Every video word, in plain English.
138 terms creators actually run into, from hooks to LUFS. Each one says what it means, why it matters, gives an example and names the usual mistake.
How many do you know?
Ten definitions, four choices each. Then send the same ten to a friend and see who knows more.
Which term is this?
No term matches that. Try a shorter word, or suggest a term.
#
Camera & light 180-degree rule
Keep the camera on one side of an imaginary line between two people (or a person and what they’re looking at), so left and right stay consistent between shots.
Why it mattersCross the line and people seem to swap sides, which confuses viewers.
ExampleIn a two-person chat, A always looks right and B always looks left.
Common mistakeMoving the phone around the table between takes.
Go deeper Chapter 26: Staging People and Things
A
Camera & light A-roll
The main footage that carries the video, usually you talking to camera or the main action.
Why it mattersIt’s the spine of the edit. Everything else gets laid over or between it.
ExampleThe talking-head clip where you explain the three steps.
Common mistakeFilming only A-roll, so every cut is a visible jump.
Go deeper Chapter 31: Filming Objects, Food, and B-Roll · Chapter 41: What Editing Really Is
Rights & business Affiliate marketing
Earning a commission when people buy through your special link or code.
Why it mattersIt’s one of the simplest ways to earn from recommendations, if you only recommend what you trust.
ExampleA code for a kitchen scale you actually use in every video.
Common mistakePromoting anything that pays, which turns viewers’ trust into skepticism.
Go deeper Chapter 67: Selling in the App: Shoppable Video, Affiliates and Live Selling
AI AI disclosure · AI label
Telling viewers when realistic content was made or changed with AI, often using the platform’s own label.
Why it mattersPlatforms require it for realistic synthetic content, and being upfront protects trust.
ExampleTurning on the app’s AI-generated label for a realistic AI scene.
Common mistakeNot labeling realistic AI footage because “it’s obviously fake.”
Go deeper Chapter 56: Real and AI Together: Hybrid Video and Responsible Publishing · Chapter 71: Honesty and Trust
Posting & numbers Algorithm · Recommendation system
The system an app uses to choose which videos to show each person, based on what they and similar viewers watch, skip and interact with.
Why it mattersIt mostly follows viewers’ behavior, so making videos people actually watch is the most reliable strategy.
ExampleA video that people watch to the end and send to friends gets shown to more people like them.
Common mistakeChasing rumored tricks instead of making videos that hold attention.
Go deeper Chapter 2: How the Feed Decides What People See
AI Artifact (AI)
A visible or audible flaw in AI output: extra fingers, melting objects, garbled text, a warbly voice.
Why it mattersViewers spot these fast, and they make a video feel cheap or fake.
ExampleA label on a product that turns into nonsense letters halfway through the clip.
Common mistakeNot watching the generated clip frame by frame before using it.
Go deeper Chapter 53: AI Video: Directing the Motion
Posting & numbers Average percentage viewed · APV, % viewed
How much of a video the average view covered, as a percentage of its length.
Why it mattersIt makes videos of different lengths easier to compare.
ExampleA 30-second video with a 24-second average is 80% viewed.
Common mistakeCelebrating more than 100% without realizing it’s replays, not that people loved every second.
Go deeper Chapter 59: Reading Your Numbers
Posting & numbers Average view duration · AVD, Average watch time
How long, on average, each view lasted.
Why it mattersNext to the video’s length, it shows whether people stayed.
ExampleA 40-second video with a 20-second average view duration: on average people watched half.
Common mistakeComparing AVD between videos of very different lengths without also checking the percentage watched.
Go deeper Chapter 59: Reading Your Numbers · Weakest Step Finder →
B
Camera & light B-roll
Supporting footage that shows what you’re talking about: hands working, details, places and results.
Why it mattersIt makes a video visual, hides cuts and keeps the picture changing.
ExampleWhile you explain the sauce, show it bubbling, the spoon tasting it and the plate being served.
Common mistakeFilming random pretty shots that don’t match what’s being said at that moment.
Go deeper Chapter 31: Filming Objects, Food, and B-Roll · Shot List & Storyboard →
Sound Background noise · Noise floor
Every sound that isn’t what you want: fans, traffic, fridge hum, hiss from the gear.
Why it mattersViewers forgive grainy video much sooner than bad sound.
ExampleTurning the fridge off for a ten-minute recording session.
Common mistakeRelying on noise removal, which can make voices sound watery and robotic.
Go deeper Chapter 33: How Sound Works · Chapter 35: Recording Clean Sound · Mic Check →
Posting & numbers Batching
Doing the same kind of work for several videos in one session: writing all the scripts, then filming them all.
Why it mattersSwitching between tasks wastes time and energy. Batching makes a regular schedule possible.
ExampleScript four videos Sunday, film them all Tuesday evening.
Common mistakeBatching so much at once that quality drops by the third video.
Go deeper Chapter 77: Systems and Stamina · Content Planner →
Story & script Beat (story)
The smallest unit of a story: one action and the reaction to it, or one step that changes something.
Why it mattersThinking in beats shows you which moments move the video forward and which can be cut.
ExampleShe tastes the sauce. She grimaces. That’s a beat.
Common mistakeWriting lines that repeat a beat instead of adding a new one.
Go deeper Chapter 17: Scenes, Beats, and Turning Points
Camera & light Bitrate
How much data is used per second of video (often in Mbps). More data, more detail, bigger file.
Why it mattersToo low and fast motion turns into blocky mush.
ExampleA high-bitrate export keeps falling confetti sharp; a low one smears it.
Common mistakeExporting at a tiny bitrate to save space, then uploading a blurry video.
Go deeper Chapter 29: Your Phone as a Camera · Chapter 49: The Editing Workflow
AI Brief
A short written plan for a piece of work: the goal, the audience, what it must include, and what “good enough” means.
Why it mattersWhether you hand work to AI or a person, a brief makes results better and easier to judge.
ExampleGoal, viewer, length, tone, must-include, must-avoid and how you’ll know it worked.
Common mistakeSkipping the “what counts as good” part, so you can’t tell when to stop rerolling.
Go deeper Chapter 51: How Generative AI Works · Chapter 75: Using AI Tools Wisely
Rights & business Burnout
Exhaustion from working too hard for too long, where making videos stops feeling possible or worth it.
Why it mattersIt’s the most common reason creators quit, and it’s easier to prevent than to recover from.
ExamplePosting daily for three months, then disappearing for six.
Common mistakeIgnoring early warning signs, like dreading every shoot.
Go deeper Chapter 77: Systems and Stamina · Content Planner →
C
Editing Call to action · CTA
A clear ask at the end of a video (or in it): follow, comment, save, watch the next part, visit a link.
Why it mattersPeople are more likely to act when you ask for one specific thing.
Example“Save this for your next grocery run.”
Common mistakeAsking for five things at once, or asking before you’ve given any value.
Go deeper Chapter 50: Endings, Loops, and Calls to Action · Chapter 65: From Attention to Results
Camera & light Camera angle
The height and direction the camera looks from: eye level, low, high, overhead or point of view.
Why it mattersAngle changes meaning. Low makes things feel big or powerful, overhead makes processes easy to follow.
ExampleOverhead for a recipe, eye level for talking, low for a product hero shot.
Common mistakeFilming everything from wherever the phone happened to be.
Go deeper Chapter 24: The Frame: Shot Sizes, Angles, and Composition · Chapter 25: Point of View: Whose Eyes Are We Using? · Shot List & Storyboard →
Editing Captions · Subtitles, Closed captions, SRT
The spoken words written on screen. Open captions are burned into the picture; closed captions are a separate file viewers can turn on.
Why it mattersMany people watch with the sound off, and captions make videos accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
ExampleTwo short lines at a time, in the middle of the frame, timed to the speech.
Common mistakeLong lines in tiny text at the very bottom, right under the app’s buttons.
Go deeper Chapter 47: Text, Captions, and Graphics · Chapter 57: Captions, Keywords, Hashtags, and Covers · Caption File Maker →
Camera & light Catchlight
The small reflection of a light in someone’s eyes.
Why it mattersIt makes eyes look alive. Without it, faces can look flat or tired.
ExampleA window in front of you shows up as a bright square in each eye.
Common mistakeLighting only from above, which leaves no catchlight.
Go deeper Chapter 28: Light
Story & script Character arc
How someone changes from the start of a story to the end: what they learn, gain or give up.
Why it mattersChange is what makes a story feel finished and worth the time.
ExampleAfraid to film in public on day 1, filming at the farmers’ market by day 30.
Common mistakeSkipping the “before,” so the change has nothing to compare to.
Go deeper Chapter 18: Characters and Conflict
Posting & numbers Click-through rate · CTR
The share of people who were shown your thumbnail or title and actually clicked to watch.
Why it mattersIt tells you how well your packaging (cover, title, first frame) earns the click.
Example200 clicks from 4,000 impressions is a 5% click-through rate.
Common mistakeJudging CTR alone. A high CTR with low watch time can mean the packaging overpromised.
Go deeper Chapter 57: Captions, Keywords, Hashtags, and Covers · Chapter 59: Reading Your Numbers · Weakest Step Finder →
Ideas & hooks Clickbait
A title, cover or hook that promises something the video doesn’t deliver.
Why it mattersIt can win the click, but disappointed viewers leave early and stop trusting you, and both hurt.
Example“I quit my job” when the video is about quitting coffee.
Common mistakeThinking any bold hook is clickbait. Bold is fine. Bold and untrue is the problem.
Go deeper Chapter 12: Hooks: Winning the First Seconds · Chapter 71: Honesty and Trust · Hook Checker →
Sound Clipping
Distortion when sound is louder than the recorder can capture, so the tops of the waves get cut off.
Why it mattersIt sounds harsh and crackly, and it can’t be fully repaired.
ExampleYour voice is clear until you shout “whoa,” and that word crackles.
Common mistakeRecording as loud as possible “for quality.”
Go deeper Chapter 35: Recording Clean Sound · Mic Check →
Camera & light Close-up
A shot where one face, object or detail fills most of the frame.
Why it mattersPhones are small. Close-ups read clearly and carry detail and emotion.
ExampleThe cheese pulling away as the slice lifts.
Common mistakeGetting close by zooming digitally, which softens the picture. Move the phone instead.
Go deeper Chapter 24: The Frame: Shot Sizes, Angles, and Composition
Story & script Cold open
Starting in the middle of the action, before any intro or context.
Why it mattersIt skips the slow part and gives viewers something to watch from the first frame.
ExampleOpening on the smoke alarm going off, then cutting back to how the recipe started.
Common mistakeCold-opening on a moment that only makes sense after the explanation.
Go deeper Chapter 16: Beginning, Middle, and End in 30 Seconds
Editing Color correction
Fixing exposure, contrast and white balance so footage looks natural and every clip matches.
Why it mattersMismatched clips look sloppy even when viewers can’t say why.
ExampleWarming a cool window shot so it matches the lamp-lit close-up.
Common mistakeJumping straight to a stylish look before the clips match.
Go deeper Chapter 48: Color
Editing Color grading
Giving footage a deliberate look or mood after it’s been corrected.
Why it mattersA consistent look makes your videos recognizable.
ExampleA slightly warm, soft look for cozy cooking videos.
Common mistakeGrading so heavily that skin turns orange or food looks gray.
Go deeper Chapter 48: Color
Posting & numbers Completion rate · Watched full video
The share of views that reached the end of the video.
Why it mattersIt shows whether your payoff and pacing earned the whole watch.
ExampleTikTok shows the share of viewers who watched the full video.
Common mistakeMaking videos shorter only to raise this number, at the cost of the payoff.
Go deeper Chapter 59: Reading Your Numbers
Sound Compressor
A tool that turns down the loudest parts of a sound so the quiet and loud parts are closer together.
Why it mattersIt makes speech steady and easy to hear on phone speakers.
ExampleYour whispers and your laughs end up at a similar, comfortable level.
Common mistakeOver-compressing, which crushes the life out of a voice and lifts background noise.
Go deeper Chapter 40: Editing and Mixing Sound
Ideas & hooks Concrete detail · Concrete vs abstract
Something viewers can see, hear or picture, instead of an abstract idea or label.
Why it mattersConcrete details are easier to understand, believe and remember.
Example“Crispy” is abstract. The crackle when the knife goes through is concrete.
Common mistakeTelling viewers it’s “amazing quality” instead of showing what makes it so.
Go deeper Chapter 8: Make It Something They Can See · Chapter 19: Meaning, Information, and Words
Story & script Conflict · Opposition
Whatever stands between someone and what they want: a problem, a person, time, their own habits.
Why it mattersNo conflict, no story. It’s what gives a video tension.
ExampleFixing a leak before the landlord arrives in an hour.
Common mistakeThinking conflict means arguments. Usually it’s just a problem worth solving.
Go deeper Chapter 18: Characters and Conflict
Posting & numbers Content calendar
A plan of what you’ll post and when, usually a few weeks ahead.
Why it mattersPlanning ahead stops last-minute panic posts and keeps your topics balanced.
ExampleMonday tip, Wednesday story, Friday series episode.
Common mistakePlanning more posts than you can actually make, then dropping the whole plan.
Go deeper Chapter 58: When and How Often to Post · Chapter 77: Systems and Stamina · Content Planner →
AI Content Credentials · C2PA
An industry standard for attaching information to a file about how it was made and edited, including whether AI was used.
Why it mattersSome platforms read it and label content automatically.
ExampleAn image exported from an AI tool that carries a record saying it was generated.
Common mistakeAssuming stripping the data means you no longer need to disclose.
Go deeper Chapter 56: Real and AI Together: Hybrid Video and Responsible Publishing
Ideas & hooks Content pillars
The three to five recurring topics inside your niche that most of your videos fall under.
Why it mattersPillars make ideas easier to find, keep your channel recognizable and show which topics actually work.
ExampleA rice channel’s pillars: rice basics, one-pan dinners and kitchen mistakes.
Common mistakeHaving ten pillars, which is the same as having none.
Go deeper Chapter 21: Formats and Series · Chapter 58: When and How Often to Post · Content Planner →
Editing Continuity
Keeping details consistent from shot to shot: positions, props, light, direction of movement.
Why it mattersMismatches pull viewers out of the moment.
ExampleThe mug is full in the wide shot and empty in the close-up.
Common mistakeFilming the same scene across two days without photos of how it looked.
Go deeper Chapter 45: Continuity: Keeping Viewers Oriented
Posting & numbers Controlled experiment · A/B test
Changing one thing at a time while keeping everything else as similar as possible, so you can tell what made the difference.
Why it mattersWithout it, you can’t tell whether a result came from your change, the posting time or luck.
ExampleTwo versions of the same video with different hooks, posted under similar conditions.
Common mistakeChanging the hook, length, music and posting time all at once, then crediting the hook.
Go deeper Chapter 60: Fair Experiments: Learning Without Fooling Yourself · Hook Checker →
Rights & business Conversion
When a viewer does the thing you wanted: signs up, buys, books.
Why it mattersViews don’t pay the bills. Conversions do.
Example300 link clicks and 12 sales is a 4% conversion rate from clicks.
Common mistakeTracking views but not where people go next.
Go deeper Chapter 65: From Attention to Results
Rights & business Copyright
The legal right creators have over their original work, like music, video, photos and writing.
Why it mattersUsing someone’s work without permission can get videos muted, removed or your account struck.
ExampleA popular song in your video can be blocked even if you only used ten seconds.
Common mistakeBelieving credit (“music by…”) is the same as permission.
Go deeper Chapter 72: Copyright and Using Other People’s Work
Posting & numbers Cover · Thumbnail
The still image (often with a few words) people see before they choose to watch.
Why it mattersOn profiles, grids and search, the cover is your first impression.
ExampleThe finished dish plus “3 ingredients” in big text.
Common mistakeA blurry auto-picked frame or a cover that doesn’t match the video.
Go deeper Chapter 57: Captions, Keywords, Hashtags, and Covers · Chapter 69: Long-Form Video: Packaging, Structure, and Satisfaction
Camera & light Coverage
Filming the same action from several sizes and angles so the editor has choices.
Why it mattersGood coverage means you can fix pacing, mistakes and boring moments in the edit.
ExampleWide, medium and close-up of pouring the batter, each done once.
Common mistakeOne take, one angle, then discovering in the edit there’s nothing to cut to.
Go deeper Chapter 22: See It Before You Shoot It · Chapter 31: Filming Objects, Food, and B-Roll · Shot List & Storyboard →
Rights & business CPM and RPM · CPM, RPM
CPM is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions. RPM is what you earn per 1,000 views after the platform’s share.
Why it mattersRPM is the number that tells you what your views are actually worth to you.
ExampleA $4 RPM means 100,000 views earn about $400.
Common mistakePlanning income from CPM figures, which are before the platform’s cut.
Go deeper Chapter 66: Brands, Partnerships, and Platform Money
Ideas & hooks Curiosity gap
The itch between what a viewer knows and what they want to know. A good opening opens that gap and the video closes it.
Why it mattersIt’s the main reason people keep watching past the first seconds.
Example“I tested five cheap mics. One beat my $200 one.” You now want to know which.
Common mistakeOpening a gap the video never closes, or closing it in the first five seconds so there’s no reason to stay.
Go deeper Chapter 7: Surprise and Curiosity · Chapter 12: Hooks: Winning the First Seconds · Hook Bank →
Ideas & hooks Curse of knowledge
Once you know something, it’s hard to remember what it was like not to know it, so you skip steps and use jargon.
Why it mattersIt’s the most common reason tutorials lose beginners halfway through.
ExampleSaying “just deglaze it” to someone who’s never heard the word.
Common mistakeTesting a video only on people who already know the topic.
Go deeper Chapter 3: Know Your Viewer · Chapter 19: Meaning, Information, and Words
Editing Cutaway · Insert
A short shot of something related, cut in between two parts of the main footage.
Why it mattersIt hides jump cuts and shows details the main shot can’t.
ExampleA two-second close-up of the dial while you explain the setting.
Common mistakeCutting away to something that doesn’t match what you’re saying.
Go deeper Chapter 44: Cuts and Transitions
D
AI Deepfake
Realistic AI-made video or audio that makes someone appear to say or do something they didn’t.
Why it mattersDeepfakes of real people can deceive, harm and break platform rules and laws.
ExampleA fake clip of a celebrity endorsing a product.
Common mistakeThinking a small disclaimer makes it acceptable to use someone’s face without consent.
Go deeper Chapter 56: Real and AI Together: Hybrid Video and Responsible Publishing · Chapter 73: People on Camera, Privacy, and Safety
Sound Ducking
Automatically lowering music when someone speaks, then bringing it back up.
Why it mattersIt keeps your voice clear without losing the energy of the music.
ExampleMusic at full level in the intro, dipping under your first line.
Common mistakeDucking so deep and fast that the music audibly pumps.
Go deeper Chapter 40: Editing and Mixing Sound
Sound Dynamic mic · Condenser mic
A sturdy mic that picks up loud, close sound and little of the room. A condenser mic is more sensitive and picks up more detail, and more of the room.
Why it mattersIn an untreated room, a dynamic mic close to your mouth often sounds cleaner than a pricier condenser.
ExampleA dynamic mic on a desk arm for voiceovers in a bedroom.
Common mistakeBuying a sensitive condenser for an echoey room and recording the echo in high quality.
Go deeper Chapter 34: Microphones and Gear
E
Posting & numbers Engaged views
On YouTube Shorts, a stricter view count that YouTube uses for monetization, separate from the count of every play and replay.
Why it mattersIt’s closer to how many people actually chose to watch than the headline view number.
ExampleA Short with 10,000 views and a noticeably smaller number of engaged views.
Common mistakeComparing view counts across apps that define a “view” differently.
Go deeper Chapter 59: Reading Your Numbers
Sound EQ · Equalization
Turning specific frequencies up or down to change how a sound’s tone comes across.
Why it mattersA little EQ can remove mud, rumble or harshness from a voice.
ExampleCutting the low rumble below about 80 Hz removes traffic and desk bumps.
Common mistakeBoosting lots of frequencies until the voice sounds unnatural.
Go deeper Chapter 40: Editing and Mixing Sound
Ideas & hooks Evergreen content
A video that stays useful for months or years because it doesn’t depend on a date, trend or news.
Why it mattersEvergreen videos keep getting found through search long after you post them.
Example“How to sharpen a knife” is evergreen. “My reaction to today’s update” is not.
Common mistakeAdding dates or “this week” to a video that could otherwise last for years.
Go deeper Chapter 5: Finding Ideas Worth Making · Chapter 57: Captions, Keywords, Hashtags, and Covers
Editing Export · Render
Turning your edit into a final video file to upload.
Why it mattersExport settings decide how sharp and smooth the uploaded video looks.
ExampleExporting 1080 × 1920 at the frame rate you filmed in.
Common mistakeExporting at a different frame rate than you filmed, which causes stutter.
Go deeper Chapter 49: The Editing Workflow
Story & script Exposition
Background information the viewer needs to follow the story.
Why it mattersToo little and viewers are lost, too much and they leave before anything happens.
Example“I’ve got one hour and three ingredients” is all the setup a cooking challenge needs.
Common mistakeFront-loading every detail before the video gets going.
Go deeper Chapter 19: Meaning, Information, and Words
Camera & light Exposure
How bright or dark the picture is, set by how much light reaches the camera’s sensor.
Why it mattersToo dark looks grainy, too bright loses detail you can’t get back.
ExampleTap your face on screen, then slide the brightness down a little so the sky keeps its color.
Common mistakeLetting auto exposure pump brighter and darker as you move.
Go deeper Chapter 29: Your Phone as a Camera · Camera Settings Helper →
Camera & light Eyeline
Where someone on screen is looking.
Why it mattersLooking into the lens feels like eye contact. Looking just off it feels like you’re reading or distracted.
ExampleLooking at the lens, not at your own face on the screen.
Common mistakeWatching yourself on the phone screen while you talk, so your eyes sit slightly low.
Go deeper Chapter 30: Being on Camera
F
Rights & business Fair use · Fair dealing
A U.S. legal defense that can allow limited use of copyrighted work for things like commentary, criticism or teaching, judged case by case. Other countries have their own, often narrower, rules.
Why it mattersIt’s not a free pass, and platform systems don’t judge fair use before they block or claim.
ExampleShowing a short clip of a movie scene while explaining how it was lit.
Common mistakeThinking “under 30 seconds” or “not making money” automatically makes it fair use.
Go deeper Chapter 72: Copyright and Using Other People’s Work
Camera & light Flicker · Banding
Rolling dark bands or a pulsing brightness in footage, caused by lights that pulse with the power supply.
Why it mattersIt looks broken and is very hard to fix after filming.
ExampleFilming under office lights in Europe at 30 fps often shows bands; 25 fps fixes it.
Common mistakeNot checking for bands on the screen before recording a long take.
Go deeper Chapter 29: Your Phone as a Camera · Camera Settings Helper →
Sound Foley
Everyday sounds recorded separately to match the action on screen: footsteps, rustles, pours.
Why it mattersClose, clear sound effects make footage feel real and satisfying.
ExampleRecording a crunchy apple bite close to the mic and placing it on the bite.
Common mistakeAdding stock effects that are louder or bigger than the action.
Go deeper Chapter 37: Sound Effects and Foley
Story & script Format
A repeatable structure for a video, like “one tip in 30 seconds,” “before and after” or “I tested X.”
Why it mattersA good format makes ideas faster to make and teaches viewers what to expect from you.
Example“Rating every gas station coffee in my town” is a format you can repeat forever.
Common mistakeInventing a new structure for every video, so nothing gets faster.
Go deeper Chapter 21: Formats and Series
Camera & light Frame rate · fps
How many still pictures the camera records each second (fps). Common choices are 24, 25, 30 and 60.
Why it mattersIt shapes how motion feels, whether lights flicker and how much you can slow footage down.
Example30 fps for talking videos, 60 fps for action you might slow down.
Common mistakeMixing frame rates in one video without meaning to, which makes motion stutter.
Go deeper Chapter 29: Your Phone as a Camera · Camera Settings Helper →
Rights & business Funnel
The path from someone first seeing you to taking an action, like following, joining a list or buying.
Why it mattersDifferent videos do different jobs along the way. Not every video should sell.
ExampleBroad tips bring new people, stories build trust, a demo shows what you offer.
Common mistakePitching in every video, which drives new viewers away.
Go deeper Chapter 65: From Attention to Results · Content Planner →
G
Sound Gain · Input level
How much the mic signal is boosted as it’s recorded.
Why it mattersToo low and you’ll add noise turning it up later; too high and loud words distort.
ExampleSet it so your loudest laugh still peaks below the top of the meter.
Common mistakeTreating gain as a volume knob to fix in the edit. Distortion can’t be undone.
Go deeper Chapter 35: Recording Clean Sound · Mic Check →
AI Generative AI
AI tools that create new text, images, video, voices or music from instructions.
Why it mattersIt can speed up parts of the work, but it still needs a clear brief and your judgment.
ExampleAsking a chatbot for ten hook ideas, then picking and rewriting the best one.
Common mistakePublishing AI output without checking it.
Go deeper Chapter 51: How Generative AI Works · Chapter 75: Using AI Tools Wisely
Camera & light Gimbal
A motorized handle that keeps the phone steady while you move.
Why it mattersIt makes walking shots smooth.
ExampleA smooth walk-through of a café, filmed while walking.
Common mistakeBuying one before learning to walk slowly with bent knees, which gets you halfway there free.
Go deeper Chapter 27: Moving the Camera
H
AI Hallucination
When an AI tool states something false with confidence, like a made-up fact, quote or source.
Why it mattersRepeating it on camera damages your credibility.
ExampleA chatbot inventing a statistic and a study that doesn’t exist.
Common mistakeTrusting a specific number or quote without finding the original source.
Go deeper Chapter 51: How Generative AI Works · Chapter 75: Using AI Tools Wisely
Posting & numbers Hashtag
A word or phrase after a # that labels a post’s topic.
Why it mattersA few specific hashtags can add context, but they matter less than the video itself and clear keywords.
Example#sourdoughtips rather than #fyp.
Common mistakeUsing 30 generic hashtags and expecting them to bring views.
Go deeper Chapter 57: Captions, Keywords, Hashtags, and Covers
Camera & light Headroom
The space between the top of someone’s head and the top of the frame.
Why it mattersToo much makes the person look small and lost; too little feels cramped.
ExampleA small gap above your head, with your eyes about a third of the way down.
Common mistakeCentering your face in a vertical frame, which leaves a huge empty space above.
Go deeper Chapter 24: The Frame: Shot Sizes, Angles, and Composition
Ideas & hooks Hook
The first one to three seconds of a video: what viewers see, hear and read before they decide to keep watching or scroll.
Why it mattersMost people decide in that window. A great video with a slow start gets judged by the start.
ExampleOpening on the burnt pan with “This is why your rice sticks” beats opening on “Hey guys, today…”.
Common mistakeTreating the hook as only the spoken line. The first frame and the on-screen text are part of it, and they have to agree.
Go deeper Chapter 1: The First Seconds: How Attention Works · Chapter 12: Hooks: Winning the First Seconds · Chapter 13: When Hooks Wear Out · Hook Checker →
Ideas & hooks Hook fatigue
When a hook style stops working because viewers have seen it too many times, from you or from everyone.
Why it mattersA hook that worked last month can quietly stop working. Rotating patterns keeps openings fresh.
Example“Stop doing this” worked for months, then the whole niche started using it and it became wallpaper.
Common mistakeCopying whatever hook is trending, word for word, just as everyone else does.
Go deeper Chapter 13: When Hooks Wear Out · Hook Bank →
I
Posting & numbers Impressions
How many times your video or its thumbnail was shown to people.
Why it mattersIt tells you how much the app is testing your video, before anyone chooses to watch.
Example10,000 impressions with a 5% click-through rate gave about 500 views.
Common mistakeConfusing impressions with views or with people.
Go deeper Chapter 59: Reading Your Numbers
J
Editing J-cut
The sound of the next shot starts before its picture appears.
Why it mattersIt pulls viewers into the next scene and makes edits feel smooth.
ExampleYou hear the sizzle a beat before you see the pan.
Common mistakeCutting sound and picture at exactly the same point every time, which feels choppy.
Go deeper Chapter 44: Cuts and Transitions
Editing Jump cut
A cut between two moments of the same shot, so the subject seems to jump forward in time.
Why it mattersIt cuts pauses and mistakes and keeps talking videos quick.
ExampleRemoving every “um” from a talking-head clip, leaving small jumps between sentences.
Common mistakeLeaving dozens of identical jumps in a row, which feels jittery. Mix in punch-ins and B-roll.
Go deeper Chapter 44: Cuts and Transitions · Shot List & Storyboard →
K
Camera & light Key light
The main, brightest light on your subject. It sets the look of the shot.
Why it mattersWhere you put it decides which side of the face is bright and how deep the shadows are.
ExampleFacing a window slightly to one side, so light falls across your face at an angle.
Common mistakePutting the key light behind you, so your face is dark and the background blows out.
Go deeper Chapter 28: Light
Posting & numbers Keyword · Social search
The words people type to search for something, used in your title, caption, on-screen text and speech so the app and viewers know what your video is about.
Why it mattersMany people search inside the apps now. Clear keywords help the right viewers find you.
ExampleSaying and showing “how to clean a cast iron pan” rather than “my weekend pan glow-up.”
Common mistakeStuffing in lots of unrelated keywords, which confuses viewers and the app.
Go deeper Chapter 57: Captions, Keywords, Hashtags, and Covers
L
Editing L-cut
The sound of one shot keeps playing after the picture has cut to the next.
Why it mattersIt lets a line land while you show a reaction or the result.
ExampleYou keep talking while the picture cuts to the finished dish.
Common mistakeHolding the sound so long that the words no longer match what’s on screen.
Go deeper Chapter 44: Cuts and Transitions
Sound Lavalier mic · Lav, Clip-on mic
A small mic clipped to your clothes, close to your mouth.
Why it mattersBeing close to your mouth means your voice is loud and the room is quiet, which is what clear sound needs.
ExampleA wireless clip-on mic on your shirt, about a hand’s width below your chin.
Common mistakeClipping it under clothing that rubs against it, or somewhere it points away from your mouth.
Go deeper Chapter 34: Microphones and Gear · Chapter 35: Recording Clean Sound · Mic Check →
Camera & light Lead room · Look room, Nose room
Extra space on the side of the frame a person is facing or moving toward.
Why it mattersIt feels natural to have room to look into. Without it, the frame feels like a wall.
ExampleYou look to the right at a product, so you sit on the left with space on the right.
Common mistakeFraming someone right at the edge they’re facing.
Go deeper Chapter 24: The Frame: Shot Sizes, Angles, and Composition
Rights & business License · Royalty-free
Permission to use someone’s work under certain conditions. “Royalty-free” usually means you pay once (or nothing) and don’t pay per use, not that anything goes.
Why it mattersThe license decides whether you can use something commercially and whether you must credit it.
ExampleA free music track that allows commercial use if you credit the artist.
Common mistakeNot reading the license, then using a “free for personal use” track in an ad.
Go deeper Chapter 72: Copyright and Using Other People’s Work
Editing Loop
A video whose ending flows back into its beginning, so a replay feels seamless.
Why it mattersShort videos replay automatically. A smooth loop can count as extra watch time.
ExampleEnding on “…and that’s why” over a shot that matches the opening frame.
Common mistakeForcing a loop that confuses viewers instead of rewarding them.
Go deeper Chapter 50: Endings, Loops, and Calls to Action
Sound LUFS · Loudness
A measurement of how loud audio sounds to people overall, used by platforms to even out loudness between videos.
Why it mattersToo quiet and your video sounds weak next to the others; too loud and the platform turns it down, sometimes squashing it.
ExampleA sensible target for online video is around −14 LUFS overall, with peaks below −1 dBTP.
Common mistakeJudging loudness by the waveform, or only on headphones.
Go deeper Chapter 40: Editing and Mixing Sound
Editing LUT · Look-up table, Filter
A preset that converts footage colors to a particular look in one step.
Why it mattersIt’s a quick way to get a consistent look across clips.
ExampleApplying the same film-look preset to every clip, then adjusting strength.
Common mistakePutting a LUT on badly exposed footage and expecting it to fix it.
Go deeper Chapter 48: Color
M
Editing Match cut
A cut between two shots joined by a matching shape, movement or position.
Why it mattersIt makes transitions feel clever and seamless without effects.
ExampleA spinning coin cuts to a spinning pizza dough.
Common mistakeForcing a match that viewers don’t notice, which just looks like a random cut.
Go deeper Chapter 44: Cuts and Transitions
Rights & business Media kit
A short document for brands with who you are, who watches you, your best results and what you offer.
Why it mattersIt makes you easy to say yes to.
ExampleOne page with your niche, audience, three example videos and ways to work together.
Common mistakeFilling it with follower counts and leaving out what results you’ve driven.
Go deeper Chapter 66: Brands, Partnerships, and Platform Money
Posting & numbers Median
The middle value when you line numbers up from smallest to largest.
Why it mattersOne viral video can wreck an average. The median shows your typical video.
ExampleViews of 300, 400, 500, 600 and 50,000: the average is 10,360, the median is 500.
Common mistakeJudging yourself by your average views when one outlier is pulling it up.
Go deeper Chapter 59: Reading Your Numbers
N
Ideas & hooks Niche
The specific topic and the specific viewer your videos are for. Narrow enough that the right person thinks “this is for me.”
Why it mattersIt tells the app who to show your videos to and tells viewers why to follow.
Example“Cooking” is a topic. “15-minute dinners for night-shift workers” is a niche.
Common mistakeGoing so broad that nobody feels spoken to, or so narrow you run out of ideas in a month.
Go deeper Chapter 3: Know Your Viewer · Chapter 4: Know Yourself: Purpose, Voice, and Trust · Niche Picker →
O
Posting & numbers Outlier
A result far above or below your usual range.
Why it mattersOutliers are worth studying, but they’re not your new normal.
ExampleOne video gets 40 times your usual views.
Common mistakeCopying everything about an outlier, including the parts that were just luck.
Go deeper Chapter 59: Reading Your Numbers · Chapter 62: When a Video Takes Off
Camera & light Over-the-shoulder shot
A shot from behind someone’s shoulder, showing what they’re looking at or who they’re talking to.
Why it mattersIt puts viewers in the person’s place, which works well for tutorials and conversations.
ExampleLooking over your shoulder at the laptop screen while you edit.
Common mistakeLetting the shoulder fill half the frame and hide what matters.
Go deeper Chapter 25: Point of View: Whose Eyes Are We Using?
P
Editing Pacing · Rhythm
How fast a video feels: how long shots hold, how often things change and when it pauses.
Why it mattersGood pacing keeps attention without exhausting people.
ExampleQuick cuts through the setup, a held shot for the result.
Common mistakeCutting everything fast. Speed only works when there’s contrast.
Go deeper Chapter 46: Rhythm, Pace, and Timing
Ideas & hooks Pattern interrupt
Something that breaks what the viewer expects to see next, so their attention snaps back.
Why it mattersFeeds are repetitive. A frame or sound that doesn’t fit the pattern gets noticed.
ExampleA cooking video that opens with the cook dropping the whole tray on the floor.
Common mistakeUsing random shock that has nothing to do with the video. It grabs attention once, then breaks trust.
Go deeper Chapter 1: The First Seconds: How Attention Works · Chapter 12: Hooks: Winning the First Seconds
Story & script Payoff
The moment the video delivers what the hook promised: the answer, the reveal, the result.
Why it mattersA strong payoff is why people rewatch, save and share. A weak one makes the hook feel like a trick.
ExampleThe hook asks which cheap mic won. The payoff plays it next to the expensive one.
Common mistakeBurying the payoff under a long ending, or giving it away in the first seconds.
Go deeper Chapter 16: Beginning, Middle, and End in 30 Seconds · Chapter 50: Endings, Loops, and Calls to Action · Script Timer →
Rights & business Phishing
Fake messages that trick you into giving away logins or downloading malware, often disguised as brand deals or copyright warnings.
Why it mattersCreators are targeted with fake sponsorships and fake strike notices all the time.
ExampleA “brand deal” email asking you to download a contract file that’s really malware.
Common mistakeLogging in through a link in a message instead of opening the app yourself.
Go deeper Chapter 74: Protecting Your Account: Hacks, Strikes, Scams and Backups
Sound Plosives · Pops
Bursts of air from “p” and “b” sounds that thump into the mic.
Why it mattersThey sound like little explosions on headphones.
ExampleSpeaking slightly past the mic instead of straight into it stops most pops.
Common mistakeFixing it by moving far from the mic, which brings in the room.
Go deeper Chapter 36: Recording Your Voice
AI Prompt
The instructions you give an AI tool.
Why it mattersSpecific prompts with context, examples and limits get far more usable results.
Example“Write three 8-word hooks for a 30-second video about fixing sticky rice, for beginners, no clickbait.”
Common mistakeOne vague line, then blaming the tool for a vague answer.
Go deeper Chapter 51: How Generative AI Works · Chapter 52: AI Images: Directing the Picture
Ideas & hooks Proof
Anything that lets viewers check a claim for themselves: a demonstration, a test, a before and after, numbers, a source.
Why it mattersPeople are skeptical of claims online. Showing beats telling every time.
ExampleInstead of “this cleaner works,” wipe half the oven and show both halves.
Common mistakeStacking adjectives and testimonials when one demonstration would do.
Go deeper Chapter 9: Proof: Getting People to Believe You
Sound Proximity effect
The extra bass many mics add when your mouth is very close.
Why it mattersUsed well, it gives a warm radio voice. Too close and it gets boomy and muddy.
ExampleA hand’s width from the mic often sounds fuller than a forearm’s length.
Common mistakeMoving closer and farther while talking, so your voice keeps changing.
Go deeper Chapter 34: Microphones and Gear · Chapter 36: Recording Your Voice
Rights & business Public domain
Works not protected by copyright, usually because protection expired, so anyone can use them.
Why it mattersPublic-domain material is genuinely free to use, if you confirm it really is public domain.
ExampleVery old classical compositions, though modern recordings of them are often still protected.
Common mistakeAssuming anything old or anything online is public domain.
Go deeper Chapter 72: Copyright and Using Other People’s Work
Editing Punch-in
Zooming into a shot in the edit to make it look like a closer camera angle.
Why it mattersIt adds variety and emphasis to a single-camera talking video.
ExampleNormal framing for the setup, punch in on the key line.
Common mistakePunching in so far that the picture goes soft and grainy.
Go deeper Chapter 44: Cuts and Transitions
R
Posting & numbers Reach · Unique viewers, Accounts reached
How many different people saw your content, as opposed to how many times it was seen.
Why it mattersIt shows how far a video spread beyond the same few viewers.
Example2,000 views from 1,500 accounts reached means some people watched more than once.
Common mistakeComparing reach on one app with views on another; they count different things.
Go deeper Chapter 59: Reading Your Numbers
AI Reference image
An image you give an AI tool to guide how the result should look, like a character, product or style.
Why it mattersIt keeps people, products and style consistent from one image or clip to the next.
ExampleUsing the same photo of your mascot for every scene you generate.
Common mistakeUsing images you don’t have the rights to as references for commercial work.
Go deeper Chapter 52: AI Images: Directing the Picture · Chapter 53: AI Video: Directing the Motion
Camera & light Resolution
How many pixels make up each frame, like 1080 × 1920 for full-HD vertical video, or 4K.
Why it mattersHigher resolution gives you room to crop and punch in during the edit.
ExampleFilm in 4K so you can punch in to a close-up without losing sharpness at 1080p.
Common mistakeThinking higher resolution fixes bad light. Light matters far more.
Go deeper Chapter 29: Your Phone as a Camera · Camera Settings Helper →
Posting & numbers Retention graph · Audience retention
A line showing what share of viewers were still watching at each moment of the video.
Why it mattersIt shows exactly where people leave, which is where your next fix is.
ExampleA sharp drop at second 2, then a flat line: the hook lost people, the rest held.
Common mistakeOnly looking at the overall average instead of the shape of the line.
Go deeper Chapter 59: Reading Your Numbers · Chapter 61: Diagnose, Revise, Learn · Weakest Step Finder →
Sound Reverb · Room echo
The reflections of sound bouncing off walls, floors and ceilings.
Why it mattersToo much makes a voice sound distant and hollow, like a bathroom.
ExampleThe same voice sounds clearer in a closet full of clothes than in an empty kitchen.
Common mistakeRecording in a bare room and trying to remove the echo afterward.
Go deeper Chapter 33: How Sound Works · Chapter 35: Recording Clean Sound · Mic Check →
Sound Room tone
Around 20 to 30 seconds of the room’s natural quiet, recorded with the same mic and settings.
Why it mattersIt fills gaps in the edit so cuts don’t drop into dead silence.
ExampleStay still and silent for 30 seconds at the end of the shoot.
Common mistakeFilling gaps with total silence, which makes every edit noticeable.
Go deeper Chapter 35: Recording Clean Sound
Camera & light Rule of thirds
Imagine the frame split into a 3 × 3 grid and place important things on the lines or where they cross, rather than dead center.
Why it mattersIt makes frames feel balanced and leaves room for text and movement.
ExampleEyes on the top third line, with space on the side you’re facing.
Common mistakeFollowing it so strictly that the subject ends up under the app’s buttons or captions.
Go deeper Chapter 24: The Frame: Shot Sizes, Angles, and Composition · Safe Zone Checker →
S
Editing Safe zone
The part of a vertical video that isn’t covered by the app’s buttons, captions and profile info.
Why it mattersText or faces in the covered areas can’t be seen, no matter how good they are.
ExampleKeeping on-screen text in the upper-middle of the frame, clear of the right-side buttons.
Common mistakePutting your hook text at the very bottom, where the caption covers it.
Go deeper Chapter 47: Text, Captions, and Graphics · Safe Zone Checker →
Posting & numbers Sample size
How many results you’re basing a conclusion on.
Why it mattersSmall samples swing wildly. One video tells you very little.
ExampleJudging a new format after five videos, not one.
Common mistakeDeciding a format “doesn’t work” from a single post.
Go deeper Chapter 60: Fair Experiments: Learning Without Fooling Yourself
Posting & numbers Saves
How many people bookmarked your video to come back to.
Why it mattersSaves usually mean useful. They’re a good sign for tutorials and lists.
ExampleA packing checklist gets more saves than likes.
Common mistakeIgnoring saves because they’re less visible than likes.
Go deeper Chapter 59: Reading Your Numbers
Story & script Script
The written plan for what you’ll say and show, in order. It can be every word or a few bullet points.
Why it mattersA script cuts rambling, keeps the video short and makes filming much faster.
ExampleHook, three steps, payoff, ending: five lines on a phone note.
Common mistakeWriting how you’d write an essay. Scripts are for the ear: short sentences, everyday words.
Go deeper Chapter 20: Writing the Script · Script Timer →
Editing Selects
The best takes and moments you pull out of all your footage before you start the real edit.
Why it mattersEditing from selects is faster and keeps weak takes out.
ExampleFifteen minutes of footage becomes two minutes of selects on a separate timeline.
Common mistakeEditing straight from all the raw clips and keeping things because they were hard to get.
Go deeper Chapter 43: Choosing Your Best Footage · Chapter 49: The Editing Workflow
Story & script Series
A set of videos that share a name, format and theme, made to be watched in order or as a collection.
Why it mattersSeries give people a reason to follow: the next part is coming.
Example“Fix It Friday,” posted every week.
Common mistakeStarting a series without enough ideas for at least five episodes.
Go deeper Chapter 21: Formats and Series · Content Planner →
Posting & numbers Shadowban
A popular term for when an app quietly limits who sees your content without telling you.
Why it mattersApps can restrict content that breaks their rules, but most drops in views have ordinary causes.
ExampleViews fell after a run of weaker hooks, not a ban.
Common mistakeBlaming a shadowban before checking your account status and your recent retention.
Go deeper Chapter 2: How the Feed Decides What People See · Chapter 74: Protecting Your Account: Hacks, Strikes, Scams and Backups
Camera & light Shot size · Wide shot, Medium shot, Close-up
How much of the scene fills the frame, from a wide shot that shows the whole place to an extreme close-up of one detail.
Why it mattersChanging shot size changes how a moment feels: wide for context, close for emotion and detail.
ExampleWide of the kitchen, medium of you at the counter, close-up of the knife going through the bread.
Common mistakeShooting the whole video in one medium shot.
Go deeper Chapter 24: The Frame: Shot Sizes, Angles, and Composition · Shot List & Storyboard →
Sound Shotgun mic
A long, narrow mic that picks up mostly what it points at.
Why it mattersGood for on-camera mics and booms, as long as it’s close and aimed at your mouth.
ExampleA shotgun on a boom just out of frame above you.
Common mistakeMounting it on a camera three meters away and expecting clean sound.
Go deeper Chapter 34: Microphones and Gear
Story & script Show, don’t tell
Letting the picture make the point instead of saying it.
Why it mattersVideo is a visual medium. What viewers see is more convincing than what you say.
ExampleInstead of “it’s really sticky,” pull the spoon up and let the sauce stretch.
Common mistakeNarrating what’s already on screen (“As you can see, I’m cutting the onion”).
Go deeper Chapter 8: Make It Something They Can See · Chapter 19: Meaning, Information, and Words
Camera & light Shutter speed
How long each frame is exposed to light, like 1/60 of a second.
Why it mattersIt controls motion blur and can cause or cure flicker under indoor lights.
ExampleAt 30 fps, about 1/60 gives natural-looking motion.
Common mistakeUsing a very fast shutter outdoors, which makes motion look choppy.
Go deeper Chapter 29: Your Phone as a Camera · Camera Settings Helper →
Editing Smash cut
A sudden cut from one moment to a very different one, often for comedy or shock.
Why it mattersThe contrast lands the joke or the surprise.
Example“How hard can it be?” Smash cut to the kitchen on fire.
Common mistakeSmash cutting so often that nothing is surprising anymore.
Go deeper Chapter 44: Cuts and Transitions
Camera & light Soft light · Hard light
Light from a large source that wraps around the subject with gentle shadows. Hard light comes from a small source and makes sharp shadows.
Why it mattersSoft light flatters faces and products. Hard light adds drama but shows every flaw.
ExampleAn overcast sky or a curtain-covered window is soft. Direct midday sun is hard.
Common mistakeFilming in harsh overhead light and wondering why eyes look like dark holes.
Go deeper Chapter 28: Light
Editing Sound bridge
A sound that carries across a cut, joining two shots.
Why it mattersIt makes jumps in time or place feel connected.
ExampleAn alarm clock ringing over the last shot of night and the first of morning.
Common mistakeUsing a bridge sound that doesn’t belong to either scene.
Go deeper Chapter 38: Sound Design · Chapter 44: Cuts and Transitions
Sound Sound design
Choosing and shaping every sound in a video, including effects, ambience and music, to support the story.
Why it mattersSound tells viewers how to feel and where to look.
ExampleA soft whoosh as the title appears, a click as each step lands.
Common mistakePutting an effect on every cut until nothing stands out.
Go deeper Chapter 38: Sound Design
Rights & business Sponsorship disclosure · #ad, Paid partnership
Clearly telling viewers when you’re paid, gifted or otherwise connected to something you promote.
Why it mattersIt’s required by law in many countries and by platform rules, and hiding it destroys trust.
ExampleUsing the platform’s paid-partnership label and saying “they sent me this” in the video.
Common mistakeHiding #ad among 20 hashtags or only mentioning it in the caption.
Go deeper Chapter 66: Brands, Partnerships, and Platform Money · Chapter 71: Honesty and Trust
Story & script Stakes
What could be won or lost. Why the outcome matters to someone.
Why it mattersViewers care about results when something is on the line.
Example“If this repair fails, I’m buying a new laptop tonight.”
Common mistakeInventing fake drama instead of naming the real stakes, which are usually enough.
Go deeper Chapter 10: Getting People to Care · Chapter 18: Characters and Conflict
Camera & light Storyboard
Quick sketches or reference photos of each planned shot, in order.
Why it mattersIt shows problems before you film, like five shots in a row from the same angle.
ExampleStick figures on sticky notes: hands, pan, plate, face.
Common mistakeThinking it has to look good. Boxes and arrows are enough.
Go deeper Chapter 22: See It Before You Shoot It · Shot List & Storyboard →
Posting & numbers Swipe-away rate · Skip rate, Viewed vs swiped away
The share of people who scrolled past your short video almost immediately.
Why it mattersIt’s the clearest measure of whether your first second works.
ExampleYouTube Shorts shows it as “viewed” versus “swiped away.”
Common mistakeFixing the ending when the swipe-away rate says the start is the problem.
Go deeper Chapter 59: Reading Your Numbers · Hook Checker →
T
Story & script Teleprompter
Your script scrolling near the camera lens so you can read it while looking at the viewer.
Why it mattersIt keeps long or precise lines accurate without memorizing them.
ExampleReading a 60-second explainer from your phone screen with the front camera behind the words.
Common mistakeScrolling too fast and putting the text far from the lens, so your eyes visibly track it.
Go deeper Chapter 30: Being on Camera · Teleprompter →
AI Text-to-video · Image-to-video
AI tools that create video clips from a written description, or from a starting image (image-to-video).
Why it mattersThey can make shots you couldn’t film, but each clip needs direction and checking.
ExampleStarting from a still image of your product and asking for a slow push-in.
Common mistakeAsking for a whole story in one prompt instead of directing it shot by shot.
Go deeper Chapter 53: AI Video: Directing the Motion · Chapter 55: Making a Complete AI Video
Camera & light Three-point lighting
A classic setup with a key light (main light), a fill light (softens shadows) and a back light (separates you from the background).
Why it mattersIt’s a reliable starting point that makes faces look dimensional and clear.
ExampleA window as the key, a white poster board as fill and a desk lamp behind you as back light.
Common mistakeThinking you need three expensive lights. A window and a reflector already gets you most of the way.
Go deeper Chapter 28: Light
Posting & numbers Traffic sources
Where views came from: the For You feed, search, your profile, shares, other sites.
Why it mattersDifferent sources need different fixes. Search traffic depends on keywords; feed traffic depends on the hook.
ExampleAn old how-to video still getting most views from search.
Common mistakeReading all views as the same, wherever they came from.
Go deeper Chapter 59: Reading Your Numbers
Story & script Turning point
A moment where things change direction: a discovery, a setback or a decision.
Why it mattersTurning points keep a story moving. Without them, a video is a list.
ExampleThe cake is going perfectly, then it collapses in the oven.
Common mistakeHaving the whole video go smoothly from start to finish.
Go deeper Chapter 17: Scenes, Beats, and Turning Points
Rights & business Two-factor authentication · 2FA, Passkey
A second check when you log in, beyond your password, like an app code or a passkey.
Why it mattersHacked creator accounts are common. 2FA stops most of those attacks.
ExampleAn authenticator app or a passkey instead of text-message codes where you can.
Common mistakeTurning it on, then saving the backup codes nowhere.
Go deeper Chapter 74: Protecting Your Account: Hacks, Strikes, Scams and Backups
U
Rights & business UGC · User-generated content
Content made by customers or creators, in a natural style, that brands use in their own ads or posts.
Why it mattersBrands pay creators to make UGC-style videos, sometimes without posting them on the creator’s account.
ExampleA brand pays for a natural-looking unboxing video to run as its own ad.
Common mistakeNot charging separately for the brand’s ad usage of the video.
Go deeper Chapter 66: Brands, Partnerships, and Platform Money
Ideas & hooks Unique angle
Your own way into a topic: the experience, access, test or opinion that makes your version different from the hundred others.
Why it mattersIf your video could have been made by anyone, viewers have no reason to choose yours.
ExampleNot “how to make coffee,” but “a barista fixes the five coffee mistakes she sees every shift.”
Common mistakeConfusing a different style (faster cuts, louder music) with a different angle.
Go deeper Chapter 4: Know Yourself: Purpose, Voice, and Trust · Chapter 5: Finding Ideas Worth Making · Idea Scorer →
Rights & business Usage rights · Paid usage, Whitelisting
Permission for a brand to use your video, where and for how long, such as running it as an ad.
Why it mattersAds and long usage are worth more money. They should be priced separately from making the video.
Example“Organic posting only” versus “three months of paid ads on all platforms.”
Common mistakeSigning a deal that gives a brand “perpetual” rights for the price of one post.
Go deeper Chapter 66: Brands, Partnerships, and Platform Money
V
Ideas & hooks Viewer profile · Persona, Target audience
A short, specific description of the one person a video is for: their situation, problem and what they already know.
Why it mattersWriting for one real-feeling person makes every choice easier, from the hook to the words you use.
Example“A new parent who wants a dinner on the table in 20 minutes and has never used a wok.”
Common mistakeDescribing a demographic (“women 25 to 34”) instead of a person with a problem.
Go deeper Chapter 3: Know Your Viewer · Niche Picker →
Posting & numbers Viral
When a video spreads far beyond your usual audience, mostly through shares and recommendations.
Why it mattersIt can bring a wave of new viewers, and a lot of comments to manage.
ExampleA video that normally gets 2,000 views reaches 2 million.
Common mistakeTreating virality as a plan. Make good videos consistently and be ready if one takes off.
Go deeper Chapter 62: When a Video Takes Off
AI Voice clone
An AI copy of a real person’s voice that can say new lines.
Why it mattersIt can fix a line without re-recording, but using someone’s voice without permission is a serious problem.
ExampleFixing one mispronounced word in your own voiceover.
Common mistakeCloning someone else’s voice “as a joke.”
Go deeper Chapter 54: AI Voices, Music, and Sound · Chapter 56: Real and AI Together: Hybrid Video and Responsible Publishing
Story & script Voiceover · VO
Narration recorded separately and played over the footage.
Why it mattersIt lets you film the action without talking, and fix the words later.
ExampleFilm your hands making the recipe, then record the steps in a quiet closet.
Common mistakeReading the voiceover flat because you’re reading. Smile, stand up and talk to one person.
Go deeper Chapter 36: Recording Your Voice
W
Posting & numbers Watch time
The total time people spent watching a video, added up across every view.
Why it mattersApps see it as a sign viewers found the video worth their time.
Example1,000 views at an average of 20 seconds is about 5.5 hours of watch time.
Common mistakePadding a video to make it longer, which usually lowers how much of it people watch.
Go deeper Chapter 59: Reading Your Numbers
Camera & light White balance
How the camera decides what “white” looks like under your light, which sets whether the picture looks warm (orange) or cool (blue).
Why it mattersWrong or changing white balance makes skin look odd and clips look mismatched.
ExampleLamp light looks orange and shade looks blue until the white balance is matched to them.
Common mistakeMixing a warm lamp with cool window light on the same face.
Go deeper Chapter 28: Light · Chapter 29: Your Phone as a Camera · Chapter 48: Color · Camera Settings Helper →
How to use it
Search for a word you heard, or browse by area: ideas and hooks, story, camera and light, sound, editing, posting and numbers, AI, and rights and business. Tap a term for why it matters, an example and the mistake most people make with it.
Every term links to the related ones and to the chapter of Worth Watching that goes deeper, and many link to a free tool that helps you put it into practice. Share any term as an image, or send a friend the quiz.
Common questions
Is this the glossary from the book?
No. These were written fresh for the site, with an example and a common mistake for each. The book’s own glossary covers over 300 terms, with notes on where each one comes up.
A term is missing. Can I suggest one?
Yes, please email Ray with the word and where you heard it.
Worth Watching turns every one of these words into practice: what to do on your next video, step by step, from the idea to the numbers.
Read the free sample →