Deck 1: Film As Art

Question 1

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

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

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A film that assembles existing images or archival footage,such as newsreel footage or television footage,is called

A)a documentary.
B)an animated film.
C)a fiction film.
D)a compilation film.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

To maximize income from consumers,distributors time their tentpole theatrical releases according to

A)popularity of current cable programming.
B)the availability of the director to make public appearances.
C)the interests of specific regional markets.
D)the release schedule of competing films--so as to avoid head-to-head conflict.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

An "optical sound track"

A)encodes information on magnetic tape.
B)is not part of the film strip.
C)is a collection of visual images related to the music of a film.
D)encodes information in the form of patches of light and dark.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT an example of a "special version" of a film?

A)A director's cut
B)An extended version
C)A theatrical version
D)An airline version

Question 6

A "slate" (also called a "clapboard")is

A)a tool for creating sound effects in postproduction.
B)a sign held in front of the lens to record information about a particular 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 7

A "work print" is

A)the final 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 for historical archives.
D)the takes viewed by the director after each day of shooting.

Question 8

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 9

"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 10

The "rental" is

A)the share of the theatrical film gross that goes to the theater that exhibited it.
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 and after Netflix has purchased the rights.

Question 11

During shooting,separate shots are made "out of continuity," which means that they are created

A)in the exact order in which they will appear in the film.
B)in a random order.
C)in the order that is most convenient for production.
D)in reverse order.

Question 12

When small-scale production becomes "collective" production,

A)several film workers participate equally and may rotate roles.
B)several different films are created simultaneously.
C)a single person takes charge of an entire group of film workers.
D)a clear hierarchy of responsibility is necessary for the operation to be completed.

Question 13

The process of previsualization (also called "previs")

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

Question 14

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

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

Question 15

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 16

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

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

Question 17

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

A)Small-scale
B)Conglomerate
C)Independent
D)Large-scale studio

Question 18

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 of footage shot to the amount used in the final cut.

Question 19

Amos Poe 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 switched to independent filmmaking.

Question 20

"Style" refers to

A)a film's use of various cinematic techniques.
B)the overall sound identity of a film.
C)costuming in a film.
D)the type of language used in a film.

Question 21

Small-scale production is common in documentary filmmaking.

Question 22

Filmmaking is a long process that from beginning to end requires

A)constant decision making.
B)perfectly secure funding.
C)elaborate international marketing.
D)comprehensive distribution.

Question 23

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

Question 24

Manufacturing companies that buy the rights to use a film's characters,title,or images on their products are engaging in

A)brand partnering.
B)consumer targeting.
C)merchandising.
D)cross-promoting.

Question 25

Western Europe by far has the most lucrative theatrical market.

Question 26

The French term auteur originally referred to Hollywood directors who had a distinctive approach to filmmaking while still working within the Hollywood studio system.

Question 27

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

Question 28

After commercial movie houses,the most important theatrical venue is

A)film clubs at universities.
B)government archives.
C)cultural museums.
D)film festivals.

Question 29

What is the term for the total box office receipts generated by a film?

A)Net
B)Income
C)Gross
D)Revenue

Question 30

When did supplements become part of the filmmaking process?

A)When filmmaking began
B)During the golden age of Hollywood
C)After the beginning of the DVD age
D)In the 1970s

Question 31

A strip of film consists of base and emulsion.

Question 32

Exhibition factors,such as image size,may affect a filmmaker's

A)production schedule.
B)marketing plans.
C)ability to secure funding.
D)stylistic choices.

Question 33

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

Question 34

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

Question 35

How did The Blair Witch Project affect film distribution?

A)It led distributors to use websites to help market their films.
B)It compelled distributors to spend more money marketing their films.
C)It decreased distributors' interest in independent films.
D)It discouraged distributors from using social-networking Internet sites.

Question 36

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

Question 37

Which of the following is NOT an example of a "tentpole" film?

A)The Dark Knight
B)Selma
C)Matrix: Revolutions
D)The Hunger Games

Question 38

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

Question 39

Which of the following is an example of a "nontheatrical exhibition"?

A)A film festival
B)An Internet download to a personal computer
C)A screening at a commercial movie house
D)A screening at a museum

Question 40

The six major Hollywood distributors account for what portion of theater ticket sales in the United States?

A)25 percent
B)45 percent
C)75 percent
D)95 percent

Question 41

Modern publicity methods mean that "word of mouth" such as via social media seldom affects a film's success.

Question 42

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

Question 43

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

Question 44

A film's composer writes the entire score and always orchestrates it personally.

Question 45

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

Question 46

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 47

Most films earn profits in theatrical release.

Question 48

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

Question 49

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

Question 50

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 51

In what ways has the development of online movie downloads and online film rental companies such as Netflix revolutionized distribution?

Question 52

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

Question 53

Centralized studio production has declined as giant film companies have largely become distribution companies.

Question 54

By selling movies as online downloads or by allowing viewers to rent them as streaming video,production companies reduced the cost of making DVD discs.

Question 55

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