Word Bank Inventory: G
gag
A comedic beat in the sequence or shot.
gain / gaining up or down
To adjust the overall brightness of an image or frame without affecting its darkest/brightest pixel.
gamma
A setting on an image itself, or the monitor it’s viewed in. This setting adjusts the contrast of the image by affecting the darkest and/or brightest pixels in the image. The adjustment affects the amount of detail that can be seen on a frame as there could be more details in the image that might be obscured when it’s too bright or too dark. Different from “gaining up/down.”
Gantt Chart
A project management tool for scheduling. It visualizes the start and end date of tasks via bars representing each task on one axis and the dates/timeframe on one axis. It was invented by Henry Laurence Gantt in the 1900s.
garbage matte
A rough matte to remove specific areas on an image or footage; a loose roto.
Gaussian Blur / Filter
A specific type or method of getting a soft blur.
generative AI
When AI creates “new” data after analyzing and recreating a library of existing data. It generates a somewhat revised version of its input based on the patterns learned.
geo
A CG model or object.
ghost hours
Working extra hours or more than the regular time, without claiming it for pay or logging it.
ghosting
Usually a render error when something is not layered properly or when a rogue roto is visible.
.GIF / Graphics Interchange Format
A specific image format. Short clips used in chats are an example.
gimbal
(1) On set, it’s an attachment to a camera or object that helps stabilize it as it moves in shot.
(2) In CG, this often refers to a rig or a control that affects an object’s rotation around its XYZ axis.
global illumination
Indirect lighting in a scene to replicate the behaviour of light in a natural lighting.
global page (ShotGrid / Flow Production Tracking)
The default shared pages in Shotgrid that can be accessed and viewed by anyone added to the project. (e.g. assets page, shots page, playlists page)
Any changes to its default settings and filters will affect everyone’s default view of the page.
So, be careful with the Save Page button when using these pages to avoid accidentally overwriting the intended default view.
Gnomon
School offering programs and courses in CG, VFX, and games.
gobo
A technique to simulate far away objects (like clouds), usually off screen, to appear as if casting shadows on a surface.
god rays
An element added to a shot to show a ray of strong light like sun rays.
GPU
Graphics Processing Unit; Part of the computer that helps in the rendering of media files. A higher GPU generally means better performance and faster output as graphics are processed faster.
grading
A post production task to adjust the colour of an image or scener. Sometimes called color timing.
grain / grainy / graininess
A quality seen on a shot so that it appears to have an overall granular / rough texture overlay. Like a retro filter.
grayscale / gray scale
When an image is void of colour or completely desaturated. Sometimes spelled greyscale / grey scale.
green screen
Green cloth/background to ease in keying, which helps extract the non-green objects off of a plate or footage. Covering unwanted areas with green makes it easier for artists to isolate the desired parts of the footage or image and seamlessly integrate a different plate, background, or CG pass.
green spill
The bit of green colour or bounce light reflected on an object in the shot because of the green screens surrounding them at the time of filming or as seen in the raw plate.
Sample: Seeing some green around the edges of an actor who has blonde hair.
greenlight / greenlit
Approved to begin work or production.
Groom Department
Responsible for the CG process of generating realistic hair or fur on an object.
GUI
Graphic User Interface; What a user sees on screen to be able to use an app. Think buttons, windows, icons, menus, etc.
