Lights, camera… confusion? The world of video production has its own vibrant vocabulary, and if you’re not in the loop, sifting through production plans or discussing creative concepts can quickly become overwhelming or lead to miscommunication.
However, once you understand the different video production terms, it’s much easier to collaborate with your video team, make informed decisions, and bring your vision to life—whether it’s a corporate video, music video or a punchy ad for social media.
Consider this glossary as your go-to reference for key video production terminologies so you can confidently manage or commission any video project.
1. Concept Development
You’ll often hear this at the very beginning of a project. Concept development is where your core idea gets shaped into something workable. It defines what the video is about, who it’s for, and the creative direction it’ll take.
2. Pre-production
Once the idea’s in place, pre-production is where everything gets organised. If someone’s talking about booking locations, casting, or locking scripts, you’re in pre-production mode.
3. Post-production
When you hear post-production, think of the editing room. This phase is about taking what was filmed and transforming it—cutting scenes, adjusting visuals, adding sound, and pulling everything together into a polished, finished product.
4. Scriptwriting
Scriptwriting? That’s the process of writing down everything that will be said and shown in the video. It includes dialogue, narration, and scene directions, giving the entire production team a clear roadmap to follow during filming.
5. Storyboarding
Hear “storyboarding” and think of it as your video’s visual game plan. It’s where each scene is sketched out like a comic strip, so everyone knows what’s happening, how it looks, and how it flows before a single shot is filmed.
6. B-roll / Cutaways
If you’ve ever heard the filming term ¨B-roll¨, it refers to the extra footage that supports your main shots, like close-ups, environment clips, or product details. For instance, cutaways are a type of B-roll that briefly shifts the viewer’s attention to a related detail like a reaction, object, or setting to add context or enhance storytelling.
7. Square / 1 by 1
If someone asks, “Do you need this in square format?” they’re referring to the 1:1 aspect ratio—a video with perfectly even width and height. This video format is commonly used for social media feeds, especially on Instagram and Facebook.
8. Landscape / 16 by 9
During editing or planning for TV commercial productions, you might come across the 16:9 landscape format. It’s the standard for widescreen viewing—great for YouTube, presentations, and most broadcast content. This layout gives your visuals a cinematic feel and is ideal when your video is meant to fill a full screen.
9. Portrait / Vertical / 9 by 16
Ever held your phone upright to watch a video? That’s likely the 9:16 or “portrait” (sometimes called “vertical”) aspect ratio. This format has become increasingly common with the rise of platforms like TikTok, Instagram Stories, and YouTube Shorts, as it’s optimised for comfortable mobile viewing.
If a project is geared towards these platforms, expect discussions around delivering content in this tall, vertical orientation.
10. Pan
“Pan” is a term for a camera shot you may encounter on set. If you hear the director say, “Pan left!” during filming, it means the camera needs to smoothly rotate horizontally from its current, fixed position, much like someone turning their head to look across a scene.
For example, a pan could follow a car driving along a road or reveal a beautiful vista unfolding across the landscape.
11. Take
“Let’s go for another take!”—you’ll hear this a lot on set. A ¨take¨ is basically each precious attempt to nail a specific shot or scene. It’s all about getting the best delivery, timing, or camera movement because, let’s face it, first tries aren’t always flawless.
So don’t be surprised if you end up on take 5, take 10, or even take 27—it’s all part of the process.
12. Frame Rate
If someone asks, “What frame rate are we shooting in?” they mean how many individual images are shown per second—also known as FPS. Think of it this way: 24fps shows 24 still pictures every second, creating that classic movie feel. Want smoother motion or slow-mo magic? Go for something higher, like 60fps. It all depends on the vibe you’re going for.
13. Sound Design
Sound design is what gives your video its emotional and immersive edge. When this video production term comes up, it usually means creating or selecting the right sounds like ambient noise, sound effects, music, and Foley (reproduced every day sounds like footsteps or rustling) to enhance what’s happening on screen. It’s about crafting the soundscape that complements the visuals and shapes the mood of each scene.
Whether it’s subtle footsteps or a dramatic music cue, sound design adds life and meaning beyond just visuals.
14. Sound Mixing
As your video nears completion, you might hear about “sound mixing.” This is where all the audio elements, such as dialogue, music, and sound effects, are balanced and blended to ensure clarity and consistency. It’s about making sure no single sound overwhelms the others so your final video sounds smooth, professional, and on point from start to finish.
15. Rendering
When your editor says “it’s rendering,” they mean the computer is compiling everything—video clips, transitions, effects, sound—into one final, playable file. It’s the technical step that turns your project from an editable timeline into a finished video. Rendering ensures all elements are synced and polished and ready for delivery or upload in its final video format.
This is often the part that tests patience—it can take a while, but the fully rendered result is always worth the wait.
Ready to Roll? Let’s Bring Your Video Ideas to the Screen
Now that you’re familiar with these key videography terms, you’ll notice how smoother video projects become when everyone speaks the same creative language.
If you’re looking for a video production company to help transform your ideas into compelling videos, Aww Media is here to guide you. We walk alongside clients through the entire production journey—from that initial spark of concept development all the way through to the final rendered video before publishing or airing.
Our team’s expertise covers a wide range of video projects, so whether you need our music video production services to create a visually stunning backdrop for your latest track or impactful corporate videos to boost your brand, we’ve got you covered.
Ready to put these video production terms to use? Kick off your next video project with Aww Media today.
