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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 system for recording images on magnetic tape using a digital signal - that is - an electronic signal comprised of 0s and 1s






2. Light emitted from a relatively small source positioned close to the subject. It tends to be unflattering because it creates deep shadows and emphasizes surface imperfections






3. A story narrated by one of the characters within the story - using the 'I' voice






4. A continuity editing technique that preserves spatial continuity by using a character's line of vision as motivation for a cut






5. The details of a character's past that emerge as the film unfolds - and which often play a role in character motivation






6. A change of focus from one plane of depth to another. As the in-focus subject goes out of focus - another object - which has been blurry - comes into focus in either the background or the foreground






7. A musical film in which each song and dance number is narratively motivated by a plot that situates characters in performance contexts






8. An uncredited actor - usually hired for crowd scenes






9. An optical effect whereby the eye continues to register a visual stimulus in the brain for a brief period after that stimulus has been removed






10. The chronological accounting of all events presented and suggested






11. Also called 'full screen -' the technique of re-shooting a widescreen film in order to convert it to the original television aspect ration of 1.33 to 1. Rather than reproduce the original aspect ratio - as a letterboxed version does - a panned and sc






12. A device attached to the film camera that records videotape of what has been filmed - allowing the director immediate access to video footage






13. A type of filter that absorbs certain wavelength but leave others unaffected. On black and white film - color filters lighten or darken tones. On color film - they can produce a range of effects






14. A machine that converts film prints to videotape format






15. Reels of film that are shipped to movie theaters for exhibition. Digital cinema - which can be distributed via satellite - broadband - or on media such as DVDs - may soon replace film prints because the latter are expensive to create - copy - and dis






16. The way an actor delivers a line of dialogue - including pauses - inflection - and emotion






17. A production term denoting a single uninterrupted series of frames exposed by a motion picture or video camera between the time it is turned on and the time it is turned off. Filmmakers shoot several takes of any scene and the film editor selects the






18. A technique of underdeveloping exposed film stock (leaving it in a chemical batch a shorter amount of time than usual) in order to achieve the visual effect of reducing contrast






19. Film productions shot outside the U.S. for economic reasons






20. A platform on wheels - used for mobile camera shots






21. A lens with a focal length greater than 50 mm (usually between 80mm and 20mm) - which provides a larger image of the subject than a normal or wide-angle lens but which narrows the angle of vision and flattens the depth of the image relative to normal






22. A term applied to film stock that is relatively insensitive to light. This stock will not yield acceptable images unless the amount of light can be carefully controlled






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






24. The five vertically integrated corporations that exerted the greatest control over film production in the studio era: MGM - Warner Brothers - RKO - Twentieth Century Fox - and Paramount






25. An action film cycle of the late 1960s and early 1970s that featured bold - rebellious African American characters






26. 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






27. A shot in a sequence that is taken from the reverse angle of the shot previous to it






28. 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






29. A film that fuses the conventions of two or more genres






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






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






32. Smaller corporations that did not own distribution and/or exhibition companies in the studio era - including Universal - Columbia - and United Artists






33. These filters bend the light coming into lens - softening and blurring the image






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






35. A person responsible for putting a film together from a mass of developed footage - making decisions regarding pace - shot transitions - and which scenes and shots will be used






36. Any narrative - visual - or sound element that is repeated and thereby acquires and reflects its significance to the story - characters - or themes of the film.






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






38. Devices that attach to actors' faces and/or bodies to change their appearance






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






40. 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






41. A group of films within a given genre that share their own specific set of conventions that differentiate them from other films in the genre. For example - the slasher film is a subgenre of the horror genre






42. 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






43. Processes such as Cinemascope and Cinerama - developed during the 1950s to enhance film's size advantage over the smaller television image






44. An attribute of newer television monitors - where each frame is scanned by the electron beam as a single field. If slowed down - each frame would appear on the monitor in its entirety on the screen - rather than line by line - as is the case with int






45. The non-chronological insertion of events from the past into the present day of the story world






46. Early films that documented everyday events - such as workers leaving a factory






47. The practice of shooting during the day but using filters and underexposure to create the illusion of nighttime






48. Using computer graphics to 'build' structures connected to the actual architecture on set or location






49. A lens with a focal length greater than 50 mm (usually between 80mm and 20mm) - which provides a larger image of the subject than a normal or wide-angle lens but which narrows the angle of vision and flattens the depth of the image relative to normal






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