Highlight-weighted Metering
A metering pattern that biases exposure toward protecting the brightest area of the frame from clipping.
In depth
Developed for stage and concert work, it assumes the important subject is the brightest thing in frame and that surrounding darkness should be allowed to fall. It effectively automates the spot-meter-and-compensate workflow, and it is equally useful for anything lit by a hard, isolated source.
Examples in practice
A dancer under a single spotlight is exposed correctly frame after frame as the light moves, with the black surround left untouched.