Film Industry/Art
Define symptomatic meaning.
An interpretation of a film relating to the cultural or political context in which the film originates.
How does a wide-angle lens change the image being filmed?
It appears to make foreground and background look further apart.
The three-point lighting system consists of what?
Back, key, and fill lights.
How is a wipe different from a dissolve?
A wipe transitions from shot A to shot B with a line moving across the screen that seems to erase one shot and reveal the next; a dissolve gradually lays shot B "on top" of shot A, with a brief overlap where both shots are visible.
A tie clip
Alfred Hitchcock, Strangers on a Train; we see Bruno's tie clip when he introduces himself on the train, then later at the Capitol building when Anne sees Bruno, and again at the tennis club.
Name one ancillary market of the film industry.
Some examples include cable television, streaming services, physical media (DVD/VHS), and YouTube.
What is the key distinction between a tilt and a crane shot?
A tilt swivels up and down from a fixed camera position, while a crane shot moves up and down through space.
How is deep focus different from deep space?
Deep focus describes a shot where foreground, midground, and background are all in focus; deep space refers to staging in foreground, midground, and background.
What is the 180 degree rule?
It is a key aspect of continuity editing, preventing characters or objects from appearing to "flip" from one side of the screen to the other.
One person's hand reaching out to help another person
Kelly Reichardt, Wendy and Lucy; the security guard offers his cell phone to Wendy, and then later gives her some money to help her on her journey.
According to Film Art, "every film is a compromise made within _____."
Constraints
How is a dolly shot distinct from a zoom?
A dolly shot moves the camera through space on a track and dolly, while a zoom only appears to move us through space by adjusting the focal length of the lens.
What is the function of the fill light, and where is it typically placed?
It "fills in" shadows cast by the key light, softening or eliminating them. It is usually placed near the camera.
Identify a graphic match in Strangers on a Train.
There are several in the opening scene, as Bruno and Guy each walk to the train platform.
A Michelin guidebook
François Truffaut, The 400 Blows. Antoine's father accuses him of stealing his Michelin guide, but Antoine denies it; later at René's apartment, we see the two boys ripping pages from it as part of a juvenile game.
Name two characteristics of large-scale "studio" filmmaking.
Some examples include large physical plants, central management, long-term contracts, careful paper record keeping, and skilled specialists.
What was the typical aspect ratio of the Hollywood studio era? (Hint: It's what Singin' in the Rain and Strangers on a Train are shot in.)
4 to 3, or 1.33 to 1 (also known as the Academy ratio).
Describe the function of the setting in the rotor scene from The 400 Blows.
The rotor visually echoes the pressure Antoine is under, and his range of responses to it. He also spins round and round without going anywhere, a fitting metaphor for his situation.
What is the typical function of a montage sequence, and where have we seen an example in our viewing?
It is a film segment that summarizes a topic or compresses an amount of time into brief images, often with dissolves or wipes. Guy's tennis match in Strangers is one example.
"Dignity. Always dignity."
Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, Singin' in the Rain; Don Lockwood says this at the beginning and again at the end of his speech at the movie premiere.