Deck 1: Film as art: creativity, technology, and business

Question 1

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.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

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.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

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

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

Question 5

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 6

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 7

"Style" refers to

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

Question 8

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

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

Question 9

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 10

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

A) current cable programming.
B) windows of scheduling.
C) specific regional markets.
D) the release schedule of competing films.

Question 11

When small-scale production becomes "collective" production,

A) several film workers participate equally and may rotate roles.
B) several films are created simultaneously.
C) a single person takes charge of a group of film workers.
D) a clear hierarchy of responsibility is necessary.

Question 12

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 13

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 14

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.

Question 15

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.

Question 16

During shooting, separate shots are made "out of continuity," or

A) in the 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 17

"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 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

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

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

Question 20

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

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

Question 21

A strip of film consists of base and emulsion.

Question 22

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

Question 23

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 24

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

Question 25

Western Europe has the most lucrative theatrical market.

Question 26

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

A) a film festival
B) an Internet download
C) a screening at a commercial movie house
D) a screening at a museum

Question 27

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 28

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 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

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

Question 32

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

A) The Dark Knight
B) Brokeback Mountain
C) Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
D) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Question 33

Small-scale production is common in documentary filmmaking.

Question 34

After commercial movie houses, the most important theatrical venue is

A) film clubs.
B) archives.
C) museums.
D) film festivals.

Question 35

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

Question 36

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

Question 37

Filmmaking is a long process that from beginning to end requires

A) decision making.
B) securing funding.
C) marketing.
D) distribution.

Question 38

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 39

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 40

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

Question 41

Modern publicity methods mean that "word of mouth" 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

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

Question 44

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

Question 45

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

Question 46

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

Question 47

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

Question 48

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 49

Most films earn profits in theatrical release.

Question 50

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

Question 51

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

Question 52

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

Question 53

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

Question 54

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 55

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?