Video Editing Glossary: 60 Terms Creators Should Know

This video editing glossary explains 60 terms creators run into every day, in plain English and alphabetical order: from A-roll, B-roll and bitrate through jump cuts, LUFS and LUTs to safe zones, SRT files and white balance. Each definition says what the term means and, where it helps, why it matters for your videos. Bookmark it and come back when a tutorial or tool uses a word you don't recognize.

Where a term has its own full guide on this blog, the definition links to it.

A to F

A-roll

The main footage that carries the story, usually the person talking to camera or the core interview. Everything else in the edit supports it.

Aspect ratio

The shape of the frame, written as width:height. 16:9 is standard horizontal, 9:16 is vertical for Reels, Shorts and TikTok, 1:1 is square and 4:5 is a tall feed format. See video aspect ratios explained.

Auto trim

Automatic removal of pauses, silences and dead air from a recording, usually based on audio levels and minimum gap length. Read what is auto trim for how the settings work.

B-roll

Supporting footage shown over or between the A-roll: close-ups, screen recordings, photos, scenes that illustrate what's being said. It keeps a talking video visually interesting and helps explain ideas. See B-roll ideas for talking head videos.

Bitrate

The amount of data used per second of video or audio, usually in megabits per second. Higher bitrate means more detail and larger files. Too low a bitrate causes blocky, smeared images, especially in motion.

Burned-in captions

Captions rendered into the video image itself, also called open captions or hard-coded subtitles. Always visible and fully styleable, but they can't be turned off or corrected after export. See open vs closed captions.

Closed captions

Captions stored as a separate track or file that viewers can switch on or off, shown by the "CC" button on many players. They can be edited and translated without touching the video.

Codec

The method used to compress and decompress video or audio. H.264 is the most widely compatible video codec; H.265 (HEVC) and AV1 compress more efficiently but aren't supported everywhere. AAC is the common audio codec.

Color correction

Adjusting footage so it looks accurate and natural: neutral whites, correct exposure, believable skin tones and shots that match each other. See color correction basics.

Color grading

Applying a creative look after correction, such as warm and soft, cool and moody, or high-contrast and punchy. Correction makes footage right; grading gives it a style.

Compression (audio)

An audio process that narrows the gap between quiet and loud parts so a voice sounds even. Not to be confused with file compression, which reduces file size.

Crossfade

A transition where one clip or sound fades out while the next fades in. Very short audio crossfades are also used invisibly at cuts to prevent clicks.

Cutaway

A shot that cuts away from the main action to something related, like the listener's reaction or an object being discussed, then returns. Cutaways are handy for hiding edits in A-roll.

Dead air

Silence or empty time where nothing useful is happening: long pauses, waiting for something to load, the moment before you start talking. Removing it is one of the quickest ways to tighten a video.

Export

Turning your edit into a finished video file with chosen settings like resolution, frame rate, codec and bitrate. Also called rendering or "bouncing" in some tools.

Filler words

Verbal padding like "um," "uh," "like," "you know" and "so." Removing most of them makes speech crisper; removing every single one can sound unnatural. See how to remove filler words.

Frame rate

The number of individual images shown per second, in frames per second (fps). 24 fps gives a cinematic feel, 30 fps is common for online video, and 60 fps looks smoother for fast motion. Export at the same rate you recorded.

G to L

Gain

The level boost or cut applied to an audio signal. Setting input gain correctly while recording keeps the voice clear without distortion.

Green screen

Filming in front of a solid green (or blue) background so it can be replaced in the edit, a technique called chroma keying. Even lighting on the screen makes the key much cleaner.

H.264

The most widely supported video codec, also known as AVC. An MP4 file with H.264 video and AAC audio plays almost everywhere, which makes it the safe default for uploads.

Headroom

Two meanings. In framing, the space between the top of someone's head and the top of the frame. In audio, the margin between your loudest peaks and the point where sound distorts.

Hook

The opening line or moment designed to make viewers keep watching. In short-form it's usually the first one to three seconds. See how to hook viewers in the first three seconds.

In and out points

The start and end markers you set on a clip to choose which part goes into the edit. Setting them precisely is the core of trimming.

J-cut

An edit where the audio of the next clip starts before its picture appears. You hear the next scene first, which makes transitions feel smooth and natural.

Jump cut

A cut between two moments of the same shot, so the subject seems to jump slightly. Common in talking-head videos to remove pauses and mistakes. See jump cuts explained.

Keyframe

A marker that sets a value (position, scale, opacity, volume) at a specific moment. The editor animates smoothly between keyframes, which is how zooms, moves and fades are built.

Ken Burns effect

A slow zoom or pan across a still image to give it motion. Named after the documentary filmmaker who used it widely, it's a staple of faceless and documentary-style videos.

L-cut

The opposite of a J-cut: the picture changes to the next clip while the previous clip's audio keeps playing. Useful for showing B-roll or a reaction while someone finishes speaking.

Letterbox

Bars added above and below a video (or at the sides, called pillarboxing) to fit it into a different aspect ratio without cropping.

Lower third

A text graphic in the lower part of the frame, typically showing a name and title. In vertical video, place it higher so the app interface doesn't cover it.

LUFS

Loudness Units relative to Full Scale, a measurement of perceived loudness. Many online platforms normalize playback loudness; around -14 LUFS integrated is a commonly used target for online video. See improving audio in talking videos.

LUT

A look-up table: a file that maps one set of colors to another. Technical LUTs convert flat log footage to normal color; creative LUTs apply a look. Apply after basic correction, often at reduced strength.

M to R

Match cut

A cut between two shots linked by a similar shape, movement or composition, like a spinning coin cutting to a spinning wheel. It creates a satisfying visual connection.

Motion graphics

Animated text, shapes, icons, charts and diagrams added to a video to explain or emphasize. See motion graphics for YouTube.

Noise reduction

Processing that reduces steady background sound like hum, hiss or fan noise. Applied gently it cleans up audio; applied heavily it makes voices sound watery or robotic.

Normalization

Adjusting the overall level of audio to a target, either by peak (loudest point) or by loudness (LUFS). It makes videos sound consistently loud.

Open loop

A question or tease raised early and answered later, giving viewers a reason to keep watching. Always close the loops you open.

Pacing

The rhythm and speed at which a video moves through its ideas, shaped by cut frequency, pauses, visual changes and length. Good pacing varies: faster for familiar material, slower for important moments.

Pattern interrupt

A change on screen or in sound, like a cut, B-roll, graphic or zoom, that resets attention. Works best when it carries information. See retention editing techniques.

Proxy

A lower-resolution copy of your footage used for smoother editing on slower computers. The editor swaps the full-quality originals back in at export.

Punch-in

A digital zoom into the frame, often between jump cuts, to add emphasis or make a cut feel intentional. Shooting in a higher resolution keeps punch-ins sharp.

Reframe

Changing a video's framing for a different aspect ratio, often converting horizontal to vertical while following the speaker. See auto reframe explained.

Render

Processing effects or the whole timeline into playable video. Rendering during editing gives smooth previews; rendering at the end produces the exported file.

Resolution

The number of pixels in the frame, written as width x height. 1920x1080 is Full HD horizontal, 1080x1920 is the vertical equivalent, and 3840x2160 is 4K UHD.

Retention

How much of your video viewers watch, shown on platforms as a percentage and a graph over time. Read the shape of the graph to find slow or confusing moments.

Rough cut

The first assembled version of an edit: the right clips in the right order, before polish like captions, graphics, color and sound mixing.

S to Z

Safe zone

The area of the frame where faces, captions and text won't be cropped or covered by platform interfaces. On vertical video, keep key content away from the bottom and right edge. See aspect ratios and safe zones.

Scrubbing

Dragging the playhead back and forth along the timeline to find a moment quickly. Audio scrubbing lets you hear words as you drag.

Silence removal

Automatically cutting quiet sections below a volume threshold that last longer than a minimum duration, usually with a little padding kept around words. See how to remove silences from video.

Split screen

Two or more videos shown in the frame at once, side by side or stacked. In vertical podcast clips, a top-and-bottom split shows both speakers.

SRT

The most common subtitle file format: plain text with numbered captions, timestamps and text. See what is an SRT file.

Talking head

A video where a person speaks directly to the camera, framed from about the chest up. The core format for tutorials, commentary, coaching and many Shorts. See what is a talking head video.

Text-based editing

Editing video by editing its transcript: delete words in the text and the matching video is cut. See text-based video editing explained.

Timeline

The main editing workspace where clips, audio, text and effects are arranged in tracks from left (start) to right (end).

Transition

How one clip changes to the next. A straight cut is the most common and usually the best; dissolves, wipes and whooshes are used sparingly for effect.

Trim

Shortening a clip by moving its start or end point. "Trimming" a video also loosely means cutting out unwanted parts like pauses and mistakes.

Voiceover

Narration recorded separately from the picture and laid over visuals. Faceless videos are built almost entirely on voiceover. See faceless video editing.

VTT

WebVTT, a subtitle format built for web video players. Similar to SRT but uses periods in timestamps and supports positioning and styling.

Waveform

Two meanings. In audio, the visual shape of sound on the timeline, which shows where words and silences are. In color, a scope that shows brightness across the frame.

White balance

The setting that tells a camera what white looks like under the current light. Wrong white balance gives footage an orange, blue or green tint, most noticeable on skin.

Putting the terms to work

You don't need all sixty to make good videos. For talking-head content, the ones that matter most day to day are hook, jump cut, B-roll, safe zone, captions, LUFS and pacing. Get those right and most viewers will never notice the rest, which is the point of good editing.

If you'd rather spend less time on the mechanical parts, ShotFlick handles several of them automatically for raw talking-head clips up to three minutes: Auto Trim for dead air and pauses, Auto Caption for burned-in captions, and Auto Edit for themes, B-roll visuals and motion graphics in vertical or horizontal format.