MOS (Mit Out Sound / Motor Only Sync)
Definition
MOS refers to a shot filmed without recording any sound. The term is believed to derive from early German-speaking directors in Hollywood who would instruct their crews to shoot "mit out sound" (without sound). An MOS shot might be used for footage that will be entirely covered by music or voice-over in post-production, or for shots where the sound environment is so controlled that no production audio is needed. The slate for an MOS shot is typically held with the clapper sticks open (not clapped) to indicate to the editor that there is no corresponding audio.
Contextual Usage
The director tells the sound mixer, "We're going to shoot the car driving away as MOS. The entire sequence is going to be scored with music, so we don't need any production sound."
About this section
Production — or "principal photography" — is the phase in which the film or video is actually shot. It is the most visible and, typically, the most expensive phase of the entire process. Every day on ...
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