Matte Box
Definition
A Matte Box is a device that attaches to the front of the camera lens and serves two primary purposes: it holds optical filters (such as ND filters, polarizers, and diffusion filters) in front of the lens, and it acts as a lens shade to prevent stray light from entering the lens and causing flare. A matte box typically has two or more filter stages (slots for holding filters) and adjustable French flags (small black panels) on the sides and top to further control stray light. It is a standard piece of equipment on professional film and television productions.
Contextual Usage
The 1st AC prepares the camera for the exterior scene: "I'm going to put a 0.9 ND filter in the matte box to reduce the exposure by three stops. The sun is very bright today, and we need to open up the aperture to get a shallow depth of field. Without the ND, we'd have to stop down to T11, which would give us too much depth of field." --- ## Part Two: Post-Production Terminology Post-Production is the phase of the filmmaking process that follows the completion of principal photography. It is during this phase that the raw footage is assembled, refined, and transformed into the final product. Post-production encompasses picture editing, sound design and mixing, music composition and scoring, visual effects, color grading, and the creation of deliverables for distribution. The terminology below covers the language used in editing suites, sound studios, VFX facilities, and color grading suites. --- --- ## Post-Production Roles & Department Lingo The following section provides comprehensive definitions for every key role in the post-production pipeline, along with the essential lingo, terminology, and concepts specific to each department. This section is organized to mirror the structure of a professional post-production team: Management & Leadership, Editorial, Sound, and VFX & Finishing. ---
About this section
Production — or "principal photography" — is the phase in which the film or video is actually shot. It is the most visible and, typically, the most expensive phase of the entire process. Every day on ...
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