UNDERSTANDING MOVIES GLOSSARY

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Across
  1. 1. An implied comparison between two otherwise unlike elements, meaningful in a figurative rather than literal sense.
  2. 2. Extra shots of a scene that can be used to bridge transitions in case the planned footage fails to edit as planned. Usually long shots that preserve the overall continuity of a scene.
  3. 4. An analytical methodology, derived from G. W. Friedrich Hegel and Karl Marx, that juxtaposes pairs of opposites—a thesis and antithesis—to arrive at a synthesis of ideas.
  4. 5. A figurative device in which an object, event, or cinematic technique has significance beyond its literal meaning. It is always determined by the dramatic context.
  5. 7. An original model or type after which similar things are patterned. They can be well-known story patterns, universal experiences, or personality types. Myths, fairy tales, genres, and cultural heroes are generally this type of model, as are the basic cycles of life and nature.
  6. 10. A style of filmmaking characterized by austerity and restraint, in which cinematic elements are reduced to the barest minimum of information.
  7. 11. The dividing line between the edges of the screen image and the enclosing darkness of the theater. Can also refer to a single photograph from the filmstrip.
  8. 13. A visual style emphasizing sharply defined lines rather than colors or textures. Deep focus lenses are generally used to produce this hard-edged style, which tends to be objective, matter-of-fact, and antiromantic.
  9. 14. A previsualization technique in which shots are sketched in advance and in sequence, like a comic strip, thus allowing the filmmaker to outline the mise en scene, and construct the editing continuity before production begins.
  10. 17. Any unobtrusive technique, object, or thematic idea that’s systematically repeated throughout a film.
  11. 18. From the French, “work.” The complete works of an artist, viewed as a whole.
  12. 19. The position of the camera and lights for a specific shot.
  13. 23. The use of a well-known cultural symbol or complex of symbols in an artistic representation. In movies, it can involve a star’s persona, the preestablished conventions of a genre, the use of archetypal characters and situations, and such stylistic features as lighting, settings, costuming, props, and so on.
  14. 25. A style of filmmaking emphasizing extreme distortion, lyricism, and artistic self-expression at the expense of objectivity.
  15. 26. A symbolic technique in which stylized characters and situations represent rather obvious ideas, such as Justice, Death, Religion, Society, and so on.
Down
  1. 1. A type of film music that is purely descriptive and attempts to mimic the visual action with musical equivalents. Often used in cartoons.
  2. 3. A style of filmmaking that attempts to duplicate the look of objective reality as it’s commonly perceived, with emphasis on authentic locations and details, long shots, lengthy takes, and a minimum of distorting techniques.
  3. 6. From the French, meaning “in the front ranks.” Those minority artists whose works are characterized by an unconventional daring and by obscure, controversial, or highly personal ideas.
  4. 8. A direct or indirect reference within a movie to another movie, filmmaker, or cinematic style. A respectful and affectionate tribute.
  5. 9. A variation of a specific shot. The final shot is often selected from a number of possible ideas.
  6. 12. An editing technique that suggests the interruption of the present by a shot or series of shots representing the past.
  7. 13. A stylistic exuberance and subjectivity, emphasizing the sensuous beauty of the medium and producing an intense outpouring of emotion.
  8. 15. A nonsynchronous spoken commentary in a movie, often sued to convey a character’s thoughts or memories.
  9. 16. A term used in drama and film to signify the dramatic implications beneath the language of a play or movie. Often, it concerns ideas and emotions that are totally independent of the language of a text.
  10. 20. A visual style emphasizing soft edges, lush colors, and a radiantly illuminated environment, all producing a romantic lyricism.
  11. 21. From the Latin, “mask.” An actor’s public image, based on his/her/their previous roles, and often incorporating elements form their actual personalities as well.
  12. 22. A vague but convenient term used to designate the style of mainstream fiction films produced in America, roughly from the mid-1910s until the late 1960s. This paradigm is a movie strong in story, star, and production values, with a high level of technical achievement, and editing according to conventions of classical cutting. The visual style is functional and rarely distracts from the characters in action. Movies in this form are structured narratively, with a clearly defined conflict, complications that intensify to a rising climax, and a resolution that emphasizes formal closure.
  13. 24. Techniques of filmmaking that depend on the element of chance. Images are not planned out in advance but must be composed on the spot by the camera operator. Usually used in documentary situations.