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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 similarity established between two characters or situations that invites the audience to compare the two. It may involve visual - narrative - and/or sound elements






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






3. Live action is filmed in front of a blue screen and a matte. It's then joined with the background footage






4. 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






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






6. 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






7. 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






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






9. A shot that depicts a human body from the feet up






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






11. The camera does not move across an imagined line drawn between two characters






12. The classical model of narrative form. The first act introduces characters and conflicts; the second act offers complication leading to a climax; the third act contains the danouement and resolution






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






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






15. 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






16. A musical accompaniment written specifically for a film






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






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






19. A large-budget film whose strategy is to swamp the competition through market saturation






20. 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






21. 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






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






23. The technique of telling the story from an all-knowing character. Films that use restricted narration limit the audience's perception to what one particular character knows - but may insert moments of omniscience






24. An uncredited actor - usually hired for crowd scenes






25. A technique of leaving empty space around the subject in the frame - in order to covey openness and continuity of visible space and to imply offscreen space






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






27. Drawing attention to the process of representation (including narrative and characterization) to break the theatrical illusion and elicit a distanced - intellectual response in the audience






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






29. 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






30. Experimental film; Underground cinema;






31. The period after principal photography during which editing and looping take place - and special visual effects are added to the film






32. 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






33. (Automatic dialogue replacement) recording synchronized dialogue in post-production - cutting several identical lengths of developed film and having actors record the dialogue repeatedly






34. An alternative to classical and realist styles - formalism is a self-consciously interventionist approach that explores ideas - abstraction - and aesthetics rather than focusing on storytelling (as in classical films) or everyday life (as in realist






35. A technique of manipulating focus to direct the viewer's attention






36. 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






37. A black masking device used to black out a portion of the frame - usually for the insertion of other images






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






39. The classical model of narrative form. The first act introduces characters and conflicts; the second act offers complication leading to a climax; the third act contains the danouement and resolution






40. 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






41. The measure of intensity or purity of a color. Saturated color is purer than desaturated color - which has more white in it and thus offers a washed-out - less intense version of a color






42. A black masking device used to black out a portion of the frame - usually for the insertion of other images






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






44. A filter that creates points of light that streak outward from a light source






45. Using computer graphics to 'build' structures connected to the actual architecture on set or location






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






47. 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






48. Light emitted from a larger source that is scattered over a bigger area or reflected off a surface before it strikes the subject. Soft light minimizes facial details - including wrinkles






49. A shot that contains two characters within the frame






50. 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