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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. Louis Althusser's term for the way in which a society creates its subjects/citizens through ideological (as opposed to repressive) state apparatuses - which include education - media - religion - and the family






2. A shot taken by a camera that is held manually rather than supported by a tripod - crane or Steadicam. Generally - such shots are shaky - owing to the motion of the camera operator






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






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






5. A chemical coating on film stock containing light-sensitive grains






6. A film style that - in contrast to the classical and formalist styles - focuses characters - place - and the spontaneity and digressiveness of life - rather than on highly structured stories or aesthetic abstraction






7. 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






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






9. Standard shot pattern: A sequence of shots designed to maintain spatial continuity. Scene begin with an establishing shot - then move to a series of individual shots depicting characters and action - before reestablishing shots re-orient viewers to t






10. An actor whose career rests on playing minor or secondary quirky characters rather than leading roles






11. Also called 'full screen -' the technique of re-shooting a widescreen film in order to convert it to the original television aspect ration of 1.33 to 1. Rather than reproduce the original aspect ratio - as a letterboxed version does - a panned and sc






12. Early films that documented everyday events - such as workers leaving a factory






13. 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






14. A crew member whose job is to measure the distance between the subject and the camera lens - marking the ring on the camera lens - and ensuring the ring is turned precisely so that the image is in focus






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






16. A system initially developed for marketing films by creating and promoting stars as objects of admiration. The promotion of stars has now become an end in itself






17. Creating the appearance of movement by drawing a series of frames that are projected sequentially - rather than photographing a series of still images






18. A scene transition in which the first frame of the incoming scene appears to push the last frame of the previous scene off the screen horizontally






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






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






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






22. A widescreen process that uses three cameras - three projectors - and a wide - curved screen






23. 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






24. 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






25. A story; a chain of events linked by cause-and-effect logic






26. The chronological accounting of all events presented and suggested






27. Projecting a series of frames of film with the same image - which appears to stop the action






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






29. A genre film that radically modifies accepted genre conventions for dramatic effect






30. A chemical embedded in the emulsion layer of film stock that - when developed after exposure - releases a particular color dye (red - green - or blue)






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






32. 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






33. Lighting design where the key light is somewhat more intense than the fill light - so the fill does not eliminate every shadow. The effect is generally less cheerful than high-key lighting - but not as gloomy as low-key lighting






34. The selection and ordering of narrative events presented in a film






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






36. A specialist who monitors the processing of color on the se and in the film lab






37. Experimental film; Underground cinema;






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






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






40. 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






41. 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






42. 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






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






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






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






46. A technique of shifting the camera angle - height - or distance to take into account the motion of actors or objects within the frame






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






48. 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






49. A crew member whose job is to maintain consistency in visual details from one shot to the next






50. 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