Video glossary: 45 terms to know when creating videos (2026)

Formats and technical specs

Aspect ratio

The ratio between image width and height. 16:9 is horizontal (YouTube, websites), 9:16 vertical (TikTok, Reels, Shorts, WhatsApp Status), 1:1 square and 4:5 slightly vertical (Instagram and LinkedIn feeds). See our social media video sizes.

Resolution

The number of pixels in the image. Full HD = 1920 × 1080 (1080 × 1920 vertical), 4K = 3840 × 2160. Full HD is enough for social media.

Frame rate (fps)

Images shown per second: 24 looks cinematic, 30 is the social media standard, 60 is for fast motion and slow motion.

Bitrate

The amount of data per second of video. Higher means sharper, and heavier files.

Codec and MP4

The codec compresses the video (H.264 is the most compatible); MP4 is the container, the file format accepted everywhere.

Safe zone

The part of the frame that stays visible once the app interface is shown (account name, caption, buttons). Keep key text in the center, especially in 9:16.

Render and export

The final processing that turns your project into a playable video file, ready to post.

Writing and structure

Hook

The first 1 to 3 seconds that decide whether people stay or scroll. A question, a number, a "POV". See our video hooks guide and the hook generator.

Script

The video's text: what the voice-over says and what appears on screen, scene by scene. Count about 150 words per minute; check with the script duration calculator.

Storyboard

The visual plan of the video: one frame per scene with the image, text and duration.

Voice-over

A voice you hear without seeing the speaker, recorded by an actor or generated by AI. See voice-over video and how to write a voice-over script.

Call to action (CTA)

The final instruction to the viewer: order, book, follow, message on WhatsApp. One per video.

POV

"Point of view": a format where the viewer steps into a character's shoes ("POV: your order arrives in 30 minutes"). Very common on TikTok.

Title card

A screen with big text, often for the hook, a number or the final call to action.

Editing

Timeline

The area of an editing app where shots, sounds and text are placed in order. With ManyMotion there's no timeline: you describe changes in writing.

Footage (rushes)

The raw filmed images, before editing.

B-roll

Illustration shots placed over the person talking: the product, the place, a gesture. They hide cuts and make the video livelier.

Jump cut

A sharp cut within the same shot to remove a hesitation or pause. Typical of talking-head videos.

Silence removal

Removing pauses, "ums" and false starts from a talking video. See remove silences from video.

Transition

The move from one shot to the next: hard cut, fade, slide, zoom. The best transitions go unnoticed.

Captions and burned-in captions

The text of what's said. Burned-in captions are part of the image and show everywhere. See auto captions.

Color grading

Adjusting colors and light to give the whole video a consistent look.

Audio mixing and ducking

Balancing voice, music and sound effects. Ducking automatically lowers the music when someone speaks.

Sound design and SFX

Small sounds synced to the image (whoosh, pop, click) that add rhythm and impact.

Talking head

A video where a person speaks directly to camera. See talking-head video editing.

Animation and motion design

Motion design

Animating text, shapes, icons and illustrations to explain or promote. See what is motion design.

Keyframe

A point on the timeline where you set an element's position, size or color; the software calculates the motion between keyframes.

Easing

How a movement speeds up or slows down. Good easing makes animation feel natural rather than mechanical.

Kinetic typography

Words that appear and move to the rhythm of the voice or music. See kinetic typography.

Lower third

The banner at the bottom of the screen showing a name, title or piece of information.

Logo animation

Your logo in motion, often as an intro or end signature. See logo animation.

Mockup

An image of your product or app in a realistic frame (phone, screen, packaging).

AI video

AI video generator

A tool that creates images or videos from text. Our comparison of AI video generators explains the differences.

Prompt

The written request given to the AI. The more precise (business, audience, tone, length, format, offer), the better the result.

Text-to-video

Generating a video shot from a written description.

Image-to-video

Animating an existing photo: a smiling portrait, a rotating product. See animate a photo.

UGC

User generated content: a video in the style of a real user, often filmed to camera on a phone. The go-to format for TikTok and Meta ads. See AI UGC video.

AI avatar

A presenter created by AI who speaks to camera. See AI talking avatar.

Lip sync

Matching lip movements to spoken words, essential for a generated person to look like they're really talking.

Consistent character

Keeping the same face and outfit from one scene to the next. See consistent AI character.

Text-to-speech (TTS)

An AI-generated voice from text, now hard to tell from a real voice.

Distribution and performance

Retention rate

The share of viewers still watching at a given moment. The most important number for algorithms. See video editing for retention.

Completion rate

The share of viewers who watch the video to the end.

Engagement rate

Reactions (likes, comments, shares, saves) relative to views.

Thumbnail

The still image that represents the video before playback. On YouTube, it drives a big part of clicks.

Loop

A video whose end flows naturally into its start, so people watch it several times.

Native vertical video

A video designed in 9:16 from the start rather than a cropped horizontal one: text at the right size, subject centered.

Frequently asked questions