video production glossary.

A working bilingual reference for the words that come up in briefs, tenders, contracts and shoot days. Useful if you’re commissioning video for the first time, writing a procurement spec, or just want the Welsh equivalent of a technical term.

production

A-roll: The primary footage in a film — usually the interview or the main on-camera subject. Distinct from B-roll, which is the supporting / cutaway footage.
B-roll: Supporting or cutaway footage that illustrates what’s being discussed in the A-roll. Hands working, products in use, location detail. Usually 60% of a finished film’s runtime.
Call sheet: A pre-shoot document listing the day’s schedule, locations, crew, contact info, weather forecast and contingency plans. Distributed to everyone involved 24-48 hours before the shoot.
Pickup shots: Additional shots filmed during or after the main shoot to fill gaps identified in the edit. Common at the end of a shoot day.

post-production

Colour grade: The colour correction + creative colour-treatment pass on edited footage. Sets the visual mood and ensures consistency across shots.
Cut: A version of the edit — first cut, second cut, fine cut, final cut. Each round of client revision produces a new cut.
Cutdown: A shorter version of a finished film, edited from the same source footage. Common deliverables: 60-second cutdown for social, 30-second teaser, 15-second pre-roll.
Master: The highest-quality finished file, typically in ProRes 422 HQ or DNxHR. Cutdowns and platform-specific exports are generated from the master.
Rough cut: The first edited version, typically delivered 7-10 days after the shoot. Structure is set; fine-tuning, colour grade and final sound mix come later.

gear & technical

Aspect ratio: The width-to-height ratio of a video frame. 16:9 = standard landscape (YouTube, website). 9:16 = vertical (Instagram Reels, TikTok). 1:1 = square (Instagram feed). 4:5 = portrait (Instagram in-feed).
Frame rate: How many individual images make up one second of video. UK standard is 25fps (broadcast / cinema) or 50fps for slow-motion footage. Social platforms accept anything from 24fps to 60fps.
ProRes: Apple’s high-quality video codec, used as a delivery and editing format. ProRes 422 HQ is the broadcast standard for finished master files.
Lavalier (lav): A small clip-on microphone attached to a subject’s clothing. Standard kit for any interview or on-camera spoken delivery.
Boom: A microphone on a long pole, held above the subject just out of frame. Used for higher audio quality than a lavalier can deliver, e.g. for filmmaking interviews and presenters.
Gimbal: A motorised stabiliser that keeps a camera steady during movement. Essential for handheld tracking shots, walk-throughs and dynamic on-camera content.
LUT (Look-Up Table): A preset colour transform applied during the colour grade — usually as a starting point that’s then refined per shot. Studios often develop signature LUTs as part of brand work.

drone

CAA Operator ID: The UK Civil Aviation Authority registration required for any business operating drones commercially. £10/year. Public register. Mona Digital holds a current Operator ID.
CAA Flyer ID: The pilot-side qualification — an online theory test individual drone pilots must pass and renew every 5 years. Required to fly any drone above 250g.
Operational Authorisation (OA): A higher-tier CAA permission allowing flights in the “Specific” category — closer to people, in built-up areas, or beyond visual line of sight.
NOTAM: Notice to AirMen — official temporary airspace notices issued by NATS. Drone pilots must check NOTAMs before each shoot for military exercises, royal visits, search and rescue operations or temporary restrictions.
VLOS (Visual Line of Sight): The CAA requirement that a drone pilot must maintain unaided visual contact with the aircraft at all times during Open category flight.

bilingual & welsh

Bilingual scripting: The practice of developing a video script in both Welsh and English from the same brief, rather than translating one to the other. Mona Digital’s default for Welsh public-sector work.
Welsh-medium delivery: Content produced entirely in Welsh as the source language, where Welsh-speaking audiences are the primary audience. Different from a bilingual project that produces both languages in parallel.
Welsh Language Standards: Operational requirements set under the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, requiring designated public bodies to treat Welsh and English on a basis of equality in service delivery, publications and digital content.
Closed captions: Captions that can be toggled on/off by the viewer, typically rendered by the video player. Required for WCAG accessibility compliance on public-sector video.
Burnt-in subtitles: Subtitles permanently rendered onto the video file itself, always visible. Standard format for social media videos where viewers watch sound-off.

business & commercial

Brief: The written document that defines the project — audience, goals, deliverables, timeline. Every Mona Digital project starts with one.
Content day: A single-day shoot designed to produce a month or quarter of social-format content in one visit. Typically delivers 4-6 reels + 30 stills + a hero film.
Day rate: The cost of a single 8-10 hour filming day, typically inclusive of kit and basic edit prep. Most professional North Wales videographers charge between £500-£900/day.
Usage rights: The licence terms under which a client can use finished video / photography. Standard Mona Digital usage rights are worldwide, in perpetuity, across all media — full reuse, no restrictions.
Retainer: A monthly agreement under which the studio produces an agreed scope of work each month for a fixed monthly fee. Mona Digital’s Boost retainers run from £350-£1,200/month.
Recce: A pre-shoot location visit to scout the space, identify potential shots, check light at the right times of day, and flag any logistical issues. Standard for larger projects.
Storyboard: A sequence of sketches or reference images representing each shot in a film, used at the planning stage to align the client and crew on visual direction.

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