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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 shot taken from a camera position below the subject






2. A brief chronological description of the basic events and characters in a film. It does not include interpretive or evaluative claims






3. Drawing attention to the process of representation (including narrative and characterization) to break the theatrical illusion and elicit a distanced - intellectual response in the audience






4. 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






5. 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






6. A measure of a film stock's sensitivity to light. 'Fast' refers to sensitive film stock - while slow film is relatively insensitive






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






8. 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






9. A shot transition that involves the gradual disappearance of the image at the same time that a new image gradually comes into view






10. A contemporary modification of the standard three-act structure that identifies a critical turning point at the halfway mark of most narrative films






11. A compositing method that allows cinematographers to combine live action and settings that are filmed or created separately. Actors are filmed against a green or blue background. During post-production - this background is filled in with an image thr






12. 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






13. A standard shot pattern that dictates that a shot of one character will be followed by a shot of another character - taken from the reverse angle of the first shot






14. The use of editing techniques - such as a fade or dissolve - to indicate the end of one scene and the beginning of another






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






16. 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






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






18. 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






19. A business model adopted by the major studios during the Hollywood studio era - in which studios controlled all aspects of the film business - from production to distribution and exhibition






20. 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






21. 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






22. A musical accompaniment written specifically for a film






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






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






25. 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






26. 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






27. The first print made from a film negative






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






29. The person in charge of planning the style and look of the film with the production designer and director of photography - working with actors during principal photography - and collaborating with the editor on the final version






30. Optical illusions created during post-production






31. A technique of 'pushing' the film (overdeveloping it) to correct problems of underexposure (resulting from insufficient light during shooting) by increasing image contrast






32. The falling or unraveling action after the climax of a narrative that leads to resolution






33. 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






34. 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






35. 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






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






37. The period after principal photography during which editing and looping take place - and special visual effects are added to the film






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






39. A shot taken from a camera mounted on a crane that moves three-dimensionally in a space






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






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






42. 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






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






44. 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






45. A painting used on the set as a portion of the background






46. 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






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






48. An animation technique that uses a computer program to interpolate frames to produce the effect of an object or creature changing gradually into something different. The program calculates the way the image must change in order for the first image to






49. A technique used to join live action with pre-recorded background images. A projector is aimed at a half-silvered mirror that reflects the background - which the camera records as being located behind the actors






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






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