Midterm Flashcards
What is the difference between an Electrician and a Grip?
Electricians create light and Grips create shadows.
C-stand
Century stand: primarily used to position light modifiers
Junior Combo Stand
can be found as a double or triple riser, has a combination of a baby pin (5/8) and a junior pin (1 1/8) receptacle.
Large Gobo Head
aka “Lollipop” fits into the junior pin receptacle.
Light Modifiers
used to alter or control light (i.e. flags, silks, scrims, nets)
Flags
aka Solids or Cutters, create shadows/negative fill
Butterflies
large rags of solids, silks, and nets tied with a grip knot to metal frames. Large piece of material stretched onto metal frame.
(6’6’ to 10’x10’ are called butterflies)
Speed Rails
Rails made of aluminum, used to make custom-sized frames for rags (overheads) but can also be used to build rigs for camera and lighting mounts.
Apple Boxes
wooden bozes of varying sizes (pancake, quarter apple, half apple. full apple) with holes on each end.
Small Gobo Head
aka Grip Head, fits on to the baby pin of a C-stand
Baby Pin
5/8ths-inch pin on top of a baby stand.
Gaffer Grip Clamp
aka Alligator Clamp
Spring Clip
aka Grip Clip
Cardellini Clamp
One of the most versatile clamps is the Cardellini clamp. The unique angled jaw allows the clamp to grip to both flat as well as curved surfaces like speed rail.
Foam core Holder
aka duckbill, platypus, or quacker
What is a “doughnut”?
The rubber wheel on a dolly that rolls easily across flat surfaces.
What are “hot buttons”?
Skateboard wheels are used with a dolly track
Centipede
The “centipede” is a multi-wheel carriage for mounting a larger dolly with rubber wheels.
What are examples of mounting plates?
- Baby plate
- Junior plate
- Right angle baby plate
- Cheater plate
- Cheese plate multi-purpose
Dolly
is a platform with wheels, onto which a camera is mounted, in order to create movement in the shot, tracking shots.
Wedges and Cribbing
often used to level a dolly track, for a smooth dolly move.
Parts of the Camera
- Camera body
- Lens
- Viewfinder
- Matte box
- Battery
- Tripod
- Fluid Head
- Follow focus ring
Aspect Ratio
Refers to the height and width of a frame
Resolution
In digital cinema, resolution is represented by the horizontal pixel count (i.e. HD, 2K, 4K)
Camera Settings: Recording Format
The choice of recording format affects color grading and other aspects of post production (i.e. Log C, Rec 709, RAW)
Log-C
A recording format that delivers a very low contrast, desaturated image from the camera, gives a wide dynamic and tonal range allowing more latitude to apply color and style choices (a LUT can be applied to reach final desired look)
REC 709
recording format that has the advantage of being accepted by virtually any storage an playback codec.
RAW
Recording format that delivers as much data information that the camera sensor is capable of delivering.
“LUT”
“A Look Up Table” or LUT is a color preset that can be applied to your footage in post. A digital file that transforms the color and tone of your image. A lut is used when color grading footage.
White Balance
the process of setting the camera to recognize the color temperature of the lighting in the shooting environment.
ASA/ISO
- Camera setting that refers to how sensitive the sensor is to the amount of light reaching it. 2. The higher the ASA/ISO, the more sensitive the sensor is to light
“Clipping” the whites or “crushing” the blacks
terminology used when exposing your footage
Frame Rate
refers to how many complete frames are recorded per second, expressed as “frames per second” or FPS
Film is usually shot in how many frames per second?
24 fps
What is an effective exposure time (shutter speed) for 24 fps (assuming a 180 degree shutter)?
1/48th of a second
Slow Motion
Sometimes referred to as “high speed” or “overcranking” because the number of frames exposed in a second is higher than a standard frame rate.
Fast Motion
the opposite of slow motion, a scene recorded at 6 fps, when projected at 24 fps, will provide 4x the information in one second than was actually recorded in one second.
Shutter Angle
In film, the default shutter angle is 180 degrees.
Shutter Speed
“Shutter speed” refers to how fast the open shutter will pass across the full sensor, closely tied to frame rate.
Lens
is mounted onto the camera body, at the “gate”, which is where the film or sensor is exposed to light that passes through the lens.
Focal Length
the focal length of a lens refers to the distance from the optical center to the focal plane.
Optical center
Where light converges inside the lens
Focal plane
Where the sensor is located
What are the two lens types?
- Prime Lens 2. Zoom Lens
Prime Lens
Has a fixed focal length (can’t zoom)
Zoom Lens
has a variable focal length (can zoom in/out)
We classify lenses based on their focal length. What are the 3 lens classifications?
- Telephoto lens
- Normal lens
- Wide angle lense
Aperature/Iris
An opening through which light passes into the camera, is located at the back of the lens.
- The aperture/iris has a variable size, written as a fraction, called an “f-stop”
A smaller f-stop number has?
- Bigger opening
- Lets in more light
- More shallow depth of field (ie f/2)
What 3 main elements that effect depth of field?
- Aperature
- Focal length
- Subject distance to camera
How can you increase your depth of field?
- Narrow your aperture
- Move subject away from camera
- Shorten focal length
A smaller f-stop number has?
- bigger opening
- Lets in more light
- More shallow depth of field (i.e. f/2)
A larger f-stop number has?
- smaller opening
- lets in less light
- deeper depth of field (i.e. f/16)
If the f/stop is incorrect, the image may be?
overexposed or underexposed
“Overexposed”
too much light, turns highlights white (brightest)
“Underexposed”
allowing too little light, turns shadows black (darkest)
“Latitude”
refers to the difference between the brightest and darkest areas of the image
Follow Focus
The lens must be manually focused so that the image is not blurry or “soft”. A “follow focus” wheel can be attached to the lens to make “pulling” focus easier.
“Depth of field”
is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in an image that appear in focus.
Shallow Focus
Background and foreground are blurred, but the subject is sharp and in focus.
Deep Focus
Background and foreground are all in acceptable focus, everything is sharp.
What are the two main factors that determine depth of field?
The APERTURE setting and the FOCAL LENGTH of the lens
What does a larger f/stop number and smaller aperture mean?
More depth of field
What does a smaller f/stop number and larger aperture mean?
Less depth of field
Tripod
aka “sticks” is a three legged camera support, made up of two components: 1) Head 2) Legs
Fluid Head (of a tripod)
contains fluid to provide resistance which gives smooth hand-operated motion
Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR)
a process during which actors watch the film footage and re-record their lines to be dubbed.
Foley
creating sound effects by watching picture and mimicking the action.
On a set location, the sound department is responsible for recording what?
- DIALOGUE (clearly audible and synchronized to the moving image)
- WILD TRACKS (sound recordings independt of moving image)
- ROOM TONE (ambient noise without dialogue or man-made sounds)
One of the smallest departments on set, the sound crew typically consists of what 3 positions?
- Location Sound Mixer (quality of recordings)
- Boom Operator (responsible for placement of microphones and “boom mic”)
- Utility (responsible for any assistance the Mixer or Boom Op may need, wrangling cables, replacing batteries, etc.)
Single System Sound
when the sound is recorded to the same medium as the image (i.e. a cellphone or home video)
Dual-system Sound
when the audio is recorded separately from the visuals on a secondary system that has been synchronized to align in post-production.
“Peaking”
is when the sound is too loud to be recorded clearly
Shotgun Microphone
a directional mic with an extremely narrow pick-up pattern, records sound from a conical zone.
Omnidirectional Microphone
a microphone that records sound from all directions (spherical).
Omnidirectional Microphone
A microphone that records sound from all directions (spherical).
Cardioid Microphone
a mic with a pick-up pattern that captures sound from primarily one direction (and some to the sides of the microphone), records sound from a semi-spherial pattern.
Boom Microphone
eis any microphone attached to an extendable boom pole, it could be a shotgun or a cardioid mic.
The items found in a boom mic package include:
- Shotgun mic (usually)
- Boom pole
- Suspension mount
- Rycote softie (aka a “dead cat”) for dampening wind noise
- XLR cable
Lavalier Microphone
a small microphone typically used to mic individual people, placed on a performer that runs to a wireless transmitter.
XLR Cable
is a cable used for audio signal.
BNC Cable
is a calbe used for video signal.
Grips create what?
Shadows
A stand with a removable base is called what?
Turtle Base
What do the parts of the C-stand include?
- Baby Pin (5/8’)
- Gobo Arm
- Load leg
- Knuckle
- Riser
- Gobo head (aka grip head)w
What are some examples of specialized flags?
- Meat axe
- Floppy
What is a modifier that’s mounted on a crane?
Flyswatters
What is used to make custom-sized frames for rags and can be used to build rigs for camera and lighting mounts?
Speed rail
What are some examples of modifiers?
- Nets
- Silks
- Single Net
- Solid flag
- Cuculoris (aka cookie)
- A cello cuculoris (soft cookie)
- Butterflies & overheads
- Flyswatters
What is this?
foamcore holder aka duckbill, platypus or quacker
What is this?
A drop ceiling scissor clamp
What is this?
Mafer clamp
What is this?
cardellini clamp
What is this?
A math gag
What is this?
Spring Clip aka grip clip
What is this?
Cheeseborough aka grid clamp fits around piping
What is this?
Crowder Hanger
What kind of dolly is designed to fit through a standard door opening?
Doorway Dolly
What is this?
A “centipede” is a multi-wheel carriage for mounting a larger dolly with rubber wheels.
On set, the more popular brands of dollies are much bigger. What are some examples?
- Hybrid
- Hustler
- Super PeeWee
- Fisher 10
When using a dolly with track on uneven ground, the track must be what to achieve a smooth dolly move?
LEVELED
Which format will deliver a very low contrast, desaturated image from the camera?
Log C
What format delivers as much data information that the amera sensor is capable of delivering, allowing for color grading, contrast control, etc. in post production?
RAW
White balance
is the process of setting the amera to recognize the color temperature of the light in the shooting environment.
What does a camera have that tells the camera it’s looking at the color white, so that the image will reproduce colors correctly?
“WB” or “AWB” (Automatic white balance)
The higher the ASA setting, the more what?
sensitive the sensor is to light
What focal length lens is 45mm-55mm?
A normal lens that replicates what the human eye would see
What focal length lens gives a very deep depth of field and is shorter than 50mm?
Wide angle lens
What focal length lens is longer than 50mm and givecs a shallow depth of field?
Telephoto lens
What happens if the f/stop is incorrect?
The image may be “overexposed” or “underexposed”
Latitude
The difference between the brightest and darkest areas of the image
What identifies the correct exposure for latitude?
The zone system. 1. Zone 0 is absolute black, 2. Zone 5 is “perfect” exposure with the most detail visible, 3. Zone 10 is absolute white with no detail visible or blown out.
What is used to synchronize audio and visual recordings?
A slate
What kind of mic records sound from a conical zone?
A shotgun mic
What kind of mic records sound from a semi-spherial pattern?
Cardioid
Name these
- Omni
- Cardiooid
- Hyper-cardioid
- Shotgun (Topview)
What are some things to watch out for with lavalier mics?
- Placement
- Clothes rustling
- Wireless Signal interference
What kind of cable is used for video signal?
BNC
