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Glossary of Film Flashcards

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1
Q

Absurdism

A

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

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2
Q

Adaptation

A

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

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3
Q

Anime

A

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

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4
Q

Avant-Garde film

A

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

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5
Q

Aspect Ratio

A

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

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6
Q

Auteur Theory

A

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

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7
Q

Benshi

A

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

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8
Q

Blaxploitation

A

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

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9
Q

Blind Buying

A

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

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10
Q

Blockbuster Film

A

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

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11
Q

Block Booking

A

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

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12
Q

“B” Movie

A

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

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13
Q

Calabash films

A

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

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14
Q

Churros

A

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

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15
Q

Cinematographie

A

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

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16
Q

Closeup

A

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

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17
Q

Colorization

A

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

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18
Q

Commedia dell’árte

A

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

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19
Q

Continuity editing

A

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

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20
Q

Crane Shot

A

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

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21
Q

Cross-Cutting

A

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

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22
Q

Cut

A

the transition from one shot to another within a film

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23
Q

Documentary

A

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

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24
Q

Dolly Shot

A

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

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25
Dissolve
a film editing technique that blends the end of one shot with the beginning of another, often to indicate a passage of time
26
Doctrine of Socialist Realism
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
27
Editing
the process by which different shots are joined together to form a cohesive whole
28
Europudding
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
29
Existentialism
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"
30
Eyeline Match
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
31
FAMU
Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, a prominent film school in the Czech Republic
32
Film Noir
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
33
Futurism
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
34
Gay and lesbian cinema
films that feature issues and problems related to the gay and lesbian lifestyle
35
German Expressionism
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
36
Gothic fantasy films
a genre of film that is characterized by its use of dark and supernatural themes, often set in castles, cathedrals, or other gloomy locations
37
Heritage Film
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
38
Film Impressionism
a style of French avant-garde film from the 1920s that emphasizes the lyrical and rhythmic possibilities of the medium
39
Intertitles
textual elements that appear on screen between shots in silent films, often used to provide dialogue or to advance the narrative
40
Italian Neorealism
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
41
Iris
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
42
Jidai-geki
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
43
Kinetoscope
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
44
Key Light
the main light source used in a film scene to illuminate the subject and create depth and contrast
45
Kuleshov Effect
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
46
Nihilism
a philosophical movement that denies the existence of objective meaning or morality and sees life as essentially meaningless. Traditions and expectations mean little
47
Leitmotif
a recurring musical or sound theme that is associated with a specific character, event, or idea in a film
48
Long Shot
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
49
Low Key Lighting
a film-making technique that uses mostly shadows and minimal lighting to create a dark, moody atmosphere
50
Masking
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
51
Master shot
a shot in film that captures the entire scene from a wide angle, often used as a reference for subsequent shots
52
Medium shot
a type of shot that shows the subject from the waist up, often used to convey intimacy or to highlight facial expressions
53
Mise-en-scène
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
54
Montage
a film-making technique that involves cutting between shots to create meaning or to convey a passage of time
55
New German Cinema
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
56
Oberhausen Manifesto
a declaration made by a group of young German filmmakers in 1962, calling for a radical reinvention of German cinema
57
Overbuying
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
58
Painted Light
a film-making technique that involves painting daylight and shadows onto objects to distort reality as a manifestation of internal psychic turmoil
59
Photogenie
a term used by French film theorists to describe the quality of a shot or sequence that has a magnetic or captivating quality
60
Poetic Realism
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
61
Peep Show
a type of entertainment that allows the viewer to watch a short film or scene by peeking through a small viewing window
62
Pink Films
a genre of Japanese film that deals with explicit softcore sexual content and themes, often produced outside the mainstream film industry
63
Polyvision
a film-making technique that uses multiple projections
64
Problem Picture
A film genre that deals with social or political issues and aims to raise awareness or spark debate among its audience
65
Pure Cinema
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
66
Race Movies
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
67
Scene
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
68
Second Avant-Garde
A term used to describe a wave of experimental French filmmaking in the 1920s that is defined by Pure Cinema.
69
Serial Film
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
70
Series film
A film that is part of a larger franchise or series, often featuring recurring characters and storylines
71
Shot
A continuous take captured by the camera, often used to convey a specific mood or to facilitate a particular narrative technique
72
Social Realism
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
73
Spaghetti Western
A type of Western film made in Italy and Spain in the 1960s and 1970s, known for their distinctive style and low budgets
74
Steadicam
A camera stabilization system that allows for smooth and stable shots while the camera is moving. Developed in the 1970s
75
Superimposition
A film technique where two or more images are layered on top of each other to create a composite image
76
Women's Picture
A film genre that focuses on women's experiences and emotions, often featuring female characters in leading roles
77
Subjective Camera
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
78
Surrealist Film
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
79
Synchronous Sound
A type of sound recording that is synchronized with the images on screen, allowing for naturalistic dialogue and sound effects
80
Technicolor
A color motion picture process that was widely used from the 1930s to the 1950s, known for its vibrant and rich color palette
81
Tinting and Toning
Techniques used in early filmmaking to add color to black and white images, by hand-coloring individual frames
82
Undercranking
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
83
Typage
A casting technique in early silent films where actors were chosen for their physical appearance, often to represent a particular ethnic or national stereotype
84
Vertical Control
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
85
Vitaphone
A sound-on-disc technology that was used to synchronize sound with motion pictures in the late 1920s and early 1930s
86
Westerns
A film genre that typically takes place in the American Old West, often featuring cowboys, gunslingers, and frontier life
87
Women's film
Genre intended for female audience that often included subjects of romantic love and domestic conflict
88
Youth Films
Genre popular in the 1960s that focused on the radical lifestyles adopted in the era

Film (4 decks)

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