Film Evaluation (COMM-326)
The eclectic approach to analyzing films is
a composite approach that incorporates elements of other approaches
When the shape of an object is matched similarly shaped object in the next slot, this type of editing device is known as
a form cut
Which of the following would be considered a form cut
a piece of bone flung into the air dissolves into a similarly shaped orbiting object in the following sequence in the film 2001
The text offers the voice-over narration in To Kill a Mockingbird as an example of
a successful reproduction of the flavor of a first-person narrator
The prose style of Ernest Hemingway, as in the beginning of The Battler, is held up in the text as an example of
a very cinematic prose style
A fim's sequences roughly corresponds to what aspects of stage plays
acts
Dead screen refers to which of the following
an area of the screen with no interesting visual information
When a scene begins with a close-up detail shot and then, in a series of related shots, backs off from the details show its relationship to a larger visual setting, the editor is using
an inside/out editing pattern
A narrator who is not a character or participant in the story's events, tells the tale, and can be read the thoughts of others is
an omniscient third person narrator
Sound effects achieve their most original and effective results
as independent images
the color of an object as it appears in the context of its natural environment, which usually renders it complex and constantly chaning
atmospheric color
Why do most modern filmmakers not make use of the traditional transition devices such as wipes, dissolves, and fades?
audiences' visual conditioning by TV commercials to follow quick cuts without confusion
Our personal guidelines for analyzing films should
be constantly changing and growing as we experience new types of films
When color filming was developed, some directors preferred photographing their films in black and white rather than in color because
black and white required more subtle lighting and thus was more artistic and less distracting than color
The key function of a reviewer is to
bring about a better understanding or a keener appreciation of a film
Colors can be said to be used expressionistically when
colors are manipulated to make us experience the inner reality of a character
When a novel contains too many important characters to develop in sufficient depth in a film, a director may solve this problem by
creating composite characters who combine into one character the plot or thematic functions of two or more characters from the novel
Advancing colors are particularly well-suited to
creating the illusion of three-dimensionality
A director using forced perspective is attempting which of the following?
creating within a limited space the illusion of a large space
Approximates the human eye's ability to see a deep range of objects in clear focus
deep focus
In the introduction to his collected reviews, On Movies, film critic Dwight Macdonald discusses the difficulty of
defining general principles
The completely consistent use of the subjective camera
does not work well in film
Which of the following takes place in a high-angle shot
dwarfing of the subject and diminishing its importance
The Marxist approach
examines films from socioeconomic perspectives
CGI techniques have played a significant role in films ever since the original King Kong
false
Deep-focus cinematography tends to require a faster and more rhythmic editing pace
false
In Woody Allen's Annie Hall, color patterns are used ironically.
false
In evaluating a film as technical achievement, we are most concerned with what a filmmaker communicates with the film
false
In film, actos must incorporate brief pauses in the question/response patten to be understood
false
In his film Moulin Rouge, John Huston attempted to use color to cultivate an extremely realistic look
false
Montage is a technique that can stretch time and tends to lengthen the running time of a film
false
Most great directors wanted to make their films in color when color film became available.
false
Novels are usually written in the present tense, while films create a strong sense of past tense
false
Purely lateral movement in a fixed frame shot enhances the illusion of depth
false
Shots using rough-grain film stock often have a more powerful visual impact than does reality.
false
Sound always functions in a purely objective way, conveying only things we could actually hear in any given scene
false
Stills are used when the director wants to eliminate camera motion for a short period
false
Synthesizer and electronic scoring first appeared in the late 70s and has since grown in popularity; roughly a third or more of major studio releases today are scored electronically
false
Television advertisers now almost completely avoid using black-and-white commercials, for fear of losing viewer's attention
false
The Sound of Music screenwriter Ernest Lehman solved the potential claustrophobic effect of the "Do, Re, Mi" scene by moving to an outside classroom setting, open to the sun and sky
false
The decision of whether or not to shoot on location is usually dictated by the director's preference.
false
The eclectic approach represents one of the narrowest approaches of film analysis
false
The primary function of Mickey Mousing is to capture the overall emotional atmosphere and mood of a sequence
false
The stage is better equipped to portray physical violence than is film
false
The approach to film that shows a strong anti-intellectual bias is the
film as an emotional or sensual experience approach
The text offers the films Blade Runner, The Thing, and Bram Stoker's Dracula as examples of
films in which the special effects visuals overwhelm the story and characters
Which literary point of view has no true cinematic equivalent
first person
Which of the following might best be used by the editor to suggest the entire eight-hour shift of a factory worker in just a minute or two?
flash cuts
the auteur approach
focuses on the special skills, style, techniques and philosophy of the director
Judges a film in terms of how it relates to a body of formula films
genre approach
Which of the following would be the overall question to consider in an objective analysis of a film
given the film's level of ambition, how well does the film succeed in what it tries to do
The handheld camera is most often used for
heightened sense of reality through a subjective viewpoint
When light is balanced throughout the set, and subjects are seen in middle grays and highlights, this is called
high-key lighting
What is the usual solution the the difficulties of depicting the thoughts, concepts, or reflections of a character when using the omniscient, third-person limited, and stream-of-consciousness points of view
ignoring the novel's point of view
Which of the following applicable to stream of consciousness
images and thoughts from within a character's mind without the conscious acts of selectivity, organization, and narration
What is achieved by soft focus in the film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington?
indication of the subject's love for another character
Another term for steam of consciousness is
interior monologe
The voice-over narration in Days of Heaven
is postmodern in the sense that it comments on the structure of the filmmaking process itself
Citizen Kane is generally considered to be the first modern sound film because
it conveyed a sense of three-dimensionality without the benefit of the multiple sound tracks and speakers required for true stereo
The fixed camera frame approximates the effect of
looking through a window
When most of the film's sets are cast in shadows and just a few highlights define the subject, this is called
low-key lighting
A generalized score
makes no attempt to precisely match music and movement
Surrealistic and expressionistic settings are
more common on stage than in film
Why is strong side lighting so important in most of Ingmar Bergman's films
most are set in Sweden, where the sun never rises high in the sky
When the camera lens shifts focus in one continuous shot to objects in different planes of depth one after another this is called
rack focus
To create the look and feel of documentary footage, a filmmaker uses
rough-grain film stock
Visible sounds, in a movie sound track, refers to
sounds that would naturally and realistically emanate from the images seen on screen
Which of the following is true of John Huston's experimental golden hue in the film Reflections in a Golden Eye?
studio heads feared it would turn off the audience and so released the film without the golden effect
Dead track refers to
the complete absence of sound in a film scene
Which of the following is NOT part of the basic assumptions of Junigian criticism
the concept of the multimyth
In auteur analysis
the film is judged in relation to the directors entire canon
Which of the following is true of adapting the novel All the King's Men
the filmmakers could not single out specific passages of philosophical reflection for voice-over narration because the novel is full of such passages
The feminist approach to film criticism often focuses on
the way in which films reflect a patriarchal ideology, the representation of female characters in films, the gender of directors and screenwriters, and how gender might influence the style or approach toward the subject matter of the film. ALL CORRECT
A type of lens that keeps an image in constant focus while appearing to glide toward or away from the subject without any camera movement is called
the zoom lens
How does Orson Welles amplify the effect of the opera performance in his film Citizen Kane
through the use of a dead screen
To what purpose is slow motion used in the scene of Chariots of Fire where the Olympic runners pictured in slow motion as they walk into the stadium to prepare for their event?
to create a sharp contrast with normal motion
How are the massed voices of choirs used in films like Beloved or The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
to express an inner mystical or spiritual transformation
Musical codes tend to be used by composers for which of the following
to use audience conditioning to signal certain upcoming narrative developments or actions
A genre film is a film based on subjects, themes, or styles that have become familiar because they have been used often
true
A goal of the Jungian critic is to analyze the film's characters and their actions in relationship to the monomyth
true
A wide screen can actually distort an image and detract from the film's visual effectiveness if the physical set is too narrow for its field of view.
true
After we make an initial objective evaluation of a movie, we must consider the film's level of ambition
true
An objective shot that shows a character looking at something off screen is called a "look of outward regard
true
Commercial considerations play an important role in deciding whether or not a novel will be made into a film
true
Endings have been drastically altered for the film versions of stage plays, to conform to the expectations of the mass audience or because of censorship restrictions
true
Expressionistic use of color in film is difficult because all viewers do not interpret expressionistic effects in the same way
true
Film almost always requires a sense of space or physical movement that is not possible in a stage setting
true
In Citizen Kane, the thawed image us used as a transitional device
true
In cinematography, a sense of naturalness is more praiseworthy than clever camerawork
true
In his film 3 Women, Robert Altman uses the colors in which the principal characters dress as a powerful color leitmotif
true
In reading a film review, we should consider whether or not the author carefully considered the level of ambition of the film
true
Music can often be very effective in covering weak acting or banal dialogue
true
Point of view in sound is usually directly linked to the visual viewpoint
true
The Freudian perspective of analysis assumes that a movie is an expression of the filmmaker's psyche
true
The editor's job is made more difficult when the best shots in terms of lighting and composition may be the weakest in terms of acting and dramatic impact
true
The term background music, which generally refers to the musical score, is a misnomer because it has a direct and very significant effect on our reaction to film
true
The use of a dead track can be effective in creating an immediate sense of physical tension and suspense
true
Compilation works are musical scores that
use nostalgic music that comes from the off screen score but can also come from on screen sources
According to standard principles of visual composition, feelings of strength, authority, and dignity are suggested by
vertical lines
Technicolor's early use of color film
was embraced by movie audiences and quickly pushed the use of Technicolor into over 90% of produced films