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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. Author; A term popularized by French film critics and refers to film directors with their own distinctive style






2. 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






3. An actor whose career rests on playing minor or secondary quirky characters rather than leading roles






4. The arrangement of images to depict a unified storyline






5. 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






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






7. A technique of moving a zoom lens from a wide-angle position to a telephoto position - which results in a magnification of the subject within the frame - and keeps the subject in focus






8. 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






9. Leaving the silver grains in the emulsion rather than bleaching them out - which produces desaturated color






10. A technique of moving a zoom lens from a wide-angle position to a telephoto position - which results in a magnification of the subject within the frame - and keeps the subject in focus






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






12. A flexible celluloid strip that - along with the emulsion layer - comprises 35mm film stock






13. The artful use of light and dark areas in the composition in black and white filmmaking






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






15. 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






16. Sound recorded on a set - on location - or - for documentary film - at an actual real-world event - as opposed to dubbed in post-production through ADR or looping






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






18. 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






19. 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






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 fiction film (often a comedy) that uses documentary conventions on fictional rather than real-world subject matter






22. A crew member whose job is to measure the distance between the subject and the camera lens - marking the ring on the camera lens - and ensuring the ring is turned precisely so that the image is in focus






23. 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






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






25. An optical technique that divides the screen into two or more frames






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






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






28. 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






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






30. 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






31. A visual effect created when the subject in the frame is restricted by the objects or the physical properties of the set






32. The building block of a scene; an uninterrupted sequence of frames that viewers experience as they watch a film - ending with a cut - fade - dissolve - etc. See also Take






33. A scene transition wherein sound from one scene bleeds over into the ext scene - often resulting in a contrast between sound image






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






35. A series of related scene joined through elliptical editing that indicates the passage of time






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






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






38. Sound recorded on a set - on location - or - for documentary film - at an actual real-world event - as opposed to dubbed in post-production through ADR or looping






39. Exposed and developed film stock from which the master positive is struck. If projected - the negative would produce a reverse of the image - with dark areas appearing white and vice versa or - if color film - areas of color appearing as their comple






40. 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






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






42. 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






43. A shot that focuses audience attention on precise details that may or may not be the focus of characters






44. A technique of moving the camera - on a specially built track. Such shots often trace character movement laterally across the frame or in and out of the depth of the frame






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






46. 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






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






48. A type of matte shot - created by positioning a pane of optically flawless glass with a painting on it between the camera and the scene to be photographed. This combines the painting on the glass with the set or location - seen through the glass - be






49. Images that originate from computer graphics technology - rather than photography






50. A format that uses a larger film stock than standard 35mm. IMAX - Omnimax - and Showscan are shot on 70mm film