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891Final Cut Pro User Guide
gamma A curve that describes the intensity of an image. Gamma is a nonlinear function
often confused with brightness or contrast. Gamma adjustment is often used to
compensate for differences between Mac and Windows video graphics cards and displays.
gamut The gamut of a particular display device represents the total range of colors that
can be displayed on that device. Some types of displays are capable of displaying a greater
range of colors than others. Furthermore, different video and film standards specify
different color gamuts; colors that may be easily represented by one imaging medium are
out of bounds for another.
gap clip A blank clip (containing blank video and silent audio) that you can adjust to
any duration. (The film industry term for this is slug.) Gap clip color is determined by the
current background color in Final Cut Pro. You can adjust the background color using the
Player Background pop-up menu in the Playback pane of Final Cut Pro preferences.
generators Clips that are synthesized by Final Cut Pro. Generators can be used as
different kinds of backgrounds, titles, and elements for visual design.
Hand tool The editing tool that allows you to scroll in the timeline. You can select the Hand
tool by pressing the H key.
H.264 H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC (Advanced Video Coding) is a video compression
standard in widespread use for recording, distribution, and internet streaming of high-
definition (HD) video.
HDCAM A high-definition (HD) digital videotape recorder format that records an 8-bit,
7.1:1 DCT-compressed component video signal with 3:1:1 color sampling. HDCAM supports
four tracks of audio and is recorded using 1/2-inch tape.
HDV A format for recording high-definition (HD) video on DV tape. HDV uses MPEG-2
video compression with 8-bit samples and 4:2:0 chroma subsampling. HDV has a video bit
rate of 18.3 Mbps for 720p (1280 x 720) and a bit rate of 25 Mbps for 1080i (1440 x 1080).
HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) A container format for storing still images and
image sequences, defined by MPEG-H Part 12 (ISO/IEC 23008-12). HEIF was developed by
the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and can store images encoded using the HEVC
(High Efficiency Video Coding) compression standard.
HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) A video compression standard; also known as
H.265 and MPEG-H Part 2.
high-definition (HD) Refers to video with a higher resolution than standard-definition
(SD) NTSC or PAL video. The most common HD resolutions are 1280 x 720 (720p) and
1920 x 1080 (1080i or 1080p). See also NTSC format, PAL format, standard-definition (SD),
ultra-high-definition (UHD)
high dynamic range (HDR) High-dynamic-range (HDR) images have a greater range of
luminance (extra levels of brightness) than do standard-dynamic-range (SDR) images.
HDR can represent luminances as high as 10,000 nits (candelas per square meter) with a
dynamic range of 14 stops or more, creating more realistic color transitions and revealing
more detail in both shadows and highlights.
histogram
A video scope in Final Cut Pro that provides a statistical analysis of the image
by graphing the number of pixels at each percentage of luma or color. It’s useful for
comparing two clips in order to match their brightness values more closely. See also luma.