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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. Non-diegetic; any element in the film that is not part of the imagined story world






2. 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






3. A long shot in which the film frame resembles the proscenium arch of the stage - distancing the audience






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






5. A shot filmed from an airplane or helicopter






6. A shot taken when the camera is so close to a subject that it fills the frame. It is most commonly used for a shot that isolates and encompasses a single actor's face - to emphasize the expression of emotion






7. Light emitted from a relatively small source positioned close to the subject. It tends to be unflattering because it creates deep shadows and emphasizes surface imperfections






8. Optical illusions created during post-production






9. A fiction film (often a comedy) that uses documentary conventions on fictional rather than real-world subject matter






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






11. A production term referring to coordinating actors' movements with lines of dialogue






12. Also called 'd-cinema.' Not to be confused with digital cinematography (shooting movies on digital video) - this term refers to using digital technologies for exhibition






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






14. A long shot in which the film frame resembles the proscenium arch of the stage - distancing the audience






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






16. A technique of underdeveloping exposed film stock (leaving it in a chemical batch a shorter amount of time than usual) in order to achieve the visual effect of reducing contrast






17. A transparent sheet on which animation artists draw images.






18. Any narrative - visual - or sound element that is repeated and thereby acquires and reflects its significance to the story - characters - or themes of the film.






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






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






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






22. A description of film stock that is highly sensitive to light






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






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






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






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






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






28. The practice of shooting during the day but using filters and underexposure to create the illusion of nighttime






29. A glass element on a camera that focuses light rays so that the image of the object appears on the surface of the film






30. 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






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






32. A person responsible for putting a film together from a mass of developed footage - making decisions regarding pace - shot transitions - and which scenes and shots will be used






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






34. 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






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






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






37. 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






38. 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






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






40. A shot that includes a human figure from the shoulders up






41. 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






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






43. A shot that contains two characters within the frame






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






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






46. A description of film stock that is highly sensitive to light






47. 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






48. 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






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






50. A lens with a shorter focal length than a normal or telephoto lens (usually between 15-35mm). The subject appears smaller as a result - but the angle of vision is wider and an illusion is created of greater depth in the frame