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






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






3. 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






4. 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






5. Sound design that blends the speech of several characters talking simultaneously - used to create spontaneity - although it may also confuse the audience






6. The arrangement of images to depict a unified storyline






7. Fish-eye lens; With a focal length of 15mm or less - this lens presents an extremely distorted image - where objects in the center of the frame appear to bulge toward the camera






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






9. 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






10. Thin - flexible material comprised of base and emulsion layers - onto which light rays are focused and which is processed in chemicals to produce film images






11. A cinematography technique that produces an image with many planes of depth in focus. It can be accomplished by using a small aperture - a large distance between camera and subject - and/or a lens of short focal length






12. 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






13. A style associated with Hollywood filmmaking of the studio and post-studio era - in which efficient storytelling - rather than gritty realism or aesthetic innovation - is of paramount importance






14. A consistent style - theme - and subject matter developed over the course of a director's body of work






15. The reverse of Iris in: an iris expands outward until the next shot takes up the entire screen






16. A specialist who monitors the processing of color on the se and in the film lab






17. An optical effect whereby the human eye fills in gaps between closely spaced objects - so that two light bulbs flashing on and off are understood as one light moving back and forth






18. A shot transition that emphasizes the visual similarities between two consecutive shots






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






20. 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






21. An unstated meaning that underlies and is implied by spoken dialogue






22. Lighting design where the key light is somewhat more intense than the fill light - so the fill does not eliminate every shadow. The effect is generally less cheerful than high-key lighting - but not as gloomy as low-key lighting






23. An agreement made between filmmakers and those who license the use of commercial products to feature those products in films - generally as props used by characters






24. Suspended particles of silver in the film's emulsion - Which may become visible in the final image as dots






25. An effect created when too little light strikes the film during shooting. As a result the image will contain dark areas that appear very dense and dark (including shadows) and the overall contrast will be less than with a properly exposed image






26. An optical effect whereby the human eye fills in gaps between closely spaced objects - so that two light bulbs flashing on and off are understood as one light moving back and forth






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. A process of transferring film to video tapes or DVDs so that the original aspect ratio of the film is preserved






29. A painting used on the set as a portion of the background






30. A technique of depicting two layered images simultaneously. Images from one frame or several frames of film are added to pre-existing images - using an optical printer - to produce the same effect as a double exposure






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






32. A shot combining two kinds of movement: the camera tracks in toward the subject wile the lens zooms out






33. A technique of intentionally adding scratches in a film's emulsion layer for aesthetic purposes - such as to simulate home movie footage






34. Assists the editor with various tasks - including taking footage to the lab - checking the condition of the negative - cataloguing footage - and supervising optical effects - often produced by an outside company






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






36. A model of industrial organization in the film industry from about 1915 to 1946 - characterized by the development of major and minor studios that produced - distributed - and exhibited films - and held film actors - directors - art directors - and o






37. A filter that simply reduces the amount of light entering the lens - without affecting the color characteristics






38. A measure of the visual and sound quality of a film. Low-budget films tend to have lower production values because they lack the resources to devote to expensive pre- and post-production activities






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






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






41. A shot depicting the human body from the waist up






42. A chemical embedded in the emulsion layer of film stock that - when developed after exposure - releases a particular color dye (red - green - or blue)






43. Dense accumulation of detail conveyed in the opening moments of a film






44. The distance that appears in focus in front of and behind the subject. It is determined by the aperture - distance and focal length of lens






45. A character who in some way opposes the protagonist - leading to protracted conflict






46. 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






47. The annotated script - containing information about set-ups used during shooting






48. A shot taken from a vantage point so close that only a part of the subject is visible. On an actor - it might show only an eye or a portion of the face






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






50. Experimental film; Underground cinema;