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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. A scene transition in which the first frame of the incoming scene appears to push the last frame of the previous scene off the screen horizontally






3. The aspect ratio of 1.33:1 - standardized by the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences until the development of widescreen formats in the 1950s






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






5. A complete narrative unit within a film - with its own beginning - middle - and end. Often scenes are unified - and distinguished from one another - by time and setting






6. A term describing a conclusion that does not answer all the questions raised regarding characters or storylines - nor tie up all loose ends






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






8. A non-standard narrative organization that assumes 'day in the life' quality rather than the highly structured three-act or four part narrative - and that features loose or indirect cause-effect relationships






9. Assists the gaffer in managing lighting crews






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






11. A technique in which the audience temporarily shares the visual perspective of a character or a group of characters. The camera points in the directions the character looks - simulating the character's field of vision






12. An effect created when more light is required to produce an image strakes the film stock - so that the resulting image exhibits high contrast - glaring light - and washed out shadows. This effect ma or may not be intentional on the filmmaker's part






13. 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






14. 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






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






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






17. 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






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






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






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






21. 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






22. 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






23. A scene filmed and processed but not selected to appear in the final version of the film






24. A technique of shifting the camera angle - height - or distance to take into account the motion of actors or objects within the frame






25. 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






26. 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






27. A film style that emerged in the 1910s in Germany. It was heavily indebted to the Expressionist art movement of the time and influenced subsequent horror films and film noir






28. 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






29. A process of blending the three elements of the sound track (dialogue - music - and effects) in post-production






30. Optical illusions created during production - including the use of matte paintings - glass shots - models - and prosthesis






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






32. Natural light; The process of suing sunlight rather than artificial studio lights when filming






33. A shot transition that involves the gradual disappearance of the image at the same time that a new image gradually comes into view






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






35. A term that refers to the organization of an industry wherein one type of corporation also owns corporations in allied industries - for example - film production and video games






36. 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






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






38. Dutch angle; a shot resulting from a static camera that is tilted to the right or left - so that the subject in the frame appears at a diagonal






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






40. The narrative path of the main or supporting characters - also called a plotline. Complex films may have several lines of action






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






42. 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






43. A shot taken from a level camera located approximately 5' to 6' from the ground - simulating the perspective of a person standing before the action presented






44. Lighting design in which the greater intensity of the key light makes it impossible for the fill to eliminate shadows - producing a high-contrast image (with many grades of light and dark) - a number of shadows - and a somber mood






45. 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






46. A machine that converts film prints to videotape format






47. 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






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






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






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