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Fade: A transition to or from "nothing". In audio, to or from silence. In video, to or from a colour such as black. More info: Video fade
Field: In interlaced video, half a video frame. A field comprises every second horizontal line of the frame, making a total of 312.5 lines in PAL and SECAM, 262.5 lines in NTSC.
Film Noir: French for "black film" or "dark film". A term used describe a genre of film popular in America between 1940 and 1960. More info: Film Noir
Filter: A transparent or translucent optical element which alters the properties of light passing through a lens. More info: Camera filters
Flanging: In audio work, a type of phase-shifting effect which mixes the original signal with a varying, slightly delayed copy. Related info: Flanging Effect, Phasing Effect
Floating Point Color: Available in 32-bit color digital images, floating point space allows colors to be defined as brighter than pure white or darker than pure black. This has advantages in image processing techniques.
Flying Erase Head: In video recorders, an erase head which is mounted on the drum assembly. The erase head wipes any previous recordings as new ones are made. "Normal" erase heads are stationary, and mounted to the side of the head drum. Because of their close proximity to the record heads, flying erase heads provide cleaner edits. Related info: How to clean video heads
Floor Manager: In television production, the person in charge of the "floor", i.e. the area where the action takes place. Related info: Floor Manager
Focal Length: The distance from the centre of the lens to the camera CCD.
Focus: v. The process of adjusting the lens in order to obtain a sharp, clear picture.
adj. The degree to which an image is correctly focused. More info: Video camera focus
Forced Perspective: A photographic technique that creates an optical illusion by strategically arranging subjects and/or objects within the frame. The goal is to confuse the relationship between objects by making them appear closer, more distant, larger or smaller than they really are.
FPS: Frames Per Second. The number of video or film frames which are displayed each second.
Frame (1): The edges of a television / video / film image.
Frame (2): To compose a camera shot. More info: Camera framing, Common shot types
Frame (3): One complete video, television or film picture. In video and television, each frame is divided into two interlaced fields. PAL and SECAM systems deliver 25 frames per second, with 625 horizontal scan lines. NTSC delivers 30 fps with 525 lines.
Frame Rate: The number of video or film frames displayed each second (frames per second; fps). PAL frame rate is 25 fps, NTSC is 30 fps, film is 24 fps. Related info: Frame rates in video & film
Fresnel: A type of lens with concentric rings which focus the light. Pronounced fra-NELL.More info: The fresnel lens
Frequency Response: The sensitivity of a microphone (or other component) to various frequencies, i.e. the amount each frequency is boosted or attenuated. More info: Microphone Frequency Response
F-stop: Measurement of aperture. The higher the f-stop number, the smaller the aperture. More info: f-stops
F-type : A family of cable connectors, in which the centre (hot) pin is the centre wire of the cable itself.