noun
- a small motorized device used in film editing to view and synchronize motion picture film, typically consisting of a viewer and rewind mechanism
Usage: film industry term; also called a moviola (lowercase variant spelling); largely historical; digital editing has replaced mechanical film viewers
Examples
- The film editor sat at the movieola, carefully reviewing each frame of the footage.
- Before digital editing became standard, every cutting room had a movieola for reviewing dailies.
- She used the movieola to synchronize the sound track with the picture.
- The movieola allowed editors to slow down, speed up, or reverse the film for precise editing decisions.
- Vintage movieolas are now collector's items in film archives and museums.