AMV nomenclature or therminology

[King_Cold]

For the past few months I've been looking up every therm I didn't know about and I've been compiling the defenition of each therm in a notepad so I would not have to look them up again in the future. I realised my database has gotten uge and I tought why not share it. So here it goes. If you see things are missing well be free to add those.
Some of the defenitions are mine, but most are taken from different sources wish I can't say the address for it was not in my intention to share this and I did not took note of them.

AMV

1)AMV(anime music videos): A video formed of diverse anime scenes toped with a music.

2)AMV creator: Someone who makes AMV's.

3)Anime: Japanese cartoon.

4)Fan Art: A drawing made by a fan wish represent something related to an anime.

5)www.animemusicvideos.org: The #1 site for AMV related stuff. Comonly called .org

Editing/Montage

Montage: The result of mixt scenes put together
Editing: The act of modifying a video or an image or a music using different technic.
Prefered editing software:
For image:
1)Definitly ADOBE Photoshop
2)I also recommend JASC Paint Shop Pro
For sound:
1)SONIC FOUNDRY SoundForge
2)I also recommend WAVE LAB
For video:
1)ADOBE Premiere
2)ADOBE AfterEffects (to be used in conjunction with premiere)
3)Final Cut Pro (Mac only)
4)SONIC FOUNDRY Vegas Video
5)MGI VideoWave
6)MICROSOFT MovieMaker (PC only-ME and XP only)
7)Ulead MediaStudio Pro

Sound editing therms:

Amplitude:
The height of a wave; amplitude indicates the strength or loudness of a sound.

Decibels:
A unit for measuring sound levels.

Frequency:
The number of wave peaks or cycles that occur in one second.
Frequency is often specified in hertz (Hz) or (kHz).
It may also refers to the pitch (musical high/low notes) of sound; the faster the frequency, the higher the pitch.

.WAV:
A Microsoft Windows sound file.

MIDI:
Musical Instrument Digital Interface. A connectivity standard which enables you to hook together computers, musical instruments, and synthesizers to make and orchestrate digital sound. MIDI files are like digital sheet music--they contain instructions for musical notes, tempo, and instrumentation--and are widely used in game soundtracks and recording studios.
MIDI sound files usually have an extension of .mid. You need a MIDI application configured to work on your system in order to play one of these sound files.

MP3(MPEG-1 audio layer 3):
MP3 is an open format for making large music files smaller without radically degrading their audio quality. It is capable of compressing about 12:1 while still preserving sound quality.
For example, an audio sample at CD Quality (44KHz, 16 bit, Stereo) takes up 172 bytes for every second with a standard Wave Audio file. Using MP3 compression each second takes only 16 bytes, when compressed at the standard bitrate of 128 kbits/sec. The only disadvantage to the MP3 format is that it must be decompressed through an MP3 player.

AIFF:
Audio Interchange File Format, the most common file format for audio files.

SND:
A Sound Resource file, another audio file format. This
one is peculiar to the Macintosh.

Pitch:
The psychological impression of the highness or lowness of a sound.
Pitch is often used synonymously with frequency; the higher the frequency, the higher the pitch.

Sampling rate:
The number of intervals per second used to capture a sound when it is digitized. Sampling rate affects sound quality; the higher the sampling rate, the higher the sound quality.

Sampling resolution:
This refers to the depth of information the computer stores with each sample, and is similar in concept to the dots per-inch resolution we will talk about with computer graphics. Most common audio depth is 8-bit and 16-bit. CD-quality audio uses 16-bit sound. The title of the application you will be using this week, Sound Edit 16, refers to its 16-bit capacity.

Waveform:
The graphical representation of a sound, showing amplitude (vertical) over time (horizontal).

Octave:
In music, an interval of eight full tones. From middle C to
the next highest C is an octave. The higher of these two C's would have a frequency double that of the lower C. The smoothest example is that the A above middle C has a frequency of 440 Hz. The A above that A therefore has a frequency of 880 Hz, while the A right below middle C has a frequency of 220 Hz.

A/D:
Analog to digital conversion

D/A:
Digital to analog conversion

Sound Card:
A circuit card inside the computer that does the A/D and
D/A conversions.

Video editing therms:

Sequence:
A composited series of media clips, effects, edit information, and output information (like a chapter in a book).

Clip:
A "media snippet", a media file containing audio, video, graphics or other media for use in a sequence

Subclip:
A portion of a clip defined by In and Out points

Edits:
Editing effects applied to clips and sequences, such as Insert, Overwrite, etc.

Effects:
Special effects other than edits applied to your video, such as transitions, filters, and text.

Transition:
An effect used to create seamless transitions between clips. For example, fade-out/fade-in or ripple dissolve. Cross dissolve is the default transition in most video editing software.

Filters:
Other special effects such as tinting or texturing an image, blurring, etc.

Generators:
A class of effects that create (generate) new video information rather than modifying existing video. For example, a text generator is used to produce titles and text in your sequence.

Frames:
The series of still images that make up video. Video consists of a series of still frames put together to generate a motion in a film. A single frame is a still image.

Timecode:
The categorizing of time in video which allows you locate specific frames and navigate easily within video media.

In/Out points:
Corresponds to the beginning and end of media as it will be used in a sequence; specifies which exact frames are needed.

Markers:
Used in most video editing softwares to make notes for later reference or pinpoint locations.

Keyframe:
A point where a parameter for an effect changes. Found in most video editing software.

Cut:
A TRANSITION made by editing two shots together.

Continuity Cutting:
A style of editing emphasising the continuous and seemingly uninterrupted flow of acton in a story. Continuous time is apparent; it is not REAL TIME (as within the long takes).

Dynamic Cutting:
A style of editing which juxtaposes contrasting shots or sequences generating ideas in the viewer's mind which were not latent in the shot themselves. (Example - shot of man + shot of peacock = idea of egomaniac).

Cross-cutting:
Switching back and forth between two or more scenes. (Example - woman nears a waterfall in a boat and a man galloping on a horse. Cross-cutting would create PARALLEL ACTION, time, and space. Excitement and tension can be increased by shortening the shots and accelerating the rhythm of the cross-cutting.

Cutaway:
A shot of short duration that supposedly takes place at the same time as the main action, but not directly involved in the main action. (These are often less for artistic purpose than to overcome continuity gaps when some footage is bad or missing!)

Cutting on Action:
Cutting from one shot to another view that "matches" it in action and gives the impression of a continuous time span. Example: the actor begins to sit down in a MS and finishes in a CU. By having an actor begin in one shot and carry it through to completion in the next, the director creates a visual bridge which distracts us from noticing the cut.

Form Cut:
Framing in a successive shot an object which has a shape or contour similar to an image in the immediately preceding shot.

Freeze Frame:
The effect in which action appears to come to a dead stop. This is accomplished by repeating a single frame many times. A frequent used way to end a movie which gives an existential feeling rather than a sense of finality.

Hidden Cut:
An inconspicuous cut, usually in a fast-action scene, with which the director accelerates the action without significantly shifting the angle or distance as required for a more noticeable cut.

Insert Shot:
A cutaway shot inserted for the purpose of giving the audience a closer look at what the character on the screen is seeing or doing, e.g., we a MS of the actor raising his wrist and looking at his watch; then an Extreme CU shot of the watch-face; then a MS of the actor finishing looking at the watch and lowering the wrist.

Jump-Cut:
A cut that jumps forward from one part of an action to another separated from the first by an interval of time. It thus creates geographical dislocation within a unity of space. It usually connects the beginning and ending of an action, leaving out the middle.

Fade In or Out:
The image appears or disappears gradually. It brightens from black to full strength over a full second (fade in), or it gradually darkens to black (fade out). The fade is often used as a transition to a new scene. Instead of fading to black, some transition brighten to full white with dramatic effect.

Dissolve:
One image fades in while another fades out so that for a few seconds the two are superimposed. A variety of transitions such as wipes, keyholes, page turns can also be used between scenes but care must be used so that they do not become distracting from the story.

Inpoint:
An image which starts a scene. Sometimes this inpoint is used to smooth the transition between scenes. As the word suggests the inpoint takes us in to the next shot or scene by making a visual link (a related shape or object) with the outpoint of the previous shot.

Montage:
Montage - 1) the juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated shots or scenes which, when combined, achieve meaning (as in, shot A and shot B together give rise to an third idea, which is then supported by shot C, and so on), or 2) a series of related shots which lead the viewer to a desired conclusion (as in, shot A leads to shot B leads to shot C... leads to shot X; shot X being the outcome of the sequence).

Synchronize (sync):
To place sound and picture in their proper relationship.

Rendering:
Is necessary for previewing motion or special effects. It applies any motion or effects to the media and then copies the result to disk.

Rendering to media

DVD - 'Digital Versatile Disc':
DVD is DVD-Video recorded on a DVD-R or DVD-RW disc, which contains superior quality video (MPEG-2) and audio. Typically, a DVD can hold more than one hour of video.

MiniDVD - 'mini Digital Versatile Disc':
MiniDVD is DVD-Video recorded on a CD-R or CD-RW disc. Typically, a miniDVD can hold about 18 minutes of video encoded at 4 Mbps.

VCD - 'Video Compact Disc':
A CD-ROM disc that contains video and audio. Typically, a VCD can hold about 74 minutes (650MB) of video and stereo-quality audio. The video and audio are stored in MPEG-1 format and follow certain standards (White Book). VCD video quality is roughly the same as VHS video.

SVCD - 'Super Video Compact Disc':
A CD-ROM disc that contains high quality video and audio. Typically, a SVCD can hold about 35~45 minutes (650MB) of video and stereo-quality audio (depends on the data rate used for encoding). The video and audio are stored in MPEG-2 format, much like a DVD. SVCD video has better quality than VHS video.

Frames per second (FPS):
The number of picture images (frames) displayed per second in a media file. FPS gives digital video the illusion of motion. Full-motion video, such as analog video, with no dropped frames, is considered 30 FPS (NTSC standard).

Dropped Frames:
In digital video, when the computer cannot keep pace with the displayed images, it drops frames in an attempt to catch up. This can occur when the hard drive does not have sufficient room to write the file in one continuous sweep (frames can be dropped between sectors).

Frame Rate:
Number of images per second displayed in a stream of video.

High Motion:
The amount of motion in a video is either considered high or low. High motion can be produced by objects moving across the field, as well as changes in camera angles, zooming in on an object, fading in or out or other transitions.

Key Frame:
A complete video frame that contains all the graphic information, not just the changes from the previous frame. If you reduce the number of key frames you will also have a smaller file but sometimes the video looks like the audio is no longer synchronized. The number of key frames is set by picking a key frame every # of frames, so reducing the number of key frames is performed by increasing the number. For example, a key frame every 20 frames has fewer key frames than a key frame every 10 frames.

Pixels:
The number of dots, or points of color that are the unit of measurement for video. For example, a video clip can be 240 x 180, 360 x 240, 800 x 600, etc. The most common ratio for video clips is 4:3 (width to height).

CODECS

Codec:
A mathematical algorithm that COmpresses/DECompresses digital video.

Compression:
The process that reduces the file size (number of bytes, KB, MB) required to store or transmit digital video. Most compression methods either compare data between frames or eliminate inter-frame or intra-frame redundancies. The compression may be done by software, hardware or a combination of the two. The data is decompressed during playback on the client machine. So the user must have access to the codec used through some plug-in or player on the client machine.

Interframe:
Certain codecs register what information changes between frames. If a several frames in the video have the same blue sky with no changes (clouds, birds, etc), then this information does not have to be represented in the data for every frame. It is only represented in keyframes or when there is a change to the data.

Lossless Compression:
A compression method that makes every frame a keyframe. The data within the frame is compressed. For example, if an entire wall is the same color that data can be compressed into a smaller number of bytes.

Lossy Compression:
A compression method which, to save space, does NOT contain all the original video information. Lossy compression reduces data by describing only interframe changes. The user must specify the number of frames per second and the number of frames between each keyframe.

Cross-platform:
Media files that can be used or executed by computers with different operating systems. For example, FLASH , a a vector animation program, can produce media files that can play on both Macintosh and Windows computers. Windows Media Technology is not always cross-platform.

Progressive Download:
Also called Fast Start. A file configuration that allows the client machine to start playing the file before it is fully downloaded from the server. Files are configured for Progressive Download during the compression process.

Windows Media (audio or video):
A file format commonly used in video and audio. Developed by Microsoft and finally cross-platform. Many streaming radio staions on the web use Windows Media format (such as National Public Radio). Files can be served by a Real Time Streaming Protocol server or a web server that has been coded for Fast Start (also called Progressive Download). Windows Media is a proprietary format (not open source like QuickTime) so files in this format can not be converted to other file types.

MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group):
Creators of both hardware and software codecs for video files. MPEG 1 and 2 codecs still generate large file sizes, so MPEG is best suited for CD-ROM, NTSC or PAL, applications. MPEG 4 is the new standard for inter-operable files although not all browser plug-ins are compatible yet.
Current MPEG Standards:
1. MPEG1 - 1/4 broadcast quality translating to 352x240pixels. (consumer-quality video)
2. MPEG2 - Full-motion quality translating to 704x480 pixels and 30 (broadcast-quality video).
There is no MPEG 3
MPEG 4 has finished beta testing. WOW! Small file sizes, brillant color and high motion. Can it get better than this?

MP3 (high-end, modem or standard):
An audio codec for music that produces small files for a broad range of instruments and voice. It is also good for voices that have a slurred or musical quality. I decided to put it in CODECS also as it is used for audio compression in most MEDIA.

QuickTime:
A file format commonly used in video. QuickTime was developed by Apple but is truly cross-platform. QuickTime files can be served by a Real Time Sreaming Protocol server or a web server that has been coded for Fast Start (also called Progressive Download).

Real Time Streaming Protocol:
A server format that provides files in real-time. This format discourages downloading files but disruptions in the web cause lost data.

RealMedia (audio or video):
A file format commonly used in video and audio. Based on the QuickTime architecture and truly cross-platform. RealMedia files can be served by a Real Time Streaming Protocol server or a web server that has been coded for Fast Start (also called Progressive Download). RealMedia is a proprietary format (not open source like QuickTime) so files in this format can not be converted to other file types.

Cinepak:
An ancient codec that produces large files. Still used for 24-bit video intended for CD-ROM. This codec attains higher compression ratios and faster playback speeds than the Apple Video codec. You can set the data rate for playback; picture quality drops more noticeably at data rates below 30 KBps.

Sorenson Video:
A video codec that produces high quality files for either CD-ROM or web video. Similar to the Cinepak codec, Sorenson Video can produce high quality at data rates under 200 KBps. Although this codec is capable of better picture
quality and creates smaller files than Cinepak, it requires more compression time.

DV - (NTSC or PAL):
A Lossless codec used by digital video cameras and on DVDs. In DV, every frame is a key frame so the files are large but very high quality.

MOST COMMON in AMV:

Many AMV creators prefer MPEG-1 since it can achieve sufficient compression keeping an almost perfect to the eye quality. But MPEG-4 is getting more and more popular among creators because if used correctly it can achieve as good quality than MPEG-1 with a far lower filesize. The most popular MPEG-4 codecs are Divx and Xvid. Many prefer Xvid because it is open source and we despite non open source codecs.

To see every possible MPEG-4 format visit http://www.fourcc.org/fcccodec.htm


What I know is missing in this

1)Image editing therms
2)More about the AMV and the anime scene. Like how do we call an AMV made with only still pictures, what is an OVA etc...
3)How we call a music video made with non anime stuff. Like with a movie(non-anime) is it called MMV for movie music video? Or how we call one made with tv shows etc...
4)Maybe more... Feel Free To add what's missing by replying to this.

[AbsoluteDestiny]

Also, you might like to check out the glossary in the site guides:

http://www.animemusicvideos.org/guides/ ... ssary.html

Most of the above are in there, with the exception of the editing terminology (as they don't really fall under the scope of the A&E guides). If you'd like any additions to the glossary, feel free to ask.

[King_Cold]

Oooops
I looked in the guide section before posting this to see if there was anything like this, how could I have mist it .
The one I posted add some things you don't have in your guide but there not so much significent.

I would like to know how you call an AMV made with still pictures tho and an music video made with movie (non-anime) footage (I do a lot of those and I don't know how to call what I'm doing).

[jonmartensen]

Hey, good job King cold.

[Lyrs]

that's a lot of writing or pasting...

anyway, good job and since i don't seem to have met you, hello!

/end

[Jebadia]

Bravo, this should be made a sticky thread probably

[RadicalEd0]

some corrections:

MP3(MPEG-1 audio layer 3):
MP3 is an open format for making large music files smaller without radically degrading their audio quality. It is capable of compressing about 12:1 while still preserving sound quality.
For example, an audio sample at CD Quality (44KHz, 16 bit, Stereo) takes up 172 bytes for every second with a standard Wave Audio file. Using MP3 compression each second takes only 16 bytes, when compressed at the standard bitrate of 128 kbits/sec. The only disadvantage to the MP3 format is that it must be decompressed through an MP3 player.

mp3 isnt open, the patents are owned by the Fraunhofer institute which developed the compression algorithms. LAME is an open-source mp3 codec but only because it, like XviD, goes under the alias of an educational project. It isnt an open, patent and rights free codec like ogg vorbis.

AIFF:
Audio Interchange File Format, the most common file format for audio files.

I wouldnt call it the most common, maybe on mac but definitely not on windows and I'm not sure about linux.

DVD - 'Digital Versatile Disc':
DVD is DVD-Video recorded on a DVD-R or DVD-RW disc, which contains superior quality video (MPEG-2) and audio. Typically, a DVD can hold more than one hour of video.

A commercial stamped DVD isn't the same as a DVD-R/RW. Also, a DVD can always hold more than 1hr of video even at the highest standard datarate and on a single layered disk. DVD was designed to hold 2hrs, you could add that.

VCD - 'Video Compact Disc':
A CD-ROM disc that contains video and audio. Typically, a VCD can hold about 74 minutes (650MB) of video and stereo-quality audio. The video and audio are stored in MPEG-1 format and follow certain standards (White Book). VCD video quality is roughly the same as VHS video.

SVCD - 'Super Video Compact Disc':
A CD-ROM disc that contains high quality video and audio. Typically, a SVCD can hold about 35~45 minutes (650MB) of video and stereo-quality audio (depends on the data rate used for encoding). The video and audio are stored in MPEG-2 format, much like a DVD. SVCD video has better quality than VHS video.

Actually, a 74min (s)vcd is holding 740mb of data, not 650mb. The way the files are recorded (mode2form2) uses reduced error correction allowing for extra space. The same goes for cd-audio, they actually hold a max of 740 megabytes, unlike data cds which can only hold 650mb.

Frames per second (FPS):
The number of picture images (frames) displayed per second in a media file. FPS gives digital video the illusion of motion. Full-motion video, such as analog video, with no dropped frames, is considered 30 FPS (NTSC standard).

NTSC standard is 29.97fps

Pixels:
The number of dots, or points of color that are the unit of measurement for video. For example, a video clip can be 240 x 180, 360 x 240, 800 x 600, etc. The most common ratio for video clips is 4:3 (width to height).

# of dots would be defined as resolution, pixels are defined as you said (points of color), but the rest defines frame size or resolution (although some will argue that resolution depends on bitrate and general quality, in video and image terms most have come to define it simply as the pixels/dots/lines wide by pixels/dots/lines high.

Lossless Compression:
A compression method that makes every frame a keyframe. The data within the frame is compressed. For example, if an entire wall is the same color that data can be compressed into a smaller number of bytes.

Lossy Compression:
A compression method which, to save space, does NOT contain all the original video information. Lossy compression reduces data by describing only interframe changes. The user must specify the number of frames per second and the number of frames between each keyframe.

You've got intraframe and interframe encoding mixed up with lossless and lossy compression here. A codec could be interframe and lossless, and a codec could be lossy and intraframe (like mjpeg). Lossless is just when the encoded output can be reconstructed bit for bit like the original and does not contain any generational loss. Lossy compression is when data is discarded and cannot be fully reproduced when decoded, and quality will degrade through repeated encoding.

MOST COMMON in AMV:

Many AMV creators prefer MPEG-1 since it can achieve sufficient compression keeping an almost perfect to the eye quality. But MPEG-4 is getting more and more popular among creators because if used correctly it can achieve as good quality than MPEG-1 with a far lower filesize. The most popular MPEG-4 codecs are Divx and Xvid. Many prefer Xvid because it is open source and we despite non open source codecs.

just a side note, most people use mpeg1 because its the most vastly supported codec and format out there, not for the compression:quality ratio which is pretty bad by today's standards.

[The Wired Knight]

Not bad, I commend you. Although you should add HUFFYUV in there as it is a lossless codec.

[NicholasDWolfwood]

Plus DV is NOT loseless.

[Nightowl]

Ed - AIFF is actually the most common audio file format statistically, just not in the AMV world.

-N