would likely include all world rights in any format for any audience and include, at least, subsidiary permission and copyright licenses.

FULL MARKET VALUE

The highest price a property may bring if exposed for sale in specialized markets as well as the open market, allowing a reasonable time to attract and stimulate a choice purchaser who buys with a keen and comprehensive knowledge of the market within which it is capable of being used, together with the best uses to which the property may be adapted. For example, a complete buyout for a price described by the phrase, what the traffic will bear.