General Film Industry Terminology
Film Genres
Film Production
Types of Movie Characters
Film Making Techniques
100
This person is responsible for cutting and piecing film together in the post-production stage of film-making in order to create the final product. They may also work together with the director to remove certain scenes that don't contribute to the overall message or quality of the film if the run time is too long.
What is an Editor?
100
These films aim to provoke laughter and amusement.
What are comedies?
100
A single uninterrupted piece of film. This can be thought of as the building block of a scene.
What is a shot?
100
The main character, who the story revolves around.
What is a protagonist?
100
A shot that tightly frames a person or object.
What is a close-up?
200
This is the term for the actors who play parts in a film. They are usually listed at the end of the film when the credits roll. They audition for their parts in the pre-production stage of film-making, and they participate in promotional events such as red carpets and interviews leading up to the film's premiere.
What is a cast?
200
These films focus on themes of love and romantic relationships.
What is Romance?
200
This is the planning stage of film-making before shooting begins, including scriptwriting, casting, and location scouting.
What is pre-production?
200
The character who opposes the protagonist, often a villain.
What is an antagonist?
200
A technique where a voice is used in a movie to narrate or explain the scene.
What is a voice-over?
300
This person is responsible for overseeing the creative aspects of a film. They visualize the screenplay and guide the actors and crew in fulfilling that vision. Some famous ones include Quentin Tarantino, Francis Coppola, Greta Gerwig, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg.
What is a director?
300
These films focus on serious, emotion-driven narratives.
What is Drama?
300
A sequence of drawings representing the shots planned for the film.
What is a storyboard?
300
A loyal and supportive character who accompanies or assists the protagonist throughout the story.
What is a sidekick?
300
A shot where the camera moves alongside the subject.
What is a tracking shot?
400
This person oversees the overall production of a film. They plan and coordinate various aspects, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, directing, editing, and arranging financing. They manage budgets and help the film-making team to collaborate creatively while meeting deadlines, securing financing, and managing timelines.
What is a producer?
400
These non-fiction films present factual information about a person, event, or issue.
What are documentaries?
400
A transition from one shot to another in a film's editing process.
What is a cut?
400
A stereotypical or formulaic character type that is often used as shorthand to quickly establish a character's role or purpose in a story.
What are stock characters?
400
A shot from a distance, showing a broad view of the scene.
What is a long shot?
500
This person is also known as a Director of Photography (or, DP), they oversee the camera and light crews. Their job is to make sure everything on the screen looks good and the cameras and lights 
are set up properly to capture each scene.
What is a cinematographer?
500
Similar to horror, these films are characterized by suspense, tension, and excitement. They keep the audience 
on the edge of their seats, but usually lack the fantasy element of horror films.
What are thrillers?
500
The filming stage, when the movie is actually shot. This is when scenes are played out and filmed, sets are used, and actors deliver lines. Footage is taken at this time.
What is production?
500
The transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of a story.
What is a character arc?
500
A shot that's usually of something other than the current action. For example, let's say two characters are cooking ramen in the kitchen. The main camera coverage is of their faces, but occasionally the screen quickly switches to show the soup bubbling in the pot.
What is a cutaway?