Video editing glossary

This video editing glossary defines 40 terms you will meet when you brief an editor or review a cut, from B-roll, J-cuts and LUTs to safe zones, keyframes and white-label editing. Each definition is short and practical, and many link to the service or guide where the technique is used.

Updated October 2026

How do you use these terms in a brief?

Terms and definitions

Jump to: 1:1 (square) · 4:5 (portrait) · 9:16 (vertical) · 16:9 (landscape) · A-roll · Aspect ratio · B-roll · Captions · Colour correction · Colour grading · Compositing · Easing · Explainer video · Fine cut · Frame rate · Hinglish captions · Hook · J-cut · Jump cut · Keyframe · Kinetic typography · L-cut · Logo animation · Lower third · LUT · Motion graphics · Motion tracking · Multicam edit · Picture lock · Proxy · Render · Rotoscoping · Rough cut · Safe zone · Sound design · Sound mix · Speed ramp · Subtitles · UGC ad · White-label editing

1:1 (square)

A square frame, 1080 × 1080 pixels at full HD. It still works in feeds and carousels, but on a phone it takes up less of the screen than 4:5.

4:5 (portrait)

A slightly tall frame, 1080 × 1350 pixels, used for Instagram and Facebook feed posts and many paid social placements. It fills more of a phone screen than a square, so it is a common choice for feed ads.

9:16 (vertical)

The full-screen vertical frame, 1080 × 1920 pixels, used for Reels, YouTube Shorts and Stories. Short-form content is usually edited in 9:16 first.

16:9 (landscape)

The standard widescreen frame: 1920 × 1080 pixels at full HD or 3840 × 2160 at 4K. It is the format for YouTube videos, websites, presentations and TV screens.

A-roll

The main footage that carries the story, usually a person speaking to camera or an interview. B-roll is cut over it.

Aspect ratio

The shape of the frame, written as width to height, such as 9:16 or 16:9. Each platform favours different ratios, so one edit is usually exported in several; see which aspect ratios to use for Reels, Shorts and YouTube.

B-roll

Supporting footage cut over the main shot, such as product close-ups, screen recordings or location shots. It shows what the speaker is describing, hides cuts in the A-roll and keeps the pace up.

Captions

On-screen text of what is said in the video. On social platforms they are usually burned into the picture and styled to the brand, often word by word, because many people watch with the sound off.

Colour correction

The technical first pass on colour: fixing exposure, white balance and contrast, and making shots from different cameras match. It makes footage look accurate before any creative look is added.

Colour grading

The creative pass after colour correction, which gives the video a look and mood, such as warm and golden or cool and clean. A consistent grade is a large part of what makes a brand's videos feel like one series.

Compositing

Combining layers from different sources, such as footage, 3D renders, graphics and text, into one image so they look as if they belong in the same shot. Most motion graphics and visual effects work depends on it.

Easing

How an animated movement speeds up and slows down between two keyframes. Ease-in and ease-out make motion feel natural and deliberate, while linear movement tends to look mechanical.

Explainer video

A short video, usually 30 to 90 seconds long, that shows what a product, service or idea does and why it matters. It combines a script, voiceover, motion graphics and sound; see explainer videos.

Fine cut

The polished edit that follows an approved rough cut: trims tightened, B-roll placed, pacing refined and graphics added. Colour, the sound mix and captions are finished on top of it.

Frame rate

The number of still frames shown each second, written as fps. 24 fps gives a filmic look, 25 fps is the broadcast standard in India, 30 fps is common for phone and social video, and 50 or 60 fps allows smooth slow motion.

Hinglish captions

Captions that mix Hindi and English the way many people in India speak, usually written in the Latin alphabet so they read quickly on a phone. They suit videos where the speaker talks in Hinglish.

Hook

The first one to three seconds of a video, built to stop the scroll with a bold claim, a question, a striking visual or on-screen text. On Reels and Shorts, the hook decides whether anyone watches the rest.

J-cut

A cut where the sound of the next shot starts before its picture appears, so you hear the new scene a moment before you see it. It makes transitions in interviews and podcasts feel smooth.

Jump cut

A cut between two moments of the same shot, so the subject seems to jump forward in time. In YouTube video editing, jump cuts remove pauses and retakes to keep a talking-head video moving.

Keyframe

A point on the timeline where you set a value, such as position, scale, rotation or opacity. The software animates the change between two keyframes, which is the basis of all motion graphics.

Kinetic typography

Animated text timed to a voice or a beat, where words move, scale and change to carry the message. The Hackathon kinetic-type promo for Solami is an example from our motion graphics work.

L-cut

The reverse of a J-cut: the picture changes to the next shot while the sound of the previous shot carries on, which forms an L shape on the timeline. Editors use it to show a listener's reaction while the speaker keeps talking.

Logo animation

A short animated reveal of a logo, usually a few seconds long, used as an intro, an end card or a brand sting. It is built from the brand's own logo files and finished with sound design; see logo animation.

Lower third

A text graphic in the lower part of the frame that names a speaker, a place or a key point, such as a podcast guest's name and title. Branded lower thirds keep a series looking consistent.

LUT

Short for look-up table: a file that maps one set of colours to another. Technical LUTs convert flat log footage to normal contrast, and creative LUTs give a starting point for a grade.

Motion graphics

Animated graphic design: type, shapes, icons, interfaces and logos moved with keyframes to explain or sell something. It is one kind of animation; see motion graphics vs animation for the difference.

Motion tracking

Following the movement of a point or surface in footage, so graphics can be pinned to it and move with the camera. Tracked price callouts and outlines in property walkthroughs are a typical use.

Multicam edit

Editing footage from several cameras recorded at the same time, switching between angles in sync with one audio track. It is how a podcast video or a filmed interview is usually cut.

Picture lock

The point at which the timing of the edit is final and no more cuts will change. Colour, the sound mix and captions are finished after picture lock, so later changes to the cut take extra time.

Proxy

A lightweight copy of high-resolution footage that lets an editor work smoothly; the final export is rendered from the original files. Share the originals, not just proxies, when you send footage to an editor.

Render

The process of calculating the final frames of an edit or animation, with all effects, colour and graphics, and writing them to a video file. The export is the last render, made in the format and ratio each platform needs.

Rotoscoping

Cutting a subject out of footage frame by frame by drawing a mask around it, so text or graphics can sit behind the person or the background can be replaced. Text-behind-subject effects depend on it.

Rough cut

The first assembled version of an edit, with the story, order and pacing in place but without final graphics, colour or sound. Approving it first means big changes happen early, while they are still quick; see how long editing takes.

Safe zone

The part of a vertical video that platform buttons, captions and profile names do not cover. Keeping text and faces inside it means nothing important is hidden on Reels, Shorts or Stories.

Sound design

Adding and shaping sound effects, ambience and music hits, such as whooshes, clicks and risers, so cuts and motion feel physical. It is separate from the sound mix.

Sound mix

Balancing voice, music and effects at the right levels, cleaning background noise and keeping loudness consistent. A good mix sounds clear on phone speakers and headphones alike.

Speed ramp

A change of playback speed inside one shot, for example from fast motion into slow motion, often paired with whip transitions. It keeps long property walkthroughs moving, as in the Luxury duplex speed-ramp walkthrough for SLVR Stone Realty from our real estate video editing work.

Subtitles

Text that transcribes or translates dialogue, often delivered as a separate file such as SRT that viewers can switch on or off. YouTube accepts subtitle files; on short-form feeds, burned-in captions are the more reliable choice.

UGC ad

An ad built from user-generated-style content: a customer or creator talking to camera on a phone, cut with a hook, captions and product shots. Brands often test several hooks on the same footage; see video ad editing.

White-label editing

Editing delivered under another company's brand: the agency presents the work as its own, and the editing studio never contacts the agency's clients. RaRe Frames works this way for agencies, under an NDA.

Related: Video editing services · Motion graphics services · Video editing cost in India · Video editing FAQ