Q&A Hero

Q: French filmmaker Alexandre Astrucs insistence that directors use the camera as personally as a novelist uses a pen was the inspiration for what eventually became a. montage. d. kino-pravda. b. French expressionism. e. poetic realism. c. the auteur theory.

Q: What element of filmmaking does Truffauts adoration of such directors as Jean Renoir, Alfred Hitchcock, and Orson Welles seem to negate? a. dialogue d. mise-en-scne b. collaboration e. acting c. lighting

Q: French New Wave filmmaker Claude Chabrol studied the films of what Hollywood director to learn the effect of suspense? a. Alfred Hitchcock d. Fritz Lang b. Orson Welles e. John Ford c. Howard Hawks

Q: Why do Jean-Luc Godards French New Wave films from the early 1960s still look modern to todays audiences? a. He used advanced motion picture cameras. b. French New Wave techniques are still used by contemporary filmmakers. c. Many of the films subjects remain topical. d. He used highly sensitive color film stock. e. Actors were trained in a naturalistic style.

Q: Filmmaking that seeks to express the identity of the filmmakers country is called a ________ cinema. a. new wave d. cultural b. political e. national c. patriotic

Q: Which film by Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein is considered his most influential and important? a. Battleship Potemkin (1925) d. Strike (1925) b. Alexander Nevsky (1938) e. Que Viva Mxico (19301932) c. Mother (1926)

Q: Which famous director in 1931 failed to complete Que Viva Mxico, an epic account of Mexicos history, leaving a large Marxist influence on subsequent Mexican cinema? a. D. W. Griffith d. Josef von Sternberg b. Sergei Eisenstein e. Germaine Dulac c. Orson Welles

Q: The classical Hollywood style is built upon the principle of a. parallel action. d. invisibility. b. cinematic innovation. e. genre pictures. c. discontinuity.

Q: The transition from short films to feature-length movies led to an emphasis on the quality of a. mise-en-scne, cinematography, acting, and editing. b. movie stars and complex narratives. c. the structure of the screenplay. d. movie palaces and early sound systems. e. the characters dialogue.

Q: The most important and stylistically influential director during the early years of Hollywood filmmaking was a. Edwin S. Porter. d. King Vidor. b. D. W. Griffith. e. Alice Guy Blach. c. Erich von Stroheim.

Q: Although a commercial and groundbreaking success, why did The Birth of a Nation (1915) spark nationwide controversy upon its release? a. It was the longest film ever produced. b. It was the most expensive film ever produced. c. It featured a graphic reenactment of Lincolns assassination. d. Its content was overtly racist. e. It borrowed cinematic techniques developed by other filmmakers.

Q: German expressionist film reflected an atmosphere of ________ in postWorld War I Germany. a. despair and self-reflection b. national pride c. fascism d. revolution e. cynicism, alienation, and disillusionment

Q: Which film genre was most notably influenced by German expressionism? a. sci-fi d. film noir b. melodrama e. musical c. screwball

Q: In addition to differences in narrative, what distinguishes Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror (1922) from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)? a. natural light versus artificial light b. long takes versus rapid cuts c. still versus moving cameras d. stylized versus naturalistic acting e. cinematic effects versus graphic effects

Q: The intent of dada and surrealism is to shock the viewer with the ________ juxtapositions of images. a. predictable d. seamless b. conventional e. logical c. unexpected

Q: Many films of the 1920s French avant-garde movement emphasized ________, which is based on the idea that a persons fate is determined by heredity and environment. a. naturalism d. Marxism b. free will e. radicalism c. surrealism

Q: Which dreamlike French avant-garde film was created by Spanish artists Luis Buuel and Salvador Dal? a. Ballet mcanique (1924) b. The Fall of the House of Usher (1928) c. An Andalusian Dog (1929) d. The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928) e. Viridiana (1961)

Q: The power of montage, as expressed by Soviet filmmakers of the 1920s, lies in its ability to a. create a seamless narrative. b. internalize a characters troubled emotions. c. elicit subjective point of view. d. manipulate the viewers perception and understanding. e. confuse the viewer.

Q: Which Soviet filmmaker is considered as important and innovative as D. W. Griffith? a. Lev Kuleshov d. Vsevolod I. Pudovkin b. Sergei Eisenstein e. Konstantin Stanislavsky c. Dziga Vertov

Q: The ________ was the first motion picture camera. a. fusil photographique d. magic lantern b. Cinmatographe e. Kinetograph c. Kinetoscope

Q: Not only could the Cinmatographe operate as a motion picture camera and film printer, it also served as a. a film studio. d. an editor. b. a projector. e. a peephole viewer. c. a sound recorder.

Q: The films of French magician and filmmaker Georges Mlis are best known for their innovative use of a. color film. d. special effects. b. crosscutting. e. flashbacks. c. close-ups.

Q: Who is credited with advancing the development of the narrative film and the production of the first Western? a. Thomas Edison d. Louis Lumire b. Georges Mlis e. G. A. Smith c. Edwin S. Porter

Q: Explain the effect of Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmanns use of sound effects in The Birds (1963).

Q: Explain why Orson Welles is considered to be the first sound designer in American film history.

Q: The four traditional approaches to film history are a. aesthetic, technological, economic, and social. b. technological, historical, financial, and international. c. pre-cinema, aesthetic, neo-cinema, and contemporary. d. geographical, social, cultural, and political. e. domestic, international, technological, and social.

Q: A term synonymous with the aesthetic approach to film history is the a. artistic approach. d. great director. b. narrative approach. e. auteur approach. c. masterpiece approach.

Q: Of all the arts, cinema seems to rely most heavily on a. cultural influences. d. marketing. b. artistic movements. e. technology. c. changing social attitudes.

Q: In addition to studying the studio system, historians who take the economic approach toward the film industry also take into account a. censorship and the rating system. d. lighting styles. b. on-screen stereotypes. e. screenwriters. c. directors and genres.

Q: The social approach to film history attempts to establish a link between motion pictures and a. technology and science. d. government, religion, and labor. b. the global marketplace. e. financial and critical success. c. character development.

Q: A device that projects an exterior image onto one side of a darkened room is called a a. lens. d. heliograph. b. camera obscura. e. silhouette projector. c. glass-plate.

Q: William Henry Fox Talbots greatest contribution to photography was a. glass-plate negatives. b. fixing an image on transparent material. c. mass production of photoreactive chemicals. d. the photosensitive copper plate. e. the camera lens.

Q: By drastically reducing ________, gelatin-covered paper made it possible for photographers to capture action spontaneously. a. copper d. hyposulfite thiosulfate b. sunlight e. the thickness of glass film c. exposure time

Q: The development of ________ served as the bridge between still photography and cinematography. a. series photography d. negative projection b. motion capture cameras e. heliography c. gelatin emulsion

Q: How does the music employed in The Crying Game (1992) help underscore the surprising turns in the story?

Q: How can music provide structural unity or coherence to a story?

Q: What unique challenges did The Hours (2002) create for Philip Glass, its musical composer, and how did he solve them?

Q: Which of the following is NOT an example of how sound is used as part of characterization? a. Horses whinny when a characters name is mentioned in Young Frankenstein (1974). b. Quint draws his fingernails across a chalkboard in Jaws (1975). c. A Javanese gamelan orchestra plays when Lester fantasizes about escaping to a better world in American Beauty (1999). d. A woman opens her mouth to scream and instead we hear a train whistle in The 39 Steps (1935). e. Bernstein sings as if he is having a good time in Citizen Kane (1943).

Q: Why is Ethan and Joel Coens use of silence in No Country for Old Men notable?

Q: Why is sound overlapped? a. to link and provide unity between disparate shots b. to fulfill an audiences expectation c. to convey a characters emotional state d. to underscore the theme of the movie e. to create rhythm beyond that created by the music

Q: How does the sound in an exclusive restaurant in The Player (1992) help to direct the audiences attention?

Q: What made Orson Welles famous overnight? a. his 1938 radio production of The War of the Worlds b. his Broadway adaptation of Julius Caesar c. his baritone voice in his performance as Charles Foster Kane d. his direction of Citizen Kane e. his modern adaptations of literary classics

Q: What was unusual about the sound production of Citizen Kane? a. Mixing of the sound effects occurred during preproduction. b. Dialogue was edited during production. c. No music was used. d. The music was composed before the rough cut of the film had been assembled. e. All the dialogue had to be looped.

Q: Which of the following film sounds are typically recorded during production? a. dialogue d. sound effects b. narration e. Foley sounds c. ambient sounds

Q: Explain the meaning of director Steven Spielbergs statement, The eye sees better when the sound is great.

Q: Provide an example of how music adds symbolic import and emotional impact to the footage we see on-screen.

Q: Tomlinson Holman said, Sound design is the art of getting the right sound in the right place at the right time. Explain this statement.

Q: How is pitch employed to shape our interpretation of the wizard in The Wizard of Oz (1939)?

Q: How does the sound design of the opening of Apocalypse Now (1979) shape the audiences perception of Captain Willard as well as set up the themes of the film?

Q: Explain how the use of nonfaithful sound when Charlie playfully points his fingers in the shape of a gun in Mean Streets (1973) contributes to our understanding of Charlies relationship with Teresa.

Q: How did Martin Scorsese and Frank Warner use sound to make the close-ups in the boxing ring of Raging Bull (1980) almost unbearable to watch and hear?

Q: Explain how the use of music in film may help to create irony. Provide a specific example from the text.

Q: How does the sound design of the opening scene in Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) function? a. It intentionally thwarts the audiences spatial and temporal expectations. b. It answers fundamental questions about the narrative. c. It helps the audience distinguish the individual sounds and understand how they are arranged in relation to one another. d. The audio mise-en-scne emphasizes the camaraderie of three desperadoes. e. The various nondiegetic sounds help us understand Harmonicas point of view.

Q: Which of the following is NOT true of dialogue? a. It is a function of plot since it grows out of the characters situations. b. It is a product of acting since it involves an actors voice, gestures, and facial expressions. c. It is one of the primary ways of telling a story. d. It is recorded during production or rerecorded during postproduction. e. It is the speech of characters who must be visible on-screen.

Q: What is the primary function of the sound used in the opening scene of Love Me Tonight (1932)? a. It creates rhythm. d. It sets up audience expectations. b. It offers insight into the protagonist. e. It creates a sound bridge. c. It grounds the audience spatially.

Q: How does the ambient sound of wind when Tom Joad returns to his familys home in The Grapes of Wrath (1940) shape the audiences interpretation of the scene? a. The high intensity of the wind suggests a tornado is coming, and we fear for Toms safety. b. The low sound of the wind underscores Toms loneliness and isolation. c. The squealing of the wind suggests rising tension between Tom and his family. d. The light breeze of the wind suggests a peaceful reunion. e. The high frequency of the wind highlights how unnerved Tom is to return.

Q: How does the grand operatic music used in the Helicopter Attack scene in Apocalypse Now (1979) help to reveal Lieutenant Colonel Kilgores character? a. It underscores his megalomania. b. It highlights how meek he is. c. It suggests he has a grounded, stable personality. d. It emphasizes his pacifism. e. It suggests his calming influence.

Q: What is the principal difference between traditional sound effects and Foley sounds? a. Traditional sound effects are unique; Foley sounds can be taken from a prerecorded library. b. Traditional sound effects are created and recorded wild; Foley sounds are recorded in sync with the picture. c. Traditional sound effects call attention to their own artificiality; Foley sounds enhance verisimilitude. d. Traditional sound effects rely on a variety of props to simulate everyday sounds; Foley sounds are recorded from the natural sounds of real things. e. Traditional sound effects exaggerate reality; Foley sounds are naturalistic.

Q: Which of the following Foley sounds were used to create the dramatic illusion of a glove breaking a nose while in the boxing ring of Raging Bull (1980)? a. the whoosh of an arrow d. the cries of an infant b. a knife stabbing a watermelon e. train whistles c. a fist hitting a side of a car

Q: Before Danny Elfman, Mark Mothersbaugh, Randy Newman, and Jonny Greenwood became some of Hollywoods most prolific contemporary composers, they were a. DJs. d. radio hosts. b. rock musicians. e. music producers. c. symphony conductors.

Q: a. Othello and Desdemona may still be alive. b. Fate was the cause of Othello and Desdemonas deaths. c. Their deaths could have been avoided. d. Bad luck was responsible for their deaths. e. Othello is in heaven; Desdemona is in hell. ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: Page 334 TOP: Music

Q: How do the following directors use music to enhance the pace of a film? a. Ang Lee uses a Japanese folk song to create a dreamlike pace in Brokeback Mountain (2005). b. Tom Tykwer uses techno-music to match the surreal tempo in Run Lola Run (1998). c. Joe Wright uses Gregorian chant to bring an ethereal mood to Atonement (2007). d. John Curran uses Rage Against the Machine songs to accelerate the pace of We Dont Live Here Anymore (2004). e. Lana Wachowski uses music by Johann Sebastian Bach to slow the tempo of The Matrix (1999).

Q: From a sound perspective, what is the major achievement of Black Hawk Down (2001)? a. multiple voice-over narration, which offers conflicting accounts of the same event b. the bold juxtaposition of images with contrasting music c. the silence used to produce a new rhythm d. music that is fused with sound effects to create a seamless tapestry e. incongruous nondiegetic sound for comic relief

Q: When is nondiegetic music recorded? a. It is recorded during the shoot so that it captures the spontaneity of the performance. b. It is recorded during preproduction so that actors can match their performance to the prerecorded music. c. It is recorded at the very end of the editing process so that it can be accurately matched to the images. d. It can be recorded at any point during the production. e. It is recorded after the script is written since its lyrics may stand in as dialogue.

Q: Which contemporary film uses silence most inventively? a. Joel and Ethan Coens No Country for Old Men (2007) b. Spike Lees Do the Right Thing (1989) c. Debra Granicks Winters Bone (2010) d. Stephen Daldrys The Hours (2002) e. Tom Tykwers Run Lola Run (1998)

Q: What is the most powerful sound used in Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010)? a. jungle noises. b. a short offscreen interior monologue. c. monks prayers. d. music from a TV melodrama. e. silence of the perceivable world and the afterworld.

Q: How does the sound in the beginning of War of the Worlds (2005) shape the audiences expectations? a. The soothing sound of the waves lapping up on the seashore lulls the audience into a false sense of peace. b. The gentle whoosh of the wind across the blue sky combined with the upbeat music suggests a happy ending. c. Loud, high-pitched sounds, accompanying eerie atmospheric effects, suggest something terrible is going to happen. d. The low-pitched foghorn, combined with the gentle purr of a cat, suggest this may be the calm before the storm. e. The carnival music, loud crowd sounds, and sirens blaring foreshadow danger.

Q: Which of the following sounds do NOT contribute to the doomsday atmosphere when the tripods attack the fleeing crowds in War of the Worlds (2005)? a. army tanks firing missiles b. crowds rushing back and forth c. massive tripods crashing through the landscape d. silence e. electronic sounds

Q: How does the sound of Harlan Ogilvy sharpening a large blade in War of the Worlds (2005) affect the audience? a. It leads the audience to believe that Ogilvy may become an evil force. b. It suggests Ogilvy could be an ally. c. The soothing tones suggest a happy ending. d. It provides irony since the viewers know a new demonic force now rules the world. e. It provides relief since the characters could use a large blade.

Q: How does an audience process visual and sound elements in a film? a. They tend to see images as a whole, while they hear sound as individual elements. b. They are slow to differentiate visual elements but are quicker to separate sound into its constituent parts. c. They interpret visual elements emotionally, while an audience is far more analytical when it comes to sound elements. d. They can easily differentiate visual elements, while it is more challenging for them to separate sound into its constituent parts. e. They are more easily emotionally manipulated by visual elements than sound elements.

Q: While dialogue in most movies represents ordinary speech, the screwball comedies of the 1930s invented a. a serious, naturalistic style. b. a fast, witty style that called attention to itself. c. a languorous, slow style that expressed romantic longing. d. a staccato, clipped manner of speech. e. a proper, formal style.

Q: The sound effect of a bomb exploding when a vase falls in Love Me Tonight (1932) can best be characterized as a. not faithful to its source. d. complex in quality. b. diegetic. e. simultaneous. c. low-pitched.

Q: What is the difference between diegetic and nondiegetic sound? a. Diegetic sound is offscreen; nondiegetic sound can be on-screen or offscreen. b. Diegetic sound provides no relevant spatial or temporal dimensions; nondiegetic sound provides an awareness of where the sound emanates. c. Diegetic sound is recorded during postproduction; nondiegetic sound is recorded during production. d. Diegetic sound originates from a source within a films world; nondiegetic sound comes from outside that world. e. Diegetic sound is assumed to be inaudible to the on-screen characters; nondiegetic sound accompanies action and speech depicted on-screen.

Q: Sound that comes from a place within the world of a story, and that we assume is heard by characters in that world, is known as a. ambient sound. d. nonsimultaneous sound. b. internal sound. e. external sound. c. diegetic sound.

Q: In the opening sequence of The Shining (1980), the electronic music, which does not emanate from an on-screen location, is a. diegetic. d. on-screen sound. b. low-pitched. e. external sound. c. nondiegetic.

Q: What is the effect of hearing nondiegetic orchestral score music as we see David cross the dance floor in search of a potential partner in The Lobster (2015)? a. It underscores the absurdity and humor of the scene. b. It provides an awareness of the spatial and temporal dimensions of Mt. Rushmore. c. It increases our identification with the characters. d. It emphasizes his anxiety in this high-stakes situation. e. It increases the audiences awareness of the danger that the characters face.

Q: Which of the following sounds are typically used to draw the attention of an audience? a. sound effects faithful to their source b. a synchronous sound bridge c. nondiegetic, offscreen sound to the exclusion of all else d. medium pitch sound e. diegetic sound effects

Q: In Le Million (1931), director Ren Clairs decision to have the sounds of a football game humorously play over a scene featuring characters scrambling to find a valuable lottery ticket is a use of a. synchronous sound. d. on-screen sound. b. asynchronous sound. e. simultaneous sound. c. diegetic sound.

Q: Which of the following is an example of synchronous sound? a. Characters search for a lost dog, and the audience hears the sounds of a hockey game. b. A bottle of champagne is opened, and the audience hears a pop as the cork flies across the room. c. A baby cries, and the audience hears the roar of a lion. d. A couple fights, and the audience hears an ambulance siren. e. A woman opens her mouth to scream, and the sound of a train whistle is heard.

Q: What is the significance of the offscreen sound used when Lieutenant Fontaine is imprisoned in A Man Escaped (1956)? a. The offscreen sounds of daily life represent the world outside the prison, and therefore, freedom. b. The offscreen sounds of other prisoners wailing suggest the tyranny of the Nazis. c. The offscreen sounds of rain, thunder, and lightning represent the power of nature. d. The offscreen sounds of cell doors and keys clanking suggest the gears of justice are in motion. e. The offscreen sounds of gunshots suggest he may soon be liberated.