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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. Cinema verite; a documentary style in which the filmmaker attempts to remain as unobtrusive as possible - recording without obvious editorial comment






2. A type of film stock that is sensitive to (in other words - registers) all tones in the color spectrum






3. 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






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






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






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






7. 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






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






9. An agreement made between filmmakers and those who license the use of commercial products to feature those products in films - generally as props used by characters






10. The practice or repeatedly casting actors in similar roles across different films






11. A pan executed so quickly that it produces a blurred image - indicated rapid activity or - sometimes - the passage of time






12. 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






13. The conclusion of the film wraps up - all loose ends in a form of resolution - though not necessarily with a happy ending.






14. 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






15. A statement that asserts a judgment that a given film or group of films is good or bad - based on specific criteria - Which may or may not be stated






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






17. A device worn by a camera operator that holds the motion picture camera - allowing it glide smoothly through spaces unreachable by camera mounted on a crane or other apparatus






18. A production crew responsible not for shooting the primary footage but - instead - for remote location shooting and B-roll. See also B-roll






19. 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






20. A crew member whose job is to maintain consistency in visual details from one shot to the next






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






22. 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






23. 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






24. A painting used on the set as a portion of the background






25. 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






26. Muted - washed out color that contains more white than a saturated color






27. 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






28. 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






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






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






31. 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






32. A shot taken from a camera position above the subject - looking down at it






33. The plotline that surrounds an embedded tale. The frame narration may or may not be as fully developed as the embedded tale






34. 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






35. A shot combining two kinds of movement: the camera tracks in toward the subject wile the lens zooms out






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






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






38. Any noticeable but unintended discrepancy from one shot to the next in costume - props - hairstyle - posture - etc.






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






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






41. A pan executed so quickly that it produces a blurred image - indicated rapid activity or - sometimes - the passage of time






42. 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






43. A shot combining two kinds of movement: the camera tracks in toward the subject wile the lens zooms out






44. A shot that includes a human figure from the shoulders up






45. 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






46. 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






47. A technique of overdeveloping exposed film stock (leaving it in the chemical bath longer than indicated) in order to increase density and contrast in the image






48. 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






49. The annotated script - containing information about set-ups used during shooting






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