AI filmmaking glossary
Updated 2026-10-11
- text-to-videosource
- Generating a video clip directly from a written prompt describing the scene, action and style.
- image-to-videosource
- Animating a still image (often a storyboard frame or concept art) into a moving clip, sometimes with specified camera motion.
- character consistencysource
- Maintaining a recognizable character appearance across generated shots, typically using reference images or persistent character settings.
- camera controlsource
- Directing virtual camera moves (pan, zoom, dolly, orbit) in generated video so shots match a director's intended blocking and framing.
- temporal coherencesource
- The frame-to-frame stability of generated video — objects, lighting and identity staying consistent over time instead of flickering or morphing.
- previs (previsualization)source
- Creating rough versions of scenes before production — storyboards, animatics or low-fidelity video — to plan shots, blocking and edits.
- animaticsource
- A timed sequence of storyboard frames with audio, used to test pacing and story flow before shooting or final animation.
- script breakdownsource
- Analyzing a screenplay to tag every production element (cast, props, locations, VFX, wardrobe) needed per scene; now commonly automated with AI.
- generative extendsource
- Using generative AI inside an editor to add extra frames or room tone to the head or tail of an existing clip, e.g. to cover a transition.
- voice cloningsource
- Synthesizing a specific person's voice from recordings, used in film for de-aging voices, dubbing, or preserving performances with consent.
- world modelsource
- An AI system that builds a representation of an environment and uses it to simulate future events or interactions.
- text-based editingsource
- Editing video or audio by editing its transcript — deleting a sentence in the text removes the corresponding media.