Quiz 7

Question 1

option contract

Answer 1

During the classical Hollywood era, an actor’s standard seven-year contract, reviewed every six months: if the actor had made progress in being assigned roles and demonstrating box-office appeal, the studio picked up the option to employ that actor for the next six months and gave the actor a raise; if not, the studio dropped the option and the actor was out of a job.

Question 2

Stanislavsky system

Answer 2

A system of acting, developed by Russian theater director Konstantin Stanislavsky in the late nineteenth century, that encourages students to strive for realism, both social and psychological, and to bring their past experiences and emotions to their roles. This system influenced the development of Method acting in the United States.

Question 3

Method acting

Answer 3

Also known as simply the Method. A naturalistic acting style, loosely adapted from the ideas of Russian director Konstantin Stanislavsky by American directors Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg, that encourages actors to speak, move, and gesture not in a traditional stage manner, but in the same way they would in their own lives. An ideal technique for representing convincing human behavior, Method acting is used more frequently on the stage than on the screen.

Question 4

type casting

Answer 4

The casting of actors because of their looks or ‘type’ rather than for their acting talent or experience.

Question 5

Casting

Answer 5

The process of choosing and hiring actors for a movie.

Question 6

Screen test

Answer 6

A filming undertaken by an actor to audition for a particular role.

Question 7

Major role

Answer 7

Also known as main role, featured role, or leading role. A role that is a principal agent in helping move the plot forward. Whether movie stars or newcomers, actors playing major roles appear in many scenes and – ordinarily, but not always – receive screen credit preceding the title. Compare minor role.

Question 8

Stand-in

Answer 8

An actor who looks reasonably like a particular movie star (or at least an actor playing a major role) in height, weight, coloring, and so on, and who substitutes for that actor during the tedious process of preparing setups or taking light readings.

Question 9

Stunt person

Answer 9

A performer who doubles for another actor in scenes requiring special skills or involving hazardous actions, such as crashing cars, jumping from high places, swimming, or riding (or falling off of) horses.

Question 10

Minor role

Answer 10

Also known as supporting role. A role that helps move the plot forward (and thus may be as important as a major role), but that is played by an actor who does not appear in as many scenes as the featured players do.

Question 11

Character role

Answer 11

An actor’s part that represents a distinctive character type (sometimes a stereotype): society leader, judge, doctor, diplomat, and so on.

Question 12

Bit player

Answer 12

An actor who holds a small speaking part.

Question 13

Extra

Answer 13

An actor who, usually, appears in a nonspeaking or crowd role and receives no screen credit.

Question 14

Cameo

Answer 14

A small but significant role often played by a famous actor.

Question 15

Walk-on

Answer 15

A role even smaller than a cameo, reserved for a highly recognizable actor or personality.

Question 16

Distancing effect or alienation effect

Answer 16

A psychological distance between audience and stage for which, according to German playwright Bertolt Brecht, every aspect of a theatrical production should strive by limiting the audience’s identification with characters and events.

Question 17

Improvisation

Answer 17

1. Actors’ extemporization – that is, delivering lines based only loosely on the written script or without the preparation that comes with studying a script before rehearsing it.
2. ‘Playing through’ a moment – that is, making up lines to keep scenes going when actors forget their written lines, stumble on lines, or have some other mishap.