Intro to Film Exam Part 1
Sound design
A state-of-the-art concept, pioneered by director Francis Ford Coppola and film editor Walter Murch, combining the crafts of editing and mixing and, like them, involving both theoretical and practical issues. In essence, sound design represents advocacy for movie sound, to counter some people's tendency to favor the movie image. (page 322)
What is a montage sequence?
A string of shots, often with superimpositions and optical effects, which shows a condensed series of events
Discontinuity editing
A style of editing (less widely used than continuity editing, and often but not exclusively used in experimental films) that joins shots A and B in ways that upset the viewer's expectations and cause momentary disorientation or confusion. The juxtaposition of shots in films edited for discontinuity can often seem abrupt and unmotivated, but the meanings that arise from such discordant editing often transcend the meanings of the individual shots that have been joined together. (page 300)
Continuity editing
A style of editing that seeks to achieve logic, smoothness, sequential flow, and the temporal and spatial orientation of viewers to what they see on the screen. (page 300)
Video assist camera
A tiny device, mounted in the viewing system of the film camera, that enables a script supervisor to view a scene on a video monitor (and thus compare its details with those of surrounding scenes, to ensure visual continuity) before the film is sent to the laboratory for processing. (page 194)
Wipe
A transitional device between shots in which shot B wipes across shot A, either vertically or horizontally, to replace it. Although (or because) the device reminds us of early eras in filmmaking, directors continue to use it. (page 311)
Fade
A transitional devise in which the first shot fades out (gets progressively darker) until the screen is entirely black. After a moment, the succeeding shot fades in (becomes increasingly exposed). Fades often imply a passage of time. (page 308)
Interior monologue
A variation on the mental, subjective point of view of an individual character that allows us to see the character and hear his or her thoughts in their own voice, even though the character's lips don't move. (page 329)
Dolly
A wheeled support for a camera that permits the cinematographer to make noiseless moving shots. (page 267)
Master shot
A wide angle shot that covers the action of a scene in one continuous take. (page 286)
Soundstage
A windowless, soundproofed, professional shooting environment that is usually several stories high and can cover an acre or more of floor space. (page 184)
Subtractive color systems
Adopted in the 1930s, this technique involved shooting three separate black-and-white negatives through three light filters, each representing a primary color (red, green, blue). Certain color components were subtracted (or removed) from each of the three emulsion layers, creating a positive image in natural color. Compare additive color systems. (page 234)
Which of the following directors often uses silence as a sound?
Akira Kurosawa
Grip
All-around handyperson on a movie production set, most often working with the camera crews and electrical crews. (page 228)
Parallel editing/crosscutting
Also called crosscutting. The cutting back and forth between two or more lines of action that occur simultaneously. (page 287)
Match-on-action cut
Also called cutting on action. A match cut that shows us the continuation of a character's or object's motion through space without actually showing the entire action. This is a fairly routine editorial technique for economizing a movie's presentation of movement. (page 304)
Dutch-angle shot
Also known as Dutch shot or oblique-angle shot. A shot in which the camera is tilted from its normal horizontal and vertical positions so that it is no longer straight, giving the viewer the impression that the world in the frame is out of balance. (page 263)
Overlapping sound
Also known as a sound bridge. Sound that carries over from one shot to the next before the sound of the second shot begins. (page 348)
Aerial-view shot
Also known as bird's-eye-view shot. An omniscient-point-of-view shot that is taken from an aircraft or extremely high crane and implies that the observer can see all. (page 263)
Long shot (LS)
Also known as full-body shot. A shot that shows the full human body, usually filling the frame, and some of its surroundings. (page 251)
Aperture
Also known as gate. The camera opening that defines the area of each frame of film exposed. (page 244)
High-angle shot
Also known as high shot or down shot. A shot that is made with the camera above the action and that typically implies the observer's sense of superiority to the subject being photographed. Compare low-angle shot. (page 260)
Associative editing
Also known as intellectual editing. An editing technique in which contrasting or incongruent images are inserted into a scene or sequence to create juxtapositions that imply a thematic relationship between the content of the paired images. (page 291)
Dissolve
Also known as lap dissolve. A transitional device in which shot B, superimposed, gradually appears over shot A and begins to replace it at midpoint in the transition. Dissolves sometimes imply a passage of time, or a relationship between the people, objects, or events depicted in the scenes connected by the transition. (page 311)
Automatic dialogue replacement (ADR)
Also known as looping. A postproduction process that is used to replace dialogue compromised by intrusive sounds or other on-set recording problems. Actors perform new dialogue in a recording studio while watching looped (repeating) footage of the moment in question. (page 324)
Low-angle shot
Also known as low shot. A shot that is made with the camera below the action and that typically places the observer in a position of inferiority. Compare high-angle shot. (page 260)
Key light
Also known as main light or source light. The brightest light falling on a subject. (page 240)
Middle-focal-length lens
Also known as normal lens. A lens that does not distort perspectival relations. Compare long-focal-length lens, short-focal-length lens, and zoom lens. (page 245)
Medium long shot (MLS)
Also known as plan americain or American shot. A shot that shows a character from the knees up and includes most of a person's body. (page 251)
Properties
Also known as props. Objects used to enhance a movie's mise-en-scene by providing physical tokens of narrative information. (page 183)
Dailies
Also known as rushes. Usually, synchronized picture/sound work prints of a day's shooting that can be studied by the director, editor, and other crew members before the next day's shooting begins. (page 323)
Rack focus
Also known as select focus, shift focus, or pull focus. A change of the point of focus from one subject to another within the same shot. Rack focus guides our attention to a new clearly focused point of interest while blurring the previous subject in the shot. (page 246)
Long take
Also known as sequence shot. A shot that can last anywhere from one minute to ten minutes. (Between 1930 and 1960, the average length of a shot was 8 - 11 seconds; today it's 6 - 7 seconds, signifying that directors are telling their stories with a tighter pace.) (page 277)
Freeze-frame
Also known as stop-frame or hold-frame. A still image within a movie created by repetitive printing in the laboratory of the same frame, so that it can be seen without movement for whatever length of time the filmmaker desires. (page 296)
Long-focal-length lens
Also known as telephoto lens. A lens that flattens the space and depth of an image and thus distorts perspectival relations. Compare middle-focal-length lens, short-focal-length lens, and zoom lens. (page 245)
180-degree rule
Also known as the 180-degree system. The fundamental means by which filmmakers maintain consistent screen direction, orienting the viewer and ensuring a sense of the cinematic space in which the action occurs. The system depends on three factors working together in any scene: the action in a scene must move along a hypothetical line that keeps the action on a single side of the camera, the camera must shoot consistently on one side of that line, and everyone on the production set -- particularly the director, cinematographer, editor, and actors -- must understand and adhere to this system. (page 303)
Dolly shot
Also known as traveling shot. A shot taken by a camera fixed to a wheeled support called a dolly. When the dolly runs on tracks (or when the camera is mounted to a crane or an aerial device such as an airplane, a helicopter, or a balloon) the shot is called a tracking shot. (page 267)
Tracking shot or dolly shot
Also known as traveling shot. A shot taken by a camera fixed to a wheeled support called a dolly. When the dolly runs on tracks (or when the camera is mounted to a crane or an aerial device such as an airplane, a helicopter, or a balloon) the shot is called a tracking shot. (page 268)
Zoom lens
Also known as variable-focal-length lens. A lens that is moved toward and away from the subject being photographed, has a continuously variable focal length, and helps reframe a shot within the take. A zoom lens permits the camera operator during shooting to shift between wide-angle and telephoto lenses without changing the focus or aperture settings. Compare long-focal-length lens, middle-focal-length lens, and short-focal-length lens. See also prime lens. (page 245)
Short-focal-length lens
Also known as wide-angle lens. A lens that creates the illusion of depth within a frame, albeit with some distortion at the edges of the frame. Compare long-focal-length lens, middle-focal-length lens, and zoom lens. (page 244)
Match cut
A cut that preserves continuity between two shots. Several kinds of match cuts exist, including eyeline match cut, graphic match cut, and match-on-action cut. (page 304)
In-camera effect
A special effect that is created in the production camera (the regular camera used for shooting the rest of the film) on the original negative. Examples of in-camera effects include montage and split screen. Compare laboratory effect and CGI. (page 279)
How does split screen differ from parallel editing?
By telling multiple stories within the same frame
How is sound pitch (or level) defined?
By the frequency (or speed) with which it is produced.
How does an editor control the rhythm of a film?
By varying the duration of the shots in relation to one another and thus controlling their speed and accents
Backlight
Lighting, usually positioned behind and in line with the subject and the camera, used to create highlights on the subject as a means of separating it from the background and increasing its appearance of three-dimensionality. (page 241)
Camera crew
Technicians that make up two separate groups -- one concerned with the camera, the other concerned with electricity and lighting. (page 228)
The two types of vocal sounds in a film are dialogue, which develops out of situations and conflicts that characters find themselves in, and narration, which is commentary spoken by on-screen or offscreen voices. Which clip illustrates both dialogue and narration?
The Big Charade
An important movement in art direction that sought to articulate human feeling and emotion through design elements such as structure, color, and texture with grossly exaggerated film sets is known as expressionism. Which of the following stills represents expressionism?
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
External sound comes from a source within the world of the story and can be heard by the characters in that world.
True
Some of the departments the production designer supervises include carpentry, properties, and transportation.
True
A match cut helps create a sense of continuity between shots by matching shot A and shot B in terms of action, graphic content, or eyelines. Which clip provides an example of a match cut?
Two Cars, One Night
Which of the following does NOT describe a perceptual characteristic of sound?
amplitude
Which approach to film history is concerned with the artistic significance and influence of individual films or directors?
aesthetic approach
The four traditional approaches to film history are:
aesthetic, technological, economic, and social.
What are the four traditional approaches to film history?
aesthetic, technological, economic, social
The digital revolution has affected
almost all areas of movie-making, including makeup and hairstyling.
The short film The Big Charade frequently includes a sound design that combines images with unexpected sounds. This clip, for example, gives loud dynamic sound to each gesture the charade player makes. This is an example of ____________.
asynchronous sound
The editing technique of joining together two shots is called ____________.
cutting
The colors and textures of interiors, furniture, draperies, and curtains are aspects of ________.
decor
Cinematographer Greg Toland achieved a high degree of cinematic realism in Citizen Kane (1941) through the use of lighting, deep-space composition, and ________.
deep-focus cinematography
What are the four phrases of sound production?
design, recording, editing, mixing
These sounds come from a source within a film's world. They are the sounds heard by both the movie's audience and characters
diegetic sounds
Werner Herzog's style is frequently called hallucinatory due to what sound design element in his films that produces a feeling in the viewer of being somewhere between fantasy and reality?
music and silence
Why does an assistant use a slate or clapboard on a film set?
to help synchronize the separate image and sound recordings in postproduction
Holding a shot after the peak of the content curve, past the point where the viewer has processed all of the immediately available information, generally makes the viewer feel ____________.
trapped
Of all the arts, cinema seems to rely most heavily on ________.
technology
Take
An indication of the number of times a particular shot is taken (e.g., shot 14, take 7). (page 228)
Set
A constructed space used as the setting for a particular shot in a movie. Sets must be constructed both to look authentic and to photograph well. Compare on location. (page 183)
Iris
1. A circular cutout made with a mask that creates a frame within a frame. 2. An adjustable diaphragm that limits the amount of light passing through the lens of a camera. (page 244)
Cut
1. the act of an editor selecting an in point and an out point of a shot as part of the editing process; 2. a direct change from one shot to another as a result of cutting; that is, the precise point at which shot A ends and shot B begins; 3. an edited version of a scene or film, as in a "rough cut. (page 282)
Which of the following constitutes a cinematic ellipsis?
A cut between a shot of a woman contemplating diving off the high-dive board and a shot of her emerging from the water.
What is a common ratio of unused to used footage in Hollywood productions?
20 to 1
Which of the following is an example of synchronous sound?
A bottle of champagne is opened, and the audience hears a pop as the cork flies across the room.
Steadicam
A camera suspended from an articulated arm that is attached to a vest strapped to the cameraperson's body, permitting the operator to remain steady during 'handheld' shots. The Steadicam removes jumpiness and is now often used for smooth, fast, and intimate camera movement. (page 273)
Content curve
A concept that considers and applies the interplay between the information presented in a shot and the time needed for a viewer to comprehend that information. (page 297)
Internal sound
A form of diegetic sound in which we hear the thoughts of a character we see on-screen but other characters cannot hear them. (page 328)
External sound
A form of diegetic sound that comes from a place within the world of the story, which we and the characters in the scene hear but do not see. (page 329)
On-screen sound
A form of diegetic sound that emanates from a source that we both see and hear. On-screen sound may be internal or external. (page 327)
Offscreen sound
A form of sound, either diegetic or nondiegetic, that derives from a source we do not see. When diegetic, it consists of sound effects, music, or vocals that emanate from the world of the story. When nondiegetic, it takes the form of a musical score or narration by someone who is not a character in the story. (page 327)
Open frame
A frame around a motion-picture image that, theoretically, characters and objects can enter and leave. Compare closed frame. (page 205)
30-degree rule
A general principle of continuity editing that states that the camera position in relation to the subject should shift at least 30 degrees between successive shots of the same subject. The guideline is designed to avoid a jarring spatial effect that makes the subject's image appear to "jump" forward or backward. (page 303)
Focusable spotlight
A lamp that produces hard, mirrorlike light that can be directed to precise locations. Compare floodlight. (page 237)
Floodlight
A lamp that produces soft (diffuse) light. Compare focusable spotlight. (page 237)
Which of the following statements about Middle Eastern and North African cinema is TRUE?
A large number of the serious movies created in these countries today are directed by women.
Prime lens
A lens that has a fixed focal length. The short-focal-length, middle-focal-length, and long-focal-length lenses are all prime lenses; the zoom lens is in its own category. (page 246)
Graphic match cut
A match cut in which the similarity between shots A and B is in the shape and form of the figures pictured in each shot; the shape, color, or texture of the two figures matches across the edit, providing continuity. (page 306)
Master scene technique
A method of capturing footage to construct a scene in which the action is photographed multiple times with a variety of different shot types and angles. This approach allows the editor to construct the scene using the particular viewpoint that is best suited for each dramatic moment. (page 286)
Master scene technique
A method of capturing footage to construct a scene in which the action is photographed multiple times with a variety of different shot types and angles. This approach allows the editor to construct the scene using the particular viewpoint that is best suited for each dramatic moment. (page 302)
Split screen
A method that breaks the screen into multiple frames and images. Split screen typically conveys multiple simultaneous actions, but may convey nonsimultaneous action or present multiple viewpoints of the same action. (page 288)
Reframing
A movement of the camera that adjusts or alters the composition or point of view of a shot. (page 202)
Production designer
A person who works closely with the director, art director, and director of photography, in visualizing the movie that will appear on the screen. The production designer is both an artist and an executive, responsible for the overall design concept, the look of the movie -- as well as individual sets, locations, furnishings, props, and costumes -- and for supervising the heads of the many departments (art, costume design and construction, hairstyling, makeup, wardrobe, location, etc.) that create that look. (page 180)
Reflector board
A piece of lighting equipment, but not really a lighting instrument, because it does not rely on bulbs to produce illumination. Essentially, a reflector board is a double-sided board that pivots in a U-shaped holder. One side is a hard, smooth surface that reflects hard light; the other is a soft, textured surface that reflects softer fill light. (page 238)
Group point of view
A point of view captured by a shot that shows what a group of characters would see, but at the group's level, not from the much higher omniscient point of view. Compare single character's point of view. (page 274)
Single character's point of view
A point of view that is captured by a shot made with the camera close to the line of sight of one character (or animal or surveillance camera), showing what that person would be seeing of the action. Compare omniscient point of view and group point of view. (page 274)
Boom
A pole-like mechanical device used to position the microphone outside the camera frame, but as close as possible to speaking actors. (page 323)
Axis of action
An imaginary line connecting two interacting figures in a scene that defines the 180-degree space within which the camera can record shots of those figures. (page 304)
Rule of thirds
A principle of composition that enables filmmakers to maximize the potential of the image, balance its elements, and create the illusion of depth. A grid pattern, when superimposed on the image, divides the image into horizontal thirds representing the foreground, middle ground, and background planes and into vertical thirds that break up those planes into additional elements. (page 257)
Duration
A quantity of time. In any movie, we can identify three specific kinds of duration: story duration (the time that the entire narrative arc -- whether or not explicitly presented on-screen -- is implied to have taken), plot duration (the time that the events explicitly shown on-screen are implied to have taken), and screen duration (the actual time elapsed while presenting the movie's plot; that is, the movie's running time). (page 297)
Zoom in
A shot in which the image is magnified by movement of the camera's lens only, without the camera itself moving. This magnification is the essential difference between the zoom in and the dolly in. (page 268)
Three-shot
A shot in which three characters appear; ordinarily, a medium shot or medium-long shot. (page 252)
Two-shot
A shot in which two characters appear; ordinarily a medium shot or medium long shot. (page 252)
Medium shot (MS)
A shot showing the human body, usually from the waist up. (page 251)
Crane shot
A shot that is created by movement of a camera mounted on an elevating arm (crane) that, in turn, is mounted on a vehicle that, if shooting requires it, can move on its own power or be pushed along tracks. (page 269)
Eye-level shot
A shot that is made from the observer's eye level and usually implies that the observer's attitude is neutral toward the subject being photographed. (page 259)
Close-up (CU)
A shot that often shows a part of the body filling the frame -- traditionally a face, but possibly a hand, eye, or mouth. (page 252)
Medium close-up (MCU)
A shot that shows a character from the middle of the chest to the top of the head. A medium close-up provides a view of the face that catches minor changes in expression, as well as some detail about the character's posture. (page 252)
Establishing shot
A shot whose purpose is to briefly establish the viewer's sense of the setting of a scene -- the relationship of figures in that scene to the environment around them. This shot is often, but not always, an extreme long shot. See master shot and extreme long shot. (page 251)
Cameo
A small but significant role often played by a famous actor. (page 188)
Sound effect
A sound artificially created for the sound track that has a definite function in telling the story. (page 331)
Foley sound
A sound belonging to a special category of sound effects, invented in the 1930s by Jack Foley, a sound technician at Universal Studios. Technicians known as Foley artists create these sounds in specially equipped studios, where they use a variety of props and other equipment to simulate sounds such as footsteps in the mud, jingling car keys, or cutlery hitting a plate. (page 331)
With regard to sound, what is the crucial difference between sound and silent films?
A sound film can emphasize silence, but a silent film has no option.
Blimp
A soundproofed enclosure somewhat larger than a camera, in which the camera may be mounted to prevent its sounds from reaching the microphone. (page 255)
Mechanical effect
A special effect created by an object or event mechanically on the set and in front of the camera. (page 279)
Laboratory effect
A special effect that is created in the laboratory through processing and printing. Compare in-camera effect and CGI. (page 279)
Deep-space composition
An approach to composition within the frame that places figures in all three planes (background, middle-ground, and foreground) of the frame, thus creating an illusion of depth. Deep-space composition is often, though not always, shot with deep-focus cinematography. (page 255)
Montage editing
An approach to editing pioneered by theorists and filmmakers in the former Soviet Union who posited and proved that the juxtaposition of images can create new meaning not present in any single shot by itself. (page 289)
Closed frame
An approach to framing a shot that implies that neither characters nor objects may enter or leave the frame -- rendering them hemmed in and constrained. Compare to open frame. (page 205)
Eyeline match cut
An editing transition that shows us what a particular character is looking at. The cut joins two shots: the character's face, with his or her eyes clearly visible, then whatever the character is looking at. When the second shot is of another character looking back at the character in the first shot, the resulting reciprocal eyeline match cut and the cuts that follow establish the two characters' proximity and interaction, even if only one character is visible on-screen at any one time. (page 305)
Motion capture
An elaborate process in which the movements of objects or actors dressed in special suits are recorded as data that computers subsequently use to render the motion of CGI characters on-screen. Also known as mocap, performance capture, or motion tracking. (page 180)
Montage sequence
An integrated series of shots that rapidly depicts multiple related events occurring over time. Not to be confused with montage editing, montage sequences are used to condense time when an accumulation of actions is necessary to the narrative, but developing each individual action would consume too much of the movie's duration. (page 295)
Three-shot salvo
An intentional disregard of the 30-degree rule that uses multiple (typically three) increasingly closer or wider framings of the same subject, shot from the same camera position or angle, which are then edited together in rapid succession. This discontinuous editing technique is typically used to add significance or emphasis to a character reaction or point of view. (page 303)
What is the difference between an iris-in and an iris-out?
An iris-in begins with a small circle that expands, while an iris-out gradually closes an image.
Montage
Another term for editing, from the French verb monter ("to assemble or put together"). Montage may also function as a noun to refer generally to an edited assembly of images or sounds. (page 347)
Widescreen
Any aspect ratio wider than 1.33:1, the standard ratio until the early 1950s. (page 236)
Plane
Any of three theoretical areas -- foreground, middle ground, and background -- within the frame. See also rule of thirds. (page 246)
Figure
Any significant thing that moves on the screen -- person, animal, object. (page 202)
Consider carefully the details of the mise-en-scène in the following clips. Based on the mise-en-scène, which do you think belongs to a dystopian futuristic narrative inhabited by mostly one-dimensional characters?
Bartholomew's Song
Why has the typical film editor's job become more difficult in the last fifty years?
Because today's movies run longer and contain more individual shots.
How does a film editor typically fulfill his or her responsibilities for the spatial relationships between shots?
By placing shots together so that the sense of the overall space suggested on screen shifts and expands.
Film stock
Celluloid used to record movies. There are two types: one for black-and-white films, the other for color. Each type is manufactured in several standard formats. (page 229)
Speed or film stock
Celluloid used to record movies. There are two types: one for black-and-white films, the other for color. Each type is manufactured in several standard formats. (page 230)
Onscreen space
Cinematic space that exists inside the frame. Compare offscreen space. (page 204)
Offscreen space
Cinematic space that exists outside the frame. Compare onscreen space. (page 204)
Fast motion
Cinematographic technique that accelerates action on-screen. It is achieved by filming the action at a rate less than the normal 24 frames per second (fps). When the shot is then played back at the standard 24 fps, cinematic time proceeds at a more rapid rate than the real action that took place in front of the camera. Compare slow motion. (page 277)
Slow motion
Cinematographic technique that decelerates action on-screen. It is achieved by filming the action at a rate greater than the normal 24 frames per second (fps). When the shot is then played back at the standard 24 fps, cinematic time proceeds at a slower rate than the real action that took place in front of the camera. Compare fast motion. (page 275)
CGI
Computer-generated imagery. Compare in-camera effect and laboratory effect. (page 280)
Which of the following describes the way continuity and discontinuity can be employed in the movies?
Continuity and discontinuity editing are tendencies along a continuum that can be used whenever the narrative of the film calls for either of them.
Which Soviet filmmaker considered film editing to be a creative process that functioned according to the dialectics of Karl Marx?
Eisenstein
Which Latin American country, adhering to Lenin's familiar remark, "cinema, for us, is the most important of the arts," established this country's Institute for Cinematographic Art and Industry to encourage, improve, and support filmmaking at all levels?
Cuba
The most important and stylistically influential director during the early years of Hollywood filmmaking was ________.
D.W. Griffith
A montage sequence is an editing technique that condenses a series of events into a sequence of shots. Which clip illustrates this technique?
Death to the Tinman
________ is the process by which the look of settings, props, lighting, and actors is determined.
Design
Which of the following film sounds are typically recorded during production?
Dialogue.
What is the difference between diegetic and nondiegetic sound?
Diegetic sound originates from a source within a film's world; nondiegetic sound comes from outside that world.
What is the difference between diegetic sound and nondiegetic sound?
Diegetic sound originates from a source within the world of the film, while nondiegetic sound comes from a source outside that world
What is screen direction?
Direction of a figure's or object's movement on the screen.
The types of sound that filmmakers can include in their sound tracks include all of the following general categories EXCEPT ____________.
Dolby sounds
Classical cutting
Editing decisions made for dramatic emphasis. (page 286)
Special effects (SPFX
FX)
Foley sounds are sounds that are created or recorded "wild" and then edited into the film.
False
Best boy
First assistant electrician to the gaffer on a movie production set. (page 228)
This early innovator of film was a Frenchman considered cinema's first narrative artist, famous for innovating many technical and narrative devices. A magician by trade, he took naturally to the illusion of motion pictures, where he could make things vanish and reappear on screen, and is known for his use of special effects in landmark films such as A Trip to the Moon (1902).
Georges Méliès
Why are black and white films more often closely associated with gritty realism than are color films?
Historically, black and white images have been used for documentaries and newspaper photographs.
Rhythm
In cinematic terms, the practice of changing the pace, either gradually or suddenly, during a scene or sequence. (page 298)
Additive color systems
In early film-making, techniques used to add color to black-and-white images, including hand-coloring, stenciling, tinting, and toning. Compare subtractive color systems. (page 234)
Ellipsis
In filmmaking, generally an omission of time -- the time that separates one shot from another -- to create dramatic or comedic impact. (page 294)
Fill light
Lighting, positioned at the opposite side of the camera from the key light, that can fill in the shadows created by the brighter key light. Fill light may also come from a reflector board. (page 240)
Iris-out
Iris shot that begins with a large circle and contracts to a smaller circle or total blackness. (page 312)
Iris-in
Iris shot that begins with a small circle and expands to a partial or full image. (page 312)
How does the 180-degree system influence screen direction?
It ensures consistent screen direction when shots are edited together.
When is nondiegetic music recorded?
It is recorded at the very end of the editing process so that it can be accurately matched to the images.
Which of the following is NOT true of dialogue?
It is the speech of characters who must be visible onscreen.
Besides being one of the first Westerns, what is significant about Edwin S. Porter's 1903 film The Great Train Robbery?
It was one of the first films that pioneered the idea of continuity editing.
Although a commercial and groundbreaking success, why did The Birth of a Nation (1915) spark nationwide controversy upon its release?
Its content was overtly racist.
This chapter's analysis of Chinatown describes a shot in which no one is in the frame, then suddenly a puff of smoke enters the left side of the frame. This is an example of filmmakers using both on-screen and offscreen space. Which of the following clips also uses on-screen and offscreen space?
Kleingeld
Low-key lighting
Lighting that creates strong contrasts; sharp, dark shadows; and an overall gloomy atmosphere. Its contrasts between light and dark often imply ethical judgments. Compare high-key lighting. (page 240)
High-key lighting
Lighting that produces an image with very little contrast between darks and lights. Its even, flat illumination expresses virtually no opinions about the subject being photographed. Compare low-key lighting. (page 240)
________ is a lighting technique often associated with horror and film noir.
Low-key
What are the fundamental building blocks of continuity editing?
Master shots and the 180-degree system.
Outtakes
Material that is not used in either the rough cut or the final cut, but is nevertheless cataloged and saved. (page 323)
Assistant cameraperson (AC)
Member of the camera crew who assists the camera operator. The first AC oversees everything having to do with the camera, lenses, supporting equipment, and the material on which the movie is being shot. The second AC prepares the slate that is used to identify each scene as it is being filmed, files camera reports, and feeds film stock into magazines to be loaded into the camera. (page 228)
First AC or assistant cameraperson (AC)
Member of the camera crew who assists the camera operator. The first AC oversees everything having to do with the camera, lenses, supporting equipment, and the material on which the movie is being shot. The second AC prepares the slate that is used to identify each scene as it is being filmed, files camera reports, and feeds film stock into magazines to be loaded into the camera. (page 228)
Second AC or assistant cameraperson (AC)
Member of the camera crew who assists the camera operator. The first AC oversees everything having to do with the camera, lenses, supporting equipment, and the material on which the movie is being shot. The second AC prepares the slate that is used to identify each scene as it is being filmed, files camera reports, and feeds film stock into magazines to be loaded into the camera. (page 228)
Which of the following statements about mise-en-scène is NOT true?
Mise-en-scène has two visual components: lighting and movement.
Which of the following is an element that the film editor does NOT manipulate?
Mise-en-scène.
Dolly out
Movement of the camera away from the subject that is often used for slow disclosure, which occurs when an edited succession of images leads from A to B to C as they gradually reveal the elements of a scene. Each image expands on the one before, thereby changing its significance with new information. Compare dolly in. (page 268)
Asynchronous sound
Sound that comes from a source apparent in the image but is not precisely matched temporally with the actions occurring in that image. (page 328)
Viewfinder
On a camera, the little window that the cameraperson looks through when taking a picture; the viewfinder's frame indicates the boundaries of the camera's point of view. (page 204)
Setup
One camera position and everything associated with it. Whereas the shot is the basic building block of the film, the setup is the basic component of the film's production. (page 228)
Shot/reverse shot
One of the most prevalent and familiar of all editing patterns, in which the camera is repeatedly crosscutting between shots of different characters, usually in a conversation or confrontation. When used in continuity editing, the shots are typically framed over each character's shoulder to preserve screen direction. (page 287)
Iris shot
Optical wipe effect in which the wipe line is a circle; named after the iris of a camera. (page 312)
Which first-time filmmaker created a masterpiece that broke many of the cinematic conventions of Hollywood's golden age?
Orson Welles
Who do the textbook authors call the first sound designer in American film history?
Orson Welles
Three-point system
Perhaps the best-known lighting convention in feature filmmaking, a system that employs three sources of light -- key light, fill light, and backlight -- each aimed from a different direction and position in relation to the subject. (page 238)
Nonsimultaneous sound
Sound that has previously been established in the movie and replays for some narrative or expressive purpose. Nonsimultaneous sounds often occur when a character has a mental flashback to an earlier voice that recalls a conversation or to an earlier sound that identifies a place, event, or other significant element of the narrative. (page 327)
Simultaneous sound
Sound that is diegetic and occurs on-screen. (page 327)
Nondiegetic sound
Sound that originates from a source outside a film's world. (page 326)
Omniscient
Providing a third-person view of all aspects of a movie's action or characters. Compare restricted. (page 274)
Diegetic sound
Sound that originates from a source within a film's world. (page 326)
Ambient sound
Sound that seems to the viewer to emanate from the ambience (background) of the setting or environment being filmed. Ambient sound is almost always added or enhanced during postproduction. (page 331)
The four basic properties of lighting are ________.
Source, quality, direction, and style
On location
Shooting in an actual interior or exterior location away from the studio. Compare set. (page 183)
Dolly in
Slow movement of the camera toward a subject, making the subject appear larger and more significant. Such gradual intensification is commonly used at moments of a character's realization and/or decision, or as a point-of-view shot to indicate the reason for the character's realization. See also zoom-in. Compare dolly out. (page 267)
The two major approaches to editing are continuity editing and discontinuity editing. Which clip represents discontinuity editing?
Snapshot
The master shot orients the viewer in preparation for the shots that follow. Which clip illustrates a series of shots that includes a master shot?
Snapshot One of the main functions of the master shot is to orient the viewer (pp. 286-87). In this clip, the master shot is the first shot we see, and it orients by demonstrating the spatial relationship between the two characters. See also 305-6.
Which clip includes the editing strategy known as shot/reverse shot?
Snapshot this is the only clip that represents shot/reverse shot, an editing strategy that joins together two characters in shots that were not necessarily filmed in the same time or location (though they often are). (pp. 287, 304-5).
Narration
The act of telling the story of the film. The primary source of a movie's narration is the camera, which narrates the story by showing us the events of the narrative on-screen. When the word narration is used to refer more narrowly to spoken narration, the reference is to the commentary spoken by either an offscreen or on-screen voice. When that commentary is not spoken by one of the characters in the movie, it is omniscient narration; when spoken by a character within the movie, it is first-person narration. (page 330)
Production value
The amount of human and physical resources devoted to the image, including the style of its lighting. Production value helps determine the overall style of a film. (page 242)
Kinesis
The aspect of composition that takes into account everything that moves on the screen. (page 202)
Slate
The board or other device that is used to identify each scene during shooting. (page 228)
Fragmentation
The breaking up of stories, scenes, events and actions into multiple shots that provide a diversity of compositions and combinations with which to convey meaning. (page 286)
Gaffer
The chief electrician on a movie production set. (page 228)
Costumes
The clothing worn by an actor in a movie (sometimes called wardrobe, a term that also designates the department in a studio in which clothing is made and stored). (page 188)
Decor
The color and textures of the interior decoration, furniture, draperies, and curtains of a set. (page 183)
Which of the following falls under the supervision of a movie's production designer?
The costumes, set construction, and hairstyling.
Amplitude
The degree of motion of air (or other medium) within a sound wave. The greater the amplitude of the sound wave, the harder it strikes the eardrum, and thus the louder the sound. (page 325)
Gauge or format
The dimensions of a film stock and its perforations, and the size and shape of the image frame as seen on the screen. Formats extend from Super 8mm through 70mm (and beyond into such specialized formats as IMAX), but they are generally limited to three standard gauges: Super 8mm, 16mm, and 35mm. (page 229)
Screen direction
The direction of a figure's or object's movement on the screen. (page 303)
The Dogme 95 movement in Denmark drafted a manifesto that includes which of the following rules?
The director must not be credited.
Focal length
The distance from the optical center of a lens to the focal point (the film plane that the cameraperson wants to keep in focus) when the lens is focused at infinity. (page 244)
Depth of field
The distance in front of a camera and its lens in which objects are in apparent sharp focus. (page 246)
Overlapping action
The repetition of parts or all of an action using multiple shots. (page 296)
Moving frame
The result of the dynamic functions of the frame around a motion-picture image, which can contain moving action but can also move and thus change its viewpoint. (page 202)
Fidelity
The faithfulness or unfaithfulness of a sound to its source. (page 325)
Sound crew
The group that physically generates and controls a movie's sound, manipulating its properties to produce the effects that the director desires. (page 321)
Pan shot
The horizontal movement of a camera mounted on the gyroscopic head of a stationary tripod; like the tilt shot, the pan shot is a simple movement with dynamic possibilities for creating meaning. (page 266)
Intercutting
The insertion of shots into a scene in a way that interrupts the narrative. Examples of intercutting include flashbacks, flash-forwards, shots depicting a character's thoughts, shots depicting events from earlier or later in the plot, and associative editing that inserts shots to create symbolic or thematic meaning through juxtaposition. (page 287)
Flashback
The interruption of chronological plot time with a shot or series of shots depicting an event that has happened earlier in the story. (page 287)
Shooting angle
The level and height of the camera in relation to the subject being photographed. The five basic camera angles produce eye-level shots, high-angle shots, low-angle shots, Dutch-angle shots, and aerial-view shots. (page 259)
Pitch
The level of a sound, which is defined by its frequency. Pitch is described as either high or low. (page 324)
Dialogue
The lip-synchronous speech of characters who are either visible on-screen or speaking offscreen, say from another part of the room that is not visible or from an adjacent room. (page 329)
Camera operator
The member of the camera crew who does the actual shooting. (page 228)
Script supervisor
The member of the crew who is responsible for ensuring continuity throughout the filming of a movie. Although script supervisors once had to maintain detailed logs to accomplish this task, today they generally rely on the video assist camera for this purpose. (page 194)
Composition
The organization, distribution, balance, and general relationship of stationary objects and figures, as well as of light, shade, line, and color, within the frame. (page 172)
Art director
The person responsible for transforming the production designer's vision into a reality on the screen, assessing the staging requirements for a production, and arranging for and supervising the work of the members of the art department. (page 180)
Lens
The piece of transparent material in a camera that focuses the image on the film being exposed. The four major types of lenses are the short-focal-length lens, the middle-focal-length lens, the long-focal-length lens, and the zoom lens. (page 244)
Framing
The process by which the cinematographer determines what will appear within the borders of the moving image (the frame) during a shot. (page 202)
Editing
The process by which the editor combines and coordinates individual shots into a cinematic whole; the basic creative force of cinema. (page 282)
Mixing
The process of adjusting relative volume of multiple sound tracks, and then combining those tracks onto one composite sound track that is synchronous with the picture. (page 324)
Cinematography
The process of capturing moving images on film or some other medium. (page 226)
Point-of-view editing
The process of editing different shots together in such a way that the resulting sequence makes us aware of the perspective or POV of a particular character or group of characters. Most frequently, it starts with an objective shot of a character looking toward something outside of the frame and then cuts to a shot of the object, person, or action that the character is supposed to be looking at. (page 202)
Point-of-view editing
The process of editing different shots together so that the resulting sequence makes us aware of the perspective or POV of a particular character or group of characters. Most frequently, it starts with an objective shot of a character looking toward something outside the frame and then cuts to a shot of the object, person, or action that the character is supposed to be looking at. (page 307)
Deep-focus cinematography
The process of rendering the figures on all planes (background, middle-ground, and foreground) of a deep-space composition in focus. (page 255)
Which of the following statements about the production designer is NOT true?
The production designer is hired relatively late in the production process.
Lighting ratio
The relationship and balance between illumination and shadow -- the balance between key light and fill light. If the ratio is high, shadows are deep; the result is called low-key lighting; if the ratio is low, shadows are faint or non-existent and illumination is even; the result is called high-key lighting. (page 240)
Aspect ratio
The relationship between the frame's two dimensions: the width of the image related to its height. (page 248)
Jump cut
The removal of a portion of a continuous shot, resulting in an instantaneous advance in the action -- a sudden, perhaps illogical, often disorienting ellipsis. (page 307)
What is the basic building block of film editing?
The shot.
Scale
The size and placement of a particular object or a part of a scene in relation to the rest -- a relationship determined by the type of shot used and the placement of the camera. (page 264)
Pace
The speed at which a multi-shot sequence occurs. The pace of a scene or sequence is accomplished by using shots of the same general duration. (page 298)
Frequency
The speed with which a sound is produced (the number of sound waves produced per second). The speed of sound remains fairly constant when it passes through air, but it varies in different media and in the same medium at different temperatures. (page 324)
Double-system recording
The standard technique of recording film sound on a medium separate from the picture. This technique allows for both maximum quality control of the medium and the many aspects of manipulating sound during postproduction editing, mixing, and synchronization. (page 323)
Coverage
The use of a variety of shots of a scene -- taken from multiple angles, distances, and perspectives -- to provide the director and editor a greater choice of editing options during postproduction. (page 282)
Chiaroscuro
The use of deep gradations and subtle variations of lights and darks within an image. (page 186)
Colorization
The use of digital technology, in a process similar to hand-tinting, to 'paint' colors on movies meant to be seen in black and white. (page 230)
Tilt shot
The vertical movement of a camera mounted on the gyroscopic head of a stationary tripod. Like the pan shot, the tilt shot is a simple movement with dynamic possibilities for creating meaning. (page 267)
Loudness
The volume or intensity of a sound, which is defined by its amplitude. Loudness is described as either loud or soft. (page 325)
Harmonic content
The wavelengths that make up a sound. (page 325)
Why is the axis of action also called the 180-degree system?
There are 180 degrees of space on the chosen side of the axis of action in which the camera may be placed to preserve screen direction.
Listen carefully to this clip from Snapshot. Based on the sound track, which of the following statements is TRUE?
There are a lot of people at this party, and someone is playing the piano.
When preparing a popular star for a role, why would a studio be reluctant to drastically alter the star's look?
There was a risk of jeopardizing the star's image.
What is one of the goals of continuity editing?
To keep viewers oriented in space and time
Why is sound overlapped?
To link and provide unity between disparate shots.
Why is ADR used?
To rerecord sound originally recorded on the set.
Why would filmmakers use the extremes of near silence or shocking loudness in a scene?
To signal something important.
Which type of film sound tends to dominate most films?
Vocal sounds.
Quality
When referring to sound, also known as timbre, texture, or color. The complexity of a sound, which is defined by its harmonic content. Described as simple or complex, quality is the characteristic that distinguishes a sound from others of the same pitch and loudness. In lighting, quality refers to the degree to which light is diffused between the source and the subject, and its effect on the interplay between illumination and shadow. (page 325)
Historians who chart the history of cinema technology examine might pose all of the following questions, EXCEPT:
Who saw the films, how, and why?
Extreme close-up (ECU
XCU)
Extreme long shot (ELS
XLS)
During the classical Hollywood studio era, the mise-en-scène of each studio's movies was often created through ________.
a predetermined formula
One camera position and everything associated with it is called ________.
a setup
How would you characterize the Hollywood studio system during the classical period?
a top-down organization in which management controlled everything
The planning of the positions and movements of the actors and camera is called
blocking
A box or room where light enters on one side and projects an image from the outside onto the opposite side or wall is called a
camera obscura
In addition to studying the studio system, historians who take the economic approach toward the film industry also take into account ________.
censorship and the rating system
During the production of a movie, light is controlled and manipulated by the ________ to achieve expressive effects.
cinematographer
After the action is photographed multiple times with a variety of different shot types and angles, the editor constructs the scene using the particular viewpoint that is best suited for each dramatic moment, which in practice is known as
classical cutting
Since 1968, almost all Hollywood feature films have used ________ film stock.
color
The organization, distribution, balance, movement, and general relationship of actors and objects within the space of a shot is called
composition
Movies such as Alexander Nevsky (1938) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) use various visual elements to:
convey themes and ideas to the audience.
The cinematographer is also known as the ________.
director of photography
What editing transition does this clip from Snapshot illustrate?
dissolve
An editor's control of _____________ can determine the pace or rhythm of a movie.
duration
Most film sounds are constructed ________.
during postproduction
Which approach to film history would address the formation of the studio system, the distribution and exhibition of movies, and the rise of an independent system of film production?
economic approach
What is the process of selecting, arranging, and assembling the essential components of a movie (visual, sound, and special effects) to tell a story in a unique way?
editing
Which of the following is a phase of sound production?
editing
In animated films which consist of primarily computer-generated imagery, the relationship between the director and the production designer is the same as in nonanimated films, except that the production designer and his staff have
even greater control over the mise-en-scène and the entire look of the film than they could possibly have in nonanimated films.`
In film analysis, the term mise-en-scène refers to:
everything the audience sees, hears, and experiences while viewing a movie.
German expressionist films are characterized by _____________ settings, ____________ camera angles, and themes such as _____________.
exaggerated; oblique; alienation
Which type of cut joins a point-of-view shot of a person looking offscreen with a shot of the object of his or her gaze, as found in this clip from Spam-ku?
eyeline match cut
The two most basic kinds of artificial lights used for film production are ________.
focusable spotlights and floodlights
Composition is part of the process of planning the design of a movie. When visualizing and planning shots, filmmakers must make decisions about two elements of composition: what we see on screen and what moves on screen. What are these two elements commonly called?
framing and kinesis
Two key aspects of composition are _______
framing and kinesis
The social approach to film history attempts to establish a link between motion pictures and ________.
government, religion, and labor
Orson Welles was considered one of cinema's greatest directors because
he had the vision to do something differently and the talent to inspire collaborators to experiment and help him realize that vision.
Depth of field refers to the distances in front of the camera and its lens in which the subjects are________.
in apparent sharp focus
The classical Hollywood style is built upon the principle of ________.
invisibilty
The French New Wave film Breathless (1960) often violates conventional continuity with what editing technique that calls attention to the movie's construction?
jump cut During a scene of the young lovers Michel and Patricia primping and flirting in the bathroom of Patricia's apartment, the editor cuts five pieces out of one continuous shot, creating five obvious jump cuts
The main source of illumination used in three-point lighting is the ________.
key light
Cinematographic properties of the shot controlled by the DP include film stock, lighting, and ________.
lenses
The power of montage, as expressed by Soviet filmmakers of the 1920s, lies in its ability to ________.
manipulate the viewer's perception and understanding
A term synonymous with the aesthetic approach to film history is the ________.
masterpiece approach
Not only can the surfaces, textures, sights, and sounds of a movie convey meaning but directors also use those elements to trigger an emotional response based on each viewer's ________.
memory and experience
The process of combining different sound tracks into one composite sound track to play in synchronization with the edited picture is called-----
mixing
These sounds come from a source outside the world of the movie are heard only by the audience
nondiegetic sounds
What are three elements that describe neorealism?
nonprofessional actors, location sets, handheld camera
In the climactic scene of Bonnie and Clyde (1967), what form of editing is used for the series of shots that extends moments of time just prior to and during the machine-gun fire?
overlapping action
What are the four basic perceptual characters of sound?
pitch, loudness, quality, fidelity
One of the first and most important collaborators hired by a director is the ________, who helps develop the overall look of a movie.
production designer
The change in focus from one subject to another during a shot is known as a ________.
rack focus
Films of the Italian neorealist movement are characterized by _____________ locations, ____________ actors, and a ____________ visual style.
real; nonprofessional; documentary
What are, arguably, the only two fundamental styles of film design?
realistic and fantastic
An open frame is generally employed in _____________ films, while a closed frame is generally employed in ____________ films.
realistic; antirealistic
The two fundamental styles of design established in early motion pictures are the ___________ associated with the Lumière brothers and the ____________ associated with Georges Méliès.
realistic; fantastic
Which three devices are examples of series photography?
revolver phatographique, magic lantern, fusil photographique
The development of ________ served as the bridge between still photography and cinematography.
series photography
The person in charge of all the countless details that go into furnishing and decorating a set, as well as supervising a variety of specialists, is called the
set decorator
What are the major elements of cinematic design?
setting, decor, properties, lighting, costume, makeup, hairstyle
The ________ describes the relationship between the subject being photographed and the level and height of the camera.
shooting angle
As light and dark create the image, so ____________ create the sound track.
sound and silence
The group responsible for the sound in movies is called the ________.
sound crew
What is ambient sound?
sounds that emanate from the setting or environment being filmed
Sets are often built on a ________, which is a windowless, soundproofed, interior shooting environment.
soundstage
The films of French magician and filmmaker Georges Méliès are best known for their innovative use of ________.
special effects
The editing technique in which the screen is broken into multiple frames and images is known as ____________.
split screen
The Jazz Singer (1927) is historically significant because it featured several scenes with ________.
synchronous dialogue
The effect of perceiving spatial continuity between two shots, including two shots filmed at different times in different places, is called ____________.
the Kuleshov effect Kuleshov demonstrated a creative capacity of film editing that editors still use: the juxtaposition of images to create new meaning not present in any single shot by itself (pp. 289-91).
When designing costumes for a futuristic sci-fi movie, designers must take into account the social structure and values of an imaginary society as well as ________.
the audience's expectation of what the future should look like
During production, the crew most closely associated with the camera consists of ________.
the camera operator and the first and second AC
What usually determines the design of costumes used in a film?
the film's setting
Unlike a static painting or picture, a motion picture moves and thus shifts its point of view. Point of view is implied by
the framing of a shot.
The long and medium shot are names that refer to ________.
the implied distance between the camera lens and the subject being filmed
What is figure movement?
the movement of something concrete within the frame
what is looping
the rerecording of sound first recorded on set
The compositional principle that divides the frame horizontally and vertically in order to visualize the height, width, and depth of cinematic space is called ________.
the rule of thirds
Listen carefully to this clip from Spam-ku. Which sound element is an example of diegetic sound?
the sound of the pancake batter
The intent of dada and surrealism is to shock the viewer with the ________ juxtapositions of images.
unexpected
