Test your basic knowledge |

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






2. Exposed and developed film stock from which the master positive is struck. If projected - the negative would produce a reverse of the image - with dark areas appearing white and vice versa or - if color film - areas of color appearing as their comple






3. A marketing strategy of screening a blockbuster prior to general release only in premier theaters






4. A change of focus from one plane of depth to another. As the in-focus subject goes out of focus - another object - which has been blurry - comes into focus in either the background or the foreground






5. Suspended particles of silver in the film's emulsion - Which may become visible in the final image as dots






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






7. The practice of Hollywood studios contracting out post-production work to individuals or firms outside the U.S.






8. A film style that - in contrast to the classical and formalist styles - focuses characters - place - and the spontaneity and digressiveness of life - rather than on highly structured stories or aesthetic abstraction






9. An unstated meaning that underlies and is implied by spoken dialogue






10. 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






11. 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






12. Lighting design in which the greater intensity of the key light makes it impossible for the fill to eliminate shadows - producing a high-contrast image (with many grades of light and dark) - a number of shadows - and a somber mood






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






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






15. Materials intentionally released by studios to attract public attention to films and their stars. Promotion differs from publicity - which is information that is not (or does not appear to be) intentionally disseminated by studios






16. 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






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






18. A non-standard narrative organization that assumes 'day in the life' quality rather than the highly structured three-act or four part narrative - and that features loose or indirect cause-effect relationships






19. 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






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






21. A film process that uses 35mm film stock but changes the orientation of the film so that the film moves through the camera horizontally instead of vertically. The larger image is of higher quality than standard 35mm processes






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






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






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






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 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






27. The chronological accounting of all events presented and suggested






28. A process of blending the three elements of the sound track (dialogue - music - and effects) in post-production






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






30. The arrangement of images to depict a unified storyline






31. The imagined world of the story






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






33. A sound editing technique that links several scenes through parallel and overlapping sounds. Each sound is associated with one scene - unlike a sound bridge - where a sound from one scene bleeds into that of another






34. A technique in which the audience temporarily shares the visual perspective of a character or a group of characters. The camera points in the directions the character looks - simulating the character's field of vision






35. The selection and ordering of narrative events presented in a film






36. The visual arrangement of objects - actors - and space within the frame






37. 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






38. A device used to manipulate the amount and/or color of light entering the lens






39. A small - variable opening on a camera lens that regulates the amount of light entering the camera and striking the surface of the film






40. An effect created when more light is required to produce an image strakes the film stock - so that the resulting image exhibits high contrast - glaring light - and washed out shadows. This effect ma or may not be intentional on the filmmaker's part






41. A visual effect created when the subject in the frame is restricted by the objects or the physical properties of the set






42. A type of filter that absorbs certain wavelength but leave others unaffected. On black and white film - color filters lighten or darken tones. On color film - they can produce a range of effects






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






44. A system for combining two separately filmed images in the same frame that involves create a matte (a black mask that covers a portion of the image) for a live action sequence and using it to block out a portion of the frame when filming the backgrou






45. 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






46. 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






47. A story; a chain of events linked by cause-and-effect logic






48. An attribute of newer television monitors - where each frame is scanned by the electron beam as a single field. If slowed down - each frame would appear on the monitor in its entirety on the screen - rather than line by line - as is the case with int






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






50. Lighting design where the key light is somewhat more intense than the fill light - so the fill does not eliminate every shadow. The effect is generally less cheerful than high-key lighting - but not as gloomy as low-key lighting