Chapter 3

Question 1

Mise-en-scene

Answer 1

All the elements of a movie scene that are organized, often by the director, to be filmed and that are later visible onscreen; including actors, lighting, sets, costumes, make-up, and other features of the image that exist independently of the camera and the processes of filming and editing.

Question 2

Soundstage

Answer 2

A large soundproofed building designed to house the construction and movement of sets and props and effectively capture sound and dialogue during filming.

Question 3

Setting

Answer 3

A fictional or real place where the action and events of the film occur.

Question 4

Set

Answer 4

A constructed setting, often on a studio soundstage, on which filming takes place; can combine natural and constructed elements.

Question 5

Realism

Answer 5

An artwork’s quality of conveying a truthful picture of a society, person, or some other dimension of everyday life.

Question 6

Scenic Realism

Answer 6

The physical, cultural, and historical accuracy of the background, objects, and other figures in a film.

Question 7

Prop

Answer 7

An object that functions as a part of the set or as a tool used by the actors.

Question 8

Prosthetics

Answer 8

Artificial facial features or body parts used to alter actors’ appearances.

Question 9

Lighting

Answer 9

Sources of illumination - both natural light and electrical lamps - used to present, shade, and accentuate figures, objects, and spaces in the mise-en-scene. Lighting is primarily the responsibility of the director of photography and the lighting crew.

Question 10

Natural Lighting

Answer 10

Light derived from a natural source in a scene or setting, such as the illuminations of the sun or firelight.

Question 11

Set Lighting

Answer 11

The distribution of an evenly diffused illumination through a scene as a kind of lighting base.

Question 12

Directional Lighting

Answer 12

Lighting coming from a single direction.

Question 13

Three-Point Lighting

Answer 13

A lighting technique common in Hollywood that combines key lighting, backlighting, and fill lighting to bled the distribution of light in the scene.

Question 14

Key Light

Answer 14

The main source of non natural lighting in a scene

Question 15

High-Key Lighting

Answer 15

Lighting where the main source of light creates little contrast between light and dark.

Question 16

Low-Key Lighting

Answer 16

Lighting where the main source of light creates a stark contrast between light and dark.

Question 17

Fill Lighting

Answer 17

A lighting technique using secondary fill lights to balance the key lighting by removing shadows or to emphasize other spaces and objects in the scene.

Question 18

Highlighting

Answer 18

The use of different lighting sources to emphasize certain characters or objects.

Question 19

Backlighting

Answer 19

A highlighting technique that illuminates the person of object from behind, tending to silhouette the subject.

Question 20

Frontal Lighting

Answer 20

Techniques used to illuminate the subject from the front.

Question 21

Side lighting

Answer 21

Used to illuminate the subject from the side.

Question 22

Underlighting

Answer 22

Used to illuminate the subject from below.

Question 23

Top Lighting

Answer 23

Used to illuminate the subject from above.

Question 24

Soft Lighting

Answer 24

Diffused, low-contrast lighting that reduces or eliminates hard edges and shadows and can be more flattering when filming people.

Question 25

Hard Lighting

Answer 25

A high-contrast lighting style that creates hard edges, distinctive shadows, and a harsh effect, especially when filming people.

Question 26

Chiaroscuro Lighting

Answer 26

Dramatic, high-contrast lighting that emphasizes shadows and the contrast between light and dark; frequently used in German expressionist cinema and film noir.

Question 27

Actor

Answer 27

An individual who embodies and performs a film character through speech, gestures, and movements.

Question 28

Performance

Answer 28

An actor’s use of language, physical expression, and gesture to bring a character to life and to communicate important dimensions of that character to the audience.

Question 29

Leading Actor

Answer 29

The two or three actors, often stars, who represent the central characters in a narrative.

Question 30

Character Actor

Answer 30

A recognizable actor associated with particular character types, often humorous or sinister, and often cast in minor parts.

Question 31

Supporting Actor

Answer 31

Actors who play secondary characters in a film, serving as foils or companions to the central characters.

Question 32

Extra

Answer 32

An actor without speaking parts who appears in the background and in crowd scenes.

Question 33

Character Type

Answer 33

A conventional character typically portrayed by actors cast because of their physical features, their acting style, or the history of other roles they have played.

Question 34

Blocking

Answer 34

The arrangement and movement of actors in relation to one another within the physical space of the mise-en-scene.