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






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






3. 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






4. A short segment of film used to promote an upcoming release






5. 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






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






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






8. 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






9. An early color process - involving bathing lengths of processed film in dye one scene at a time






10. 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






11. A technique of cutting back and forth between action occurring in two different locations - which often creates the illusion that they are happening simultaneously. Also called 'cross cutting.'






12. A crew member who reports to the Director of Photography (DP) and is in charge of tasks involving lighting and electrical needs






13. A film style that emerged in the 1910s in Germany. It was heavily indebted to the Expressionist art movement of the time and influenced subsequent horror films and film noir






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






15. 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






16. Smaller corporations that did not own distribution and/or exhibition companies in the studio era - including Universal - Columbia - and United Artists






17. A shot taken by a camera that is held manually rather than supported by a tripod - crane or Steadicam. Generally - such shots are shaky - owing to the motion of the camera operator






18. 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






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






20. 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






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






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






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






24. A style of Japanese animation - distinguished primarily by the fact that it is not all geared for young audiences






25. 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






26. A lens with a variable focal length that allows changes of focal length while keeping the subject in focus






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






28. Fish-eye lens; With a focal length of 15mm or less - this lens presents an extremely distorted image - where objects in the center of the frame appear to bulge toward the camera






29. The artful use of light and dark areas in the composition in black and white filmmaking






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






31. A relatively long - uninterrupted sot - generally of a minute or more






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






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






34. An efficient system developed for film lighting. In a standard lighting set-up - the key light illuminates the subject - the fill light eliminates shadows cast by the key light - and the back light separates the subject from the background






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






36. 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






37. A technique of running the motion picture camera at a speed slower than projection speed (24 frames per second) - in order to produce at a fast motion sequence when projected at normal speed. The term derives from early film cameras - which were cran






38. An uncredited actor - usually hired for crowd scenes






39. A documentary or occasionally - a narrative film that presents only one side of an argument or one approach to a subject






40. A shot that appears during or near the end of a scene and reorients viewers to the setting






41. 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






42. 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






43. 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






44. 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






45. A shot filmed from an airplane or helicopter






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






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






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






49. A consistent style - theme - and subject matter developed over the course of a director's body of work






50. A term applied to film stock that is relatively insensitive to light. This stock will not yield acceptable images unless the amount of light can be carefully controlled