Editing vocabulary splits into two families: creative terms describing decisions (pacing, continuity, first cut) and technical terms describing file properties (codec, bitrate, resolution). A technically valid file can still contain a weak or inaccurate edit; knowing which family a word belongs to prevents most confusion.
A to C
Aspect ratio. The proportional relationship between width and height (16:9, 9:16, 1:1); not the same as resolution. Audio waveform. The visual representation of audio over time; it shows silence, never whether the words are accurate. B-roll. Supporting footage shown alongside or instead of the main footage; support, not decoration. Bitrate. The amount of data per unit of time; bitrate alone does not determine quality. Caption. On-screen text representing spoken dialogue and sometimes relevant sounds. Clip. A single piece of video or audio in a project. Codec. The method used to encode and decode video or audio; not the same as the file container. Colour correction. Adjusting exposure, white balance and contrast toward natural balance; comes before grading. Colour grading. The creative pass shaping mood and style, after correction. Continuity. Visual, audio and editorial consistency between shots; not every visible jump is a continuity error. Cut. The point where one shot changes to another. Cutaway. A shot that temporarily leaves the main subject for a related visual.
E to L
Edit point. The exact place where clips end, begin or connect. Export. Creating a playable file from the project; the exported file gets reviewed separately from the preview. Filler word. A word or sound used while thinking (um, uh, like); spoken content, not silence. Final cut. The version that completed its required stages; final describes approval status, not a filename. First cut. The first complete version of a video that can be watched from beginning to end. Frame. One still image within a video. Frame rate. Frames per second (24, 25, 30, 60). Framing. How a subject is positioned inside the image. J-cut. The next scene's audio begins before its image. Jump cut. A cut removing time from one continuous shot. L-cut. The current audio continues after the image changes. Lower third. A graphic in the lower part of the frame carrying a name, role or organisation.
M to R
Match cut. Connecting two shots through similar movement, shape, composition or idea. Media bin. Where editing software stores and organises source files. Montage. A sequence of short shots compressing time or progress. Pacing. The rhythm and speed of information and visuals; appropriate to the message, not always fast. Post-production. Everything after recording; editing is its central part. Proxy file. A lower-resolution, editing-friendly copy of a source file. Raw footage. The original, unedited recorded material. Reframing. Changing the visible area of a shot. Rendering. Generating the frames, effects, captions and audio into a viewable result. Resolution. The pixel dimensions (1920 by 1080, 1080 by 1920); says nothing by itself about ratio or quality. Rough cut. A working version with structure but unfinished details; terminology varies between teams.
S to V
Safe zone. The area where subjects and text are less likely to be covered by platform interfaces; verify per platform. Scene. A meaningful section of a video, made of one or more clips. Sequence. One ordered arrangement of clips; one version, one timeline. Source footage. All material used to create the edit, broader than raw. Source take. One recorded attempt at a line, scene or full video. Split. Dividing one clip into two. Subtitle. Text transcribing or translating dialogue; used interchangeably with caption in daily speech, with real differences underneath. Take. One recording attempt. Talking-head video. A person speaking directly to the camera. Timeline. The workspace where video, audio and captions are arranged over time. Transition. A visible or audible method of moving between scenes. Trim. Shortening the beginning or end of a clip. Version control. Tracking revisions by version, date, review status and approval. Voice-over. Spoken audio over visuals without the speaker on screen.
The stages, side by side
First cut creates the first complete watchable structure; rough cut refines it; final cut completes and approves it. No two teams use the words identically, which is why the useful move is defining them per project; the stages guide goes deeper.
Where ReadyForm fits
A few of these terms have a concrete address in ReadyForm: the complete edit is what the pipeline renders from your takes; source take is visible per scene, alternatives included; the story is the transcript that doubles as the caption track. The vocabulary above is the industry's; the product keeps the parts you actually touch. See how the edit is made.