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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 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






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






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






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






5. Film productions shot outside the U.S. for economic reasons






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






7. 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






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






9. The practice of shooting during the day but using filters and underexposure to create the illusion of nighttime






10. 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






11. An uncredited actor - usually hired for crowd scenes






12. An animation technique that uses a computer program to interpolate frames to produce the effect of an object or creature changing gradually into something different. The program calculates the way the image must change in order for the first image to






13. The details of a character's past that emerge as the film unfolds - and which often play a role in character motivation






14. A measure of a film stock's sensitivity to light. 'Fast' refers to sensitive film stock - while slow film is relatively insensitive






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






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






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






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






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






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






21. A chemical coating on film stock containing light-sensitive grains






22. 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






23. The building block of a scene; an uninterrupted sequence of frames that viewers experience as they watch a film - ending with a cut - fade - dissolve - etc. See also Take






24. 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






25. The period of time before principal photography during which actors are signed - sets and costumes designed - and locations scouted






26. A technique of arranging the actors on the set to take advantage of deep focus cinematography - which allows for many planes of depth in the film frame to remain in focus






27. Processes such as Cinemascope and Cinerama - developed during the 1950s to enhance film's size advantage over the smaller television image






28. Early films that documented everyday events - such as workers leaving a factory






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






30. The chronological accounting of all events presented and suggested






31. A cinematography technique that produces an image with many planes of depth in focus. It can be accomplished by using a small aperture - a large distance between camera and subject - and/or a lens of short focal length






32. A shot transition that emphasizes the visual similarities between two consecutive shots






33. Light emitted from a relatively small source positioned close to the subject. It tends to be unflattering because it creates deep shadows and emphasizes surface imperfections






34. 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






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






36. Experimental film; Underground cinema;






37. A film composed entirely of footage from other films.






38. A shot filmed from an airplane or helicopter






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






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






41. A technique used to join live action with pre-recorded background images. A projector is aimed at a half-silvered mirror that reflects the background - which the camera records as being located behind the actors






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






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






44. A visual effect achieved through the use of photography and digital techniques that appears to stop time and allow the viewer to travel around the subject and view it from a multitude of vantage points






45. The first step in the process of creating CGI. The wireframe is a three-dimensional computer model of an object - which is then rendered (producing the finished image) and animated (using simulated camera movement frame by frame)






46. 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






47. Prefogging; a cinematographic technique that exposes raw film stock to light before - during - or after shooting - resulting in an image with reduced contrast. This effect can also be created using digital post-production techniques






48. A style associated with Hollywood filmmaking of the studio and post-studio era - in which efficient storytelling - rather than gritty realism or aesthetic innovation - is of paramount importance






49. 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






50. A person responsible for putting a film together from a mass of developed footage - making decisions regarding pace - shot transitions - and which scenes and shots will be used