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






2. A narrative - visual - or sound element that refers viewers to other films or works of art






3. A pan executed so quickly that it produces a blurred image - indicated rapid activity or - sometimes - the passage of time






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






5. A statement that presents an argument about a film's meaning and significance






6. A shot taken from a level camera located approximately 5' to 6' from the ground - simulating the perspective of a person standing before the action presented






7. A screenplay written and submitted to a studio or production company without a prior contract or agreement






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






9. The way an actor delivers a line of dialogue - including pauses - inflection - and emotion






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






11. 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






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






13. 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






14. 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






15. A platform on wheels - used for mobile camera shots






16. A series of individual drawings that provides a blueprint for the shooting of a scene






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






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






19. 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






20. 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






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






22. 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






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






24. The measure of intensity or purity of a color. Saturated color is purer than desaturated color - which has more white in it and thus offers a washed-out - less intense version of a color






25. 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






26. The rules of character - setting - and narrative that films that belong to a genre - such as Westerns - horror films - and screwball comedies - generally obey.






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






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






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






30. A flexible celluloid strip that - along with the emulsion layer - comprises 35mm film stock






31. The narrative path of the main or supporting characters - also called a plotline. Complex films may have several lines of action






32. The non-chronological insertion of events from the past into the present day of the story world






33. A technique of leaving empty space around the subject in the frame - in order to covey openness and continuity of visible space and to imply offscreen space






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






35. A technique of manipulating focus to direct the viewer's attention






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






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






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






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. Everything audiences hear when they watch a sound film. The soundtrack is the composite of all three elements of film sound: dialogue - music - and sound effects






41. 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






42. An outlawed studio era practice - where studios forced exhibitors to book groups of films at once - thus ensuring a market for their failures along with their successes






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






44. A technique of filming at a speed faster than projection - the projecting the footage at normal speed of 24 frames per second. Because fewer frames were recorded per second - the action appears to be speeded up






45. 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






46. The measure of intensity or purity of a color. Saturated color is purer than desaturated color - which has more white in it and thus offers a washed-out - less intense version of a color






47. The average length in seconds of a series of shots - covering a portion of a film or an entire film; a measure of pace within a scene or in the film as a whole.






48. 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






49. 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






50. Prefogging; a cinematographic technique that exposes raw film stock to light before - during - or after shooting - resulting in an image with reduced contrast. This effect can also be created using digital post-production techniques