L-Cut
In the edit, this is when the audio of the current shot continues into the next shot even though visually, we’ve moved on to a different shot.

latency
A delay or lag that can cause syncing issues.

lattice
Often used in assets when modifying an area of the model at multiple vertices at a time; changes feather out more gradually as opposed to the stark change that happens when moving a specific edge/face/vertex.

Law of Diminishing Returns
When the benefits gained from a process, person, etc. eventually decreases in value over time despite continuing the investment on the said process, person, etc.

e.g.) Assigning 2 texture artists to complete an asset bid for 10 days could fast track the work to be completed in 1 week instead of 2 (this is the benefit). Assigning 5 artists COULD shrink it to 2 days, but it’s likely that the tasks assigned will require more than 8h due to the nature of the processes involved. So, even though more artists are assigned, the asset may still be completed LONGER than 2 days. Further, assigning 10 artists to the asset will NOT mean it can be completed in 1 day. Not to mention highly unlikely to find, and likely to be more costly. 

Layout Department
Sets up the camera and staging of shots based on the storyboards and assets. Sometimes responsible for set dressing.

Leica camera
A brand of camera; one of the earliest used in the industry.

lens flare
An effect on screen where bright spots or lines are overlaid in shot to mimic the light reflecting on the camera lens.

LIDAR
Light Imaging Detection and Ranging; a way of mapping out an area by means of how much light is reflected off of the surface. Sort of like a heat map.

Lighting Department
Controls the final look of assets and scenes when rendered by setting up light sources and adjusting how light interacts with an object and its materials.

lighting rig / light rig
A specific set up of lights to be able to achieve the same lighting look in multiple scenes.

Linux
A type of operating system.

lip sync
To animate mouth shapes to match the audio as close to its sound and timing as possible.

live action
Footage that has real life actors or objects filmed on camera and on set.

lo-res
low resolution; a version of an asset or shot in lesser quality. Often used to shorten render times.

location scouting
To look for places to shoot a film or footage.

locked cut / picture lock
When the edit is approved and no further timing or duration changes to any shot is expected.

LOD / Level of Detail
Refers to the complexity of a CG asset. The higher the level, the higher the quality (more visual detail), but the longer the render time as well.

logline
A brief summary of the story. Usually just a couple of sentences.

long shot
Sometimes wide shot; When the camera is placed in a way that the shot captures the main object/character from afar and also captures the surrounding environment.

Look Dev Department
Responsible for the adjustment of an object’s texture, shading, surfacing and lighting to control how an object renders before it is passed to Comp.

low angle shot
Camera position where it’s placed lower than the subject so that the perspective the viewer sees is looking up to the subject.

luma-keying
A type of keying (see “keying”) or matte-extraction that uses the image’s luminance instead.

luminance
Referring to an image’s brightness.

LUT / Lookup Tables
A predetermined colour filter applied on shots. A client approved colour space to ensure that the images will appear as intended when viewed in different devices.