I’m Jean-Colson Beaubrun, a cinema student. I made this glossary to explore essential film terms in English and deepen my understanding of cinematic language, style, and visual storytelling.
Actor
Noun
A person who performs a character in films, plays, or TV shows...
Example: The actor delivered his lines with emotion.
en: Acteur / Actrice
Cut
Verb/Noun
To stop a scene and also used to describe the transition between two shots.
Example: The editor made a clean cut between the action and the reaction shots.
en: Couper / Coupe
Director
Noun
The person responsible for overseeing the creative aspects of a film, including directing actors and making decisions on visual storytelling.
Example: The director guided the actors through each scene with precision and vision.
en: Réalisateur / Réalisatrice
Editor
The person responsible for assembling and cutting the film into its final form.
Monteur / Monteuse
en: The editor spent weeks perfecting the final cut of the movie.
Experimental
Pushing boundaries of form and narrative; non-traditional storytelling.
Example: The film’s experimental structure broke every rule of conventional cinema.
en: Expérimental
Frame
Noun
The visual boundaries of the shot; what the audience sees on screen.
Example: he character was perfectly centered in the frame.
en: Cadre
Jean-Luc Godard
Proper noun
A pioneering French-Swiss film director and screenwriter, known for his innovative and non-linear approach to storytelling. He was a key figure in the French New Wave movement.
Example: Jean-Luc Godard revolutionized cinema with his experimental and disruptive style.
en: Jean-Luc Godard
Lighting
Noun
The arrangement or effect of lights in filming to create mood, depth, or clarity.
Example: The lighting was adjusted to create a dramatic effect.
en: Éclairage
Noun
Noun
The art and technique of capturing visual images for a film.
Example: The Brutalist won the best cinematography at the Oscar
en: Cinématographie
Scene
Noun
A part of a film in which the action takes place in a single location or time.
Example: The scene in the café was shot in one continuous take.
en: Scène
Screenplay
Noun
The written script of a film, including dialogue and descriptions of action and setting.
Example: She spent months writing the screenplay before pitching it to producers.
en: Scénario
Shot
Verb / Noun
A single continuous recording made by a camera without interruption.
Example: The director asked for a wider shot to include all the actors.
en: Plan
Soundtrack
Noun
The music or audio used in a film, including songs and score.
Example: The soundtrack enhanced the emotional impact of the film.
en: The music or audio used in a film, including songs and score.
Storyboard
Noun
A series of drawings that show the sequence of scenes in a film.
Example: They used a storyboard to visualize each shot of the film.
en: storyboard
Take
Noun
One version of a shot filmed in a single attempt
Example: They needed five takes to get the good one.
