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






2. 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






3. A musical film in which each song and dance number is narratively motivated by a plot that situates characters in performance contexts






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






5. A shot that contains two characters within the frame






6. 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






7. 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






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






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






10. 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






11. A statement that asserts a judgment that a given film or group of films is good or bad - based on specific criteria - Which may or may not be stated






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






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






14. 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






15. 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






16. Dense accumulation of detail conveyed in the opening moments of a film






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






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






19. The central cause(s) behind a character's actions






20. A picture element - a measure of image density. There are approximately 18 million pixels in a frame of 35mm film and 300000-400000 in a video image






21. Recording images at a slower speed than the speed of projection (24 frames per second). Before cameras were motorized - this was called undercranking. Fewer frames are exposed in one minute - so - when projected at 24 f.p.s. - that action takes less






22. A film style that emerged in the 1910s in Germany. It was heavily indebted to the Expressionist art movement of the time and influenced subsequent horror films and film noir






23. A series of individual drawings that provides a blueprint for the shooting of a scene






24. The classical model of narrative form. The first act introduces characters and conflicts; the second act offers complication leading to a climax; the third act contains the danouement and resolution






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






26. A digital technique developed by Industrial Light and Magic - which builds movement sequences from single frames of film






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






28. A large-budget film whose strategy is to swamp the competition through market saturation






29. 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






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






31. 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






32. The narrative path of the main or supporting characters - also called a plotline. Complex films may have several lines of action






33. Creating an image by combining several elements created separately using computer graphics rather than photographic means






34. Using computer graphics to 'build' structures connected to the actual architecture on set or location






35. An action film cycle of the late 1960s and early 1970s that featured bold - rebellious African American characters






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






37. A vertical - up-and-down - motion of an otherwise stationary camera






38. A term that refers to the organization of an industry wherein one type of corporation also owns corporations in allied industries - for example - film production and video games






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






40. 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






41. The first print made from a film negative






42. A technique of overdeveloping exposed film stock (leaving it in the chemical bath longer than indicated) in order to increase density and contrast in the image






43. 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






44. The reverse of Iris in: an iris expands outward until the next shot takes up the entire screen






45. The imagined world of the story






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






47. Light striking the emulsion layer of the film - activating light-sensitive grains






48. A shot taken from a camera mounted on a crane that moves three-dimensionally in a space






49. 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






50. Any lens with a focal length approximately equal to the diagonal of the frame. For 35mm filmmaking - a 35-50 mm lens does not distort the angle of vision or depth