Glossary

Deciding which topics are worth covering or talking about.

A computer program that follows a series of steps to make a decision.

A simpler version of an animated video made early in the process.

An opinion, preference, prejudice, or inclination that limits an individual’s or group’s ability to make fair, objective, or accurate judgements. Bias may occur in any text.

When Black characters are played by White actors.

The cinematographer or director of photography works with the director to plan camera angles and movement and puts it into action on set. Some directors work closely with their cinematographers while others rely on them to set the movie’s digital style.

A shot in which the camera "view" is close to the subject, which takes up most or all of the frame.

The legal right to control what is done with a work

A group of licenses that give users expanded rights to do things with copyrighted works.

Companies that collect information about people and sell it to advertisers, apps or websites.

Defaults are what a tool does unless you change the settings or actively choose not to.

The director of a movie makes all of the big-picture decisions about things like the look and tone of the film, as well as script and casting.

When the camera physically moves along a track during a shot.

A major revision of a work. The first finished work is called the "first draft." The published work is called the "final draft."

A dramatic situation is when one or more people are in circumstances that create a problem that must be solved.

A news article that provides explanations or analysis as well as facts, but does not try to persuade you.

A signal that you know you're sending, such as hitting the Like button.

A media tool serves an expressionist purpose when it affects how you feel about what's happening, like when sad music plays in the background.

In Canadian law, Fair Dealing is the rights users have to use a copyrighted work without permission from its owner.

Making it seem like everyone agrees on a topic where there is actually still debate.

Making it seem like there is still debate on an issue where nearly all experts agree.

Features are the things that an app or device is able to do.

Having a natural limit or end.

When talking about news, framing is how outlets present a news story. Framing will tell you how important they think a news story is and what kind of story it is.

Genre is the types or categories into which texts are grouped. For example, film genres include action, suspense and comedy. There are also more specific sub-genres such as superhero, romantic comedy, thriller and film noir.

News that is timely and considered to be about an important topic.

A signal you may not know you're sending, such as how long you watch a video.

Many people identify with more than one historically marginalized or under-represented group. Legal scholar Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw coined the term “intersectionality” to conceptualize “the way that different identity markers, such as race, gender, sexuality, and class, interact and affect each other.

Placed next to one another in time or space.

Placing two things next to one another in time or space.

A shot in which most of a person, but not the wider background, is visible.

A situation where it is not obvious which choice is right or wrong.

Convincing yourself that it is all right to do something you know is wrong, or to not do something you know you should.

A media tool serves a narrative purpose when it helps to tell the story more clearly, such as by showing an important detail.

The factors that decide whether or not something will be seen as news.

A news article that is openly trying to convince you of the writer's opinion.

Training an algorithm to achieve a particular goal.

When the camera moves from side to side during a shot.

A platform is anything that lets you share content with other people. Social media and video apps are examples of platforms.

The policy that explains what the company that operates and app or website will do with the information it collects about you.

“Privilege” means the advantages that come from being part of a dominant or majority group (White, male, heterosexual, non-disabled, etc. ).

A work that is not copyrighted is in the public domain. That means anyone can use it in any way they want.

Ads that perform a public service rather than sell a product.

A shot which tells the audience how to react emotionally to what we've just seen.

An algorithm that guesses what you are likely to want to see and shows it to you.

Rendering turns a project file into a format that can be downloaded and played by others.

Rules of notice are the techniques, codes and conventions that media makers use to tell you what to notice and how to feel about what's happening.

Two or more shots in a video that make up a distinct part of the narrative.

In a digital story, a segment has one image and one video clip.

A nude, semi-nude or intimate image or video.

News about a topic that is not seen as urgent or very important, like trends or celebrities.

Stereotyping means portraying members of a particular group in just one or a small number of roles, treating all members of a group as being the same, or emphasizing the ways in which a group is different from the (presumed) audience

A tool used for planning shots. Storyboards include a still image of the main shot composition and notes about camera movement.

Advertising that is shown to you based on personal information that has been collected about you.

A picture that represents a video or another item that can be selected.

When the camera moves up or down during a shot.

In Canadian law, Non-Commercial User-Generated Content means works made for no commercial purpose using copyrighted works.

The character we most identify with, who acts as our "window" on the world of the film.

Making non-White characters White when adapting or remaking a media work.

A shot in which the actors and the background are fully visible.

When the magnification on a camera is increased or decreased during a shot, making the subject seem to be nearer or further away.