C

cache

An area of the computer's memory (RAM) dedicated to storing still images and digital movies in preparation for real-time playback.

calibration

The process of adjusting a feature for accuracy.

Canvas

The window in Motion in which you can view your edited sequence.

center point

Defines a clip's location in the x-/y-coordinate space in the Canvas.

chroma

The color information contained in a video signal consisting of hue (the color itself) and saturation (intensity).

See also [hue]

See also [saturation]

clip

A media file that may consist of video, audio, graphics, or any similar content that can be imported into Motion.

clipping

Distortion that occurs during the playback or recording of digital audio due to an overly high level (volume).

close-up

Framing a subject so that it fills the frame. Usually used for dramatic storytelling.

codec

Short for compression/decompression. A program used to compress and decompress data such as audio and video files.

color correction

A process in which the color of objects is matched so that all shots in a given scene appear even in color.

color depth

The possible range of colors that can be used in a movie or image. Higher color depths provide a wider range of colors but also require more disk space for a given image size. Broadcast video is generally 24-bit, with 8 bits of color information per channel. Motion works natively with 8 bits per channel of red, green, and blue.

component video

A type of analog video signal where the luminance and chrominance signals are recorded separately, thereby providing better video quality. The signal can be recorded in an analog form (Y, R-Y, B-Y) as in a Beta SP, or in a digital form (Y, Cr, Cb) as in a Digital Betacam.

composite

The result of combining many different elementssome moving, some still. As a verb it refers to the process of combining these elements, or layers; as a noun it refers to the final resulting image. It's also sometimes referred to as a comp. In visual-effects work, the idea of a composite is to create a single image, which presents the illusion that all the elements were captured by a single camera filming the scene. In motion graphics, the concern isn't so much to convince the audience that everything was shot "in camera" as it is to present a stylistic and coherent blend of elements.

See also [layers]

composite video

A type of analog video signal that combines all chroma and luma information into a single waveform running through a single pair of wires. This can result in analog "artifacts" affecting the quality of the video signal.

See also [chroma]

See also [luma]

compositing

The act of creating a composite.

compression

The process by which video, graphics, and audio files are reduced in size. The reduction in the size of a video file through the removal of perceptually redundant image data is referred to as a lossy compression scheme. A lossless compression scheme uses a mathematical process and reduces the file size by consolidating redundant information without discarding it. Compression is irrelevant with clips imported into the Motion Canvas, since all clips are decoded into fully uncompressed frames before caching to system RAM. Compression is, however, a consideration in the final export of a composition to disk.

See also [codec]

contextual menu

A menu that pops up onscreen and whose content changes depending on where you click. Usually accessed via a Ctrl- or right-click mouse action.

contrast

The difference between the lightest and darkest values in an image. High-contrast images have a large range of values from the darkest shadow to the lightest highlight. Low-contrast images have a narrower range of values, resulting in a "flatter" look.

cut

The simplest type of edit, where one clip ends and the next begins without any transition.

cutaway

A shot that is related to the current subject and occurs in the same time framefor instance, an interviewer's reaction to what is being said in an interview or a shot to cover a technically bad moment.