A tagline is a clever phrase or short sentence to memorably characterize a film, and tease and attract potential viewers, or sell the movie; also creates a catchy soundbite often repeated or presented in a trailer or on a film's poster, sometimes along with the film's "leitmotif."

A take is a single continuously-recorded performance, shot, or version of a scene with a particular camera setup. Often, multiple takes are made of the same shot during filming, before the director approves the shot. In box-office terms, take also refers to the money a film's release has made.

Talent is a term applied to the actors, as a group, on a film set.

Talkies is a common term used for films with sound (beginning in 1927), although rarely used currently. The advent of talkies marked the dawning of the era of sound films, as opposed to silent films.

Talking heads are a medium shot of people conversing. Talking heads can also be used as a criticism, denoting an uninteresting image.

Tap is a slang term, meaning to "pick", "select", "name", or "appoint."

A tearjerker is an excessively-sentimental or emotional film, usually with suffering female protagonists, tragic circumstances, manipulative scenes, and dramatic musical scoring; aka melodramas or weepies. Derogatively known as a "woman's film" or "chick flick." Contrast to "feel-good film."

Tech-noir refers to a modern day (or post-modern) expressionistic film noirs set in the future, with dark, decaying societies.

Technicolor is the trade name for the best-known color film process; 3-strip color is often used as a synonymous term. Technicolor is also used generically as a term for rich, bright, vibrant, sometimes garish colors. Technicolor films were described as highly saturated (with pure and vivid colors).Technicolor (a 3-color dye transfer system) was introduced in the Disney short cartoon, "Flowers and Trees (1932)."

Telefilm refers to a feature-length motion picture made for television. Telefilm may also be known as "telepic" or "telepix." See also "made-for TV movie."

Telephoto lens refers to a camera lens with a very long focal length and narrow-angle of view. The telephoto lens effect is to compress or condense depth in space, thereby bringing distant objects closer to the viewer (without moving the camera), but it also flattens the depth of the image. It has the opposite of the effect of a wide-angle lens.

Tentpole is industry slang or trendy buzzword term, meaning a film that is expected to serve as primary support for a studio, i.e., to be a top-grossing blockbuster (usually during the summer season), to compensate for a studio's other flops. Usually, a tentpole film is the start of, or an installment in, a franchise.

The Lion, or Leo, is a slang term that refers to Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) Studios, with the legendary "Leo the Lion" logo.

A theater is a place for screening, presenting, or viewing a film or motion picture. Also known as "cinema."

Theatrical is a slang term referring to a feature-length motion picture.

Theatrical rights refers to the rights to exhibit films.

Theme is a central characteristic, idea, concern or motif in a film.

Theme music is the opening or closing music of a motion picture, often containing the film's signature or leitmotif tune/phrase that is associated with a character or situation within the film.

A three-shot consists of three individuals in the frame. This is in contrast to a "single" or "two-shot."

A tie-in refers to any commercial venture connected to a film.

Tight-on is a cinematography term that refers to a close-up camera shot of the subject. Also known as "extreme close-up" or "tight framing."

Til shot, also known as an oblique angle, is a camera tilted up or down on a diagonal along a vertical axis. A vertical camera movement from a fixed position often used to suggest an imbalance, or strangeness, or to emphasize size, power or menace. Also known as "tilt pan," "tilt up," or "tilt down" (or reveal), or "vertical pan," although not technically the same as "pan up" or "pan down," similar to a moving close-up. A "dutch angle" is filmed at an extreme diagonal tilt.

Time lapse is a method of filming where frames are shot much slower than their normal rate, allowing action to take place between frames, and giving the appearance of the action taking place much faster in the finished product; often done for nature filming (the blooming of a flower, the movement of clouds, etc.), allowing the viewer to witness the event compressed from real-time (hours or days) into a few seconds. Time lapse is the opposite of "slow-motion."

Tint is the use of color to physically tint film stock to achieve a desired mood and is usually done selectively by hand. Tint is often used by silent black-and-white films before the widespread use of color film. See "gel" and "sepia."

The title role is the lead part in a movie or other production for an actor or actress, that is named after the title of the film.

Titles are text that appear on the film screen and convey information. Categories of titles include: credit titles, main titles, end titles, insert titles, and subtitles. A "creeper title," also known as a roll-up title, refers to a film title that appears to move solwly across the screen vertically or horizontally. In silent film, "titles" (called title cards or intertitles) included the written commentary and full screens of textual dialogue spliced within the action. Title design refers to the artistic manner in which the title of a film is displayed on screen. The "working title" is the name by which a film is known while it is being made (e.g., during the filming of "Psycho" in 1960, it was known as "Production 9401"). See "Movie Title Screens" and "credits."

Tone refers to the mood or atmosphere of a film scene, often revealed by the director in the way a film is directed (e.g., serious, humorous, satiric, amusing, etc.).

Topline refers to the star(s) or invidual(s) billed above the title of a film. The topliner is the star of a particular film.

A topper is the head of a company or organization.

Tour de force, literally "forceful turn" in French, usually refers to a lead actor's performance that was incredibly skillful, brilliant, notable, masterful, reflecting a very high standard, and perfectly displaying the actor's ability. Compare to "stealing a scene," the equivalent for a supporting actor role.

A tracking shot is a smooth shot in which the camera moves alongside ("tracking within") or follows the subject through space, usually with the camera mounted on a dolly (on a dolly track). Tracking shots are often seen as a side-to-side motion (relative to the scene or the action). Also known as "following shot." Sometimes used interchangeably with dolly shot, pull back shot (pull-out, push-out, widen-out or push-back), trackback (moving away), or track in (or push-in) (moving forward), or zoom shot. See also "Steadicam."

Trademark refers to a personal touch or embellishment of an actor, director, writer or producer within a film. Also known as "signature" or "calling card."

Trades refers to the professional magazines and publications that report the daily or weekly entertainment news of the entertainment industry.

A trailer is a short publicity film, preview, or advertisement composed of short excerpts and scenes from a forthcoming film or coming attraction, usually two-three minutes in length. Often presented at the showing of another film. Historically, these advertisements were placed at the end of a newsreel or supporting feature and so "trailed" them, hence the name. Also commonly known as "preview(s)." Also, another name for the tail, a length of blank leader (strip of film), at the end of a reel. A "teaser" is basically a very short trailer (of 15-30 seconds in length) that only provides a few hints about the film (a Web address, a few bars of music, a quick sequence of images, specially shot footage, etc.).

A transition is one of several ways of moving from (or joining together) one shot or scene to the next one, including such transitional effects or shots as a cut, fade, dissolve, and wipe. A transition focus between two scenes means the current scene goes out of focus, and the next scene comes into focus.

A trash film refers to second-run, low-budget films that are deliberately over-the-top, infantile, amateurish, sometimes excessively gory or raunchy which are intended to shock, disgust, and repel mainstream audiences, and appeal to non-traditional audiences. Sometimes, a trash film is described as a subcategory of exploitation and cult films, or called a "turkey film." Compare with "sexploitation," "B-films," and "Z-films."

A travelogue is a film made for the purpose of showing scenes from foreign, exotic places.

A treatment is a detailed literary summary or presentation of a film's story (and each major scene), with action and characters described in prose form, and sometimes including bits of dialogue. Often used to market and/or sell a film project or script. Usually it is an abridged script longer than a synopsis (a brief summation of a film). A completed treatment is a late stage in the development of a screenplay after several story conferences have incorporated changes into the script.

A trilogy is a group of three films that together compose a larger narrative and are related in subject or theme.

A triple threat refers to a performer who can sing, dance and act skillfully and equally well on a consistent basis. Triple threat is usually applicable to performers in the musicals genre. It also could refer to a person who can act, direct, and screenwrite.

Tubthump is a term that denotes to promote or draw attention to; usually conducted by publicists, advertisers, and agents; from the ancient show business custom of actors wandering the streets banging on tubs and drums to draw an audience together.

Turnaround refers to a film or project that has been abandoned by a studio and is no longer active (and now available for being shopped to another studio).

Twist ending refers to a film that is marketed as having a surprise ending that shouldn't be revealed (as a spoiler) to those who haven't seen the picture.

Two-fer is slang for coupons that discount a film's admission price to "two for" the price of one.

Two-hander refers to a film with only two characters.

In the silent era, a two-reeler referred to a film lasting a little over 20 minutes.

A two-shot is a medium or close-up camera shot of two people (often in dialogue with each other), often framed from the chest up; often used to provide a contrast between the two characters. Compare to "three-shot."

Typecasting is when an actor or actress is commonly (but unfairly) identified, associated with, or stereotyped by a particular character role. "Casting against type" is the reverse of typecasting. Typage refers to director Eisenstein's theory of casting that shunned professional actors in favor of "types" or representative characters.

Stage 32 Glossary

tagline

take

talent

talkies

talking head(s)

tap

tearjerker(s)

tech-noir

Technicolor

telefilm

telephoto lens

tentpole

the Lion (Leo)

theatre (theater)

theatrical

theatrical rights

theme

theme music

three-shot

tie-in

tight on

tiltshot (oblique angle)

time lapse

tint

title role

titles

tix

tone

toon

topline

topper

tour de force

tracking shot

trademark

trades

trailer

transition (transitional technique; transitional device)

trash film

travelogue

treatment

trilogy

triple threat

tubthump

turnaround

twist ending

two-fer

two-hander

two-reeler

two-shot

typecasting