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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. An uncredited actor - usually hired for crowd scenes






2. 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






3. A system of constructing and arranging buildings and objects on the set so that they diminish in size dramatically from foreground to background - which creates the illusion of depth






4. 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






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






6. Optical illusions created during post-production






7. A compositing method that allows cinematographers to combine live action and settings that are filmed or created separately. Actors are filmed against a green or blue background. During post-production - this background is filled in with an image thr






8. Lighting design that provides an even illumination of the subject - with many facial details washed out. High-key lighting tends to create a hopeful mood - in contrast to low-key lighting






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






10. 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






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






12. A shot that contains two characters within the frame






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






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






15. The reverse of Iris in: an iris expands outward until the next shot takes up the entire screen






16. 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






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






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






19. Everything audiences hear when they watch a sound film. The soundtrack is the composite of all three elements of film sound: dialogue - music - and sound effects






20. 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






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






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






23. A crew member who works in post-production in a specially equipped studio to create the sounds of the story world - such as the shuffling of shoes on various surfaces for footsteps






24. Lighting design where the key light is somewhat more intense than the fill light - so the fill does not eliminate every shadow. The effect is generally less cheerful than high-key lighting - but not as gloomy as low-key lighting






25. 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






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 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






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






29. A computer-generated actor that some speculate will replace flesh and blood actors in the not so distant future






30. A technique of shooting a scene at a very high speed (96 frames per second) - then adding and subtracting frames in post-production - 'fanning out' the action through the overlapping images






31. 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






32. A part of the story world implied by visual or sound techniques rather than being revealed by the camera






33. 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






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






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






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






37. A musical accompaniment written specifically for a film






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






39. Recording images at a slower speed than the speed of projection (24 frames per second). Before cameras were motorized - this was called undercranking. Fewer frames are exposed in one minute - so - when projected at 24 f.p.s. - that action takes less






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






41. A narrative moment that signals an important shift of some kind in character or situation






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






43. Recording images at a slower speed than the speed of projection (24 frames per second). Before cameras were motorized - this was called undercranking. Fewer frames are exposed in one minute - so - when projected at 24 f.p.s. - that action takes less






44. A technique of intentionally adding scratches in a film's emulsion layer for aesthetic purposes - such as to simulate home movie footage






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






46. 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






47. A marketing strategy of screening a blockbuster prior to general release only in premier theaters






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






49. Literary narration from a viewpoint beyond that of any one individual character






50. A class or type of film - such as the Western or the horror movie. They share narrative - visual - and/or sound conventions