Sound Terms – Film Production Quiz

The key terms of Film Production Quiz include, Camera, Shot, Character, Show, Sound, Terms.

dramatic angle

high angle; characters feel diminished; low angle; characters feel tall & powerful

tilted horizon

tipping the camera slightly to the side in order to create tension/imbalance in a scene; more effective when there are strong horizontal and vertical lines present in the shot

Cinematic Techniques & Sound terms

point of view

the audience sees exactly what the character sees; used to increase the audiences emotional attachment to the character

cross cut

cut backs and forth between separate scenes that are occurring in different places usually at the same time; shows the relationship between the scenes

cutaway

a cut away from the main action in a scene to something of importance in the scene (i.e. an object); often used to hide mistakes

Pan

horizontal camera movement; commonly used o look across a very panorama that doesn’t fit within the camera frame or to see what a character is looking at

Tilt

vertical camera movement; use to look at tall objects/people

Dolly

camera moves through space and watches the world go by; a natural camera movement as we can also do this. generally uses some kind of platform with wheels and tracks if available. also, steadicam and/or nice, steady, handheld grip

Zoom

frame transitions form a wide shot to a close up (or vice versa) without moving the camera; an unnatural camera movement because our eyes cannot do this. varying the speeds of zooms can be used to draw attention to objects and add dramatic effect

Pull Focus

focus on something close or far away while maintaining other subject out of focus then adjust the focus to switch between subjects

Transition

any method for switching from one image to another

cut

simplest transition; maybe subtle or harsh

dissolve

gradually layers a new image over the old one

fade

slowly change from an image to color (or vice versa); black: most common, other colors used for symbolism/imagery i.e. white: ascending to heaven or explosion, blue: ocean, red: blood or love

Montage Sequence

specific sequence of images in a film usually without dialogue and set to music; used to express the passage of time or a sequence of events with little or no dialogue

Framing Terms

subjects can be actors and inanimate objects; directors capture a collection of master shots, medium shots, and close-up to provide a variety of footage during editing. Use the rule of thirds and provide breathing room in close-ups unless you are creating a sense of claustrophobia

master/establishing shot

reveals where the scene is taking place and helps orient the audience; usually a wide shot

full shot

shows the full subject in relation to its surroundings; usually head to toe

medium shot

usually shows a character from belly button to slightly above the actor’s head; more intimate than a full shot but provides more breathing space than a close up

medium close up

shows a subjects head and shoulders without getting uncomfortably close

close up

shows a subjects neck to just slightly above the top of his head; creates a sense of intimacy and reveals intense emotions

extreme close up

camera goes in tighter than a close up-i.e. subjects eyes, spoon cutting through a delectable dessert