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






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






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






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






5. 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






6. 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






7. 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






8. 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






9. Dialogue that restates What is already obvious from images or action






10. 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






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






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






13. A marketing strategy of screening a blockbuster prior to general release only in premier theaters






14. A musical accompaniment written specifically for a film






15. A system for recording images on magnetic tape using a digital signal - that is - an electronic signal comprised of 0s and 1s






16. 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






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






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






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






20. 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






21. The annotated script - containing information about set-ups used during shooting






22. The aspect ratio of 1.33:1 - standardized by the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences until the development of widescreen formats in the 1950s






23. A model of industrial organization in the film industry from about 1915 to 1946 - characterized by the development of major and minor studios that produced - distributed - and exhibited films - and held film actors - directors - art directors - and o






24. A part of the story world implied by visual or sound techniques rather than being revealed by the camera






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






26. The width of the film stock - measured across the frame. Typical sizes are 8mm - 16mm - 35mm - and 70mm






27. The individual arrangement of lighting and camera placement used for each shot






28. 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






29. Public identity created by marketing a film actor's performances - press coverage - and 'personal' information to fans as the star's personality






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






31. The visual arrangement of objects - actors - and space within the frame






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






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






34. A change of focus from one plane of depth to another. As the in-focus subject goes out of focus - another object - which has been blurry - comes into focus in either the background or the foreground






35. A part of the story world implied by visual or sound techniques rather than being revealed by the camera






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






37. 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






38. 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






39. 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






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






41. A type of filter that absorbs certain wavelength but leave others unaffected. On black and white film - color filters lighten or darken tones. On color film - they can produce a range of effects






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






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






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






45. 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






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






47. 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






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






49. A scene filmed and processed but not selected to appear in the final version of the film






50. A brief chronological description of the basic events and characters in a film. It does not include interpretive or evaluative claims