Q&A Hero

Q: You are a movie producer making an independent film with a budget of $100,000. Which studio are you most likely to be affiliated with? a. 20th Century Fox d. DreamWorks b. Universal e. Zeitgeist Films c. Paramount

Q: How have movie franchises fed off TV franchises? a. by giving popular TV characters a larger stage b. by recognizing that audiences enjoy the development of a single story over a long course of time c. by identifying which genres are more popular as franchises d. by identifying new actors that will be popular with audiences e. by recognizing that hiring the same crew for the whole franchise increases efficiency

Q: In what way are the major Hollywood studios facing a challenge heading into the future? a. Movie franchises are doing poorly. b. Several studios and theater chains have gone bankrupt due to digital conversion. c. Continuing to enhance the appeal of movies for the large foreign audience. d. Tickets prices are going down. e. Dwindling box office attendance for superhero films.

Q: The largest foreign consumer of Hollywood films is a. Germany. d. China. b. Britain. e. India. c. Japan.

Q: Which of the following innovations was met with predictions that it would be the end of cinema? a. the Kinetoscope d. digital distribution b. CGI e. the rating system c. 3-D

Q: For studio system-era executives, television represented a. a government-sanctioned opportunity to combine film and television production. b. the opportunity to loan out their stars to television companies. c. a threat to lure away their audiences. d. a source of inspiration for scripts. e. a source of inspiration for remakes.

Q: What is the main reason the U.S. box office made more money in 2013 than in 2012? a. More movies were shot in 3-D. b. Ticket prices were higher. c. There were more movies targeting the 2 to 11 year old demographic. d. More movies were part of a franchise. e. There were more LGBT characters portrayed on screen.

Q: What was the name of the 1926 agreement that stabilized relations between studios and unions? a. Production Code d. Studio Basic Agreement b. Paramount Decision e. Herriot-Hays Agreement c. Paramount Case

Q: Which of the following best describes the rating system implemented by the Motion Picture Association of America? a. It arbitrarily assigns value judgments about films. b. It has no effect on the marketing of a film. c. It significantly affects the potential size of a films future audience. d. It evaluates the adaptation of a script to the final film. e. It is mandated for all films exhibited in the United States.

Q: To crew members working in the studio system, labor unions represented a. an opportunity to campaign for better pay and working conditions. b. a way of communicating more directly with the U.S. government. c. a threat to their livelihood. d. a major development of the 1950s. e. a way of opposing strict division of labor.

Q: Issuing a film in limited release in first-run theaters in major cities is typically used to a. discern whether it will find favor with moviegoing audiences. b. begin the release platform for a large-budget blockbuster. c. write off a film the studio considers to have few commercial prospects. d. end the theatrical run of a film. e. get the film in as many markets as quickly as possible.

Q: Within the filmmaking process, what does division of labor refer to? a. assigning professionals to particular activities b. a highly inefficient method of production c. a way for studios to lower pay scales d. one reason for the decline of the studio system e. a method Hollywood used to combat the rise of television

Q: Professional organizations in the motion picture industry engage in which of the following activities? a. seek equity in pay and working conditions b. assist with the rating system in film regulation c. protect artists rights amid the industrys conversion to digital production d. support the recognition of outstanding achievements of their members to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences e. represent members in collective bargaining

Q: As a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927, your adopted mission is to a. successfully integrate Hollywood with international filmmaking centers. b. fight the perception that Hollywood is a prestige source of art. c. improve the artistic standards of film. d. report to the U.S. government about your business plans. e. encourage independent filmmaking.

Q: Which of the following is not a category Academy voters make Oscar nominations for and then vote on to determine the winner? a. Best Casting d. Best Sound Editing. b. Best Live-Action Short Film e. Best Sound Mixing c. Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Q: As a historian studying the first twenty years of the U.S. film industry, what is the main business trend you notice? a. geographical dispersal of studios b. growth in size of production companies from individual-owned to corporate c. rise in West Coast financial investment d. instability among production units e. decline in the role of producers

Q: Which of the following best summarizes the arrangement of financing in Hollywood today? a. It is strictly aligned to money invested by a studio. b. It is strictly aligned to money invested by venture capitalists. c. It is largely unchanged since the golden age studio system. d. Only one person can claim on-screen credit for serving as line producer. e. It can combine funding from a producer and external business interests.

Q: The ratio between above-the-line costs and below-the-line costs in todays film budgets is generally a. 30:70. d. 60:40. b. 40:60. e. 70:30. c. 50:50.

Q: You are invited to a preview screening for an upcoming film. Which of these might you be asked to do? a. Fill out a questionnaire. b. Discuss promotional strategies with the marketing team. c. Laugh at particular points in the film. d. Meet with the actors. e. Supply your name for an on-screen credit.

Q: You are a producer previewing your film. Based on the responses of your focus group, you may a. decide to make changes to the final cut. b. reduce the budget of your film. c. fire your director. d. reshoot the entire film with a new cast. e. rewrite the script of the film.

Q: Vertically integrating your business operations allows you to a. reduce the space demands of your business. b. control all aspects of production, distribution, and exhibition. c. fire most of your staff to lower your expenses. d. encourage healthy competition in the marketplace. e. win favor from governmental agencies.

Q: Which of the following is an important job in the last weeks of postproduction? a. setting a release date for the film d. determining above-the-line costs b. casting the film e. shooting the film c. location scouting

Q: You are a historian studying changes in the budgeting system between the old studio system versus todays independent system. What is your primary conclusion? a. There is almost complete continuity in financial practices. b. Today there is more interaction between producers and assistant directors. c. The studio system model was less corrupt than its contemporary counterpart. d. Directors gain complete autonomy by nature of the financial process. e. Creativity extends only to production practices and not financial activities.

Q: As an executive of a contemporary production company, screening the answer print to preview audiences is most useful because a. it allows you to control the reception of your film. b. it boosts your market share within the industry. c. it generates salient data about how particular audiences might respond to your film. d. it is a new approach that breaks with studio system-era practices. e. it reveals what your eventual gross will be.

Q: You are a studio mogul prior to 1931. Which of these is NOT a reason to resist unionization? a. Unions attempted to dislodge moguls. b. Unions sought to break long-term contracts. c. Unions tried to raise workers pay. d. Unions threatened strikes. e. Unions tried to gain more on-screen credit and recognition for studio workers.

Q: You are preparing your final print, making decisions about marketing, and exhibiting your film. You are engaged in the process of a. production. d. casting. b. postproduction. e. directing. c. preproduction.

Q: Which of the following best describes the goals of the Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC)? a. promoting Hollywood abroad b. seeking control of the motion picture industry by removing competitors c. lobbying the government for freedom of speech d. experimenting with new technologies e. undermining monopolistic practices in the United States

Q: Prior to 1931, typical Hollywood studios modeled this organizational structure a. the producer-unit system. b. the package-unit system. c. the central producer system. d. a hybrid structure that favored independent producers. e. There was no formal studio structure at this time.

Q: The producer-unit system typically included which of the following titles? a. general manager d. sound designer b. cinematographer e. actor c. editor

Q: Under the producer-unit system at MGM, a general manager would a. liaise with subordinate managers to control the production process. b. be on-set every day to supervise the shoot. c. coordinate business practices with other studios. d. inspect film stock to maintain print quality. e. report daily to the executive manager.

Q: By the mid-1930s, the five major studios were a. Paramount, MGM, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and RKO b. Paramount, MGM, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Universal Studios c. Paramount, MGM, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Columbia Pictures d. Paramount, MGM, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and United Artists e. Paramount, MGM, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Republic Pictures

Q: A vertically integrated studio controls a. production, distribution, and exhibition. b. only production and distribution. c. only production and exhibition. d. only distribution and exhibition. e. only production.

Q: Which of the following best describes MGM? a. It was a poverty row enterprise. b. It is no longer in existence today. c. Irving Thalberg was a senior executive there. d. It was the largest of the majors. e. Its backlot was so small that it had to lease soundstages from other studios.

Q: Which of the following statements is true about United Artists? a. Charles Chaplin was one of the founders. b. Daryl F. Zanuck ran production from 1933 until 1956. c. It was a major studio. d. It was established to give artists less control over how their movies were distributed and marketed. e. It was part of MGM.

Q: Which of the following is a poverty row studio? a. United Artists d. Republic Pictures b. Universal Studios e. David O. Selznick Productions c. Lionsgate Films

Q: All of the following contributed to the decline of the studio system EXCEPT a. World War II restrictions. b. the rise of television. c. an economic recession in the United States. d. decentralized management structure. e. federal government intervention.

Q: The following statement best describes the central producer by the mid-1930s: a. a delegator with complete financial control. b. a delegator with no financial control. c. a figurehead with no authority. d. a micromanager with complete financial control. e. a micromanager with no financial control.

Q: Which of the following is true of the package-unit system? a. It was an organizational structure that typically included several managers and individual unit production supervisors. b. It was typically embraced by independent producers. c. It emerged in the 1950s. d. It resulted in movies with a predictable technical quality and studio look. e. It was only used by Warner Bros. and Columbia.

Q: Which of the following best describes the package-unit system? a. a modern invention that found favor in the 1990s b. a model that studios used to resist independent filmmakers c. a way of concealing the true costs of a production from East Coast financiers d. a system pioneered by Irving Thalberg that propelled MGM to success e. a personalized approach to film production that departed from the studio systems model

Q: The three phases of postproduction include a. editing, preparing the final print, bringing the film to the public. b. editing, preparing the final print, repaying investors. c. editing, bringing the film to the public, repaying investors. d. editing, repaying investors, determining ticket prices. e. bringing the film to the public, repaying investors, determining ticket prices.

Q: The roots of the studio system in the first decade of the twentieth century can be traced to the pioneering work of which of the following people? a. D. W. Griffith d. Josef von Sternberg b. Edmund Goulding e. Carl Laemmle c. Thomas Edison

Q: Very slow film stock a. is also known as reversal film stock. b. produces a grainy image. c. cannot shoot in color. d. requires little light. e. requires a lot of light.

Q: In traditional film production, the cinematographer controls the photographic image in which of the following ways? a. sound design d. actors performances b. choice of film stock e. mise-en-scne c. slow-motion

Q: Which of the following is the key difference between digital and analog filmmaking? a. Digital filmmaking does not require preproduction. b. Digital filmmaking shoots eighteen, rather than twenty-four, frames per second. c. Digital filmmaking uses a sensor to record images. d. Digital filmmaking uses different size gauges to determine resolution of the image. e. Digital cameras do not have a lens or aperture.

Q: When a director consults with her cinematographer, it is primarily to a. ask for advice about directing the actors. b. inquire whether cost considerations prohibit potential setups. c. check whether the contents of the script are being respected. d. consider whether continuity is being enforced. e. discuss how practical considerations will configure the aesthetic of the eventual image.

Q: Which of the following statements are correct about digital technology? a. Digital technology is more costly for distributors and exhibitors than film technology. b. Digital technology is less versatile than film technology. c. Digital technology uses more light than film technology. d. Digital technology requires more laboratory processing than film technology. e. Digital technology is cheaper to work with than film technology.

Q: The preproduction phase is often associated with which of the following? a. blocking and lighting rehearsals d. reviewing the dailies b. shooting footage e. rewriting a script c. marketing the film

Q: You are obtaining the rights to a script, securing financing for a film, and hiring a cast and crew for a production. This is part of the process of a. postproduction. d. distribution. b. production. e. exhibition. c. preproduction.

Q: During the production phase, the principal activities of a director generally include which of the following? a. color grading d. sound editing b. reviewing rushes e. arranging financing c. developing a marketing strategy

Q: As a director in the process of production, your job might generally include which of the following? a. scouting locations b. adding the musical score c. breaking down the shooting script into manageable sections for each day of shooting d. scheduling studio space e. raising money to pay your employees

Q: Which of the following production scenarios likely would require the smallest crew? a. an exterior location scene involving multiple camera and lighting setups b. an exterior location scene involving a busy city street during the day c. an exterior location scene involving the creation of artificial snow d. an exterior location scene involving two actors and one setup e. an exterior location scene involving many extras and animals

Q: The size of the crew ultimately depends on a. how experienced the cinematographer is. b. whether the film is on schedule. c. union regulations. d. the directors preference. e. the needs of the shot.

Q: In what ways does Akira Kurosawas Ran (1985) reflect Japanese culture, tradition, and attitudes?

Q: With the exception of Satyajit Ray and a few others, many of Indias filmmakers remain virtually unknown in the United States. What is it about Ray and his work that brings international recognition and sets it apart from the works of lesser-known Indian filmmakers?

Q: Explain the factors and changes that transformed Hollywood in the postwar period and brought about the New American Cinema.

Q: As a filmmaker, if you make a film using an analog medium, this means that a. the image is composed of pixels. b. the image is composed of digits. c. the image is a virtual representation. d. the image is legible to the naked eye. e. the image is not legible to the naked eye.

Q: In addition to movies, what other artifacts might film historians use in their research?

Q: What is the largest format of film stock? a. 8mm d. Super 8mm b. 35mm e. 70mm c. IMAX

Q: Explain the similarities and differences between aesthetic and economic approaches to studying film history?

Q: Describe the basic components of Thomas Edisons Black Maria, considered the first motion picture studio.

Q: Citing the works of Thomas Edison, William Laurie Dickson, and others, explain how historic milestones such as the invention of movies are seldom the result of a single inventor or development.

Q: How did D. W. Griffiths The Birth of a Nation (1915) influence the evolution of the feature film and help develop classical Hollywood cinema?

Q: What key factors led to the demise of the German expressionistic film movement?

Q: Explain what Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein meant by montage of attractions and how this approach differed from the classical Hollywood style.

Q: Why did most films produced during Hollywoods golden age lack the cinematic innovations that swept Europe?

Q: What are the key stylistic characteristics of the highly influential yet short-lived Italian neorealism film movement?

Q: Why is Breathless (1960) by Jean-Luc Godard considered a definitive catalog of the French New Wave movement that reinforces auteur theory?

Q: Although new wave movements of the postwar era embraced freedom of expression by breaking from cinematic conventions, why does the Danish Dogme 95 movement seem more restrictive than other movements of the period?

Q: What was the intended purpose of the Oberhausen Manifesto, and how did it ultimately contribute to the rebirth of German cinema?

Q: Many of the new wave movements pursued by postwar European filmmakers stressed a. continuity in editing. d. psychological truth. b. Hollywood filmmaking styles. e. complex political ideology. c. social realism.

Q: What effect did the reception of Jim Jarmuschs Stranger Than Paradise (1984) have on independent film production? a. It made it more difficult for independent films to find audiences. b. It diverted financing from studio pictures. c. It ushered in an era of minimalist films. d. It revitalized the foreign film market in the united states. e. It encouraged independent film production.

Q: Inspired by the Free Cinema movement, ________ was the first major British film to explore homosexuality in contemporary English society. a. Victim (1961) d. The Servant (1963) b. Room at the Top (1959) e. Kes (1969) c. We Are the Lambeth Boys (1958)

Q: The framing, lighting, and experimental use of color utilized by emerging cinematographers of the New American Cinema were drawn from ________ filmmaking techniques. a. classic Hollywood d. European b. naturalistic e. Soviet c. French New Wave

Q: Free Cinema, Dogme 95, Das neue Kino, and other new wave movements sought to break from cinematic conventions, revitalize filmmaking, and a. increase profits. b. reduce the influence of the director. c. nationalize filmmaking. d. explore cinema as a subject in itself. e. shock audiences.

Q: Which movie is considered the masterpiece of the Italian neorealism movement? a. Luchino Viscontis Ossessione (1943) b. Roberto Rossellinis Rome, Open City (1945) c. Vittorio De Sicas Shoeshine (1946) d. Vittorio De Sicas The Bicycle Thieves (1948) e. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardennes LEnfant (2005)

Q: Which of the following was NOT a requirement for Danish filmmakers who agreed to The Vow of Chastity ? a. All shooting must take place on location. b. No use of flashbacks is allowed. c. Plots must never revolve around murder. d. The camera must remain stationary. e. The film must be shot on Academy 35mm color film stock.

Q: Which Japanese film features four different points of view and is credited with the birth of Japans golden age of cinema? a. The Life of Oharu (1952) d. Ikuru (1952) b. Seven Samurai (1954) e. Late Spring (1954) c. Rashomon (1950)

Q: Prior to 1990, East German film production remained under the control of a. West Germany. d. France. b. the Soviet Union. e. Great Britain. c. Hollywood studios.

Q: The founders of the Das neue Kino movement believed that revitalization of the German cinema required recognizing both the divisive effects of Germanys Nazi past and a. German nationalism. b. French avant-garde cinema. c. the importance of East German filmmakers. d. commercial exploitation. e. postwar Germany as a divided country.

Q: Films of Japans Nuberu Bagu movement include what two notable characteristics? a. romance and murder b. humor and self-reflection c. brutality and nihilism d. violence and comedy e. nationalism and black and white imagery