Watching movie reviews can be frustrating.
But only if you have no idea what the movie critic is saying. To fully appreciate the review, it is helpful to be familiar with the movie terms used to describe various aspects of the film and assess the performances.
And if you enjoy visiting Reddit threads for cinephiles, knowing technical storytelling and filmmaking terms is key to dissecting films effectively.
To make your lives easier, here are the top 25 movie terms you need to know if you want to be ahead of the curve in movie-related conversations:
On-Set Filmmaking Terms
Let’s dive in:
Screenplay
A screenplay for a film or show is a written blueprint of the film, i.e., a document that breaks down a movie into chronological scenes and dialogues, while also noting additional context regarding the tone, character actions, and other visual cues.
It’s different from a script because the focus of a script is the story, whereas a screenplay is more of a technical document that sets the context for the director and actors on what they need to focus on while shooting a scene. Here’s an excerpt of the Oppenheimer (2023) screenplay:
Note how it contains not just dialogues, but also the time of the day it is to be shot, whether the scene is in color or black and white, and other details.
Location Scouting
Location scouting is the process of identifying and assessing suitable places to shoot various scenes of the film that fit the script, budget, and logistical needs.
To find the right spaces, locations scouting teams evaluate their accessibility and suitability. They then secure the necessary permissions and licenses to ensure shooting can take place.
Set
A set is an artificially constructed “location” for filming.
Filmmakers cannot rely solely on natural locations, given the issues of licenses, budget, and accessibility. Also, the script may have specific requirements that a real location may not be able to meet.
In such cases, the set design team creates artificial spaces that fit the film’s needs.
Set Design
Set design is the process of planning and creating the sets in a film according to the director’s vision. Great set design makes the physical backdrop look believable and enhances visual storytelling.
The Central Perk cafe (above) in Friends is an excellent example of realistic set design.
Cinematography
Cinematography is a technical field in filmmaking that involves arranging the lighting, camera positions, color choices, and overall visual composition of the film.
Scene
A scene is a part of a film that takes place over a continuous span of time, involving the same characters in the same location. It’s a segment of a story that shows a single, continuous act or event. Multiple scenes make up a movie.
For example, in The Godfather (1972), the famous restaurant shooting is a single scene; it unfolds in one location and in real time.
Sequence
A sequence is a series of related scenes that together form one narrative arc. It captures one part of the story, whether it’s a common idea, theme, or event.
Each sequence has its own beginning, middle, and end, as it encapsulates one storytelling arc, like a chapter in a book does.
For example, The Materialists (2025) featured two wedding sequences. An editor puts together scenes to create sequences.
Shot
A film shot is a continuous moment recorded from a single camera at a specific angle. Shots are the building blocks of a scene. There are various kinds of shots, such as:
- Wide shot
- Close-up shot
- Over-the-shoulder shot
Take
A take is one continuous recording of a specific scene from different angles, with varying setups of lighting or other visual changes.
Directors often film multiple takes of a scene, adjusting the dialogue, angle, or lighting until they are satisfied with the result. Editors then review and choose the best take for the final cut.
Now that we have defined a sequence, scene, shot, and take, you should be able to understand the following:
A film consists of multiple scenes
…that are made up of numerous shots.
…which are filmed across various takes.
Close up
Close-up is a type of camera angle that is positioned close to the subject to focus on their face (if it’s a person) or a feature of the person or object. By focusing on the subject of the scene at a closer range, they become the center of attention.
This is also called tightly framing the subject.
Horror movies often use close-ups to add to the element of fear:
No one can forget these close-ups from Annabelle (2014).
Roll
Have you ever heard a director say, “Roll camera action!” before they start shooting a scene? Originally, the roll referred to a reel of film (the circular spool that contains long strips of images for a film) being cranked or physically rolled into the old-style cameras before digital cameras existed.
Now, in modern parlance, “roll camera” simply means that the camera person will start recording a scene or a shot, so everyone (the actors and crew) should be in their positions.
Slate/Clapperboard
A slate or clapperboard (also known as a film clapper) is used to mark the beginning of a scene and to indicate that the take is being recorded. It lists details like scene number, take, and date.
The clap sound is a helpful audio-visual cue for editors when they are trying to sync (or match) the audio and video footage.
Continuity
Continuity is the process of ensuring that elements and essential details across various scenes in a movie or show are consistent and cohesive.
When there are discrepancies in essential details, it’s called a continuity error. Continuity is not just for costumes and props, but also for character arcs and attributes, as well as the time period or conditions within which the movie or show is set.
Continuity errors occur because the same scene is often shot across different days. When the edit team selects the best scenes from the available footage, they may inadvertently choose scenes that, when combined, do not maintain consistency with each other.
For example, in the Twilight universe, Jacob’s shoulder tattoo shifts across scenes in the film.
Continuity errors like these are not significant, but can be visually distracting. This particular continuity error caused a controversy.
Score
A film score is original music composed specifically to accompany a film’s scenes.
Every music track you hear in a film is not necessarily the film’s score, as it can be any song (not specifically composed for the film) by an artist, for which the filmmakers pay to use in the movie.
For example, in the show The Summer I Turned Pretty, the majority of the soundtrack features pre-existing songs by Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Olivia Rodrigo.
On the other hand, the soundtrack used in the Dune films consists of an original film score.
Hans Zimmer composed the above specifically for Dune (2021), thus making it the film’s score.
Dubbing
Dubbing is the process of replacing dialogue recorded during the shooting of a scene with new dialogue during post-production.
This new dialogue can be in another language (as in foreign-language dubbing) or a re-recorded version of the original lines due to some issues with the initially shot version of the dialogue.
Teaser (vs trailer)
A teaser is a taster version of a film that is about to be released. It’s a short preview (often under a minute) to build anticipation for an upcoming movie. It hints at genre and tone without revealing much about the plot.
A trailer is typically longer (usually several minutes). It highlights key scenes from the film to showcase the plot, character dynamics, and songs. It usually follows the teaser and is designed to persuade the audience to watch the movie.
Here’s the teaser of Thunderbolts (2025):
……and here is the trailer:
Storytelling Filmmaking Terms
Here you go:
3 Act Structure (first act, third/last act, second act)
The three-act structure divides a film’s story into three parts to build a cohesive narration. Act One (Setup) introduces the characters, the universe of the story, and the key moment that kickstarts the core arc of the story. The first act sets up the various themes of the film.
Act Two (Build-up) then develops the characters further and introduces the core conflict (and sub-plots) to raise the stakes in the narrative. The second act comprises a significant portion of the film’s runtime.
Act Three (Resolution) wraps up the story by tying up the loose ends from Act Two and concluding the arcs of characters introduced in Act One. The ending may or may not be happy.
Every movie can be divided into three acts.
In F1(2025), you will be able to discern the following three Acts:
- Sonny Hayes’ (Brad Pitt) journey to joining his friend’s F1 racing team
- The conflicts associated with his teammate Joshua (Damson Idris) and the spate of races that didn’t go as planned
- Hayes’ injury and the climax
Worldbuilding
Worldbuilding is the process of creating the universe in which the story takes place. It answers the question of “where.”
Even films set in real cities require some level of worldbuilding. It’s not just about the city and year; worldbuilding is still necessary even if the entire movie takes place in a single physical space. What rules govern the home, workplace, or community?
For fictional places (such as Wakanda in the Black Panther films), the world that the characters have to exist in is built from scratch.
The setting of the story cannot be left to the audience’s imagination. You need to provide as much context as possible so that the movie feels believable, or at the very least, it’s detailed enough to immerse the viewer.
Backdrop
Contrary to popular belief, a backdrop is more than just the physical background of a scene. It can refer to the location at times (the literal backdrop), such as a landscape, building, or living room in front of which actors perform.
For instance, in The Office, the backdrop is Michael’s cabin or various other rooms within the Dunder Mifflin office.
However, there’s also a figurative backdrop, which refers to the context of a character or story.
For example, The Bear’s backdrop of the culinary industry.
Story Beats
Like beats in a song, story beats mark the various ups and downs or tonal shifts in the structure of the film narrative. Story beats include a character’s arc, twists in the film, or other changes that signal a shift in emotions.
For example, in The Fall Guy (2024), Colt’s (Ryan Gosling) injury is one of the story’s beats. He goes from a chirpy stuntman who is passionate about his job (and is in love) to a man in denial and pain.
Plot Device
A plot device is any element of a story that moves the plot forward.
This story element can be an object (such as a broken light bulb that prompts the protagonist to enter their haunted attic) or an action (a fight between two partners that leads to murder), or any other narrative change that advances the plot.
There are over 50 kinds of plot devices.
For example, in Challengers (2024), one of the major plot devices that the film expands upon is the love triangle between Tashi (Zendaya), Art (Mike Faist), and Patrick (Josh O’Connor).
The film employs other plot devices as well, but this is the central one.
Trope
Tropes are narrative tools that are so common in films that they have become recognizable themes or situations.
Either a character or an action encapsulates these tropes. Tropes appear across both literature and film, with hundreds of recognizable patterns that audiences can spot, which then become tropes over time.
For example, in the Harry Potter series and in the Matrix films, the “Idea of a chosen one” trope is used. Other examples of tropes include:
- Damsel in distress (Mary Jane in Spiderman films)
- Geek-to-chic [Remember, Anne Hathaway’s character in Princess Diaries (2001) and The Devil Wears Prada (2006)?]
- Running gag [Ryan Gosling’s character is unable to get coffee despite multiple hilarious attempts in The Fall Guy (2024)]
The treatment of the 3-Act structure, story beats, and plot devices can turn into a trope if it’s a standard way of showing how a story is unfolding.
Exposition
Exposition is any additional context or description required to put across an idea.
It can help add to a theme, a character’s arc, or do worldbuilding better. Exposition can be direct, through stating facts, indirect (through dialogues and actions), or through implicit details that allow viewers to infer connections.
Filmmakers must be cautious about injecting too much exposition into the film, which can lead to over-explaining obvious details or unnecessary information dumps.
A classic example of exposition is the scrolling text at the start of Star Wars. It provides context without interrupting the narrative.
Fourth Wall
The fourth wall is a symbolic “wall” that separates the film from its viewers. When a film breaks the fourth wall, it acknowledges the real world or addresses the audience, i.e., it goes beyond the screen.
In the Deadpool films, the character, played by Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), breaks the fourth wall repeatedly.
He does so to speak directly to the audience, often cracking jokes or commenting on the plot.
Suspension of Disbelief
You know that moment when you watch a film and feel, “This is so unrealistic and silly?”
That’s your disbelief getting in the way of enjoying the movie. Suspension of disbelief refers to setting aside logic and accepting a film’s unrealistic elements in order to remain immersed in the story.
You engage with the story instead of finding loopholes based on your judgment and knowledge.
For instance, viewers frequently criticize The Bear on Reddit for its dramatic portrayal of the culinary industry. This Reddit post breaks down how it is impossible to receive a C grade during a food safety inspection, as depicted in the show.
Multiple commenters, including the one above, remind the original poster that it’s a show for entertainment and you shouldn’t nitpick based on technicalities.
Want to Know More Filmmaking Terms?
Keep an eye out for our next set of cinema-related definitions!
