Introduction to Film Final

For film, "in the can" means what?

"In the can" means that they are done shooting the film, and are ready to begin the editing process.

Documentaries have a very strict style all their own, and never borrow from traditional fictional storytelling techniques.

False. Documentaries can use interviews, footage of actual events, abstract recreations or traditional narrative storytelling.

Experimental films ALWAYS follow the rules of narrative filmmaking, aiming to evoke a purely physical response.

False. Experimental films reject the rules of narrative filmmaking, and aim to evoke a specific mood, thought or emotion.

The Independents, who banded together to battle Edison's stranglehold on the industry, moved out to what now famous location?

Hollywood, CA

Which American inventor solved the problem of amplification with his Audion 3 Electrode Amplifier Tube?

Lee De Forest

Match each job with the correct title or person. 1. 1st Assistant 2. DP 3. Person doing the actual filming 4. Chief lighting technician 5. the Gaffer's right hand man 6. G & E 7. Heads the department responsible for overseeing rigging and setting up any silk or netting 8. One man department - responsible for Continuity 9. Person who hears everything 10. Carries the giant mic that hangs over the actor's heads to get good sound

1. Also known as the "focus puller" 2. or Cinematographer - responsible for the look of the film 3. Camera Operator 4. Gaffer 5. Best Boy or Best Boy Electric 6. Grip & Electric 7. Key Grip 8. Script Supervisor 9. Sound recordist or mixer 10. Boom Operator

1. Long Shot or Wide Shot 2. Medium Shot 3. Close-up 4. Extreme Close-up 5. Establishing Shot 6. POV (Point of View) 7. Dolly Shot 8. Aerial Shot 9. Pan Shot 10. Tilt Shot 11. Steady-cam Shot 12. handheld Shot 13. Crane Shot

1. Shows the entire subject and is intended to put the object or person in relation to their surroundings. 2. Moves us a little closer; used to display characters actions 3. Full face in frame; shows dramatic reactions or emotions 4. Macro shot; captures details we couldn't see any other way 5. Shows the Big Picture; geographical location 6. The camera is looking through the person or subject 's eyes; very popular in sports actions 7. Used to indicate pacing in a scene; the camera is attached to a platform that moves on rails 8. Camera is mounted on either a helicopter or drone. 9. Camera moves left or right; used for dynamic reveal 10. Camera moves up and down; used for dynamic reveal 11. Camera is operated by a person; but the apparatus keeps the camera's movement independent from the operator 12. Camera is held with both hands; documentary or news 13. The camera can be on a jib with a counterweight and operator on the other end.

Match the Genre or Example of Documentary with its definition or best match. 1. Cinema Verite' 2. The Overnighters 3.Reenactment or Docudrama 4. Wormwood 5. Talking Head 6. The Corporation 7. Expository 8. Good examples of Expository 9. Participatory/Performative 10. Michael Moore 11. Reflexive 12. Impressionistic 13. Great example of Impressionistic 14. Experimental Documentary

1. Truthfully Storytelling; just letting events unfold 2.Example of famous Cinema Verite' 3. Take an event and try to recreate it as accurately as possible , especially if you don't have actual footage 4. Excellent example of Docudrama 5. The ESPN of documentaries - LOTS of interviews and little B-roll 6. Excellent example of Talking Head 7. Re-tell an event or persuade people on an issue; uses voiceover 8. Ken Burns; History channel; A&E 9. Filmmaker is involved onscreen trying to tell a story or prove something 10. Most famous example of Participatory/Performative 11. Documentary about making a documentary 12. Non-traditional storytelling, embracing stylistic storytelling 13. Place of Refuge 14. Avant Garde; follows no rules, pushes the boundaries.

Match the kind of lighting with its best description. 1. Fresnel lights 2. Fluorescent lights 3. LED lights 4. Incandescent lights 5. HMI 6. Practical lights

1. Wide, hard light - used onstage a lot, but can get VERY hot 2.Much cooler, but very fragile 3. Favored by independent filmmakers, but colors and shadows can by difficult to match 4. Warm, yellow light that produces a lot of heat. 5. Massive lights that are usually used to stimulate daylight 6. Desklamps, headlights - lighting that comes from a source you will see in the shot

Why did they cut "sprocket holes" into the film?

Because they needed a way to control how fast the film was moving through the camera - the sprocket holes gave them a way to catch the film and capture the image.

Wes Anderson movies are distinctive in many ways. He tends to cast the same actors over and over, such as ________ and _________ . He also creates what is referred to as a Human Dollhouse or a _______ .

Bill Murray Owen Wilson Microworld

What American film was written and filmed in the French New Wave style, featuring charismatic bank robbers? ____________ What motorcycle movie set to a rock and roll soundtrack became a huge success? ___________ What was the title of one of the other films that proved that unique, original films could be a huge commercial success? ___________

Bonnie and Clyde Easy Rider The graduate

Steven Spielberg Films are very recognizable. Choose all the correct ways you might identify them.

Characters have Daddy Issues Characters struggle to survive Set in Brooklyn Ordinary people; Extraordinary Circumstances Extremely High Tech; Lots of CGI Sweeping Score by John Williams

The film studio in Rome that was almost destroyed during the war was called _____________________.

Cinecitta

What French film movement in the 1920's wanted to return filmmaking to its most basic elements, light and motion?

Cinema Pur

In the Post War period, ____________ put you directly in the center of the action as it unfolded. Similar to this style, __________ seeks to present reality with as little commentary as possible in these deeply personal films.

Cinema Vérité Direct Cinema

Between the 1930's and 1950's, most of the films coming out of California were chaste, formulaic, and mostly upbeat - the good guy usually won. This was referred to as __________ . Husbands and wives usually did not share a _____________ . The flat generic lighting used was called ______________ lighting, to make sure the whole frame was visible.

Classical Hollywood Cinema bed high key

D.W. Griffith, with his acting background, is credited with creating this shot that cut to an actor's face at a moment of drama.

Close up

Editing or __________ is the assembling of shots to achieve coherence.

Cutting

What four famous stars came together to create United Artists?

DW Griffith Charlie Chaplin Mary Pickford Douglas Fairbanks

A cinematographer or ______________ puts the "pictures" in motion pictures and must be ____________ and ____________. (You have four options to choose from, but I only need 2 descriptors of the other creative roles they must fill.) It is their job to translate the director's vision into framing, lighting and camera movement, so that the film's story, emotions, and themes are conveyed ____________ .

Director of Photography artists engineers visually

How are documentaries different from traditional narrative films?

Documentary films borrow from the narrative techniques of fiction films, but instead of inventing their stories and characters, they seek them out in the real world.

"No single film maker did as much to shape narrative film grammar in the first decade of motion pictures as ____________________________."

Edwin S. Porter

In order to match up sound with a motion picture, the engineers had to overcome some pretty major hurdles.

Electricity Enough Crew Amplification Synchronization Microphone technology

The ultimate authority on whether or not you have a high-quality film is always the Festival Judges.

False

A Director's job is to have all the answers.

False. A Director's real job is to have a strong sense of where the answers are buried and point their team in the right direction!

Movies are carefully planned to only be shot in the season for which they are designed, so as to save money on outside seasonal shots.

False. Sometimes they have to buy leaves to scatter on the ground or bring in snowblowers! Not to mention the poor actors that have to wear winter coats and mittens even though it's 90 degrees outside....

The Actor's job is to wait until the Director tells them exactly what to do.

False. The actor's job is to deeply understand the character and give the director multiple options in the scene.

After the advent of sound in films, there were many more opportunities for women in film, especially in the cutting room, editing.

False. The opportunities for women went way down, as the job was now seen as more technically advanced.

The cinematographer's job only begins when they begin shooting on set.

False. Their job begins WAY before, as they have to assemble the camera department, plan the shots, order any special equipment, etc.

Silent Films were shown in total silence, so you would focus on the visual.

False. There was always some accompaniment - from a full orchestra to a small band.

Costume has absolutely nothing to do with character; it's just whatever looks best on the actor.

False. You can tell a lot about a character based on clothing style, color, design, texture, bling... and so much more.

What is the name of the hugely prestigious film festival where Francois Truffaut won Best Director in 1959?

Festival de Cannes

Spike Lee is known for:

Films set in Brooklyn Tackling serious issues in an offbeat way Double dolly shots/character glide

In the Golden Age of Silent Film, which of these things are true?

Films were not really silent, they had orchestration of some kind, usually live musicians. Movie Studios wielded enormous power.

The one section of film between the black spaces is called a ______________.

Frame

Genre comes from the ________ language, and it simply means _________ .

French A kind

When looking to identify the genre of a film, you first need to look at some specific traits. These are commonly referred to as ___________ or if you want to get fancy, Paradigms. These can be broken down into 4 sections: ___________, __________, ________ and Audio.

Genre's Conventions character & story set technical

What are the ways that early public screenings of films were changing the world? (Choose all that are correct)

Group dynamic Seeing far away places Method of mass communication

Possibly the most widely known experimental Canadian filmmaker still living is ________________________.

Guy Maddin

Which of these departments spends the most one on one time with the actors?

HMU or Hair and Makeup Unit

How did they create color films in the early 1900's?

Hand tint each frame

Zach Daulton has some great tips for getting your film accepted into film festivals.

Have Something to Say Keep it Short Make sure you hit the Early Bird Deadlines Use Film Freeway!

What code did the MPPDA put in place to tell directors and producers what they could and could not show onscreen? (Specifically pertaining to morals)

Hays Code or the Motion Picture Production Code

The template for visual storytelling, popularized by mythologist Joseph Campbell is called the __________ _____________.

Hero's Journey

Choose all of the correct reasons why the actors called the studio in West Orange, NJ the "Black Maria".

It was really hot in there because all shooting must be done in full sun. The walls were covered in tar paper It was an old reference to a Paddywagon or police transport vehicle.

By the 1940's, post WWII, audiences were ready for something new. The first movement to find its voice in cinema was ________. Because they lived through a more violent time during the war, filmmakers such as ____________ and _____________ craved a more raw and authentic style than what Hollywood was churning out.

Italian Neo-Realism Roberto Rossellini Vittorio De Sica

What is an example of one of the early summer Blockbusters, and who directed the film?

Jaws is an example of one of the early summer Blockbusters. Steven Spielberg directed it.

What young French film critic wrote a scathing review of 21 French filmmakers in 1959?

Jean Luc Godard

Usually, you can discover genre based on character and story; for example, in a Horror genre, you usually have these six characters. (Choose the six correct answers)

Jock Nerd Slut Virgin Nice Guy Token Minority

______________ is famous for his comprehensive documentaries, such as his 9 part series on The Civil War. For a bonus point, name another one of his famous documentaries.

Ken Burns Prohibition 2011

There were several problems with the early Kinetoscopes and Kinetographs. Match the name of the machine with its problem.

Kinetograph - could not be moved, was very heavy, all shooting much be done in one location. required LOTS OF LIGHT to work. Kinetoscope - only one person could view at a time.

Thomas Edison is known as an inventor - what is the name of the machine that Craig wanted to name "a coin-operated-entertainment-machine -o-graph"?

Kinetoscope

The ______________ Brothers invented the first amazing all-in-one film capturer, developer, and projector called the Cinematographe'.

Lumiere

What are some of the earmarks of French New Wave? (Choose all that apply)

Making films swiftly Characters talking directly to the camera Lightweight equipment Spontaneous Plots

Which of these French filmmakers emerged from the Dada movement? (Choose all that are correct)

Man Ray Rene Clair Marcel Duchamp Fernand Leger

In reference to his style, Martin Scorsese is quoted as saying, ____________________________________________________________________________

Martin Scorsese is quoted as saying, "I can't talk about my own style, I don't know what that is really."

Name the female American filmmaker in the 1940's who believed that films were intended to create an experience, not tell a story. She wanted you to feel it, not try to understan

Maya Deren

MGM stands for ________.

Metro Goldwyn Mayer

The first known use of Feature Film length documentary techniques is Robert Flaherty's film ___________________________________________.

Nanook of the North

There were some growing pains in the early stages of sound in movies. Although audiences loved this new technology, what are some examples of drawbacks of sound in movies?

Orchestra musicians were now out of a job. The Universal nature of films was lost as each country used their own language. Actors suddenly had to have good speaking voices It cost A LOT of money to convert movie theaters to sound The gimmicks that had worked for the actor in Silent Films did not work with sound.

What major studio that we know today as _________________________exercised total control over their actors and directors in the Silent Film Era?

Paramount Pictures

The optical illusion that lets you see a series of images in rapid succession as continuous motion is known as the ______________________________________.

Phi Phenomenon

The first Italian Neo-Realist film was Rossellini's 1945 masterpiece Rome: Open City. Choose all the answers why this film became a huge hit.

Plot meanders from character to character Shocking deaths Extremely rough look Shot in the Italian capital after WWII Used actual bombed buildings

One of Kathryn Bigelow's most commercially famous movies was referred to as a "Wet Western". This 1991 film is called ________ . However, she won the Oscar for Best Director for the film ________.

Point Break The Hurt Locker (2008)

Agnes Varda's work was considered especially good because of which of the following factors? (Choose all answers that apply)

Real Life Locations Non-professional actors Documentary Realism

Which famous surrealist painter collaborated on the film "Un Chien Andalou"? __________ For a bonus point, name one of this painter's famous works. ___________

Salvador Dali The Burning Giraffe

There are several in-camera effects that Georges Melies used to great effect: name one of these.

Split Screen Matting Double Exposure

Some trademarks of James Cameron's style as a director are:

Squad goals Aeriel Awe Lots of Monitors Fierce Female Characters

When setting up a shot, you have to use the space in a specific way to make sure you are telling the right story. Choose all of the options below that are ways to define how you have used the space in your shot.

Symmetrical Asymmetrical Round Cramped Expansive Linear

"Matching up sounds to images" is the definition of what term?

Synchronous Sound

Nothing shook the foundations of movie making like the coming of what revolutionary breakthrough?

Synchronous Sound

The need to find a way to capture a moving object basically started as a bet between two men at a sporting event in California. What was the bet about?

That a horse at full gallop has all four hooves off the ground.

The famous film, _______________________, used parallel action to great effect, and also pioneered moving the camera during filming.

The Great Train Robbery

The first film that is credited with establishing sound in movies forever was Al Jolson in [term].

The Jazz Singer

Charlie Chaplin has given us some of the best comedic feature films from the Silent Era. Name 3 of these films. _______, ________, ________

The Kid Gold Rush City Lights

Georges Melies most famous film "A Trip to the Moon" is iconically known for what image?

The Man in the Moon with a Space Capsule stuck in his eye

What film was rumored to have made movie-goers run screaming from the theatre?

The Train Arrives at La Ciotat Station

Charlie Chaplin's unprecedented films managed to merge humor and social criticism and the plots usually focused on what theme?

The gently, accidental heroism of the downtrodden; making the rich and powerful the butt of his jokes.

What is the origin of the phrase "Mise en Scene" and what is the definition?

The phrase is a French term meaning "placing on stage". It's a broad term which subscribes the overall look of a film. It may refer to the way actors and scenery props are arranged.

How does Craig Benzine define Film? Choose 2 possible answers.

The term "film" was first used to describe light-sensitive technology, a thin, flexible material coated in light sensitive emulsion that retains an image after it is exposed to light. Also, the cornerstone of modern entertainment. Also, a film is a movie - it is a verb and a noun. Also, an art form that is a combination of literature, photography, drama and music.

Master documentarian Errol Morris made the film [term1] which told the story of a man on death row for a crime he didn't commit.

Thin Blue Line

This style of filmmaking, made famous by such films as ___________ (a film that poked fun at the major rock documentaries of the time), is known as a .______________. Another famous horror film made in this style was ______________ .

This is Spinal Tap Mockumentary Blair Witch Project

The REAL job of the camera is to what ?

To capture the visuals that let us enter the world of the movie and let us feel what the characters are feeling.

What is the Costume Designer's MOST IMPORTANT job?

To understand the characters and how they grow throughout the film, and then tell that visual story through their clothing.

Before photography, there were several different ways to capture images: The Camera Obscura, Daguerreotypes, etc. Name one way that these early devices were problematic.

Toxic chemicals Long exposure time Pictures were very fragile Difficult to replicate

A trio of German inventors successfully patented their process of recording sound on film, by translating sound waves into electric impulses, which were then converted to light waves which were photographically recorded onto the film strip. This was called [term].

Tri-ergon process

According to the Video Essay, Scorsese is considered to be an incredibly diverse director because he is able to adapt his style to suit the needs of each film.

True

Craig says that the discovery of Film was a total accident.

True

Hollywood was not really interested in "Talkies" because they figured it was just a fad that would fade away.

True

Movie-goers craved gossip about the private lives of celebrities in the Silent Film Era.

True

One of the major rules of filmmaking is "Show, Don't Tell".

True

One way around this new moral code was a concept called Compensating Values, which stated that you could show all manner of vices for most of the movie, as long as virtue won out in the end.

True

The major purpose of a documentary is to examine a non-fiction subject while seeking to entertain and inform the viewer using actual facts.

True

Craig relates film to a magic trick, because of the way our brains process information.

True. He talks a lot about the illusion of film.

These (now famous) brothers were the first studio to use Vitaphone technology in all of their movie theatres and first screen the huge hit, DonJuan.

Warner

Craig says that film is a unique artistic medium that can take on different meanings depending on three different factors for the individual viewer. Choose all that are correct.

Who you're with. Where you are. When you watch it.

David Lynch's style has been called "Lynchian" which conjures up images of _________ and __________ . As the Surrealist of American cinema, his style incorporates a Universe dictated by __________ , where realism echoes the subconscious state. The film he refers to as his "Philadelphia Story" is _________ .

a white picket fence with prickly red thorns manicured lawn hiding beetles dream logic Eraserhead

You can also begin to choose the correct genre by the way a film is shot, technically. For example: you might find shaky and handheld camera angles and quick cuts in a/an ________ movie. There are also specific colors associated with this genre, which are ___________ and __________ .

action blue orange

A good director will always give an actor clear, [term] directions. This way, the actor feels safe enough to take risks, because they understand what the director wants.

actionable

The Director has another huge job in Post-Production, which is to marry all the options given to them by all five of these teams that worked on the film

actors cinematographers composers designers editors

Everything in the Mise en Scene is found or made by the _________ , while the costumes wore by the actors are found or created by the __________.

art department wardrobe department

The 2nd AC or ________ (what AC stands for) operates the slate or _________ to mark each scene. When the DP wants the noise they make quieter, she might ask for __________ .

assistant camera operator clapper soft sticks

You will sometimes hear Experimental Film referred to as _____________ or ___________ because sometimes there are no characters, no story, and no setting - you know, that weird stuff.

avant garde Vanguard

All of your beautiful footage stored on your camera is called the _________ . In a DIGITAL camera, this can be in the form of tapes, drives or cards. You will also need to decide on a _______ ; this term is a portmanteau of "coder" and "decoder" because ________ .

charged coupled device codec it codes and decodes the film

Before there was color in films, ______________ was a particularly important tool in the toolkit of cinematographers - which measured dark to light.

contrast

Lily says, "Just like every line of dialogue, every shot should _______ to the audience. We should be able to watch a _______ film , and still be able to get what is going on."

convey new information with the sound off

Parallel action or ____________, uses the idea that a film can cut back and forth between two or more events that are happening simultaneously within the world of the film.

cross-cutting

All lenses have either a _________ or a _________ focal length. Focal length determines your _________ which determines how much you can see in the frame. _________ mm is generally thought to be how our eyes see the world.

fixed variable field of view fifty

When looking at Three Act Structure, there are certain parts of the story that need to happen at certain times. Name one event that must happen in EACH of the 3 Acts. Act I - Beginning _________ Act II - Middle ___________ Act III - End ____________

identify the protagonists increasingly difficult conflicts climax of the film

Governments harnessed the power of documentary filmmaking to ____________ public opinion. One of the most famous examples of this is the German film _______________ , which documented Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. The United States was not far behind, and released their own documentaries to drum up support for WWII. These were Frank Capra's films ___________ .

influence Triumph of the Will Why we fight

What are the two types of Conflict that help both move a story forward and the audience identify with the main character? ___________ and __________

internal conflict external conflict

In Three Point Lighting, you need to have the main light or ________ light, __________ light, which takes away the shadows, and ________ light which separates the subject from their background.

key fill back

When an inexperienced (or just plain bad) director goes for "result-oriented" directing, they have a tendency to give the actor a [term], which they might think is helping, but is only causing the actor to have to mimic them instead of discovering it for themselves.

line reading

Moving the camera horizontally is known as________ , but when the camera is moved up or down vertically, that is ________.

pan tilt

Movies tend to focus on three main things: - _________ the film's main character (usually takes the greatest journey, either physically or emotionally) - _________ something the main character wants - (usually desperately) - _________ something that stands in the way of the main character getting what they want.

protagonist goal/objective obstacles

The First Principles of Documentary say that the true power of cinema lies in _______________________________________________________________________

recording and representing real life, instead of creating stories.

Which of these is true about Hair and/or Makeup? (Choose all that apply).

referred to as HMU Is important for their work to be seen, but not noticed Need to know how to do basic illusions, like cuts, bruises, scars, tattoos and bad breath.

A great way for the director and actor to build trust is through [term].

rehearsal

When setting up a shot, you want to think about this rule or __________ , which is a general way to think about composing a frame. You also want to think about camera movements: a ___________ is like we are leaning in on the action or getting closer, and a ___________ is the opposite, this might lessen our connection to the scene.

rule of thirds push pull

The written version of a movie is called a ________ . It is not the final product: think of it as a set of plans or a __________ to guide the different teams as they work together to produce the film.

screen play blueprint

Thomas Ince was famous for streamlining movie production by breaking up the process into 5 distinct jobs. These jobs were: ________, ________, _________, ________, and .

screenwriter director editor producer studio head

The Set Decorator or __________ chooses the details and designs the set. They either buy or rent what they need, but if it's something very specific, they might have to __________ it themselves.

set designer create

After the director has chosen the Setting for the film, the Scenic Designer will choose objects that exist in the environment of the actors, BUT NOT PICKED UP BY THEM, which are called _______. Objects that WILL be used by actors are called _________ .

set dressing props

The Special Effects Department will always have a/an _________ on set, in case there is a risky scene or particularly demanding stunt for the actors. The Location Department first starts off with a ___________ who looks for the places to film, but then the ____________ plans out where everything will go, including basecamp, trailers and storage. And if you need a snack on set, you need to look for ___________ to get a granola bar and some water!

set medic location scout craft services

Every movie script is formatted with 3 specific elements: ___________ - which is written in all CAPS and tells the team where/when to shoot. ___________ - written in the present tense, limited to what the audience can see and hear ___________ - words spoken by the characters

sluglines action dialogue

If you are shooting a romantic scene, what sort of lighting are you most likely to choose?

soft

Because the phonograph had become problematic for creating synchronous sound, there was a new theory that wanted to record sound photographically. This was called [word].

sound-on-film

In Audio, both the musical score and ___________ are used to help define genre. In a comedic movie, the sound helps to ____________ or emphasize comedic moments.

sounds exaggerate

Quentin Tarantino is quoted as saying, "Great artists don't do homages, they ______. " His films are also very well known for having ________ and ________.

steal creative violence fan films

The three stages of filmmaking that were eventually ruled a monopoly and had to be owned by more than one company were to be produced by a ______ , then ______ , and finally , _____ to the general public.

studio distributor exhibitor

You can also get a feel for the genre based on the setting: for example, it is likely that a Western film would be set in _______________________.

the desert

"If the type of shot can indicate a word, then the mise en scene could be the ____________ in which the word is said."

tone

The Era of New Hollywood Cinema lasted from about 1967 - 1980 and was extremely influential on such directors as Steven Soderburg, Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino.

true

The "general" of the filmmaker's army is the ___________ , who is responsible for almost all the hiring. The person whose responsibility it is to communicate directly with the director and enforce safety standards is the ______________. The 2nd AD is usually found behind the "behind the scenes" at _________ , where the crew can go to the bathroom and eat lunch. The lowest rung on the ladder is the ___________ , but their job is still super important. They anticipate needs and make sure everyone hears the calls.

unit production manager 1st Assistant Director Base Camp Production Assistant

There are many ways color can affect the mood of your film and give insight into characters. For example, if you used a LOW saturation of color in your film, you want the audience to feel _______ or ________ .

washed out desolate

The Art Department has a Production Designer, whose job is to work with the director to develop the look , but also ___________ . This takes a great deal of _____________ into the time period and customs of the film, even if they are set in the future or in an imaginary world.

what to include/exclude when building the world research

In filmmaking lingo, which of these jobs is considered to be "above the line"? (Choose all that are correct).

writer directors producer star actors

The Bechdel test is when you have a film where _______ . The DuVernay test is considered to be the ________ equivalent to the Bechdel test. Ana DuVernay also usually includes significant moments in _______ history.

you have two female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man. racial black