Test your basic knowledge |

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. The chronological accounting of all events presented and suggested






2. 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






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






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






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






6. A shot taken from a camera mounted on a crane that moves three-dimensionally in a space






7. Suspended particles of silver in the film's emulsion - Which may become visible in the final image as dots






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






9. 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






10. The film medium's technological apparatus is inherently ideological






11. The term for a film's spoken dialogue - as opposed to the underlying meaning contained in the subtext






12. Color. The strength of a hue is measured by its saturation or desaturation






13. An abrupt - inexplicable shift in time and place of an action not signaled by an appropriate shot transition






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






15. A genre film that radically modifies accepted genre conventions for dramatic effect






16. The falling or unraveling action after the climax of a narrative that leads to resolution






17. 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






18. A process of transferring film to video tapes or DVDs so that the original aspect ratio of the film is preserved






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






20. 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






21. 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






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






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






25. A rule in continuity editing - which dictates that if a cut occurs while a character is in the midst of an action - the subsequent shot must begin so that audiences see the completion of that action






26. 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






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






28. A shot that contains two characters within the frame






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






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






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






32. 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






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






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






35. A direct vocal address to the audience - Which may emanate from a character or from a narrative voice apparently unrelated to the diegesis






36. Optical illusions created during post-production






37. A contemporary modification of the standard three-act structure that identifies a critical turning point at the halfway mark of most narrative films






38. 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






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






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






41. A measure of the visual and sound quality of a film. Low-budget films tend to have lower production values because they lack the resources to devote to expensive pre- and post-production activities






42. A flexible celluloid strip that - along with the emulsion layer - comprises 35mm film stock






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






44. A crew member responsible for logging the details of each take on the set so as to ensure continuity






45. 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






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






47. A method for producing a widescreen image without special lenses or equipment - using standard film stock and blocking out the top and bottom of the frame to achieve an aspect ration of 1.85:1






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






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






50. A fiction film (often a comedy) that uses documentary conventions on fictional rather than real-world subject matter