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Film Vocab

Subjects : performing-arts, film
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. A technique of overdeveloping exposed film stock (leaving it in the chemical bath longer than indicated) in order to increase density and contrast in the image






2. A pan executed so quickly that it produces a blurred image - indicated rapid activity or - sometimes - the passage of time






3. A description of film stock that is highly sensitive to light






4. The selection and ordering of narrative events presented in a film






5. A small - variable opening on a camera lens that regulates the amount of light entering the camera and striking the surface of the film






6. A technique of manipulating focus to direct the viewer's attention






7. Public identity created by marketing a film actor's performances - press coverage - and 'personal' information to fans as the star's personality






8. An efficient system developed for film lighting. In a standard lighting set-up - the key light illuminates the subject - the fill light eliminates shadows cast by the key light - and the back light separates the subject from the background






9. The camera does not move across an imagined line drawn between two characters






10. The film medium's technological apparatus is inherently ideological






11. A mental phenomenon by which viewers derive more meaning from the interaction of two sequential shots than from a single shot in isolation






12. A class or type of film - such as the Western or the horror movie. They share narrative - visual - and/or sound conventions






13. A device used to manipulate the amount and/or color of light entering the lens






14. A narrative approach that limits the audience's view of events to that of the main character(s) in the film. Occasional moments of omniscient narration may give viewers more information than the character shave at specific points in the narrative






15. The measurement of how forgiving a film stock is. It determines whether an acceptable image will be produced when the film stock is exposed to too little or too much light






16. A technique of shooting a scene at a very high speed (96 frames per second) - then adding and subtracting frames in post-production - 'fanning out' the action through the overlapping images






17. A documentary or occasionally - a narrative film that presents only one side of an argument or one approach to a subject






18. The period after principal photography during which editing and looping take place - and special visual effects are added to the film






19. A shot transition where shot A slowly disappears as the screen becomes black before shot B appears. A fade-in is the reverse of this process






20. A type of documentary film whose purpose is to present the way of life of a culture or subculture






21. A measure of a film stock's sensitivity to light. 'Fast' refers to sensitive film stock - while slow film is relatively insensitive






22. Any noticeable but unintended discrepancy from one shot to the next in costume - props - hairstyle - posture - etc.






23. The imagined world of the story






24. An early color process - involving bathing lengths of processed film in dye one scene at a time






25. A large-budget film whose strategy is to swamp the competition through market saturation






26. A musical in which some or all musical numbers are not motivated by the narrative; for example - characters sing and dance throughout the film but at least some performances are not staged for an onscreen audience. Examples include Oklahoma - The umb






27. A technique of exposing film frames - then rewinding the film and exposing it again - which results in an image that combines two shots in a single frame






28. The written blueprint for a film - composed of three elements: dialogue - sluglines (setting the place and time of each scene) - and description. Feature-length screenplays typically run 90-130 pages






29. Creating an image by combining several elements created separately using computer graphics rather than photographic means






30. A film composed entirely of footage from other films.






31. A picture element - a measure of image density. There are approximately 18 million pixels in a frame of 35mm film and 300000-400000 in a video image






32. A shot that makes the human subject very small in relation to his or her environment. The entire figure from head to toe is onscreen and dwarfed by the surroundings






33. (Automatic dialogue replacement) recording synchronized dialogue in post-production - cutting several identical lengths of developed film and having actors record the dialogue repeatedly






34. The shape of the image onscreen as determined by the width of the frame relative to its height






35. An early color process that replaced silver halide grains with colored salts






36. A standard shot pattern that dictates that a shot of one character will be followed by a shot of another character - taken from the reverse angle of the first shot






37. Squeezes the image at a ratio of 2:1 horizontally onto a standard film frame. On the projector - it unsqueezes the image - creating a widescreen aspect ratio during presentation






38. Standard shot pattern: A sequence of shots designed to maintain spatial continuity. Scene begin with an establishing shot - then move to a series of individual shots depicting characters and action - before reestablishing shots re-orient viewers to t






39. Color. The strength of a hue is measured by its saturation or desaturation






40. The first shot in a standard shot sequence. Its purpose is to provide a clear representation of the location of the action






41. A long shot in which the film frame resembles the proscenium arch of the stage - distancing the audience






42. A system for combining two separately filmed images in the same frame that involves create a matte (a black mask that covers a portion of the image) for a live action sequence and using it to block out a portion of the frame when filming the backgrou






43. The space between the camera and subject it is filming.






44. A story; a chain of events linked by cause-and-effect logic






45. A musical in which some or all musical numbers are not motivated by the narrative; for example - characters sing and dance throughout the film but at least some performances are not staged for an onscreen audience. Examples include Oklahoma - The umb






46. A lens with a shorter focal length than a normal or telephoto lens (usually between 15-35mm). The subject appears smaller as a result - but the angle of vision is wider and an illusion is created of greater depth in the frame






47. The practice of Hollywood studios contracting out post-production work to individuals or firms outside the U.S.






48. The distance in millimeters from the optical center of a lens to the lane where the sharpest image is formed while focusing on a distant object






49. Everything audiences hear when they watch a sound film. The soundtrack is the composite of all three elements of film sound: dialogue - music - and sound effects






50. A business model adopted by the major studios during the Hollywood studio era - in which studios controlled all aspects of the film business - from production to distribution and exhibition