EDGE NUMBERS / KEY NUMBERS: These numbers are printed by the manufacturer at 1 foot intervals, (35mm) and 1/2 foot intervals, (16mm), on the edge of raw film stock . They act not only as a footage counter and location marker on the stock, but also contain film type and manufacturing batch codes. Edge numbers / key numbers on a workprint copy are used to locate scenes from the original negative. See also Keykode, a bar-coded format of key numbers.

EDITING: (also "continuity editing") At the most basic level, this means simply joining individual pieces of film to make up scenes, sequences, groups of sequences, and finally the entire film. At its first stages the pieced together version is called an assembly. As this is further refined it is called a first cut, then, many refinements later, a final cut.

EDL: (Edit Decision List)A list of a video production’s edit points. An EDL is a record of all original videotape scene location time references, corresponding to a production’s transition events. EDLs are usually generated by computerized editing equipment and saved for later use and modification.

ESTABLISHING SHOT: A shot, frequently the first in a series comprising a scene, which establishes place, spatial relationships and scale. Usually but not exclusively used in films which are structured according to the mode of classical narrative; may also serve simply to locate the action of the film in a given setting. Note: the establishing shot clip ends with a dissolve into a CS of the next scene.

FILL: The sound between words in a production track that is used both to replace undesirable noises on the track and to create "handles" extending the track at the beginning and end. Handles enable the re-recording mixer to crossfade smoothly between shots with differing background tones. See also room tone.

FILL LEADER: The film that is inserted into units of mag film in order to keep synchronization during silent sections. Fill leader is usually made up of recycled release prints.

FILM FOOTAGE: There are 16 frames per foot of a standard 35mm film image (running vertically through the camera and projector), each lasting four sprocket holes (perforations or "perfs"). At the standard rate of 24 frames per second, film runs at 90 feet per minute, or 18 inches per second. One film frame is the equivalent of 1.25 30 fps timecode frames.

FINAL MIX: The act of mixing the sound for a motion picture (or television show) into separate dialog, music and sound effects stems, which, combined and played at equal level through the monitor, represent the finished soundtrack. In a stereo film (or surround-encoded TV), it is most common to record the dialog, music and sound effects stems on three pieces of 4- or 6-track magnetic film, utilizing Dolby SR noise reduction. (The choice of which noise reduction system is used at this stage–SR, A-Type, or even dbx–has no relation to what printmasters might be made.) Final mixes are also frequently recorded on analog or digital multitrack tape or on digital dubbers.

These stems, also known as "dub masters," are then used to create the printmasters, the M&E, the mono mix and possibly even an airline version. The exact format and track layout of the stems is up to the post-production sound crew; if a multitrack or digital dubber is used, then additional tracks are opened up at no additional cost and little trouble. With these formats it is easier to record an additional set of stems, keeping, for example, the foley, the background sound effects, a laugh or crowd track, or special creature voices separate, to allow for greater flexibility in the final mix , during printmastering and the M&E mix.

If the project is a non-surround-encoded stereo television show, then the stems might be in standard 2-track stereo format, although this is not recommended due to the use of 5.1-channel stereo in Digital Television. And, of course, mono films only require from three to six tracks, usually on the same piece of film or tape.

FINE CUT: An editorial stage in a film's development; the fine cut, a more completed version of the film, follows the rough cut; as the film moves toward its final form, excess footage is edited out.

FLAT BED: An editing machine resembling a desk with a screen in the middle. The film sits flat on plates which are threaded through the center section that has transports for picture and sound.

FIVE POINT ONE: 5.1 Stereo format utilizing three primary channels (left, center, right), two surround channels (left surround, right surround) and an LFE channel, which is the ".1" channel because it uses approximately one-tenth of the bandwidth of a full-frequency channel.

FOLEY: Sound effects recorded in synchronization to edited picture in post-production. Named after Jack Foley, who was the head of the sound effects department at Universal Studios for many years.

FPS: Acronym for "frames per second."

FULLCOAT: Mag Stock with a layer of oxide that completely covers one side, unlike Stripe. All 16mm mag is fullcoat. 35mm is available in both fullcoat and stripe. The difference in 35mm is that fullcoat can be used for recording several tracks, and it typically used for the Mix Master. Fullcoat is also more expensive than stripe.

INTERPOSITIVE: An intermediate copy of a film, usually required as an intermediate step to making an internegative. Also used in a telecine machine to transfer the film image to tape. If the camera negative was cut in AB rolls (see AB reels), then the IP can incorporate first-generation fades and dissolves.

LAVALIERE MICROPHONE: Small microphone worn around the neck or clipped to clothing.

LCRS: Designates a recording in which four tracks are to be assigned, respectively, to the left-center-right-surround speaker channels. Thus, other variants such as LCRC, when the fourth track is to be assigned to the center, or even CCCC, as in a center-channel dialog premix.

LEADER: The head leader, at the beginning of each reel of a film, comprises a thread-up section that contains information about the reel’s content (such as film title, reel number, etc.). The countdown section begins with the Picture Start frame, which is considered the "start mark," followed by a numbered rundown, totaling 12 feet or 8 seconds. The last number is two seconds (three feet) before the beginning of the active picture ("first frame of picture").

The Academy leader contains one number per foot following the Picture Start, with 11, 10, etc., leading to three. As projected, numbers are upside down. The SMPTE Universal leader is designed to be used primarily for video uses and features a sweep hand counting down from eight seconds.

LFE: Low Frequency Effects. The low-frequency track assigned to the subwoofer in theatrical stereo formats. For home video formats, the subwoofer will frequently contain low-frequency information from the main channels in addition to the original LFE track.

LFOP: Last Frame of Picture. Film industry acronym for the length of a given reel. In its standard meaning includes the head leader up to and including the last frame of the reel. Because it is standard to start counting with the "Picture Start" frame of the leader as 0000+00 (zero feet and zero frames), the actual running time of a reel can be calculated by subtracting 11 feet and 15 frames to account for the 12-foot, 8-second leader. The two-pop is at 0009+00 The first frame of picture of a reel is at 0012+00. Sometimes also referred to as LFOA, for "action."

LOOPING: The process of post-production dialog replacement using identical-length loops of picture, guide track and record track. The line to be replaced would thus repeat over and over, and the actor would go for a take when they were ready. Also referred to as "virgin looping," when recording onto a blank piece of mag film. When optical sound was used, the recordings were made sequentially on a roll and later manually synched to picture.Although this process is not used these days (see ADR), the act of replacing dialog is still often referred to as "looping."

LO-RO: Left only-Right only. Indicates a standard left-right stereo signal that has been downmixed from a discrete digital signal (such as a Dolby Digital 5.1). Because the surround information has been incorporated into the signal without matrix encoding, a Lo-Ro cannot be decoded back into the surround format.

LT-RT: Left total-Right total, not Left track-Right track. Indicates the presence of matrix encoding of four channels on a 2-track stereo master.