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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 part of the story world implied by visual or sound techniques rather than being revealed by the camera






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






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






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






5. A machine used to create optical effects such as fades - dissolves - and superimpositions. Most are now created digitally






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






7. 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






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






9. A shot transition that emphasizes the visual similarities between two consecutive shots






10. Lighting design that provides an even illumination of the subject - with many facial details washed out. High-key lighting tends to create a hopeful mood - in contrast to low-key lighting






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






12. Literary narration from a viewpoint beyond that of any one individual character






13. The arrangement of actors on screen as a compositional element that suggests themes - character development - emotional content - and visual motifs






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






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






16. A technique of recording very few images over a long period of time - say - one frame per minute or per day






17. A process of transferring film to video tapes or DVDs so that the original aspect ratio of the film is preserved






18. 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






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






20. The imagined world of the story






21. The shape of the image onscreen as determined by the width of the frame relative to its height






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






23. A direct vocal address to the audience - Which may emanate from a character or from a narrative voice apparently unrelated to the diegesis






24. A shot taken from a vantage point so close that only a part of the subject is visible. On an actor - it might show only an eye or a portion of the face






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






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






27. 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






28. Wheeled platform with wheels that rotate - so the dolly can change direction






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






30. 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






31. 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






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






33. A shot depicting the human body from the waist up






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






35. 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






36. A term describing a conclusion that does not answer all the questions raised regarding characters or storylines - nor tie up all loose ends






37. A character who in some way opposes the protagonist - leading to protracted conflict






38. A production term denoting a single uninterrupted series of frames exposed by a motion picture or video camera between the time it is turned on and the time it is turned off. Filmmakers shoot several takes of any scene and the film editor selects the






39. 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






40. A group of films within a given genre that share their own specific set of conventions that differentiate them from other films in the genre. For example - the slasher film is a subgenre of the horror genre






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






42. A technique of exposing film frames - then rewinding the film and exposing it again - which results in an image that combines two shots in a single frame






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






44. Assists the gaffer in managing lighting crews






45. A property of older television monitors - where each frame was scanned as two fields: One consisting of all the odd numbered lines - the other all the even lines. If slowed down - the television image would appear to sweep down the screen one line at






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






47. Any lens with a focal length approximately equal to the diagonal of the frame. For 35mm filmmaking - a 35-50 mm lens does not distort the angle of vision or depth






48. 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






49. A shot that contains two characters within the frame






50. 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