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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. The non-chronological insertion of scenes of events yet to happen into the present day of the story world






2. 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






3. The non-chronological insertion of scenes of events yet to happen into the present day of the story world






4. 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






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






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






7. A technique of recording very few images over a long period of time - say - one frame per minute or per day






8. 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






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






10. A statement that presents an argument about a film's meaning and significance






11. A technique in which the audience temporarily shares the visual perspective of a character or a group of characters. The camera points in the directions the character looks - simulating the character's field of vision






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






13. A vertical - up-and-down - motion of an otherwise stationary camera






14. A technique of filming at a speed faster than projection - the projecting the footage at normal speed of 24 frames per second. Because fewer frames were recorded per second - the action appears to be speeded up






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






16. A term used for any narrative sound - or visual element not contained in the story world. Also called 'extradiegetic'






17. A shot taken when the camera is so close to a subject that it fills the frame. It is most commonly used for a shot that isolates and encompasses a single actor's face - to emphasize the expression of emotion






18. Louis Althusser's term for the way in which a society creates its subjects/citizens through ideological (as opposed to repressive) state apparatuses - which include education - media - religion - and the family






19. A technique of moving from the telephoto position to the wide-angle position of a zoom lens - which results in the subject appearing to become smaller within the frame - while remaining in focus






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






22. A transparent sheet on which animation artists draw images.






23. 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






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






25. Invisible editing; a system devised to minimize the audience's awareness of shot transitions - especially cuts - in order to improve the flow of the story and avoid interrupting the viewer's immersion it in






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






27. An effect created when too little light strikes the film during shooting. As a result the image will contain dark areas that appear very dense and dark (including shadows) and the overall contrast will be less than with a properly exposed image






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






29. The first shot in a standard shot sequence. Its purpose is to provide a clear representation of the location of the action






30. 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






31. 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






32. A neutral account of the basic plot and style of a film - a part of a film - or a group of films






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






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






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






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






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






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






39. A process of blending the three elements of the sound track (dialogue - music - and effects) in post-production






40. A screenplay written and submitted to a studio or production company without a prior contract or agreement






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






42. A film's main characters - one whose conflicts and motives drive the story forward






43. The five vertically integrated corporations that exerted the greatest control over film production in the studio era: MGM - Warner Brothers - RKO - Twentieth Century Fox - and Paramount






44. A device that projects photographs or footage onto glass so that images can be traced by hand to create animated images






45. Assists the gaffer in managing lighting crews






46. 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






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






48. Creating images during post-production by joining together photographic or CGI material shot or created at different times and places






49. 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






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