Deck 1: Putting Films on Screen

Question 1

Stan Brakhage and Maya Deren are

A) heads of the two biggest American distribution firms.
B) pioneers of digital animation.
C) experimental filmmakers who have used small-scale production.
D) prominent Hollywood directors who began in independent filmmaking.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The "gaffer" is the head electrician working with lighting.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

A strip of film consists of base and emulsion.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Modern publicity methods mean that "word of mouth" seldom affects a film's success.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT one of the modes of production?

A) small-scale
B) conglomerate
C) independent
D) studio

Question 6

It is not yet possible to use digital sound tracks for films.

Question 7

Explain why the director is the person most commonly viewed as the "author" of a film.

Question 8

A "work print" is

A) the copy exhibited in theaters.
B) the unedited footage printed from the camera negative (mostly unused for editing now).
C) the unedited digital copies of dailies transferred to a hard drive.
D) the takes viewed by the director after each day of shooting.

Question 9

Computer-generated imagery has done away with the need for making miniatures and models for special effects.

Question 10

Discuss how the choices made by a director, such as in Mann's Collateral , help to shape the style of a film.

Question 11

"Critical flicker fusion" is

A) the final stage in the manufacture of raw film stock.
B) the flashing of film frames on a screen quickly enough to create an illusion of movement.
C) the ideal length of time each frame should be exposed during filming.
D) the moment when the exposed image appears on the film during the developing process.

Question 12

A storyboard is a series of drawings of the shots planned for a film.

Question 13

In what ways are digital motion-picture cameras similar to traditional 35mm cameras? With respect to the differences, what are the advantages that some filmmakers see in using digital motion-picture cameras?

Question 14

The process of previsualization

A) uses computers to rework storyboards into three-dimensional animation.
B) creates comic-strip like sketches of the shots in each scene.
C) is completed by the screenwriter as part of a "treatment."
D) is the creation of trailers and movie image stills for the advertising campaign.

Question 15

To save money, most directors try to shoot only one take of each shot.

Question 16

In what ways has the development of higher volume broadband on the Internet and digital video revolutionized distribution?

Question 17

"Gauge" refers to what quality of the film strip?

A) its durability
B) its thickness
C) its total running time
D) its width

Question 18

A film's direct sound is recorded optically during filming, and then later transferred onto magnetic tape.

Question 19

What is DIY filmmaking, and how has the introduction of consumer and posumer digital cameras and affordable computing affected the making of these types of films?

Question 20

A preliminary synopsis of a film's action is called a

A) blueprint.
B) brief.
C) treatment.
D) try-out.

Question 21

The typical independent film has about the same budget as a studio production.

Question 22

Which of these is NOT a standard width for film strips?

A) 16mm
B) 24mm
C) 35mm
D) 70mm

Question 23

Small-scale production is common in documentary filmmaking.

Question 24

A "master shot" is

A) a shot considered good enough for inclusion in a film.
B) a preliminary test of whether the camera is working.
C) a single take of all the action of a scene.
D) a close view of the film's star.

Question 25

The term "auteur" was originally created to refer to Hollywood directors who were thought to have a distinctive approach to filmmaking while working within the Hollywood studio system.

Question 26

"Nonlinear editing" means

A) arranging scenes shot "out of continuity" during production.
B) editing at intervals during the shooting of a film.
C) editing using video and computer.
D) combining color and black-and-white footage in the same scene.

Question 27

Western Europe has the most lucrative theatrical market.

Question 28

Ancillary markets are

A) small, low-profit areas where exhibitors have low priority for first-run films.
B) foreign markets.
C) art-film theaters.
D) film markets other than theatrical exhibition.

Question 29

Michael Mann and his cinematographers decided to shoot much of the film Collateral on high-definition digital cameras in part because of their high sensitivity to light.

Question 30

The "aspect ratio" of a film refers to

A) the profits of a film in proportion to its costs.
B) the percentage of shots that are made on location.
C) the relationship of the width to the height of its images.
D) the proportion of the total amount off footage shot to the amount used in the final cut.

Question 31

A studio pursuing a platforming strategy will open a film at the same time in many cities and towns.

Question 32

The "rental" is

A) the share of the theatrical film gross that goes to the exhibitor.
B) the share of the theatrical film gross that goes to the distributor.
C) a fee charged by the film producer and studio for licensing to DVD production and video rental outlets.
D) the total gross of the film achieved after the theatrical run.

Question 33

"Letterboxing" is a method for showing widescreen films on video.

Question 34

Since the early 2000s, exhibitors have worried especially about shrinking windows, or

A) their ability to choose which films to run in theaters - which has diminished due to block scheduling.
B) the time between a film's theatrical and DVD release.
C) the time a director has for postproduction after the production phase has ended.
D) the time between the DVD release of a film and that film's broadcast on cable television.

Question 35

A film's musical track is typically composed during the preproduction phase.

Question 36

A slate is

A) a tool for creating sound effects in postproduction.
B) a sign held in front of the lens to record the number of each take.
C) a large chart listing the personnel due to work on a film on any given day.
D) a device used to signal extras in large crowd scenes.

Question 37

In block booking, an exhibitor is forced to rent a package of films in order to get a few desirable ones.