L

lengthy take, long take: a shot of lengthy duration
lens: a ground piece of transparent glass or plastic through which light rays are refracted so they converge or diverge to form the photographic image in the camera.
literal adaptation: a film based on a stage play which basically perserved both the setting and dialogue of the original. For example, Mike Nichols' Who's Afraid of Virigina Woolf (1966) is a very faithful rendering of Edward Albee's play of the same name.
long shot: a shot of a scene taken from a distance thereby producing the effect of viewing the scene as if it were on a proscenium stage.
looping: see automatic dialogue replacement
loose adaptation: a film very loosely based on a work from another medium such as a play or novel.
loose framing: usually a long shot of a scene which because the framed image is so broad the characters have a lot of room in which to move.
low-angle shot: a shot of the subject taken from directly below. See also worm's-eye view.
low key: a method of lighting often found in mysteries and thrillers which emphasizes shadows and pools of light.
lyrical: a stylistic approach which emphasizes the romantic, thereby producing in the viewer intense emotional feelings.