As in all industries, video production uses phrases and jargon that may not be initially familiar to outsiders. If you're interacting with a producer, editor, animator, or video sales team member and they use a term you don't recognize, you are not alone! 

Here are some terms and meanings that video studios use regularly:

Animation: Visuals made completely with computer programs - videos can have some, all, or no animation

B-roll: Clips and images recorded by the studio, provided by clients, or supplied by stock sites that help illustrate the topic visually

Bug: A small logo placed in a corner that remains visible throughout the video

Cross Dissolve/Fade: A video-editing technique that involves gradually fading up the start of a new clip over the end of the previous one

CTA: Stands for Call To Action; a written or spoken phrase that inspires the viewer to take a desired next step (example: "Visit us online at...")

End Tag: The ending slide that contains some combination of logo, contact information, or call to action to wrap up the video

IFB: The earpiece worn by on-air talent allowing them to discretely hear instructions from the production team

Jump Cut: A video-editing technique that involves a cut between two clips of the same angle, in which the on-screen talent appears to jump position

Keying/Keyed Footage: Keying is the process of removing the green background from the footage so that a different background can be added in post-production

Livestream: To broadcast the video simultaneously while it is being recorded, allowing for interaction with the audience if desired

Lower Third: A text graphic that appears towards the bottom of the screen that displays additional information such as talent names, credentials, definitions, or acronyms, etc.

Pan: A camera movement that involves swiveling the camera horizontally from a fixed point (from the word panorama) - not to be confused with tilt, which is the vertical equivalent

Profile: A term for positioning the talent; not speaking directly to the camera, but rather sitting at an angle with gaze offscreen

Punch in: A video-editing technique that involves cropping closer than the original composition in order to avoid the look of jump cuts or to add variety

Raw Footage: Unedited footage, straight out of the camera

Supers: Collective term for text or graphics superimposed over video footage

Talent: The person/people appearing onscreen

Voiceover/VO: Narration audio that plays over separate visuals