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






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






3. 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






4. 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






5. A type of documentary film whose purpose is to present the way of life of a culture or subculture






6. 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






7. A technique of depicting two layered images simultaneously. Images from one frame or several frames of film are added to pre-existing images - using an optical printer - to produce the same effect as a double exposure






8. 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






9. Individuals who were prevented from working in the film industry because of their suspected involvement with Communist interests






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






11. 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






12. The camera does not move across an imagined line drawn between two characters






13. A form of shot transition - generally concluding a scene - where a circular mask constricts around the image until the entire frame is black






14. Thin - flexible material comprised of base and emulsion layers - onto which light rays are focused and which is processed in chemicals to produce film images






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






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






17. 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






18. 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






19. 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






20. 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






21. The camera does not move across an imagined line drawn between two characters






22. The camera should move at least 30 degrees any time there is a cut within a scene






23. 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






24. 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






25. These filters bend the light coming into lens - softening and blurring the image






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






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






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






29. 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






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






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






32. A shot in a sequence that is taken from the reverse angle of the shot previous to it






33. A type of matte shot - created by positioning a pane of optically flawless glass with a painting on it between the camera and the scene to be photographed. This combines the painting on the glass with the set or location - seen through the glass - be






34. A format that uses a larger film stock than standard 35mm. IMAX - Omnimax - and Showscan are shot on 70mm film






35. 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






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






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






38. A single take that contains an entire scene






39. An uncredited actor - usually hired for crowd scenes






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






41. 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






42. 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






43. 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






44. A scene transition wherein sound from one scene bleeds over into the ext scene - often resulting in a contrast between sound image






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






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






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






48. A technique used to join live action with a pre-recorded background image. A projector is placed behind a screen and projects an image onto it. Actors stand in front of the screen and the camera records them in front of the projected background






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






50. 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