Language of Film I Review

Flashcards for the Language of Film I review sheet.

How does film differ from theater?

Film uses editing, camera angles, and close-ups; theater is live with a fixed audience perspective

How does film incorporate music?

Music enhances emotion and pacing, but unlike pure music, film combines it with visuals and narrative.

What is the standard frame rate for sound-era 35mm film?

24 frames per second (fps).

What technique did Méliès avoid in A Trip to the Moon?

Cutting in for closer views (close-ups).

What editing technique did Porter not use in The Life of an American Fireman?

Crosscutting between simultaneous events.

What is tinting?

Dipping film in dye to color entire scenes (e.g., blue for night scenes)

How did stencil coloring work?

Using stencils to apply color to specific areas of each frame.

What is a long shot?

A wide framing showing the subject and their environment.

What effect does a wide-angle lens create?

Exaggerates depth and spatial relationships.

What is a telephoto lens used for?

Isolating subjects from the background (e.g., close-ups).

What is shallow focus?

Only a narrow plane of the image is sharp; used to direct attention.

Which film famously uses deep focus?

Citizen Kane (e.g., the boy playing in the snow in the background).

What is a tracking/dolly shot?

Moving the camera on wheels toward or away from the subject.

What device enables smooth handheld shots?

Steadicam.

What is the 180-degree rule?

Keeping the camera on one side of an axis to maintain consistent spatial relationships.

What is a match cut?

A cut that links two shots through similar shapes, movements, or themes.

Which elements are part of mise-en-scène?

Setting, costumes, lighting, actor placement.

Which element is NOT part of mise-en-scène?

Sound or editing.

What are the three lights in three-point lighting?

Key light (main), fill light (reduces shadows), backlight (separates subject from background).

What is low-key lighting?

High-contrast lighting with deep shadows (e.g., film noir).

What is diegetic sound?

Sound that exists within the film’s world (e.g., a character playing piano).

What does a Foley artist do?

Creates sound effects (e.g., footsteps, rustling clothes) in post-production.

How did Vitaphone play sound?

From a synchronized disc, limiting camera mobility.

Why did Movietone allow more camera movement?

Sound was printed on the film strip, eliminating bulky disc players

What is noninvolvement filmmaking?

Observational style where the filmmaker avoids interfering (e.g., direct cinema).

What technology enabled lightweight documentary filming?

Portable cameras and sync-sound recorders (1960s).

Why did the industry switch to digital?

Lower costs, easier editing, and immediate playback.

What is a disadvantage of digital preservation?

Risk of obsolescence and data corruption.

What is the Kuleshov effect?

Editing creates meaning (e.g., neutral face + soup = hunger).

Why did Bazin praise deep focus?

It preserves realism and lets viewers choose where to look.

What did Kracauer mean by “inherent affinities”?

Cinema naturally gravitates toward unstaged reality.

Tinting vs. toning?

Tinting colors the light areas; toning colors the dark areas.

High-key vs. low-key lighting?

High-key = bright, even lighting (comedies); low-key = shadows and contrast (thrillers).

What is the Kuleshov effect?

Editing creates meaning through juxtaposition. Example: A neutral face + soup = hunger; same face + coffin = grief.

How does Bazin’s view of deep focus differ from Eisenstein’s montage?

Bazin praised deep focus (e.g., Citizen Kane) for preserving realism and letting viewers choose where to look. Eisenstein used montage (e.g., Battleship Potemkin) to create intellectual/emotional collisions.

What does Kracauer mean by cinema’s “inherent affinities”?

Cinema gravitates toward unstaged reality, documenting everyday life (e.g., Italian Neorealism).

Define Eisenstein’s five montage types with examples.

1. Metric (fixed lengths; October’s machine-gun firing).

2. Rhythmic (content dictates length; Potemkin’s Odessa Steps).

3. Tonal (emotional “sound”; Potemkin’s mourning scene).

4. Overtonal (physiological/emotional resonance; Old and New’s religious procession).

5. Intellectual (conceptual collisions; October’s “gods” sequence).

How did sound impact camera movement in early cinema?

Vitaphone (sound-on-disc) limited mobility; Movietone (sound-on-film) allowed flexibility.

What did Méliès and Porter not do in their films?

Méliès avoided close-ups (A Trip to the Moon); Porter avoided crosscutting (Life of an American Fireman).

What is the standard frame rate for sound-era 35mm projection, and how does critical flicker fusion relate to it?

24 frames per second. Critical flicker fusion (~48 Hz) eliminates flicker by projecting each frame twice via a double-bladed shutter.

Define "rack focus" and its narrative purpose.

Shifting focus between foreground/background during a shot to redirect viewer attention (e.g., suspense in Jaws).