Film Key Terms

Question 1

Back Projection

Answer 1

projection of film onto a translucent screen to create the impression that the action is taking place somewhere other than a studio

Question 2

commentative sound

Answer 2

added sound which is not actual sound and therefore does not arise from the action, these can be special sound effects, orchestral score, soundtrack or narration

Question 3

Depth of field

Answer 3

Distance between the nearest and the furthest points of focus in a shot

Question 4

Full shot

Answer 4

the subject or the object is the only thing present in the frame. Used to deliver significance or emphasis.

Question 5

Long shot

Answer 5

a shot in which the whole of the subject is visible

Question 6

Medium shot

Answer 6

closer the subject than a long shot, such that the subject appears half framed.

Question 7

Accelerated Motion

Answer 7

movement in a shot is represented at greater speed than in reality

Question 8

Actual Sound

Answer 8

sound arising from within the action itself such as dialogue or other natural sounds

Question 9

Back lighting

Answer 9

The main source of light is directed towards the camera - thus throwing the subject into silhouette

Question 10

Big close up

Answer 10

more tightly framed than a close up - for example focusing only on the protagonist’s eyes.

Question 11

Bridging shot

Answer 11

used to cover a jump in time or some other continuity break.

Question 12

Cheat shot

Answer 12

shot in which part of the action or subject is deliberately excluded. Often used to add mystery, tension, suspense or even shock. In addition it is used to achieve certain effects, such as our hero falling from the top of a very tall building into a safety net

Question 13

Close medium shot

Answer 13

precisely half way between a close up and a medium shot. Typically we would see the subject from about the knees up.

Question 14

Close up

Answer 14

Shot taken with the camera very close to the subject, for example focusing on the hands or the face

Question 15

Crane shot

Answer 15

allows smooth camera movement and high angle shots by fixing the camera to a specially constructed crane. Often used for establishing shots.

Question 16

Dissolve

Answer 16

transition between shots using fade out and fade in of equal length superimposed upon one another.

Question 17

Dolly shot

Answer 17

a rail-like piece of equipment on which the camera can be wheeled about

Question 18

Establishing shot

Answer 18

a shot (usually a long shot) used near the beginning of a scene to introduce objects subjects settings and interrelationships. Often used to disruptive effect in order to play with audience expectations and hypotheses.

Question 19

Fade in

Answer 19

self-explanatory, but note that it applies to sound as well as visuals.

Question 20

Fade out

Answer 20

the opposite of FADE-IN

Question 21

Flashback

Answer 21

sequence in a film which denotes an earlier time frame, often somewhere before the film has ‘begun’ - often used to disrupt linear editing and mix parallel narratives

Question 22

Freeze frame

Answer 22

At a chosen point in a scene a particular frame is repeatedly printed to last for a few seconds (or more) to give emphasis.

Question 23

Jump cut

Answer 23

Separate intervals of time stitched together in a one frame jump.

Question 24

High or Low key lighting

Answer 24

creates mood through the lighting

Question 25

Mise en scene

Answer 25

refers to everything that appears before the camera and its arrangement—composition, sets, props, actors, costumes, and lighting.

Question 26

Montage

Answer 26

a technique variously ascribed to D.W. Griffith and Sergei Eisenstein in which two separate pieces of action occurring simultaneously are edited together.

Question 27

Pan

Answer 27

rotating the camera on its vertical axis to follow the action or to focus on something away from the action.

Question 28

Slow motion

Answer 28

means by which movement in a shot is represented as taking place more slowly than it did

Question 29

Tracking shot

Answer 29

shot taken with a tracking camera - similar to a dolly, but with no weaving

Question 30

voice over

Answer 30

also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary, is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non-diegetic)—is used.