Camera and film terminology list

Abbreviation	Term / Meaning	Description
ANG	Angle	Refers to the position of the camera, vital for capturing the intended perspective.
BG	Background	Everything happening behind the main action; sets the scene and realism.
BH/CU	Big Head Close-Up	A close-up focusing on the subject’s head, highlighting facial expressions.
CH/SH	Choker Shot	A close-up framing the subject’s face, typically from the neck and above.
CL	Camera Left	Indicates the left side from the camera’s perspective.
COMP	Complete	Indicates that shooting for the scene has been successfully completed.
CONT	Continued	The scene extends to the next page in the script.
CR	Camera Right	Denotes the right side from the camera’s perspective.
CS	Close Shot	A shot similar to a close-up, showing proximity to the subject.
CU	Close-Up	Captures the subject from about the neck up, focusing on expressions.
D/A	Down Angle	Camera positioned low, looking up; gives a dynamic perspective.
D/I	Dolly In	Camera moves forward towards the main action.
D/O	Dolly Out	Camera moves backwards, away from the main action.
DBLE	Double	A two-shot featuring two characters or elements.
DIAL	Dialogue	Spoken words exchanged by characters.
DISS	Dissolve	Smooth transition between two shots.
E/S	End Slate	The end or tail slate, used at the conclusion of a take.
ECU	Extreme Close-Up	Focuses on a specific detail of a character or object.
ELS	Extreme Long Shot	Wide shot showing a vast scene, characters appear small.
ENT	Enter	Marks a character or object entering the frame.
EST SHT	Establishing Shot	Shows the setting or location of a scene.
EXT	Exterior	Indicates that the scene is set outdoors.
F/I	Fade In	Transition from black to video to begin a scene.
F/O	Fade Out	Transition from video to black to end a scene.
F/SH	Full Shot	Captures a person from head to toe.
F2/SHT	Full Two Shot	Two people captured full-body within the frame.
F3/SHT	Full Three Shot	Three people captured full-body within the frame.
FG	Foreground	Objects closest to the camera within the frame.
FS	False Start	Mistake near “action” cue; requires a reshoot.
FT	Feet	Unit of physical film length, used for camera setup.
FX	Special Effect	Visual trick or illusion simulating imagined events.
GD	Good	Director’s approval for a satisfactory shot.
GR/SH	Group Shot	Medium or wide shot showing multiple characters.
GS	Green Screen	Green background used for compositing digital elements.
H/A	High Angle	Camera looks down from a high position.
HH	Hand Held	Camera held by operator for a natural, shaky effect.
INC	Incomplete	Scene not fully shot; more setups required.
INT	Interior	Scene filmed indoors.
L/A	Low Angle	Camera positioned low, looking up; makes subject dominant.
L-R	Left to Right	Camera moves from left to right.
L/S	Long Shot	Shows entire characters and surrounding environment.
MAST	Master Shot	Records the full scene in one continuous wide shot.
MCS	Medium Close Shot	Captures from mid-chest up, balancing intimacy and context.
MCU	Medium Close-Up	Similar to MCS; captures mid-chest up.
MED	Medium Shot	Captures subject from waist up.
MLS	Medium Long Shot	Frames character from mid-thigh up (Cowboy Shot).
MOS	Mit Out Sound	Scene filmed without sound for later dubbing.
MW	Medium Wide	Same as MLS; shows subject from mid-thigh up.
NG	No Good	Unsatisfactory take, not suitable for use.
OC	Off-Camera	Action or sound occurs off camera.
OOF	Out of Focus	Shot is not in focus; typically an error.
OS	Off-Screen	Action occurs outside the frame but within story context.
OTS	Over the Shoulder	Shot taken from behind one character’s shoulder.
P/B	Pull Back	Camera moves backward from main action.
P/I	Push In	Camera moves forward toward the main action.
PU	Pick Up	Re-recorded section of a shot to improve or fix details.
R-L	Right to Left	Camera moves from right side to left.
R/SH	Rack Focus Shot	Focus shifts between subjects during one shot.
RS	Reset	Scene starts over again from the beginning.
RVS	Reverse	Captures the reverse angle of a previous shot.
S/C	Steadicam	Camera on stabiliser for smooth movement.
SER	Series	Multiple takes done within one continuous setup.
SFX (Sound)	Sound Effect	Artificial or enhanced sounds for a scene.
SFX (Visual)	Special Effect	Visual illusion or trick to simulate events.
SGLE/FS	Single Full Shot	One person shown full-body.
SND	Sound	Sound recorded for the take.
T/S	Tracking / Trucking Shot	Camera follows character movement through the scene.
T/S (Alt)	Tail Slate	Slate at end of take, usually upside down.
TRAV/SH	Travelling Shot	Camera follows subject movement; same as tracking shot.
VFX	Visual Effect	Digital or practical illusion enhancing realism or fantasy.
V.O.	Voice Over	Narration or voice recorded off-screen.
W.L.	Wild Line	Dialogue recorded separately for editing into the scene.
X’S	Crosses Screen	Character or object crosses from one side to the other.
X’T	Exits Shot	Character or object leaves the frame.
X/ANG	Cross Angle	Two opposing but matching shot angles.
XWIDE	Extreme Wide	Very wide shot showing large-scale environment.
Z/I	Zoom In	Lens zooms closer to subject.
Z/O	Zoom Out	Lens zooms out to reveal more of the scene.

Info collected fromt his website

https://editmentor.com/blog/decoding-the-language-of-filmmaking-a-guide-to-common-abbreviations/