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Video Grammar

Some people say that, unlike writing, video and film production don't have standardized

grammar (e.g., conventions or structure).

Although video has abandoned much of the grammar established by early filmmaking,

even in this MTV, YouTube era we can use various techniques to add structure to formal

productions.

In dramatic productions, lap-dissolves (when two video sources overlap for a few seconds

during the transition from one to the other) often signal a change in time or place.

Fade-ins and fade-outs, which apply to both audio and video, can be likened to the

beginning and end of book chapters. A fade-out consists of a two- or three-second

transition from a full signal to black and silence. A fade-in is the reverse.

Fade-ins and fade-outs often signal a major change or division in a production, such as a ajor passage of time. (But "often" is a long way from "always.")

▲Traditionally, teleplays (television plays) and screenplays (film scripts) start with a fade-in

and close with a fade-out.

Script Terms and Abbreviations

A number of terms and abbreviations are used in

scriptwriting.Some describe camera movements.

When the entire camera is moved toward or away from the

subject, it's referred to as adolly.

A zoom, which is an optical version of a dolly, achieves

somewhat the same effect. A script notation might say,

"Camera zooms in for close-up of John" or "Camera zooms ut to show John is not alone."

A lateral move is a truck. Note the illustration above.

Some terms designate shots.

Cuts or takes are instant transitions from one video source to another. In grammatical

terms, shots can be likened to sentences where each shot is a visual statement.

The cover shot and establishing shot are designated on a script by "wide-shot" (WS) or

"long shot" (LS).

Occasionally, the abbreviations XLS for extreme long shot or VLSfor very long shot are

used.

These all can give the audience a basic orientation to the geography of a scene (i.e., who

is standing where) after which you'll cut to closer shots.