Cinema and Filmmaking Glossary
Ein Filmlexikon - Englisch-Deutsch
English-German Filmmaking Glossary
German words and expressions related to motion pictures, cameras, and filmmaking
Noun genders are indicated by: r (der, masc.), e (die, fem.), s (das, neu.)
Abbreviations: adj. (adjective), adv. (adverb), n. (noun), v. (verb), pl. (plural)
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CINEMA & FILMMAKING Glossary: A-K | L-Z
Also see the German Movie Guide for films in German and the related links.
A
Academy Awards - Categories
Best Actor, Best Live Action Short, etc. More...
action e Aktion
Action! Action!, Bitte!
action movie r Aktionfilm
lights, camera, action! Licht! Kamera! Belichtung!/Action!
actor, performer r Schauspieler (-), r Darsteller (-)
film actor, movie actor r Filmschauspieler (-)
actors, cast e Darsteller (pl.), e Besetzung
cast and crew Stab und Besetzung (“crew & cast”)
actress, film actress e Schauspielerin (-nen), e Filmschauspielerin
ADR ADR (Automatic Dialogue Replacement, “looping”)
anamorphic (adj.) anamorphotisch (wide-screen lens)
aperture, f-stop; (light) shade, visor e Blende
The German word Blende can have several meanings in English, depending on the context. It refers to the visor on lights, the aperture of a camera lens, or the fade-in or fade-out of a scene (die Auf-, Abblende)
animation, animated film r Trickfilm (-e)
arc light s Bogenlicht (-er)
art direction (in credits) Ausstattung
art director, set designer r Filmarchitekt
See Academy Awards - Categories
artificial light(ing) s Kunstlicht
natural light(ing) s Tageslicht
aspect ratio s Seitenverhältnis (image ratio: 1:1.33 - 4:3, 16:9, etc.)
framing r Kasch (-s) - round (vignette), square, horiz., vert.
B
backlighting s Gegenlicht
backstage, behind the scenes hinter den Kulissen
Bambi r Bambi = German entertainment award (since 1948)
Also see: "Golden Bear"
das goldene Reh: The Bambi "golden deer" statuette was originally ceramic; gilded bronze since 1958 (see Film Awards for more). Over the years, the "Bambi" prize has gone to many German and international film, TV and music personalities, including Tom Hanks, Bill Clinton (for his charity work), and Elton John. Sponsored by the Hubert Burda media concern, the annual Bambi award ceremony is held in various German cities in November or December.
WEB > www.bambi.de (in German)
bar (black), stripe r Balken (-)
Berlin Film Festival e Berlinale (see below)
Berlinale e Berlinale: The Berlin International Film Festival is held each year in February.
Also see "Golden Bear" below and Film Festivals for more.
best boy r Best Boy (assists the gaffer, the chief lighting electrician)
book (script) s Buch, s Drehbuch
box office e Kinokasse
C
cameo appearance r Cameo-Auftritt
camera e Kamera
behind the camera hinter der Kamera
cast e Besetzung, e Darsteller (pl.)
cast and crew Stab und Besetzung (“crew & cast”)
casting s Casting
catering s Catering, e Verpflegung
censor r Zensor
censorship e Zensur
cinema, movie theater s Kino (-s), s Lichtspieltheater (-)
cinematographer, camera man r Kameramann
cinematography (die) Kamera (in credits)
clapper, clapboard, clapperboard, slate (film) e Synchronklappe, e Klappe (-n)
close-up (shot) e Großaufnahme (-n)
extreme close-up e Detailaufnahme (-n)
medium close-up e Nahaufnahme (-n)
color temperature e Farbtemperatur (-en)
color timer r Farbtechniker
comedy e Komödie (-n)
composer (film music) r Komponist
The best-known German film music composer today is Hans Zimmer. (German-Hollywood Connection)
continuity (script, film) e Überwachung von Details im Film, r Anschluss
credits (film) r Abspann
in the credits im Abspann
credits (opening) r Vorspann
credits (closing) r Nachspann
SAMPLE CREDITS (English-German)
| FILM CREDITS DER ABSPANN |
|
| Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002) Krieg der Sterne: Angriff der Klonkrieger |
|
| Produced by Rick McCallum, George Lucas |
Produzenten: Rick McCallum, George Lucas |
| Screenplay by George Lucas | Drehbuch: George Lucas |
| Directed by George Lucas | Regie: George Lucas |
| Editor: Ben Burtt | Schnitt: Ben Burtt |
| Music: John Williams | Musik: John Williams |
| Director of Photography: David Tattersall | Kamera: David Tattersall |
| Sound Editor: Ben Burtt | Ton: Ben Burtt |
| Costume Designer: Trisha Biggar | Kostüme: Trisha Biggar |
| Set Design: Peter Walpole | Ausstattung: Peter Walpole |
crew (film) r Stab
cast and crew Stab und Besetzung (“crew & cast”)
cross cut/cutting r Kreuzschnitt
cut v. cutten, schneiden (film editing)
In German a film editor is der Cutter (m.) or die Cutterin (f.)
cut (to) überblenden (zu) (scene change)
cut v. abbrechen (stop the camera)
Cut! Schnitt! or Aus! (said by film director)
cutting, editing r Schnitt (film editing, see credits above)
cut (out) herausschneiden (by censor, director)
This scene was cut by the censor.
Diese Szene hat die Zensur herausgeschnitten.
cut adj. gekürzt (shortened), zensiert (censored)
That's the cut version of his film.
Das ist die gekürzte/zensierte Fassung seines Films.
D
day for night amerikanische Nacht
deep focus breite Schärfentiefe (objects near and far are in focus)
depth of field e Schärfentiefe
dialect coach r Dialekt-Trainer
digital (adj.) digital
director r Regisseur, e Regisseurin
directed by Regie (in credits)
director of photography r Kameramann
(in credits) Kamera
direct sound, original sound r O-Ton, die O-Töne (pl.)
dissolve (n.) e Überblendung
dissolve (v.) überblenden
Also see “fade” below
documentary film r Dokumentarfilm (-e)
dolly r Kamerawagen, r Dolly
double r Double (body-double, stunt-double, etc.; often pronounced DOO-bel)
dub (v.) synchronisieren
dubbed (adj.) synchronisiert
dubbing (n.) e (Nach)Synchronisation, e Synchronarbeit
Refers both to foreign-language dubbing and to the normal ADR dubbing done for various scenes. In Germany and Austria all non-German feature films are dubbed into German, while in Switzerland it is more common to use subtitles with the original language sound.
Filmtitel auf Deutsch
What are the German titles of famous Hollywood movies?
Wort des Tages
What's today's German word of the day?
E
edit (n.) e Montage
editor, editing r Schnitt
editor (in credits) Schnitt
editor (film) r/e Cutter(in), r/e Filmcutter(in)
effect (n.) der Effekt
effects die Effekte (pl.)
effects (special), FX die special effects (pl.), Spezialeffekte (pl.)
end, the (das) Ende
executive producer r Produzent
exterior shot e Außenaufnahme (-n)
extra(s) r Komparse (-n), r Statist (-en)
F
fade (n.) e Ausblende
fade (v.) ausblenden, blenden
fade in aufblenden
fade out abblenden
fade-out e Abblende
fade over weich überblenden
fade to black e Schwarzblende
film, movie r Film (-e)
film, shoot (v.) filmen, (einen Film) drehen
film festival s Filmfest (-e)
filmmaker r/e Filmschaffende (-n)
film ratings board FSK ("Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle" in German)
film stock, unexposed film r Rohfilm
flashback e Rückblende (-n)
floodlight, spotlight r Scheinwerfer
focal length (lens) e Brennweite
foley ein Gerät für Toneffekte (named for sound man Jack Foley)
foley artist r Tontechniker, r Ton-Cutter
frame (film, video) s Einzelbild, s Bild (-er), r Frame
frames per second Bilder pro Sekunde
framing r Kasch (-s) - round (vignette), square, horiz., vert.
Also used as a verb ("to frame"): "Manche kaschen einfach das Bild mit schwarzen Balken ab oder strecken das Bild im Sucher, aufgenommen wird ganz normal mit schwarzen Balken..."
G
gaffer r Chef-Elektriker (chief lighting electrician), r Oberbeleuchter
gaffer r Chef-Elektriker
Golden Bear r Goldene Bär - name of the German "Oscar" given out at the Berlinale
grip r Grip (-s) - collective term for workers on film set (Bühne)
On the Web > The German-Hollywood Connection
H
hairstylist e Friseurin (-nen), r Friseur (-e)
happy ending s Happyend
I
interior shot e Innenaufnahme (-n)
intertitles e Zwischentitel (pl.)
J
jump cut r Jumpcut, e Sprungblende
K
key grip r Hauptgrip, r Keygrip
NEXT > L-Z - plus Web links
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Related Pages
Academy Awards - Categories
How to say Best Actor, Best Live Action Short, etc. in German.
Film Festivals
German and other film festivals.
Filmtitel auf Deutsch
What are the German titles of famous Hollywood movies?
Filmbegriffe Links
Web links for online German film glossaries.
More English-German Glossaries
Annotated glossaries on many topics. From your Guide.
Online Dictionaries
Links for dictionaries and glossaries for German.
Wort des Tages
What's today's German word of the day?
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