Chapter 4 Flashcards
______ is a film technique that viewers notice most because it involves costumes, lighting, and scenery.
Mise-en-scene
How did film pioneer Méliès create the mise-en-scene for his works?
By planning and staging action for the camera
In contrast to theater, the setting in the mise-en-scene of a film can exist without ______.
actors
How does Women in Love incorporate costume as part of the mise-en-scene to reinforce the film’s narrative progression?
It uses costumes in various color schemes to represent different stages in the characters’ development.
Which of the following statements are true about lighting as a component of mis-en-scene?
Lighting is an essential part of the pictorial impact of the shot.
Lighting helps create the overall composition of each shot.
Which of the following is NOT a component of the mise-en-scene of a film?
Screenplay
Highlights tend to reverberate on ______ surfaces and dilute on ______ surfaces, giving an insight into the texture of the object being represented onscreen.
smooth; rough
Which of the following exemplify ways in which filmmakers can use mis-en-scene?
To give settings an authentic look
To achieve realism
What aspect of the lighting in a shot should a viewer look for to determine its quality?
Intensity
Which of the following is NOT a way in which the setting of a film contributes to mise-en-scene?
Colors and patterns of costumes
Which of the following statements about frontal lighting are true?
It eliminates shadows.
In depicting historical figures in film, ______ plays a big part in helping the actor disappear into the role.
makeup
Which type of lighting is especially effective in sculpting the features of a person’s face?
Sidelighting
Which of the following are ways of using lighting as a component of mis-en-scene?
Brightly illuminating a key gesture made by an actor
Concealing a detail in a scene by keeping it in shadow
Arranging lighter and darker areas in a frame to modify the overall composition
If you see a shot that features a figure in a dramatic silhouette, you are most likely seeing what kind of lighting?
Backlighting
In lighting a film, what is a possible visual effect created through shadow?
Cast a shadow onto another object
What kind of lighting is effective in creating visual distortions that heighten suspense?
Underlighting
It would be most appropriate to use ______ lighting to showcase the geometry of an architectural landmark on film.
hard
bright
Which of the following exemplifies top lighting?
Having a chandelier shine upon the dining room table at a party
If you see a shot in which no shadows are visible, what kind of lighting is most likely being used?
Frontal lighting
Most fictional films use light ________ to control the look of an image in a shot
sources
In this image from Touch of Evil, what is the type of lighting that has been used to bring out the facial features of the actor? (Click on image to enlarge.)
Sidelighting
Which of the following is the primary source of light in any given shot?
Key light
Edge lighting, which consists of a rim of illumination around an object, is a common implementation of ______ in film.
backlighting
In this image from The Sixth Sense, what type of lighting is used to simulate a flashlight? (Click on image to enlarge.)
Underlighting
Fill light is typically used to _______ shadows created by key light.
soften
Which kind of lighting should be used to create a spotlight in a scene of a singer on stage?
Top lighting
Which of the following descriptions could be used to explain high-key lighting scheme?
Low contrast
Soft
Transparent shadow
What is the term used to refer to where the lighting in a shot comes from?
source
Film noir is a genre defined by high contrast visuals and dramatic shadows. Which type of lighting was most likely used in those films?
Low-key lighting
In a dark scene with a bright lamp, _____ would be employed to imitate the direction of the lamplight.
a key light
True or false: In shooting indoor scenes, colored filters are placed over incandescent lights instead of white lights.
false
Which of the following are components of an actor’s performance that contribute to the mise-en-scene?
Voice
Gestures
Facial Expressions
What kind of light is used to soften or eliminate shadows cast by the primary source of light in a shot?
Fill light
Match each actor (on the right) with a form of realistic portrayal (on the left) that he or she exemplifies.
The New York Actors Studio style
Present-day natural behavior
A naturalistic performance of the 1970s
An inventive comedic stylization
Marlon Brando in On the WaterfrontMarlon Brando in On the Waterfront
Viola Davis in FencesViola Davis in Fences
Robert De Niro in Taxi DriverRobert De Niro in Taxi Driver
Steve Martin in All of MeSteve Martin in All of Me
In which genres was high-key lighting commonly used in classical Hollywood cinema?
Drama
Comedy
Which areas of the face are the most expressive?
Eyebrows
Eyes
Mouth
Low-key lighting should be employed in a scene in which a spotlight appears in an otherwise pitch-black room.
True
When an actor’s performance creates a unique character and does not seem too exaggerated, it is regarded as realistic based on ______.
individualization and stylization
Which of the following are examples of how color might be used in lighting a film?
Purple to emphasize a dramatic sunset
Red to simulate a lava lamp
Blue to create the illusion of sadness
What is the most common example of figure expression and movement in the mise-en-scene?
Actors performing roles
In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the digitally created character of Gollum was lauded for the realistic movements of his body. What technique was used to achieve that effect?
Motion capture
What is a basic way of characterizing a performer’s role as part of a film’s mise-en-scene?
As realistic acting
Which of the following statements about film editing and the performance of an actor are true?
An actor may be shown reacting to something that is added later in separate shots during editing.
Actors must learn to have _______ eye contact with other actors onscreen, despite it not being natural to do so in everyday life.
consistent
intense
Which of the following are useful recommendations for acting in a shot that shows the actor very far away?
Move around.
Use body language.
Gesture broadly.
Which of the following traits would most likely be associated with a stylized performance?
Non-stereotypical
Distinctive voice
What did psychologist Tim Smith’s study of viewers’ eye movements show that they were attracted to in a scene with characters in There Will Be Blood?
Speaking
Facial movements
Hand gestures
The ability to capture the subtle movements of the face through _____ revolutionized the creation of digitally generated characters.
CGI
In this scene on the church rooftop in L’Avventura, Antonioni used the placement of the figures, the quality of the light, and other elements of ______ to create the feeling he desired.
mise-en-scene
How can editing shape an actor’s performance?
By compiling bits from separate shots
By creating a performance wholly in postproduction
By adding sound
Which of the following statements are true about psychologist Tim Smith’s study of viewers’ eye movements while watching scenes from There Will Be Blood?
The viewers tended to look at the same things in each scene.
What part of the frame do filmmakers assume that the viewer will concentrate the most on?
Top
How does an extreme technique of monochromatic color design achieve most of its drama?
With the introduction of another color
This sequence of two images from a scene in L’Avventura shows how mise-en-scene can be used to _____.
focus on the emotions of one person and then the other
Depth cues suggest that a space has which of the following?
Volume and planes
How does the concept of overlap function as a depth cue?
An object obscuring another makes the eye believe they must be on separate planes.
Which of the following are useful recommendations for acting in a shot that shows the actor very far away?
Gesture broadly.
Move around.
Use body language.
Depending on the type of the scene, the focal point/s will be placed differently. The common element is to achieve a sense of _____.
balance
Why is the background in landscape shots often hazy?
Combination of lighting and lens focus
Natural atmospheric haze
When a filmmaker uses monochromatic color design, how is visual disparity achieved?
Purity of color
Lightness of color
The mise-en-scene in this image from The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach demonstrates that deep space is reinforced by how objects that are farther away from the viewer appear smaller. This principle is called _____.
size diminution
What do the depth cues of a film image help the viewer do?
Perceive the objects on a movie screen as occupying three-dimensional space
In a scene of a woman walking in the rain, the director wanted to bring the umbrella she was carrying into the foreground. In order to achieve this, he chose one that was a dark forest green.
False
If a shot shows a woman close to the camera standing in a field with a massive vista behind her, it is an example of ______ composition.
deep-space
When looking at an image, the human brain assumes that objects that have sharp outlines, clear textures, and pure colors are in the ______ of the shot.
foreground
A shot in a film that simply shows a human being standing close in front of a wall would be an example of ______ composition.
shallow-space
The fact that objects in the distance appear smaller to the human eye helps our brain understand the concept of three-dimensional space.
True
Depth cues suggest that a space has which of the following?
Volume and planes
Which of the following is NOT a way in which Carl Dreyer makes Anne’s sad expression the focus of the shot seen here?
The fact that she doesn’t speak in the shot
Which of the following is the most common implementation of deep-space composition by directors?
Large foreground plane, distant background plane
In this rooftop scene in L’Avventura, Antonioni uses _____ to build suspense. (Click on image to enlarge.)
the timing of the characters’ movements
Which of the following best describes the relationship between the closest and most distant plane in a shallow-space composition?
Slightly separated
What aspect of mise-en-scene does Keaton use in the short comedic scenes through the locales he uses during his voyage back to the South on the train?
Setting
The mise-en-scene in this image from The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach demonstrates that deep space is reinforced by how objects that are farther away from the viewer appear smaller. This principle is called _____.
size diminution
The causes and effects, parallels and contrasts, and development found in Our Hospitality are extensively explored in the ______ of the film.
settings
What do the depth cues of a film image help the viewer do?
Perceive the objects on a movie screen as occupying three-dimensional space
What costume or prop is used in Our Hospitality to symbolize the Canfields’ inability to end the feud?
Pistols
This shot from Carl Dreyer’s Day of Wrath shows two dark figures in the foreground and a horse-drawn cart of wood in the background. What unusual element of the mise-en-scene leads us to focus our attention back forth between the foreground and background? (Click on image to enlarge.)
The placement of the foreground figures below the cart
What is the narrative function of lighting the murder scene in fits of bright lights from gunshots and lightning?
Build suspense
Which of the following are ways in which the director has control over time in terms of mise-en-scene?
When we see
What we see
How long we see
In the scene shown, what technique does Keaton use to create the suspense of the viewer understanding the danger ahead without giving it away to Willie?
Deep-space composition
What distinct narrative functions does the setting of the Canfield home in Our Hospitality serve?
It represents one of the films contrasting sections.
It is where Willie enjoys safety from the Canfield brothers.
It is where the narrative brings an end to the McKay-Canfield feud.
Multiple Choice Question
These images from Our Hospitality use an elaborate mise-en-scene involving water that has burst from a demolished dam. How is the comic element of the Canfield brothers’ search for Willie brought out by the use of a deep-space
The two Canfield brothers appear suddenly in the foreground just as Willie disappears behind the wall of water in the background.
Every setting in Our Hospitality is motivated by which of the following elements of the narrative?
Overall development
Causes and effects
Parallels and contrasts
Willie is dressed in a nice suit throughout the film, which serves the narrative function of painting him as a _____.
city boy.
This image from Our Hospitality shows how the somber events that take place in the prologue of the movie are emphasized by using _____. (Click on image to enlarge.)
sidelighting that highlights facial features
Keaton commonly makes viewers scan their line of vision from side to side in the composition by presenting two events onscreen at once. This is achieved through _____.
staging
Keaton fills Our Hospitality with moments of comedic relief that are often organized as variations of a theme. What are some of the gag themes in the movie that take place on his train trip to the South?
People meeting the train
The train tracks themselves
In what ways does the recurring motif of the bickering couple influence the mise-en-scene of Our Hospitality?
Plays on the idea of hospitality
Strengthens narrative unity
