CHAPTER 1: FILM AS ART: CREATIVITY, TECHNOLOGY, AND BUSINESS

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, terms, and roles from Chapter 1 notes on film art, technology, and business.

Film as art

Cinema viewed as an art form that combines creativity, technology, and business to create meaningful viewer experiences.

Form

The overall patterning of a film and how its parts work together to create specific effects.

Style

The film’s use of cinematic techniques, including mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound.

Mise-en-scene

The arrangement of people, places, and objects to be filmed within a shot.

Cinematography

The use of cameras and lighting to record images and sounds.

Editing

The process of assembling shots into a coherent sequence, deciding order, duration, and transitions.

Sound

The voices, sound effects, and music that blend with the image to shape the viewer’s experience.

Single take

A long shot filmed in one continuous take with careful planning and rehearsal.

Coverage

shooting a scene from multiple angles and with multiple takes to allow flexible editing.

Master shot

A single, usually long shot that covers the entire action of a scene and serves as a reference.

Shot/reverse-shot

A sequence showing alternating shots of two characters' perspectives during dialogue.

Steadicam

A wearable camera stabilization system that allows fluid movement with the actors.

Oculus remote camera mount

A remote camera mount that enables fast, flexible, crane-like camera movement controlled from a console.

Playback

Recording music on set before shooting to ensure clean sound and precise lip-sync in musical numbers.

Lip sync

Performers mouthing or singing along with pre-recorded material during filming.

Score

Instrumental music written to accompany a film’s scenes.

Songs

Musical numbers either pre-written during development or existing songs used in a film.

ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement)

Postproduction re-recording of dialogue to improve quality or timing.

Foley

Creating and recording sound effects to match the on-screen action.

Digital intermediate (DI)

Scanning film into digital files for color grading and postproduction adjustments to unify a look.

Digital Cinema Package (DCP)

Encrypted digital files containing images, sound, subtitles for digital theater projection.

24 frames per second (fps)

Standard shooting/projection rate for cinema, creating the film’s motion.

Gauges (8mm, 16mm, 35mm, 70mm)

Widths of film stock used; larger gauges typically yield higher image quality.

IMAX

A large-format film system on 70mm stock for very high resolution, large-screen presentations.

DV (Digital Video)

Early digital video format used in some productions before high-res digital cinema.

2K/4K

Digital resolution standards; 2K (about 2,048 pixels across) and 4K (about 4,096 across) for high-detail images.

720p/1080p

HD formats with 720p (1280x720) and 1080p (1920x1080) resolutions.

Pixel

A picture element; a digital image’s smallest unit of display.

Aspect ratio

The proportional relationship between image width and height.

Letterboxing

Black bars added to preserve aspect ratio on screens with different shapes.

Pan-and-scan

Cropping a widescreen image to fit a narrower display, often cutting important details.

Preproduction

The planning phase before shooting, including script development, budgeting, casting, and location scouting.

Production

The shooting phase where the film’s images and sounds are recorded.

Assembly

Postproduction stage where editing, sound, effects, and finishing touches are completed.

Above-the-line costs

Costs for literary property, scriptwriter, director, and major cast.

Below-the-line costs

Costs for crew, equipment, shooting, sets, and other production expenses.

Negative cost

Total cost of producing the film’s final version (sum of above- and below-the-line costs).

Interpositive/Internegative

Photochemical intermediates used to create prints from the original negative.

Master print/Answer print

Final proof prints for approval and distribution, with the soundtrack synchronized.

Dailies/Rushes

Footage shot each day that the director and producers review during production.

Editor

Person who catalogs and assembles takes and works with the director on cuts.

Production designer

Head of the visual design of sets, color schemes, and overall look.

Art director

Oversees construction and painting of sets under the production designer.

Set decorator

Furnishings and props chosen to dress the film’s sets.

Costume designer

Plans and executes wardrobe for the production.

Storyboard

A sequence of drawings showing planned shots, often with notes on lighting and camera.

Animatics

Animated storyboard sequences used to visualize timing and pacing.

Previsualization (Previs)

Three-dimensional planning and animation used to test sequences before shooting.

Visual effects (CGI/VFX)

Computer-generated imagery used to create or augment images and scenes.

Motion capture

Recording actors’ movements to drive digital character animation.

Script supervisor

Keeps continuity across shots, checking details of performances, props, and timing.

Assistant Directors (ADs)

Directors’ assistants who plan shooting days, coordinate schedules, and manage on-set logistics.

Director

The filmmaker who guides performance, staging, lighting, and the overall look and sound.

Executive/Line producer

Producers managing financing (executive) and day-to-day production operations (line).

Auteur theory

The idea that the director is the film’s primary author, shaping its style and vision.

Studio system

Historic era in which studios controlled production, distribution, and exhibition; later dissolved.

Platforming

Opening a film in a limited number of markets to build word-of-mouth before wide release.

Wide release

Distributing a film broadly in many theaters at once to maximize audience.

Tentpole

A big-budget, high-profile film used to anchor a studio’s slate and attract audiences.

Block booking

Exhibitors rent a package of films, often forcing inclusion of lesser titles.

Blind booking

Exhibitors rent a film without seeing it first.

Synergy

Branded content across multiple media platforms promoted together.

Product placement

Advertising by integrating brands into a film’s story or visuals.

Distribution/exhibition

Structures by which films travel to audiences: distribution negotiates release; exhibition presents to audiences.

Ancillary markets

Revenue streams beyond theatrical release (home video, TV, streaming, licensing).

Film as art

Cinema viewed as an art form that combines creativity, technology, and business to create meaningful viewer experiences.

Form

The overall patterning of a film and how its parts work together to create specific effects.

Style

The film’s use of cinematic techniques, including mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound.

Mise-en-scene

The arrangement of people, places, and objects to be filmed within a shot.

Cinematography

The use of cameras and lighting to record images and sounds.

Editing

The process of assembling shots into a coherent sequence, deciding order, duration, and transitions.

Sound

The voices, sound effects, and music that blend with the image to shape the viewer’s experience.

Single take

A long shot filmed in one continuous take with careful planning and rehearsal.

Coverage

shooting a scene from multiple angles and with multiple takes to allow flexible editing.

Master shot

A single, usually long shot that covers the entire action of a scene and serves as a reference.

Shot/reverse-shot

A sequence showing alternating shots of two characters' perspectives during dialogue.

Steadicam

A wearable camera stabilization system that allows fluid movement with the actors.

Oculus remote camera mount

A remote camera mount that enables fast, flexible, crane-like camera movement controlled from a console.

Playback

Recording music on set before shooting to ensure clean sound and precise lip-sync in musical numbers.

Lip sync

Performers mouthing or singing along with pre-recorded material during filming.

Score

Instrumental music written to accompany a film’s scenes.

Songs

Musical numbers either pre-written during development or existing songs used in a film.

ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement)

Postproduction re-recording of dialogue to improve quality or timing.

Foley

Creating and recording sound effects to match the on-screen action.

Digital intermediate (DI)

Scanning film into digital files for color grading and postproduction adjustments to unify a look.

Digital Cinema Package (DCP)

Encrypted digital files containing images, sound, subtitles for digital theater projection.

24 frames per second (fps)

Standard shooting/projection rate for cinema, creating the film’s motion.

Gauges (8mm, 16mm, 35mm, 70mm)

Widths of film stock used; larger gauges typically yield higher image quality.

IMAX

A large-format film system on 70mm stock for very high resolution, large-screen presentations.

DV (Digital Video)

Early digital video format used in some productions before high-res digital cinema.

2K/4K

Digital resolution standards; 2K (about 2,048 pixels across) and 4K (about 4,096 across) for high-detail images.

720p/1080p

HD formats with 720p (1280x720) and 1080p (1920x1080) resolutions.

Pixel

A picture element; a digital image’s smallest unit of display.

Aspect ratio

The proportional relationship between image width and height.

Letterboxing

Black bars added to preserve aspect ratio on screens with different shapes.

Pan-and-scan

Cropping a widescreen image to fit a narrower display, often cutting important details.

Preproduction

The planning phase before shooting, including script development, budgeting, casting, and location scouting.

Production

The shooting phase where the film’s images and sounds are recorded.

Assembly

Postproduction stage where editing, sound, effects, and finishing touches are completed.

Above-the-line costs

Costs for literary property, scriptwriter, director, and major cast.