Film Appreciation Vocabulary and Terms Lists Ms. Lee Vocabulary List 1 1. Cinematography–This is art or craft of making movies; the literal translation utilizing Latin roots is “to draw moving images”. 2. Composition–This is everything in the frame: set, props, lighting, actors and their placement with in the set and relative to other actors, film stock chosen. 3. Deep focus photography–This is when the foreground, center ground, and background is all in focus; this came with highly sensitive film (the more narrow the aperture, the deeper the focus, but a narrow aperture cuts down the light, so a fast acting film stock [emulsion] is needed. 4. Director of Photography–The DP is in charge of deciding the look of the film regarding lighting and film stock, and he or she helps the director decide shot sizes and angles; the DP also manages a lighting crew, with the gaffer second in command. 5. Director–This person has a vision for the film, works exclusively with the actors, works closely with the DP on the look of the film, and works closely with the production designer on the look of the set. 6. Dubbing/looping–This is also known as ADR or automated dialogue replacement; it’s when the actors redo their lines in a sound studio because there was too much noise on location or the performance needs to be adjusted. 7. Editor–This person works closely with the director to put the story together during post-­‐production; most movies are shot on film, transferred to a digital medium and cut using Final Cut Pro, Lightworks, AVID, Premier. 8. Juxtaposition–This is two shots, one after the other, which establishes a relationship by this arrangement, causing one to emotionally react. Try to recall a horror or suspense film where you jumped at a particular shot! 1 9. Montage–This is a series of, usually, quick shots set to music in a way that either speeds up time (a number of events a character experiences) or is done artfully to elicit an emotional response from the audience. 10. Pacing in editing–How juxtaposing shots are cut together regarding the timing of each shot. The timing is what creates surprise, suspense, and the general mood. 11. Quoting–A quote in a film is when the director and editor copies a shot or a scene from an earlier film. The idea is to pay a tribute to the earlier film for its unique style and its effect. For example, the movie Brazil copies from several films, including Battleship Potemkin. 12. Rear screen projection–This is previously shot footage, often outside or a stop-­‐motion sequence, that is projected onto a screen during a studio shoot so it appears the actors are at that location, when in fact they are not. Vocabulary List 2 (some quoted material) 1. Hays Code–The foundation for the Hays Office began in 1915, when the Supreme Court decided movies were capable of evil, having power for it. The court supported censorship by cities and towns who were confiscating films they found objectionable; studios started submitting their films to the Board of Censorship. In 1915 the Supreme Court denied First Amendment protection to films. In 1922 the Motion Pictures Producers and Distributors Association was formed; William Hayes headed the organization. Hays believed that what stars did off screen was as important as what they did onscreen. Actors and actresses leading immoral lives were likely to have their films banned. Studios monitored their own films, adhering to this somewhat established moral code (censorship was on the honor code). 2. Hollywood Production Code–Established in 1930, this was a revised set of rules Hollywood, again on the honor system, followed and it covered areas such as how intimacy was portrayed (length of kiss, separate beds…), 2 characters and plot (the bad guy always loses, for example), and also how violence was portrayed. 3. Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)–Established in 1968, it became a ratings system: PG, R, X, NC-­‐17, PG-­‐13 4. Romanticism-­‐In the 18th Century Romanticism came to designate a new kind of exotic landscape, which evoked feelings of pleasant melancholy. One of the fundamentals of Romanticism is the belief in the natural goodness of man, the idea that man in a state of nature would behave well but is hindered by civilization. The “savage” is noble, childhood is good, and the emotions inspired by both beliefs causes the heart to soar. On the contrary, urban life and the commitment to “getting and spending,” generates a fear and distrust of the world. If man is inherently sinful, reason must restrain his passions, but if he is naturally good, then in an appropriate environment, his emotions can he trusted. 5. German Expressionist Film-­‐Expressionism began before WW1 and encompassed art, architecture, music, theatre, and film and it flourished into the 20s. Expressionist film was low budget, used chiaroscuro lighting, had deep meaning and covered dark or psychological topics: covering dark fringes of human experience. 6. Auteur-­‐The concept was introduced by writers for the French publication Cahiers de Cinema. Most of them were directors and include Jean-­‐Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut. The term is closely linked to mise-­‐en-­‐scene, a theater term meaning “staging.” It means everything you see in a shot: setting, costume, cameral movement, lighting and the way the actors move through the frame. In short, it’s close to what we mean by style. The French said we could designate the director as the author of a film through the director’s mise-­‐en-­‐scene or his signature was evident on the script. Though with the studio system in Hollywood, the studio in many cases took the role of auteur in a way, though some directors in this environment still shone through as auteurs, such as Howard Hawks, John Ford, and others. 3 7. Mise-­‐en-­‐scene-­‐means the same thing as composition, everything in the frame (see above). 8. Film Noir-­‐Is a genre which was born in America in the 1930s – a mixture of German expressionist film-­‐making and hard-­‐boiled American detective fiction. It is often a gangster styled film or a detective story. There are specific attributes consistent to the genre: chiaroscuro lighting, voice-­‐over, femme fatale character who is unhappy in present situation/marriage often and resorts to murder to get out, male character who falls for femme fatale and this leads to his demise and often hers, a tough urban environment and an atmosphere of dread. 9. Archetype-­‐Utilizing Latin roots this means the first model or prototype. Archetypal Characters are easily recognizable by their specific traits and look: the nemesis/antagonist may dress in black to signify darkness; the naïve/virginal princess may be dressed in white (white is good, black is bad). Here are a few archetypal characters: hero, mentor, side kick, best friend, helper, nemesis… There are other forms of archetypes such as objects: Water represents abundance of life, death, resurrection, for example; a circle, such as a ring, represents something unending and perfection; a tree represents life. Think of movies you’ve seen with objects that help support the meaning of the film or scene. 10. Symbol-­‐This is a concrete object that represents an abstract idea. For example, a heart is a symbol for the abstract concept of love and a wedding ring is a symbol of unending commitment and love. Vocabulary List 3 1. Foley Artist – a person who makes sound effects for a film. View websites http://www.marblehead.net/foley/ and Foley films on YouTube: King Kong, LA Times, and Albert Brooks: http://img-­‐nex.kongisking.net/kong/movies/PPD-­‐
18WeeksToGo_qt6_high.mov 4 http://img-­‐nex.kongisking.net/kong/movies/PPD-­‐
15WeeksToGo_qt6_high.mov http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNvKhe2npMM 2. Nitrate film base – highly flammable and easily degrades; 1889 -­‐ 1952 Old film projectors and film – http://images.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en-­‐
us&q=film%20projector%20%2B%20old&oe=UTF-­‐8&um=1&ie=UTF-­‐
8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi 3. Acetate film base – also called “safety film”; used as early as 1909, but not widespread until later; still used today for filming (negatives), not for exhibition 4. Polyester film base – use started in 1955, and only became popular in the 1990s; not used for filming, only for prints because of its flexibility and strength; it is too strong for filming and can ruin camera equipment 5. Fog filter – A diffusing filter that is placed in front of a camera lens to produce a misty effect resembling fog. Simulated fog on a set can also be obtained with a fog gun, a portable device that heats and vaporizes air. Dry ice is also affective in simulating fog. 6. Frame – one still image from a film 7. Shot – one camera set-­‐up in a scene 8. Scene – multiple camera set-­‐ups and multiple shots 9. Motif -­‐ a distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition 5 10. Mood and Tone – mood is the emotion the view gets and tone is the author’s/filmmaker’s attitude or style 11. Characterization – all physical and mental traits of a character; profession… Vocabulary List 4 1. ADR (automatic dialog replacement) or looping – when actors replace their on-­‐set dialogue in a sound studio to improve the performance or because there was too much noise on set. View site: http://filmsound.org/terminology/adr.htm 2. George Eastman – Inventor and photography enthusiast; In 1880 Eastman Dry Plate Company was formed; in 1888 he made the Brownie, a camera that weighted only twenty-­‐two ounces and included enough film for one hundred photos and sold for twenty five dollars. It had to be sent to the Eastman Company to have pictures processed and film reloaded. The shutter speed was set at 1/25 of a second and images up to eight feet away were fairly clear. Thomas Edison ordered this first Kodak camera, which led to the first motion picture camera, the Kinetoscope (1891). George Eastman was a philanthropist who gave most of his money away during his lifetime to fund education, music, and the arts. Screenplay Terms 3. Setup–introduction to the main players; the hero’s normal world/environment 4. First turning point/Plot Point 1-­‐ at about 10%–Hero desires a new situation and is in this new situation by choice or chance 5. Second turning point/Plot Point 2–At 25%–Hero’s outward motivation is established 6. Midpoint/Plot Point 3–The point of no return 7. Plot Point 4–Hero faces a major set back 8. Plot Point 5/Final Turning Point/Climax of film–Hero overcomes conflict/struggle and achieves outward motivation 6 9. Resolution–some exposition if necessary; a winding down after climax; hero wins love interest 10. Archetypal character – Nemesis, helper, side kick, best friend, mentor, medicine man or woman, wise old man or woman, witch or warlock, warrior, coward… Vocabulary List 5 1. Allegory – a story, poem, movie, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically amoral or political one (Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian Revolution) 2. Allusion – an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly 3. Anthropomorphize – the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object 4. Commentary (social or political) – the expression of opinions or explanations about an event or situation; opinion, either written or spoken 5. Explicit – stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt 6. Idiom – a form of expression natural to a language, person, or group of people; a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (ex. It’s raining cats and dogs.) 7. Implicit – implied though not plainly expressed 8. Legend – a traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but unauthenticated (ex. The legend of King Arthur) 9. Mob mentality –A mob is a large crowd of people, especially one that is disorderly and intent on causing trouble or violence. Mob mentality refers to the actions of a group rather than an individual. In To Kill a Mockingbird a group of men go to the courthouse jail where Atticus sits outside to protect Tom Robinson. The men alone would not plan a lynching of Tom, but in a group they become more fervent and violent about the idea. 10. Parody – an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect 7 11. Patsy – a person who is easily taken advantage of, especially by being cheated or blamed for something 12. Personification – the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form. 13. Plot – the main events of a play, novel, movie, or similar work, devised and presented by the writer as an interrelated sequence 14. Satire – the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues 15. Subplot – a subordinate plot in a play, novel, film, or similar work 8