Items

• dolly shot

  A shot where the camera is mounted on a wheeled cart (dolly) that moves smoothly toward or away from the subject.
• downstage

  The part of the stage closest to the audience / in a proscenium theatre, this refers to a movement towards the audience.
• dramaturg

  A theatre professional who researches texts, advises on historical context, and develops new works.
• dramaturgical concept

  The central interpretive idea in a script, guiding a production’s choices (visual, aural, textual).
• dramaturgical research

  Research into the historical, cultural, and textual context of a play to inform production choices.
• dramaturgy

  The study of the writing of dramatic scripts, dramatic composition, and structure, dramaturgy, supports research and contextual work for a production.
• dress parade

  A review by the director / designer / wardrob e staff of all the costumes worn by the cast, when paraded under stage lighting, to correct any defects, misfits, etc., before the dress rehearsal.
• dress rehearsal

  A rehearsal with full costumes and make-up typically takes place shortly before the opening.
• dress rehearsal (final)

  The final rehearsal, with full costumes, makeup, and technical elements, typically takes place the day before the first performance.
• dressing

  Decorative (or practical) props and furnishings added to the set.
• dry run

  A technical run of the show without the actors, as a practice run for the technical crew.
• Dutch tilt (canted angle)

  The camera is tilted sideways, creating a slanted horizon to suggest unease, tension, or psychological imbalance.
• editing

  The process of selecting, arranging, and joining shots to construct a film’s narrative and rhythm. (only in film)
• ensemble

  A group of performers who work together as a unit, often sharing focus rather than featuring a single star.
• entrance (n) (v)

  The part of a set through which the actors can walk onto the stage / the act of an actor walking onto the stage.
• epic film

  Large-scale cinematic narratives with historical or mythical scope, emphasising spectacle.
• Epic Theatre

  Developed by Bertolt Brecht / it aims to provoke critical thinking rather than emotional identification, emphasising social and political commentary through fragmented narratives and alienation / often breaking the “fourth wall”.
• establishing shot

  A wide shot, used at the beginning of a scene, aiming to show the location or context.
• Existentialism

  A philosophical movement that explores the apparent meaninglessness of our existence and our individual choices, freedoms, anxieties, and responsibilities that emerge as a consequence.
• exit (n) (v)

  The part of a set through which the actors can leave the stage / the act of an actor walking off the stage.
• experimental film

  Non-commercial films challenging narrative conventions, focusing on form and abstraction.
• exposition

  The opening material in a play that provides background information and establishes the situation.
• Expressionism

  An early 20th-century movement in the arts that uses distortion of reality, exaggeration, and symbolism to express inner emotions rather than external reality.
• extra

  A member of the cast with no speaking role, who provides background interest in a crowd scene / the term was initially derived from the film industry.
• extreme close-up (ECU)

  Focuses on a specific detail (eye, mouth, hand, object). Creates heightened drama or symbolic emphasis.