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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. Drawing attention to the process of representation (including narrative and characterization) to break the theatrical illusion and elicit a distanced - intellectual response in the audience






2. A black masking device used to black out a portion of the frame - usually for the insertion of other images






3. A production term referring to coordinating actors' movements with lines of dialogue






4. The width of the film stock - measured across the frame. Typical sizes are 8mm - 16mm - 35mm - and 70mm






5. 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






6. 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






7. 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






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






9. The individual arrangement of lighting and camera placement used for each shot






10. An abrupt shot transition that occurs when Shot A is instantaneously replaced by Shot B.






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






12. A widescreen process that uses three cameras - three projectors - and a wide - curved screen






13. A widescreen process that uses three cameras - three projectors - and a wide - curved screen






14. 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






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






16. An early color process that replaced silver halide grains with colored salts






17. Non-diegetic; any element in the film that is not part of the imagined story world






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






19. The rules of character - setting - and narrative that films that belong to a genre - such as Westerns - horror films - and screwball comedies - generally obey.






20. A system initially developed for marketing films by creating and promoting stars as objects of admiration. The promotion of stars has now become an end in itself






21. 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.'






22. 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






23. The chip in a video camera that converts the incoming light to an electronic signal






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






25. The use of editing techniques - such as a fade or dissolve - to indicate the end of one scene and the beginning of another






26. 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






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






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






29. A shot that interrupts a scene's master shot and may include character reactions






30. A film style that - in contrast to the classical and formalist styles - focuses characters - place - and the spontaneity and digressiveness of life - rather than on highly structured stories or aesthetic abstraction






31. A narrative - visual - or sound element that refers viewers to other films or works of art






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






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






34. 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






35. A form of shot transition - generally concluding a scene - where a circular mask constricts around the image until the entire frame is black






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






37. The first step in the process of creating CGI. The wireframe is a three-dimensional computer model of an object - which is then rendered (producing the finished image) and animated (using simulated camera movement frame by frame)






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






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






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






41. 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






42. 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






43. Optical illusions created during post-production






44. Glass filters whose surface is etched with spots that refract light - so they create the appearance of water droplets in the air






45. A short screen appearance by a celebrity - playing himself or herself






46. 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






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






48. Also called 'rushes.' Footage exposed and developed quickly so that the director can assess the day's work






49. A series of individual drawings that provides a blueprint for the shooting of a scene






50. 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