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






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






3. 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






4. Then Hollywood writers and directors cited for Contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the House Committee on Un-American Activities' attempts to root out Communists in the film industry






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






6. A model of industrial organization in the film industry from about 1915 to 1946 - characterized by the development of major and minor studios that produced - distributed - and exhibited films - and held film actors - directors - art directors - and o






7. Also called 'full screen -' the technique of re-shooting a widescreen film in order to convert it to the original television aspect ration of 1.33 to 1. Rather than reproduce the original aspect ratio - as a letterboxed version does - a panned and sc






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






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






10. 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






11. A type of short film that blends elements of documentary and avant-garde film to document and often to celebrate the wonder of the modern city






12. 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






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






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






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. Public identity created by marketing a film actor's performances - press coverage - and 'personal' information to fans as the star's personality






17. The space between the camera and subject it is filming.






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






19. Glass filters whose surface is etched with spots that refract light - so they create the appearance of water droplets in the air






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






21. 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






22. 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.'






23. A shot that interrupts a scene's master shot and may include character reactions






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






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






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






27. A narrative moment that signals an important shift of some kind in character or situation






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






29. A filter that simply reduces the amount of light entering the lens - without affecting the color characteristics






30. A technician responsible for splicing and assembling the film negative to the editor's specifications






31. 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






32. A long shot in which the film frame resembles the proscenium arch of the stage - distancing the audience






33. Standard shot pattern: A sequence of shots designed to maintain spatial continuity. Scene begin with an establishing shot - then move to a series of individual shots depicting characters and action - before reestablishing shots re-orient viewers to t






34. 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






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






36. 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






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






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






39. A shot taken from a camera position below the subject






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






41. 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






42. A camera shot taken at a large distance from the subject. Using the human body as the subject - a long shot captures the entire human form






43. Sound recorded on a set - on location - or - for documentary film - at an actual real-world event - as opposed to dubbed in post-production through ADR or looping






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






45. A camera device that opens and closes to regulate the length of time the film is exposed to light






46. A short documentary on current events - show in movie theaters along with cartoons and feature films beginning in the 1930s






47. A musical film in which each song and dance number is narratively motivated by a plot that situates characters in performance contexts






48. 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






49. A musical in which some or all musical numbers are not motivated by the narrative; for example - characters sing and dance throughout the film but at least some performances are not staged for an onscreen audience. Examples include Oklahoma - The umb






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