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






2. 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






3. Experimental film; Underground cinema;






4. 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






5. A shot that depicts a human body from the feet up






6. An alternative to classical and realist styles - formalism is a self-consciously interventionist approach that explores ideas - abstraction - and aesthetics rather than focusing on storytelling (as in classical films) or everyday life (as in realist






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






8. 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






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






10. An abrupt shot transition that occurs when Shot A is instantaneously replaced by Shot B.






11. 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






12. A term for film stock used in early cinema that was insensitive to red hues






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






14. A videotape system that records images onto magnetic tape - using electronic signals






15. 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






16. Leaving the silver grains in the emulsion rather than bleaching them out - which produces desaturated color






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






18. A picture element - a measure of image density. There are approximately 18 million pixels in a frame of 35mm film and 300000-400000 in a video image






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






20. A computer-generated actor that some speculate will replace flesh and blood actors in the not so distant future






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






22. 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






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






24. 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






25. 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.'






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






27. 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






28. A shot that makes the human subject very small in relation to his or her environment. The entire figure from head to toe is onscreen and dwarfed by the surroundings






29. 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






30. Secondary footage that is interspersed with master shots - sometimes in the form of footage shot for another production or archival footage






31. A crew member responsible for logging the details of each take on the set so as to ensure continuity






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






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






34. An optical effect whereby the human eye fills in gaps between closely spaced objects - so that two light bulbs flashing on and off are understood as one light moving back and forth






35. 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






36. 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






37. Processes such as Cinemascope and Cinerama - developed during the 1950s to enhance film's size advantage over the smaller television image






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






39. Assists the editor with various tasks - including taking footage to the lab - checking the condition of the negative - cataloguing footage - and supervising optical effects - often produced by an outside company






40. An abrupt - inexplicable shift in time and place of an action not signaled by an appropriate shot transition






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






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






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






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






45. 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






46. Reels of film that are shipped to movie theaters for exhibition. Digital cinema - which can be distributed via satellite - broadband - or on media such as DVDs - may soon replace film prints because the latter are expensive to create - copy - and dis






47. 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






48. Images that originate from computer graphics technology - rather than photography






49. Optical illusions created during production - including the use of matte paintings - glass shots - models - and prosthesis






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