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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 short screen appearance by a celebrity - playing himself or herself






2. The non-chronological insertion of events from the past into the present day of the story world






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






4. A continuity editing technique that preserves spatial continuity by using a character's line of vision as motivation for a cut






5. A device attached to the film camera that records videotape of what has been filmed - allowing the director immediate access to video footage






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






7. An agreement made between filmmakers and those who license the use of commercial products to feature those products in films - generally as props used by characters






8. A technician responsible for splicing and assembling the film negative to the editor's specifications






9. 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.






10. A business model adopted by the major studios during the Hollywood studio era - in which studios controlled all aspects of the film business - from production to distribution and exhibition






11. 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






12. 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






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






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






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






16. Then Hollywood writers and directors cited for Contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the House Committee on Un-American Activities' attempts to root out Communists in the film industry






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






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 shot transition that emphasizes the visual similarities between two consecutive shots






20. A pan executed so quickly that it produces a blurred image - indicated rapid activity or - sometimes - the passage of time






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






22. 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






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






24. The visual arrangement of objects - actors - and space within the frame






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






26. A crew member whose job is to maintain consistency in visual details from one shot to the next






27. The way an actor delivers a line of dialogue - including pauses - inflection - and emotion






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






29. A property of older television monitors - where each frame was scanned as two fields: One consisting of all the odd numbered lines - the other all the even lines. If slowed down - the television image would appear to sweep down the screen one line at






30. A digital technique developed by Industrial Light and Magic - which builds movement sequences from single frames of film






31. A type of film stock that is sensitive to (in other words - registers) all tones in the color spectrum






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






33. 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






34. Muted - washed out color that contains more white than a saturated color






35. Any narrative - visual - or sound element that is repeated and thereby acquires and reflects its significance to the story - characters - or themes of the film.






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






37. A shot taken by a camera that is held manually rather than supported by a tripod - crane or Steadicam. Generally - such shots are shaky - owing to the motion of the camera operator






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






39. 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.






40. 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.'






41. 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






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






43. Materials intentionally released by studios to attract public attention to films and their stars. Promotion differs from publicity - which is information that is not (or does not appear to be) intentionally disseminated by studios






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






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






46. These filters bend the light coming into lens - softening and blurring the image






47. 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






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






49. A film process that uses 35mm film stock but changes the orientation of the film so that the film moves through the camera horizontally instead of vertically. The larger image is of higher quality than standard 35mm processes






50. Projecting a series of frames of film with the same image - which appears to stop the action