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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 shot that contains two characters within the frame






2. Optical illusions created during post-production






3. 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






4. A style of stage acting developed from the teachings of Constantin Stanislavsky - which trains actors to get into character through the use of emotional memory






5. 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






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






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






8. Individuals who were prevented from working in the film industry because of their suspected involvement with Communist interests






9. 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






10. A small - variable opening on a camera lens that regulates the amount of light entering the camera and striking the surface of the film






11. Optical illusions created during post-production






12. 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






13. A type of documentary film whose purpose is to present the way of life of a culture or subculture






14. Live action is filmed in front of a blue screen and a matte. It's then joined with the background footage






15. The period after principal photography during which editing and looping take place - and special visual effects are added to the film






16. 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






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






18. A lens with a shorter focal length than a normal or telephoto lens (usually between 15-35mm). The subject appears smaller as a result - but the angle of vision is wider and an illusion is created of greater depth in the frame






19. 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






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






21. 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






22. 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






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






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






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






26. 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






27. A single take that contains an entire scene






28. A type of filter that absorbs certain wavelength but leave others unaffected. On black and white film - color filters lighten or darken tones. On color film - they can produce a range of effects






29. 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






30. A post-studio era Hollywood film designed to appeal to the broadest possible audience by fusing a simple story line with major movie stars and mounting a lavish marketing campaign






31. 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






32. 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






33. A machine used to create optical effects such as fades - dissolves - and superimpositions. Most are now created digitally






34. A shot that depicts a human body from the feet up






35. Creating the appearance of movement by drawing a series of frames that are projected sequentially - rather than photographing a series of still images






36. A statement that asserts a judgment that a given film or group of films is good or bad - based on specific criteria - Which may or may not be stated






37. The average length in seconds of a series of shots - covering a portion of a film or an entire film; a measure of pace within a scene or in the film as a whole.






38. 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






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






40. 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






41. 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






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






43. A machine used to create optical effects such as fades - dissolves - and superimpositions. Most are now created digitally






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






45. An early color process - involving bathing lengths of processed film in dye one scene at a time






46. A musical film in which each song and dance number is narratively motivated by a plot that situates characters in performance contexts






47. A shot taken from a camera position below the subject






48. Light striking the emulsion layer of the film - activating light-sensitive grains






49. A videotape system that records images onto magnetic tape - using electronic signals






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