Glossary of Film

Question 1

Absurdism

Answer 1

a cultural and philosophical movement characterized by a focus on the experiences of the individual and a rejection of traditional societal norms and values

Question 2

Adaptation

Answer 2

the process of adapting a story or work from one medium to another, such as from a novel to a film

Question 3

Anime

Answer 3

a style of Japanese animated film or television that is known for its distinctive artistic style and storytelling methods

Question 4

Avant-Garde film

Answer 4

a type of experimental film that seeks to challenge conventional film-making styles and techniques

Question 5

Aspect Ratio

Answer 5

the proportional relationship between the width and height of a movie image

Question 6

Auteur Theory

Answer 6

a critical approach that evaluates a film based on the creative vision of its director, viewing the director as the “author” of the film

Question 7

Benshi

Answer 7

a narrator in traditional Japanese silent cinema who provided live commentary and sound effects during the film

Question 8

Blaxploitation

Answer 8

a genre of film that emerged in the 1970s and was aimed at African American audiences, often depicting black characters in stereotypical and exaggerated roles

Question 9

Blind Buying

Answer 9

the practice of purchasing a film or other media product without first previewing it

Question 10

Blockbuster Film

Answer 10

a film that is highly anticipated and typically has a large budget, with the expectation of achieving significant commercial success

Question 11

Block Booking

Answer 11

a practice in the early film industry in which theatre owners were required to book large blocks of films, often including low-quality “B” movies, in order to secure the rights to show more popular films

Question 12

“B” Movie

Answer 12

a low-budget, commercially oriented film that is often used as the second feature in a double bill

Question 13

Calabash films

Answer 13

a type of West African film characterized by their use of indigenous storytelling techniques and their focus on local culture and traditions

Question 14

Churros

Answer 14

a Spanish word for a type of pastry that was often sold in theatres and became associated with cinema culture. In Mexico the word is pejorative and is used to describe a bad commercial film

Question 15

Cinematographie

Answer 15

a French term used to describe the quality prized by the French Impressionist avant-garde of the 1920s, characterized by a focus on light, movement, and the interaction between the camera and its subject

Question 16

Closeup

Answer 16

a film shot that features a close-up view of a person or object, often used to emphasize emotional expression or details

Question 17

Colorization

Answer 17

the process of adding color to black and white films, either through hand-painting or digital methods

Question 18

Commedia dell’árte

Answer 18

a form of improvisational theatre that originated in Italy in the 16th century and is characterized by its use of stock characters and scenarios

Question 19

Continuity editing

Answer 19

a film-making technique that creates a seamless and coherent visual experience by matching the position, movement, and visual elements of shots within a scene

Question 20

Crane Shot

Answer 20

a type of shot that uses a crane or other specialized camera mount to achieve high or low-angle shots

Question 21

Cross-Cutting

Answer 21

a film-making technique that intercuts between two or more parallel actions to create a sense of simultaneity or to build tension

Question 22

Cut

Answer 22

the transition from one shot to another within a film

Question 23

Documentary

Answer 23

a type of film that aims to document real people, events, and places, often with the intention of educating or informing the audience

Question 24

Dolly Shot

Answer 24

a type of shot that involves moving the camera toward or away from a subject on a dolly, a wheeled platform, to create a smooth tracking shot

Question 25

Dissolve

Answer 25

a film editing technique that blends the end of one shot with the beginning of another, often to indicate a passage of time

Question 26

Doctrine of Socialist Realism

Answer 26

a cultural and artistic policy that was enforced in the Soviet Union beginning in the 1930s and 1940s, which called for the creation of works that promote the values and goals of socialism

Question 27

Editing

Answer 27

the process by which different shots are joined together to form a cohesive whole

Question 28

Europudding

Answer 28

a term used to describe a film that combines elements from multiple European cultures or film styles, often in an effort to appeal to a wider international audience. The result is often bland and generic

Question 29

Existentialism

Answer 29

a philosophical movement that emphasizes individual freedom and choice and the search for meaning in a seemingly meaningless world. “Life has no meaning so I will create meaning”

Question 30

Eyeline Match

Answer 30

a film-making technique that aligns the direction of a character’s gaze with the next shot, creating a smooth transition between shots and reinforcing the continuity of the scene

Question 31

FAMU

Answer 31

Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, a prominent film school in the Czech Republic

Question 32

Film Noir

Answer 32

a genre of film that emerged in the 1940s and is characterized by its dark and brooding atmosphere, use of shadows and low-key lighting, and themes of crime, deception, moral ambiguity, and sexually powerful women who have control over weak men

Question 33

Futurism

Answer 33

an artistic and cultural movement that emerged in Italy in the early 20th century and sought to celebrate the power and beauty of modern technology and the future. Also important in early Soviet film

Question 34

Gay and lesbian cinema

Answer 34

films that feature issues and problems related to the gay and lesbian lifestyle

Question 35

German Expressionism

Answer 35

an artistic and cultural movement that emerged in Germany in the 1910s and was characterized by its use of bold and distorted forms to express psychological and emotional states

Question 36

Gothic fantasy films

Answer 36

a genre of film that is characterized by its use of dark and supernatural themes, often set in castles, cathedrals, or other gloomy locations

Question 37

Heritage Film

Answer 37

a European genre of film that focuses on national and cultural traditions, often in an effort to evoke feelings of nostalgia and to promote national pride

Question 38

Film Impressionism

Answer 38

a style of French avant-garde film from the 1920s that emphasizes the lyrical and rhythmic possibilities of the medium

Question 39

Intertitles

Answer 39

textual elements that appear on screen between shots in silent films, often used to provide dialogue or to advance the narrative

Question 40

Italian Neorealism

Answer 40

a cultural and artistic movement that emerged in Italy after World War II and was characterized by its focus on the lives of ordinary people and its use of non-professional actors and location shooting

Question 41

Iris

Answer 41

a visual effect in film that resembles the iris of a camera lens closing in or opening out, used to transition between shots or to emphasize a specific part of the frame

Question 42

Jidai-geki

Answer 42

Japanese historical films - a genre of Japanese film that depicts historical events or periods, often with a focus on samurai warriors and other historical figures

Question 43

Kinetoscope

Answer 43

an early motion picture device invented by Thomas Edison in the late 19th century, which used a rotating drum to display short, hand-cranked films

Question 44

Key Light

Answer 44

the main light source used in a film scene to illuminate the subject and create depth and contrast

Question 45

Kuleshov Effect

Answer 45

a film-making technique named after Soviet filmmaker Lev Kuleshov, in which the audience’s interpretation of a shot is influenced by the shots that come before and after it

Question 46

Nihilism

Answer 46

a philosophical movement that denies the existence of objective meaning or morality and sees life as essentially meaningless. Traditions and expectations mean little

Question 47

Leitmotif

Answer 47

a recurring musical or sound theme that is associated with a specific character, event, or idea in a film

Question 48

Long Shot

Answer 48

a type of shot that shows a subject from head to toe, often used to establish the location or to provide a sense of context

Question 49

Low Key Lighting

Answer 49

a film-making technique that uses mostly shadows and minimal lighting to create a dark, moody atmosphere

Question 50

Masking

Answer 50

a film-making technique that involves using masks or matte objects to block parts of the frame, either to create a specific composition or to combine two or more shots in a single frame

Question 51

Master shot

Answer 51

a shot in film that captures the entire scene from a wide angle, often used as a reference for subsequent shots

Question 52

Medium shot

Answer 52

a type of shot that shows the subject from the waist up, often used to convey intimacy or to highlight facial expressions

Question 53

Mise-en-scène

Answer 53

a term used in film to refer to all the visual and spatial elements of a scene, including the setting, costumes, props, and actors’ movements and positions

Question 54

Montage

Answer 54

a film-making technique that involves cutting between shots to create meaning or to convey a passage of time

Question 55

New German Cinema

Answer 55

a cultural and artistic movement that emerged in Germany in the 1960s and 1970s, characterized by its experimentation with form and its exploration of political and social themes

Question 56

Oberhausen Manifesto

Answer 56

a declaration made by a group of young German filmmakers in 1962, calling for a radical reinvention of German cinema

Question 57

Overbuying

Answer 57

a film distribution strategy in which a distributor buys the rights to a large number of films, often more than it can actually release or distribute, in order to secure a larger market share

Question 58

Painted Light

Answer 58

a film-making technique that involves painting daylight and shadows onto objects to distort reality as a manifestation of internal psychic turmoil

Question 59

Photogenie

Answer 59

a term used by French film theorists to describe the quality of a shot or sequence that has a magnetic or captivating quality

Question 60

Poetic Realism

Answer 60

a film style that emerged in France in the 1930s, characterized by its focus on the lives of ordinary people and its use of poetic, lyrical images to evoke emotion

Question 61

Peep Show

Answer 61

a type of entertainment that allows the viewer to watch a short film or scene by peeking through a small viewing window

Question 62

Pink Films

Answer 62

a genre of Japanese film that deals with explicit softcore sexual content and themes, often produced outside the mainstream film industry

Question 63

Polyvision

Answer 63

a film-making technique that uses multiple projections

Question 64

Problem Picture

Answer 64

A film genre that deals with social or political issues and aims to raise awareness or spark debate among its audience

Question 65

Pure Cinema

Answer 65

A term that refers to the idea of cinema as an art form that can convey emotions and ideas solely through visual means, without relying on other art forms such as literature or theatre

Question 66

Race Movies

Answer 66

Films made specifically for African-American audiences before World War II, often featuring black actors and storylines that addressed issues relevant to the African-American community

Question 67

Scene

Answer 67

A segment of a film that takes place in a specific location and time, and is defined by a particular set of actions and dialogue

Question 68

Second Avant-Garde

Answer 68

A term used to describe a wave of experimental French filmmaking in the 1920s that is defined by Pure Cinema.

Question 69

Serial Film

Answer 69

A series of short films that were shown in theatres as separate episodes, usually before the main feature. The episodes were usually part of a larger story and ended with a cliffhanger to keep audiences coming back for the next episode

Question 70

Series film

Answer 70

A film that is part of a larger franchise or series, often featuring recurring characters and storylines

Question 71

Shot

Answer 71

A continuous take captured by the camera, often used to convey a specific mood or to facilitate a particular narrative technique

Question 72

Social Realism

Answer 72

A film style that aims to accurately depict the lives of ordinary people, often focusing on issues such as poverty, unemployment, and injustice. Popular in Britain starting in the 1960s

Question 73

Spaghetti Western

Answer 73

A type of Western film made in Italy and Spain in the 1960s and 1970s, known for their distinctive style and low budgets

Question 74

Steadicam

Answer 74

A camera stabilization system that allows for smooth and stable shots while the camera is moving. Developed in the 1970s

Question 75

Superimposition

Answer 75

A film technique where two or more images are layered on top of each other to create a composite image

Question 76

Women’s Picture

Answer 76

A film genre that focuses on women’s experiences and emotions, often featuring female characters in leading roles

Question 77

Subjective Camera

Answer 77

A film technique where the camera takes on the point of view of a particular character, allowing the audience to see the world from their perspective

Question 78

Surrealist Film

Answer 78

A type of experimental film starting in the 1920s that explores the subconscious and irrational aspects of the human mind, often using dream-like imagery and symbolism

Question 79

Synchronous Sound

Answer 79

A type of sound recording that is synchronized with the images on screen, allowing for naturalistic dialogue and sound effects

Question 80

Technicolor

Answer 80

A color motion picture process that was widely used from the 1930s to the 1950s, known for its vibrant and rich color palette

Question 81

Tinting and Toning

Answer 81

Techniques used in early filmmaking to add color to black and white images, by hand-coloring individual frames

Question 82

Undercranking

Answer 82

is a film production technique where the camera records at a slower frame rate than the playback rate, resulting in sped-up footage. This creates fast-motion effects, such as time-lapse or energetic movements. Undercranking makes the subjects’ movements in front of the camera more exaggerated. Often used for comedic effect

Question 83

Typage

Answer 83

A casting technique in early silent films where actors were chosen for their physical appearance, often to represent a particular ethnic or national stereotype

Question 84

Vertical Control

Answer 84

An attempt to control all aspects of the industry. Studios made, released and marketed their films, even owning the cinemas in which they were shown. This ended in 1948 through a U.S. Supreme Court decision

Question 85

Vitaphone

Answer 85

A sound-on-disc technology that was used to synchronize sound with motion pictures in the late 1920s and early 1930s

Question 86

Westerns

Answer 86

A film genre that typically takes place in the American Old West, often featuring cowboys, gunslingers, and frontier life

Question 87

Women’s film

Answer 87

Genre intended for female audience that often included subjects of romantic love and domestic conflict

Question 88

Youth Films

Answer 88

Genre popular in the 1960s that focused on the radical lifestyles adopted in the era