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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. The details of a character's past that emerge as the film unfolds - and which often play a role in character motivation






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






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






4. A machine that converts film prints to videotape format






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






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






7. An early color process that replaced silver halide grains with colored salts






8. Experimental film; Underground cinema;






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






10. (Automatic dialogue replacement) recording synchronized dialogue in post-production - cutting several identical lengths of developed film and having actors record the dialogue repeatedly






11. A process of blending the three elements of the sound track (dialogue - music - and effects) in post-production






12. A shot combining two kinds of movement: the camera tracks in toward the subject wile the lens zooms out






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






14. The practice of Hollywood studios contracting out post-production work to individuals or firms outside the U.S.






15. A system for combining two separately filmed images in the same frame that involves create a matte (a black mask that covers a portion of the image) for a live action sequence and using it to block out a portion of the frame when filming the backgrou






16. 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






17. A shot that focuses audience attention on precise details that may or may not be the focus of characters






18. Natural light; The process of suing sunlight rather than artificial studio lights when filming






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






20. An alternative to continuity editing - this style of editing was developed in silent Soviet cinema - based on the theory that editing should exploit the difference between shots to generate intellectual and emotional responses in the audience






21. The distance in millimeters from the optical center of a lens to the lane where the sharpest image is formed while focusing on a distant object






22. A shot that contains two characters within the frame






23. 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






24. The period of time before principal photography during which actors are signed - sets and costumes designed - and locations scouted






25. A neutral account of the basic plot and style of a film - a part of a film - or a group of films






26. A method for producing a widescreen image without special lenses or equipment - using standard film stock and blocking out the top and bottom of the frame to achieve an aspect ration of 1.85:1






27. 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






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






29. A neutral account of the basic plot and style of a film - a part of a film - or a group of films






30. A film process that uses 35mm film stock but changes the orientation of the film so that the film moves through the camera horizontally instead of vertically. The larger image is of higher quality than standard 35mm processes






31. 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






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






33. 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






34. 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






35. 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






36. A shot combining two kinds of movement: the camera tracks in toward the subject wile the lens zooms out






37. 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






38. 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






39. A term used for any narrative sound - or visual element not contained in the story world. Also called 'extradiegetic'






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






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






42. 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






43. A shot that interrupts a scene's master shot and may include character reactions






44. Secondary footage that is interspersed with master shots - sometimes in the form of footage shot for another production or archival footage






45. A visual effect created when the subject in the frame is restricted by the objects or the physical properties of the set






46. An optical effect whereby the human eye fills in gaps between closely spaced objects - so that two light bulbs flashing on and off are understood as one light moving back and forth






47. 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






48. Smaller corporations that did not own distribution and/or exhibition companies in the studio era - including Universal - Columbia - and United Artists






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






50. 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