Movies and Meaning- Pearson New International Edition

by Stephen Prince

  age appears on the video monitor, but it represents only a

  Pictorial Lighting Design A lighting design that does not

  portion of the original wide-screen frame.

  aim to simulate the effects of an on-screen light source.

  Instead, the design moves in a purely pictorial direction to

  Parallel Action An editing technique that establishes mul-

  create mood and atmosphere.

  tiple, ongoing plot lines and simultaneous lines of action.

  Editors generally use the technique of cross-cutting to estab-

  Pixel With reference to computer-based images, a pixel is

  lish parallel action.

  the smallest unit of a picture capable of being digitally ma-

  nipulated. The sharpness or resolution of an image is a func-

  Perceptual Correspondence Those properties of cin-

  tion of the number of pixels it contains. High-end computer

  ema that duplicate the visual information that viewers

  monitors, used in sophisticated film effects work, may have

  encounter in the everyday world. These include informa-

  2000 pixels per screen line.

  tion about object size, light and shadow, movement, and

  facial expression and behavior as signs of emotion and

  Plot The order and arrangement of story events as they ap-

  intention.

  pear in a given film.

  8

  Glossary

  Point of View The perspective from which narrative events

  Product Placement The appearance of products on screen

  are related. Point of view in cinema is typically third-person

  as part of a film scene. These appearances are advertise-

  perspective, although filmmakers routinely manipulate au-

  ments for which the merchandiser pays a fee to a product

  diovisual design to suggest what individual characters are

  placement agency. Film production companies derive rev-

  thinking or feeling. Point of view in cinema can assume a

  enue from these fees.

  first-person perspective through the use of voice-over narra-

  Product Tie-Ins Products marketed in conjunction with the

  tion or subjective shots in which the camera views a scene as

  release of a blockbuster film. For example, a Jurassic Park

  if through the eyes of a character.

  video game. These products often bear the logo or likeness

  Point-of-View Shot See Subjective Shot .

  of characters in the movie.

  Positive Parallax In stereoscopic cinema, placement of the

  Profit Participant An individual who is contractually entitled

  left-eye image on the left, and the right-eye image on the right,

  to receive a portion of a film’s profits. This is often a star or

  enabling viewers to fuse the images without converging their

  director who receives a percentage of gross revenue, a practice

  eyes. This results in positioning objects behind the screen.

  known as taking points.

  Polyvalence The attribute of having more than one mean-

  Prop Master Individual who supervises the design and con-

  ing. Motion pictures are polyvalent because they possess

  struction of props used in the film.

  multiple layers of meaning.

  Psychoanalytic Film Theory A model of film theory that

  examines the unconscious, sometimes irrational, emotional,

  Postdubbing The practice of recording sound effects and

  and psychological relationship between viewers and films or

  dialogue after principal filming has been completed. ADR

  between characters within films.

  is the contemporary term for postdubbing. In the case of

  postdubbing dialogue, the technical challenge is to closely

  Real Author The actual flesh-and-blood author of a film,

  match the rerecorded dialogue with the performer’s lip

  as distinct from the implied author, the artistic perspective

  movements in the shot.

  embodied by a film’s overall audiovisual design.

  Postproduction The last stage of filmmaking, following the

  Realism A basic mode of screen reality. Ordinary fictional

  shooting and sound recording of scenes, that includes the

  realism, historical realism, and documentary realism are

  editing of image and sound and finalizing of digital effects.

  subcategories of the realist mode.

  Practical (Light) A light source visible on a set used for

  Realist Film Theory A model of film theory that seeks to

  exposure.

  explain how filmmakers may capture, with minimal distor-

  tion, the essential features of real situations and events, or,

  Preproduction The stage of filmmaking that precedes the

  in the case of fictionalized events, how filmmakers may give

  shooting and sound recording of scenes. It is the planning

  them an apparent real-world status.

  and preparation stage.

  Realistic Lighting Design A lighting design that simulates

  Previsualization Any of a number of methods by which

  the effects of a light source visible on screen.

  filmmakers try to visualize a shot before actually exposing

  film in the camera. Storyboards are a form of previsualiza-

  Realistic Sound Sound that seems to fit the properties of

  tion, as are various software programs that will model a set

  a real source. In practice this is an elastic concept because

  as seen by different camera positions and lenses.

  many sounds that seem to be realistic are, in fact, artificial

  and derive from sources other than the one that is desig-

  Producer A production administrator who hires a director

  nated on screen.

  and supervises a film’s production to ensure that it comes in

  under budget and on schedule. While directors work under

  Rear Screen Projection A technique for simulating loca-

  a producer, in practice producers generally allow directors

  tion cinematography by projecting photographic images of a

  considerable creative freedom.

  landscape onto a screen. Actors are photographed standing

  in front of the screen as if they were part of the represented

  Production The stage of filmmaking that includes the

  location.

  shooting and sound recording of scenes.

  Recces Scouting trips to find locations by the production

  Production Design The planning and creation of sets, cos-

  designer and crew.

  tumes, mattes, and miniatures according to an overall con-

  cept articulated by the production designer in collaboration

  Reflected Sound Sound that is reflected off surfaces in a

  with the director.

  physical environment before being captured by the micro-

  phone. By manipulating characteristics of sound reflection,

  Production Track The soundtrack as recorded at the point

  sound designers can capture the physical attributes of an

  of filming. The final soundtrack mix included on release

  environment.

  prints to theaters includes portions of the production track

  along with a great deal of sound created in postproduction.

  Rental Accounting term for the revenues returned to a film

  distributor.

  Production Values Those elements of the film that show

  the money invested in its production. T
hese typically include

  Rhetoric The use of language to persuade and influence

  set designs, costumes, locations, and special effects.

  others. Film criticism is a rhetorical activity.

  9

  Glossary

  Room Tone A type of ambient sound characterizing the

  Shading A visual depth cue in which gradations and

  acoustical properties of a room. Even an empty room will

  patterns of light and shadow reveal texture and volume

  emit room tone.

  in a three-dimensional world and can be used to create a

  three-dimensional impression on a flat theater or television

  Rotoscope A combination camera–projector used to

  screen.

  combine live action with animation. Live-action footage is

  projected frame by frame onto a series of cells, enabling the

  Shot The basic unit of film structure, corresponding to the

  animator to produce drawings that exactly fit the live action.

  amount of footage exposed in the camera from the time it is

  Rough Cut The film editor’s initial assembly of shots in a

  turned on until it is turned off. Shots are visible on-screen as

  scene or film before the editing is tightened and perfected in

  the intervals between cuts, fades, or dissolves.

  the fine cut.

  Shot-Reverse-Shot Cutting A type of continuity editing

  Running Time The amount of real time it takes a viewer to

  generally used for conversation scenes. The cutting alter-

  watch a film from beginning to end. Most commercial films

  nates between opposing over-the-shoulder camera set-ups

  run between 90 and 120 minutes.

  showing each character speaking in turn.

  Saturation A basic characteristic of color. Saturation mea-

  Shutter Device inside the camera that regulates the light

  sures color strength and is a function of how much white

  reaching the film. In a film projector, the shutter func-

  light is mixed into the color. The more white light that is

  tions like an on/off switch, regulating the light reaching

  present, the less saturated the color will seem to be.

  the screen to produce beta movement and critical fusion

  frequency.

  Scenic Artist Individual who supervises design and matte

  paintings.

  Sign In communication theory, that which embodies or

  expresses meaning.

  Schema This term derives from the psychology of percep-

  tion and designates a mental category or framework used

  Snorkel Lens A lens that is mounted to the end of an elon-

  to organize information. Applied to cinema, it helps explain

  gated arm, which itself is attached to the camera body. The

  the function of devices like the master shot, which provides

  lens can be rotated, tilted, and maneuvered separately from

  viewers with a schema or map of a location and the char-

  the camera body to produce the illusion of camera move-

  acters’ positions within it. Viewers use the visual schema

  ment through a miniature model.

  provided by master shots to orient themselves to changing

  Soft Light Light that is diffused or scattered by filters or

  camera positions and to integrate partial views of a scene

  reflecting screens. Soft light creates a low-contrast image.

  provided by close-ups.

  Soft-Matted The use of mattes during projection to mask

  Scholarly Criticism A mode of criticism aimed at a special-

  the top and bottom of the film frame and produce a wides-

  ized audience of scholars, employing a technical, demanding

  creen (1.85:1) image.

  vocabulary, and exploring the significance of given films in

  Sound Bridge Sound used to connect, or bridge, two or

  relation to issues of theory or film history.

  more shots. Sound bridges establish continuity of place, ac-

  Schufftan Process Method for combining live action and

  tion, or time.

  miniature models or matte paintings. By placing a mir-

  Sound Design (Designer) The expressive use of sound

  ror that reflects the image of the miniature or painting at

  throughout a film in relation to its images and the contents of

  a 45 degree angle to the camera, live action elements can

  its narrative. Working in conjunction with the director, the

  be filmed through portions of the mirror that have been

  sound designer supervises the work of other sound personnel.

  scraped away to leave transparent glass. The camera sees the

  Sound Field The acoustical space created by all the speak-

  live action through the glass and sees the miniature reflected

  ers in a multichannel, surround-sound system.

  in the glass. The actors and the miniature or painting are

  thereby filmed simultaneously.

  Sound Hierarchy The relative priority given to dialogue,

  effects, and music in a given scene. In most cases, dialogue

  Screen Reality The represented reality depicted by a fic-

  is considered the most important of these sounds and rests

  tional film. Screen reality is established by the principles of

  atop the sound hierarchy.

  time, space, character behavior, and audiovisual design as

  these are organized in a given film.

  Sound Montage A type of sound editing that conjoins

  many discrete sound effects and sources.

  Sequence Shot A long take whose duration extends for an

  entire scene or sequence. Such a scene or sequence is accord-

  Sound Perspective The use of sound to augment visual per-

  ingly composed of only one shot and features no editing.

  spective. Sound perspective often correlates with camera posi-

  tion. In a long shot reflected sound may prevail, whereas in a

  Set Decorator Individual who dresses a set with furnish-

  close-up direct sound may prevail.

  ings and props.

  Soundstage The acoustical space created by the front

  Sets The controlled physical environment in which film-

  speakers in a multichannel, surround-sound system.

  ing occurs. Sets may be created by blocking and lighting

  an area of ground outdoors or by building and designing

  Speech Dialogue spoken by performers playing characters

  a physical environment indoors.

  in a narrative.

  10

  Glossary

  Spotting A collaborative process between the director and

  narrative information from viewers, whereas creating sus-

  composer during which they spot or identify passages in the

  pense depends on providing viewers with necessary informa-

  film that require musical scoring.

  tion. Showing the audience the bomb under the table before

  it goes off will create suspense. Not showing the bomb be-

  Star The highest profile performer in a film narrative. Stars

  fore it goes off will create surprise.

  draw audiences to theaters and establish intense personal

  relationships with their publics.

  Surrealism Influenced by Freudian psychoanalysis, this art

  style aims to appeal to the viewer’s subconscious and irratio-

  Star Persona The relatively fixed screen personality of a

  nal mind by creating fantastic and dream-like images. David

>   star.

  Lynch’s Blue Velvet is a surrealist film.

  Stereoscopic Cinema Films and filmmaking that employ bin-

  Suspense A narrative technique used to create tension and

  ocular disparity and convergence to depict three-dimensional

  anxiety in the film viewer. Creating suspense depends on

  depth in the frame.

  revealing rather than withholding narrative information.

  Stereographer Member of a production crew who consults

  Showing the audience the bomb under the table before it

  with the director and choreographs stereoscopic (3D) space

  goes off will create suspense. Not showing the bomb before

  on screen.

  it goes off will create surprise. Unlike suspense, surprise de-

  Steadicam A camera-stabilizing system that enables the

  pends on withholding information from the audience.

  camera operator to work with a hand-held camera and

  Synthetic Sound Artificially designed sound that does not

  produce steady, jitter-free images. It is especially suited for

  match any existing source. The sounds of the light sabers in

  producing lengthy, extended moving camera shots.

  the Star Wars films are examples of synthetic sound.

  Stop-Motion Animation Method used for animating

  Taboo Images Imagery depicting forbidden or disturbing

  three-dimensional models, such as King Kong. The model is

  subjects, often of a sexual or violent nature.

  moved and photographed a frame at a time.

  Technical Acting An approach to acting in which the per-

  Story The entire sequence of events that a film’s plot

  former thinks through the requisite gestures and emotions

  draws on and references. The plot arranges story events

  and then exhibits them. In contrast to method acting, the

  into a given order, which may differ from the story’s proper

  technical actor does not look to personal experience as a

  chronology.

  basis for understanding the character.

  Story Time The amount of time covered by the narrative.

  Telephoto Lens A lens of long focal length that distorts

  This may vary considerably from film to film. The narrative

  object size and depth of field. Telephoto lenses magnify the

  of 2001: A Space Odyssey begins during a period of primi-

  size of distant objects and by doing so compress depth of

  tive prehuman ancestry and extends into the era of space

  field and make them appear closer than they are.

  travel, while the narrative of High Noon spans, roughly, 90

  Temp Track A temporary musical track usually derived