Glossary

Video editing, in plain words.

58 terms you'll meet while editing — what they mean, and where to find them in Nova Clip.

A

Aspect ratio

The shape of the video frame, written as width:height. 16:9 is standard widescreen (YouTube), 9:16 is vertical (Reels, TikTok, Shorts) and 1:1 is square.

In Nova ClipSet it with the canvas size button in the toolbar: 1920×1080, 1080×1920, 1080×1080 and more.

B

B-roll

Supporting footage cut over the main shot (the A-roll) — for example, shots of a product while someone talks about it.

In Nova ClipPut B-roll on V2 above your main clip on V1.

Beat sync

Timing cuts to the rhythm of the music so the edit feels musical.

In Nova ClipSelect a music clip and press B to drop a marker on every detected beat.

Bitrate

How much data is used per second of video, usually in megabits per second (Mbps). Higher bitrate means better quality and bigger files.

In Nova ClipChoose 1.5–16 Mbps under Video Quality when exporting.

Blend mode

A rule for how a layer's pixels combine with the layers below — Multiply darkens, Screen lightens, Overlay adds contrast.

In Nova ClipClips on V2 support 16 blend modes.

C

Chroma key

Making one color (usually green or blue) transparent so another image shows through. Also called green screen.

In Nova ClipSelect a clip on V2 and turn on Chroma Key in Clip Info.

Codec

The method used to compress and decompress video. H.264 and VP9 are codecs; MP4 and WebM are the file containers that hold them.

Color correction

Fixing exposure and white balance so footage looks natural and consistent.

In Nova ClipClick AUTO in the Lumetri tab, or press Shift+A.

Color grading

Styling the colors of footage to create a mood or look, after it has been corrected.

In Nova ClipUse the Lumetri tab: Basic, Wheels, Curves and LUTs.

Color match

Automatically adjusting one shot so its colors match another.

In Nova ClipSample a reference with Shift+C, then match with Shift+M.

Crossfade

A transition where one shot gradually fades into the next. Also called a dissolve.

In Nova ClipOne of the 12 transitions — click the + badge between two clips.

Cut

An instant change from one shot to the next — the most common edit.

E

Export

Turning your timeline into a finished video file. Also called rendering.

In Nova ClipNova Clip exports MP4 (H.264) or WebM (VP9), from 480p to 4K.

F

Fade to black

A transition where the picture fades out to black before the next shot, often used to show time passing.

In Nova ClipAvailable as a transition, along with fade to white.

Film grain

The fine, random texture of photographic film, added digitally for a filmic feel.

In Nova ClipVideo Effects → Film Grain, or the Film look.

Frame rate

How many still images (frames) are shown per second. 24 fps looks cinematic, 30 fps is standard for online video, 60 fps looks very smooth.

In Nova ClipExport at 24, 30 or 60 fps.

Freeze frame

Holding one frame on screen as a still image.

In Nova ClipSelect a clip and press H.

G

Glow

A soft light bloom around bright areas of the image.

In Nova ClipVideo Effects → Glow, or the Bloom look.

H

H.264

The most widely supported video codec, usually stored in an .mp4 file. Plays almost everywhere.

In Nova ClipChoose MP4 (H.264) when exporting.

Histogram

A graph showing how many pixels are at each brightness level, from shadows on the left to highlights on the right.

In Nova ClipToggle it with Ctrl+Shift+H.

I

In and out points

Marks for where the part of a clip you want to use starts (in) and ends (out).

In Nova ClipPress [ and ] at the playhead.

J

J-cut

An edit where the audio of the next shot starts before its picture appears — you hear the next scene first.

Jump cut

A cut between two moments of the same shot, making time jump forward. Common in vlogs.

K

Ken Burns effect

A slow pan and zoom across a shot to add movement.

In Nova ClipUse the Pan & Zoom panel.

Keyframe

A point in time where you set a value; the editor animates smoothly between keyframes.

In Nova ClipPan & Zoom uses a start and end keyframe.

L

L-cut

An edit where the audio of the current shot continues after the picture has cut to the next one.

Letterboxing

Black bars added when a video's shape doesn't match the frame, such as a widescreen clip inside a vertical video.

Lift, Gamma, Gain

Three color wheels that adjust the shadows (lift), midtones (gamma) and highlights (gain) separately.

In Nova ClipLumetri → Wheels.

Lower third

A title in the lower part of the screen, usually showing a person's name and role.

In Nova ClipUse the Lower Third title template.

LUT

Look-Up Table: a file (usually .cube) that maps colors to new colors to apply a look in one step.

In Nova ClipImport a .cube file in Lumetri → LUTs.

M

Marker

A flag on the timeline marking an important moment.

In Nova ClipPress M; jump between markers with Shift+ / .

N

NLE

Non-linear editor: software that lets you edit any part of a video in any order without changing the original files. Nova Clip is a browser-based NLE.

Noise reduction

Reducing steady background sound such as hiss, hum or fan noise.

In Nova ClipTurn on Noise Reduction in the audio settings.

P

Picture-in-picture

A small video shown in a corner over the main video.

In Nova ClipClip Info → Picture-in-Picture on a V2 clip.

Playhead

The vertical line on the timeline showing the current moment.

R

Resolution

The number of pixels in the frame, e.g. 1920×1080 (1080p) or 3840×2160 (4K).

In Nova ClipPick 480p–4K when exporting.

Ripple delete

Deleting a clip and automatically closing the gap it leaves.

In Nova ClipTurn on Ripple in the toolbar.

S

Safe zones

Guides showing where on-screen text and app buttons won't cover important parts of the picture.

In Nova ClipPress G to cycle framing guides.

Saturation

How intense colors are. Zero saturation is black and white.

Scrubbing

Dragging the playhead back and forth to find a moment quickly.

Slip edit

Changing which part of a clip plays without moving the clip on the timeline.

In Nova ClipHold Alt and drag the clip.

Snapping

Clips jumping into alignment with nearby edges and markers while you drag them.

In Nova ClipPress T to toggle snapping.

Speed ramp

Changing a clip's playback speed for slow motion or time-lapse.

In Nova ClipSet clip speed from 0.1× to 4×.

Split

Cutting one clip into two at the playhead.

In Nova ClipPress S.

Storyboard

A grid of thumbnails showing every shot in order.

In Nova ClipPress Shift+S.

T

Timecode

A time label in hours:minutes:seconds:frames, e.g. 00:01:23:12.

Timeline

The area where clips are arranged in time, from left to right.

Track

A horizontal lane on the timeline. Higher video tracks appear on top.

In Nova ClipNova Clip has two video tracks (V1, V2) and one audio track (A1).

Transition

The way one shot changes into the next — a cut, crossfade, wipe and so on.

In Nova ClipNova Clip has 12 transitions, 0.2–2 seconds long.

Trim

Shortening a clip by moving its start or end.

In Nova ClipDrag a clip's left or right edge.

V

Vibrance

A saturation control that boosts muted colors more than already-strong ones, keeping skin tones natural.

In Nova ClipLumetri → Basic.

Vignette

Darkened edges that draw the eye to the center of the frame.

In Nova ClipVideo Effects → Vignette.

Voice-over

Narration recorded separately and laid over the video.

In Nova ClipRecord one with Ctrl+Shift+R.

VP9

An open video codec, usually stored in a .webm file. Widely supported in browsers.

In Nova ClipChoose WebM (VP9) when exporting.

VU meter

A meter showing audio loudness so you can avoid clipping.

In Nova ClipToggle it with Ctrl+Shift+U.

W

Waveform

A picture of an audio signal over time — peaks show loud moments.

In Nova ClipPress W to show waveforms on the timeline.

WebCodecs

A browser technology that gives web apps direct access to the computer's video encoders and decoders.

In Nova ClipPowers fast export in Chrome and Edge.

White balance

Adjusting color temperature and tint so white things look white.

In Nova ClipLumetri → Basic → Temp and Tint.