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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. The length in minutes for a film to play in its entirety (for example - 120 minutes). Also referred to as 'screen time.'






2. A technique of cutting back and forth between action occurring in two different locations - which often creates the illusion that they are happening simultaneously. Also called 'cross cutting.'






3. 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






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






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






6. The non-chronological insertion of scenes of events yet to happen into the present day of the story world






7. Optical illusions created during post-production






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






9. The arrangement of images to depict a unified storyline






10. Light emitted from a larger source that is scattered over a bigger area or reflected off a surface before it strikes the subject. Soft light minimizes facial details - including wrinkles






11. A short documentary on current events - show in movie theaters along with cartoons and feature films beginning in the 1930s






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






13. A term for film stock used in early cinema that was insensitive to red hues






14. The arrangement of actors on screen as a compositional element that suggests themes - character development - emotional content - and visual motifs






15. 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






16. A shot taken fro a position directly above the action - also called a 'birds' eye shot'






17. A short segment of film used to promote an upcoming release






18. A production crew responsible not for shooting the primary footage but - instead - for remote location shooting and B-roll. See also B-roll






19. A sound editing technique that links several scenes through parallel and overlapping sounds. Each sound is associated with one scene - unlike a sound bridge - where a sound from one scene bleeds into that of another






20. 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






21. A camera shot taken at a large distance from the subject. Using the human body as the subject - a long shot captures the entire human form






22. Filters that increase color saturation and contrast in outdoor shots






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






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






25. A technique of recording very few images over a long period of time - say - one frame per minute or per day






26. An alternative to continuity editing - this style of editing was developed in silent Soviet cinema - based on the theory that editing should exploit the difference between shots to generate intellectual and emotional responses in the audience






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






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






29. A crew member responsible for logging the details of each take on the set so as to ensure continuity






30. The measure of intensity or purity of a color. Saturated color is purer than desaturated color - which has more white in it and thus offers a washed-out - less intense version of a color






31. A crew member who reports to the Director of Photography (DP) and is in charge of tasks involving lighting and electrical needs






32. Prefogging; a cinematographic technique that exposes raw film stock to light before - during - or after shooting - resulting in an image with reduced contrast. This effect can also be created using digital post-production techniques






33. A shot filmed from an airplane or helicopter






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 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






36. 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






37. A screenplay written and submitted to a studio or production company without a prior contract or agreement






38. Optical illusions created during post-production






39. The horizontal turning movement of an otherwise immobile camera across a scene from left to right or vice versa






40. A crew member who works in post-production in a specially equipped studio to create the sounds of the story world - such as the shuffling of shoes on various surfaces for footsteps






41. 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






42. A shot that contains two characters within the frame






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






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






45. The conclusion of the film wraps up - all loose ends in a form of resolution - though not necessarily with a happy ending.






46. A type of short film that blends elements of documentary and avant-garde film to document and often to celebrate the wonder of the modern city






47. The imagined world of the story






48. A technique used to join live action with pre-recorded background images. A projector is aimed at a half-silvered mirror that reflects the background - which the camera records as being located behind the actors






49. 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






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