Filmmaker's Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZA
AdSense
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adsense
Affiliate Marketing & Tracking
Affiliate marketing is a method of generating Internet and offline sales by compensating publishers, list managers, organizations, companies, and other entities (affiliates) for sales generated through its communications/site. Affiliate marketing allows filmmakers to not pay advertising fees in advance (CPM)—the filmmaker would only pay for actual sales generated through the affiliate. Typically, the commission rate is 10% - 20% of the amount of the sale. Breakthrough's Affiliate Marketing Engine automatically tracks all sales from affiliates, calculates the commissions they've earned, and pays the commission upon approval of the filmmaker.
Alexa.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexa.com
Amaray Case
Amaray cases are the type most frequently used to package professionally made DVDs sold in retail. Usually black in color, the case presents the title of the film and artwork via a printed wrap that is visible through a clear plastic sleeve.
Authoring
DVD authoring is the process of transcoding a film (from HD, DigitBeta, BetaSP or other format) and combining video, audio, and still images to create a finished DVD. This finished product contains interactive menus that link the user to content in a logical and flexible way.
B
Bandwidth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandwidth
Blog
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
Blogsophere
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogosphere
Boing Boing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boing_boing
Business Ecosystems
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_ecosystems
C
Chapter Selection
When authoring a film, the filmmaker should break the final cut into chapters. Chapters are noted with invisible markers in the final video output. These markers signify breaks in the movie that will allow viewers to skip forward or backward, minutes at a time. Chapters are numbered in sequence and often given a relevant title, so viewers can identify particular scenes by glancing at the menu on the DVD. It is important to make chapter breaks so the film can be viewed in a non-linear fashion, the way all standard DVDs can.
Check Disc
Check discs are created from the glass stamper to produce several copies of the media for review prior to beginning mass production. Content creators are sent check discs to ensure the media plays as planned and the replication facility runs diagnostic tests to ensure playability.
Collective Intelligence
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_intelligence
Complementers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complementors
Copy Protection: CSS, RipGuard
Copy protection inserts an application into the DVD that prevents the disc from being copied. Adding copy protection to a DVD will cause the data be scrambled and then unscrambled during the mastering process. It greatly helps protect against piracy but it does not eliminate piracy completely. However, if someone does manage to break the code, the end copy will likely be of very poor quality. CSS (Content Scramble System) was the original encryption application. RipGuard is now popularly used.
CSS
Content-Scrambling System (CSS) is an encryption system used on some DVDs that uses 40-bit encryption.
Creative Commons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Commons
CustomFlix/CreateSpace
Now called CreateSpace, CustomFlix was the frontrunner in the DVD-on-demand business and was bought by Amazon. CreateSpace allows filmmakers to set-up shop with no inventory costs. The service duplicates and packages DVDs as they are ordered by the consumer, then automatically ships them—enabling a filmmaker to get set up quickly and with little investment.
D
Databanks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Databank
Del.icio.us
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Del.icio.us
Digg.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digg.com
Digital Downloading
Like music, movies can easily be distributed in a purely electronic format without ever being manufactured on a disc. Digital downloading via the Internet is growing in popularity. Movies can be rented or purchased via digital download. Digital Downloading enables producers to monetize their content with no cost of reproduction and near zero cost of delivery.
Disc Surface
This refers to the printable surface of the physical DVD that data is placed on.
DLT
Digital Linear Tape (DLT) is a standard format for archiving data in which half-inch magnetic tape is used. DLTs are the preferred source master for replication facilities as they are very reliable and have higher rates of playability than discs replicated from DVD-Rs.
DVD Cover Wrap
The printed paper sheet that serves as the cover on the DVD case.
DVD-R
A DVD-R is a type of optical disc storage technology. DVD-Rs are non-rewriteable and compatible with approximately 93% of all DVD players and most DVD-ROMs. DVD-Rs are typically used for duplication, not replication. 1 hour of standard video requires approximately 2GB of storage.
DVD-5
A DVD-5 is the most common format for replicated discs. It is a single layer format that holds 4.3 GB of media; this is approximately 2 hours of video, around seven times as much as a standard CD-ROM.
DVD-9
A DVD-9 is a single-sided dual-layer format that holds 7.95GB of media; it holds almost twice as much information as a DVD-5 (about four hours of media).
Duplication
Duplication is the process in which low quantities of DVDs are typically manufactured. The process involves:
- DVD-R media being placed into a burner
- Information is digitally extracted from the master source and transferred to blank discs
- Information is verified and the copy is accepted or rejected
Duplicated DVDs have a higher incidence of playback errors than replicated discs due to variance in the burning process.
E
eBook
Educational Distribution
An important market for many filmmakers, especially documentarians, is the educational market. Educational distribution is a specialized branch of distribution that targets schools and other institutions. Films that are released in this market are sold at a much higher cost (typically $99.95 - $295 for a single DVD). Libraries, hospitals, corporations, and other entities can purchase a onetime license to show the film or purchase the film for review in classrooms or other individual use. Often filmmakers will create study guides or go on tour with their films in order to increase their value and appeal in this market.
Encoding
Before a DVD can be created, the video content must be converted to MPEG-2 format. The process used for this conversion, known as "encoding", determines the quality of the finished DVD.
European Facilities
Media Motion is Breakthrough Distribution's European partner for replication and fulfillment. The second-largest manufacturer in Europe, Media Motion enables Breakthrough to economically and efficiently serve EU content creators as well as US producers selling in the EU through reduced shipping costs and delivery times.
F
FairPlay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FairPlay
Feed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed
Firefox
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefox
flickr
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr
Framing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framing
FTP
Short for File Transfer Protocol, FTP is the simplest and most common way to securely exchange files over the Internet. Producers typically send artwork via FTP to replicators, printers, and other service providers.
Fulfillment
Fulfillment is the complete process from the point-of-sale to the delivery of a product to the customer. The process is automated by integrating the shopping cart, payment processor, and fulfillment center. It is a seamless process that begins with an order being placed, payment being received, the electronic transmission of the order to the fulfillment center (where the inventory is stored). Next, the order is then picked, packed, and shipped directly to the customer with no involvement from the filmmaker.
G
Glass Master
A glass master is an exact reproduction of the original source master. It is the most reliable source from which to reproduce DVDs and other optical media. A glass master is created when a laser etches a pattern onto a highly polished glass disc layered with a photo resist coating. A mold is formed and one or more "stampers" are created. A stamper is a mirror of the raw data and is pressed into the disc during the replication process.
GNU General Public License
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnu_general_public_license
H
Hegel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegel
Hyperlink
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlink
I
InnoCentive
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InnoCentive
Instapundit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instapundit
L
Lawrence Lessig
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Lessig
Licensing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licensing
Link Blog
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_blog
Linus Torvalds
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_Torvalds
M
Mass Collaboration
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_collaboration
Match Print
Color match prints are produced to provide a 100% accurate representation of the finished print. Clients receive a copy of the print to review prior to going to print.
Menu Design
The initial DVD interface typically contains an FBI warning, followed by the main navigation menu. Often, menu screens provide the option to play the entire movie or to jump to various chapter points within the movie. There also might be global options that need to be established, such as screen format (standard or widescreen), audio preferences (Dolby or DTS surround sound, for example, or just plain stereo) and the viewer's language preference. The underlying reality is that in order for these choices to function, the disc's author has to make a series of decisions as to what features are appropriate for the viewer. In order for the DVD to function, the designer must link things together and determine the nonlinear layout prior to authoring the DVD.
Moblog
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moblog
Moveable Type
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moveable_type
MPEG-2
MPEG-2 is the format typically used to encode audio and video for broadcast signals, including direct broadcast satellite and Cable TV. MPEG-2, with some modifications, is also the coding format used by standard commercial DVD movies.
N
MySpace
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myspace
NTSC
The system used in Korea, Japan, United States, Canada and certain other places. The NTSC format consists of 29.97 interlaced frames of video per second. It is of poorer quality than PAL and, for this reason, NTSC players are unable to read PAL discs. If you can only create one version of your DVD, the NTSC format is more versatile.
O
On-Disc Art
Artwork on the DVD is an integral part of the product. During the replication process, artwork supplied by the filmmaker will be imprinted on the disc.
Open Platforms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Platform
Open Source
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source
OpenWetWare
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenWetWare
P
PageRank
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagerankpeer production
PAL
PAL refers to a 625-line/50 Hz (principally European) television system, different from the 525-line/60 Hz (principally USA/Japan) "NTSC" system. PAL players can usually play NTSC DVDs.
Philip Kotler
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Kotler
Philips Royalties
Philips Electronics owns DVD process patents that require a licensing fee to be paid on all DVDs manufactured that use its processes. Breakthrough Distribution pays royalties on all DVDs it manufactures and builds the cost into the price it charges its clients.
Podcast
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast
PodSafe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podsafe
Positioning
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positioning_%28marketing%29
Prediction Markets
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prediction_markets
Predictive Modeling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictive_modelling
Prosumer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosumer
Psychographics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychographics
R
Regional Encoding
There are six geographical DVD regions, plus an additional two regions reserved for specialized use. DVDs and DVD players are labeled by which zone they operate in. The U.S. is in region 1; this means that all DVD players sold in the U.S. are made to region 1 specifications. As a result, region 1 players can only play region 1 discs. On the back of each DVD package, you will a find a region number (1 thru 6), that shows which region the disc will play in.
The geographical regions are as follows:
Region 1: USA, Canada
Region 2: Japan, Europe, South Africa, Middle East, Greenland
Region 3: S. Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Parts of South East Asia
Region 4: Australia, New Zealand, Latin America (including Mexico)
Region 5: Eastern Europe, Russia, India, Africa
Region 6: China
Region 7: Reserved for Unspecified Special Use
Region 8: Reserved for Cruise Ships, Airlines, etc.
Region 0 or Region All: Discs are uncoded and can be played worldwide; however, PAL discs must be played in a PAL-compatible unit and NTSC discs must be played in an NTSC-compatible unit. Most PAL players, over 90%, can play NTSC DVDs.
Encoding discs for all regions (Region 0) will save filmmakers money when it comes to distributing their films internationally and is therefore recommended.
Replication
Replication is the most reliable process for reproducing DVDs and CDs. This process is characterized by injection molding and the reproduction of a minimum of 500 - 1000 DVDs or CDs.
Robert Scoble
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Scoble
RSS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rss
S Search Engine Optimization
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization
Second Life
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_life
Self Selection
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-selection
Server
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server_%28computing%29
Shrink Wrap
Shrink wrapping is the process of encapsulating a DVD with a special film that is then shrunk around the product using heat. This plastic establishes a high gloss protective finish giving the product a clean, fresh and finished look. Shrink wrap is a great way to enhance and "finish off" the look of DVDs, making them appear "retail-ready" and increase the perceived value of the product.
Sleeve
A sleeve is a DVD case made from a single sheet of cardboard printed on one side then folded and glued to form a pocket that is open on one side. When assembled, printing will be on both sides of the sleeve.
Social Networks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_networks
T
Tag
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag
Technorati.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technorati.com
Long Tail
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long_Tail
U
UPC/Bar Codes
"UPC" stands for Universal Product Code and is a pattern of black vertical bars with white spaces applied to retail products that allow them to be scanned for inventory tracking purposes. Breakthrough Distribution has licensed a manufacturing identification number from the GS1 Company that enables all DVDs it manufactures to have their own unique UPC codes.
Usenet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet
User-generated Media
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_generated_content
V
Value Networks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value_networks
Versioning
Filmmakers should always consider ways to maximize their audience and revenue through versioning their DVDs. Preview, Collector's Edition, Educational, Broadcast, Corporate, and House Party editions are examples of different versions of the DVD customized for different audiences, price points, durations, and venues. For example, a Preview Edition of a film is the first DVD released that generally includes only the film itself on a simply packaged DVD-5. The Collector's Edition (to be released at a later date) is often DVD-9 or a two disc set that contains behind the scenes features, director's commentary, updated material, special packaging, an insert, and other features that add to its value and distinguish it from the Preview Edition. This strategy allows filmmakers to target the same fans who enjoyed the Preview Edition by providing a new and differentiated product with significantly greater value—a product they need to own in addition to the Preview Edition.
Viral Marketing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_marketing
Vlog
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlog
W
Wallet
A wallet is a DVD case that is made from a single sheet of cardboard printed on one side and folded twice to form a disc pocket on one side and printed flap on the other.
Web 2.0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0
Web Syndication
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_syndication
Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia
Wordpress
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wordpress
X
XML
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xml
Y
YouTube
