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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 musical accompaniment written specifically for a film






2. A technique of intentionally adding scratches in a film's emulsion layer for aesthetic purposes - such as to simulate home movie footage






3. The written blueprint for a film - composed of three elements: dialogue - sluglines (setting the place and time of each scene) - and description. Feature-length screenplays typically run 90-130 pages






4. A crew member responsible for logging the details of each take on the set so as to ensure continuity






5. A series of related scene joined through elliptical editing that indicates the passage of time






6. Optical illusions created during post-production






7. 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






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






9. A film's main characters - one whose conflicts and motives drive the story forward






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






11. A style associated with Hollywood filmmaking of the studio and post-studio era - in which efficient storytelling - rather than gritty realism or aesthetic innovation - is of paramount importance






12. A term for film stock used in early cinema that was insensitive to red hues






13. 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






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






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






16. A crew member responsible for logging the details of each take on the set so as to ensure continuity






17. 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






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






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






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






21. A device worn by a camera operator that holds the motion picture camera - allowing it glide smoothly through spaces unreachable by camera mounted on a crane or other apparatus






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






23. 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






24. 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






25. A similarity established between two characters or situations that invites the audience to compare the two. It may involve visual - narrative - and/or sound elements






26. 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






27. A shot filmed from an airplane or helicopter






28. Author; A term popularized by French film critics and refers to film directors with their own distinctive style






29. 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






30. 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






31. A device that projects photographs or footage onto glass so that images can be traced by hand to create animated images






32. The first print made from a film negative






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






34. 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






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






36. A filter that creates points of light that streak outward from a light source






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






38. 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






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






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






41. 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






42. 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






43. The building block of a scene; an uninterrupted sequence of frames that viewers experience as they watch a film - ending with a cut - fade - dissolve - etc. See also Take






44. The plotline that surrounds an embedded tale. The frame narration may or may not be as fully developed as the embedded tale






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






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






47. 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






48. A technician responsible for splicing and assembling the film negative to the editor's specifications






49. A term applied to film stock that is relatively insensitive to light. This stock will not yield acceptable images unless the amount of light can be carefully controlled






50. A system of constructing and arranging buildings and objects on the set so that they diminish in size dramatically from foreground to background - which creates the illusion of depth