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Codec

The algorithm that compresses and decompresses video data. For filmmakers, codec choice affects quality, file size, editing performance, and long-term archive compatibility.

Palm-lined coastal street — Street · PalmsA palm-lined coastal street busy with traffic below the hills.

Jacaranda-lined city street — Street · BloomA city street under blooming purple jacaranda trees.

Seaside promenade with parked cars — Street · SeasideA seaside promenade lined with parked cars and palms.

Roadside scene at dusk — Street · DuskVehicles gathered on a roadside under a warm dusk sky.

Codec vs. container

Codec is the compression algorithm: H.264, H.265, ProRes, BRAW, REDCODE. Container is the wrapper that holds the video, audio, and metadata streams: MP4, MOV, MKV, MXF, AVI. A single container can hold multiple codecs. An MP4 file might contain H.264 video or H.265 video.

Common codecs

Codec	Type	Use Case	File Size
H.264	Lossy, inter-frame	Delivery, web, mobile	Small
H.265/HEVC	Lossy, inter-frame	4K delivery, streaming	Smaller than H.264
ProRes 422	Lossy, intra-frame	Editing, intermediate	Large
BRAW	RAW, intra-frame	Blackmagic cameras	Very large
REDCODE	RAW, wavelet	RED cameras	Very large

Intra-frame vs. inter-frame

Intra-frame codecs (ProRes, BRAW, DNxHD) compress each frame independently. Every frame is a complete image — ideal for editing. Inter-frame codecs (H.264, H.265) store only the differences between frames. Smaller file sizes, but harder on the CPU during editing.

More terms

Digital Asset Management (DAM)Software for organising, storing, and retrieving media files. For filmmakers, a video-native DAM is the difference between finding a shot and scrubbing for hours.

EXIF DataThe metadata your camera embeds in every photo and video file. Make, model, lens, GPS, ISO, timestamp — the technical fingerprint of every shot you take.

Hybrid SearchCombining meaning-based search with exact-match search to produce better results than either alone. For video footage, this means finding shots by description AND by camera model, place name, or technical specs.

MetadataData about data. For video footage, it's the information that makes a clip findable: what camera shot it, what's in the frame, where it was filmed, and why you might need it again.