What is meant by the term "crawl" in television production?

The term "crawl" in television production refers to moving text along the bottom of the screen. This technique is commonly used to display information such as news headlines, scores, or announcements, allowing viewers to gather additional context while still watching the main content of the program. Crawls move horizontally across the screen, typically from right to left, and serve to communicate important updates without interrupting the flow of the broadcast.

While other terms in television production might relate to graphics or transitions, they do not embody the specific action described by the term "crawl." For instance, graphics that display actor names are generally referred to as "lower thirds," and scene transitions have different terminology such as "cuts" or "fades." Lighting effects are part of the visual design in productions but have no connection to the movement of text across the screen.