CINEMATOGRAPHY TERMS EXAM QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY LATEST UPDATE 2026
aerial view shot - Answers taken from an aircraft or very high crane, this shot photographs a scene
from directly overhead
backlight - Answers when the lights for a shot derive from the rear of the set, creating highlights on
the subject and separating the subject from the background, thus increasing the appearance of three-
dimensionality
cinematography - Answers the discipline of making lighting and camera choices when recording
photographic images for the cinema
close-up - Answers shows the full head and sometimes the shoulders
crane shot - Answers a shot taken from a crane, which resembles a huge mechanical arm
deep-focus photography - Answers a technique of photography that permits all distance planes to
remain clearly in focus, from close up to far out
dolly shot - Answers a shot taken by a camera fixed to a wheeled support
extreme close-up - Answers shows only a part of a character's face
extreme long shot - Answers shows a broad view of the surroundings around the character and
conveys scale, distance, and geographic location
eye-level shot - Answers a shot that is made from the observer's eye level and usually implies that the
observer's attitude is neutral to the subject being photographed
fill light - Answers secondary lights are used to augment the key light
floodlight - Answers a lamp that produces soft (diffuse) light
focusable spotlight - Answers a lamp that produces hard, mirror-like light
frontal angles - Answers tends to flatten the three-dimensionality of facial features and environments
hand-held camera - Answers a shot taken with a moving camera that is often deliberately shaky,
suggesting documentary footage in an uncontrolled setting
high-angle shot - Answers a shot in which the subject is photographed from above
high-key lighting - Answers lighting that produces an image with very little contrast between darks
and lights
key light - Answers the main source of illumination for a shot
lighting ratio - Answers the relationship and balance between illumination and shadow - the balance
between key light and fill light
long shot - Answers we see the character's full body and some of the surroundings
low-angle shot - Answers a shot in which the subject is photographed from below
low-key lighting - Answers lighting that creates strong contrasts; sharp, deep shadows; and an overall
gloomy atmosphere
medium close-up - Answers shows a character from the middle of the chest to the top of the head
medium shot - Answers shows a character from the waist up
medium long shot - Answers shows a character usually cut off across the legs above or below the
knees
oblique-angle shot - Answers a shot photographed at an odd angle by a tilted camera
180-degree rule system - Answers a system which has two basic assumptions: (1) the action within a
scene will always advance along a straight line; (2) the camera will remain consistently on one side of
that action
over-the-shoulder shot - Answers a shot of two people, with the camera placed just behind the
shoulder of one character and facing the opposite character
pan - Answers a revolving horizontal movement of the camera from left to right or vice versa
point-of-view shot - Answers any shot that is taken from the vantage point of a character in the film,
showing what the character sees
reflector board - Answers a board that is used to reflect light on a subject that is being filmed
rule of thirds - Answers a rule that divides the frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically; the
points where the vertical and horizontal lines cross are aesthetically pleasing spots to place subjects
or to have perspective lines converge
shooting angle - Answers the level and the height of the camera in relation to the subject being
photographed
steadicam - Answers a camera suspended from an articulated arm that is attached to a vest strapped
to the cameraman's body, permitting him to remain steady during "handheld" shots
tilt - Answers a shot photographed by a tilted camera
aerial view shot - Answers taken from an aircraft or very high crane, this shot photographs a scene
from directly overhead
backlight - Answers when the lights for a shot derive from the rear of the set, creating highlights on
the subject and separating the subject from the background, thus increasing the appearance of three-
dimensionality
cinematography - Answers the discipline of making lighting and camera choices when recording
photographic images for the cinema
close-up - Answers shows the full head and sometimes the shoulders
crane shot - Answers a shot taken from a crane, which resembles a huge mechanical arm
deep-focus photography - Answers a technique of photography that permits all distance planes to
remain clearly in focus, from close up to far out
dolly shot - Answers a shot taken by a camera fixed to a wheeled support
extreme close-up - Answers shows only a part of a character's face
extreme long shot - Answers shows a broad view of the surroundings around the character and
conveys scale, distance, and geographic location
eye-level shot - Answers a shot that is made from the observer's eye level and usually implies that the
observer's attitude is neutral to the subject being photographed
fill light - Answers secondary lights are used to augment the key light
floodlight - Answers a lamp that produces soft (diffuse) light
focusable spotlight - Answers a lamp that produces hard, mirror-like light
frontal angles - Answers tends to flatten the three-dimensionality of facial features and environments
hand-held camera - Answers a shot taken with a moving camera that is often deliberately shaky,
suggesting documentary footage in an uncontrolled setting
high-angle shot - Answers a shot in which the subject is photographed from above
high-key lighting - Answers lighting that produces an image with very little contrast between darks
and lights
key light - Answers the main source of illumination for a shot
lighting ratio - Answers the relationship and balance between illumination and shadow - the balance
between key light and fill light
long shot - Answers we see the character's full body and some of the surroundings
low-angle shot - Answers a shot in which the subject is photographed from below
low-key lighting - Answers lighting that creates strong contrasts; sharp, deep shadows; and an overall
gloomy atmosphere
medium close-up - Answers shows a character from the middle of the chest to the top of the head
medium shot - Answers shows a character from the waist up
medium long shot - Answers shows a character usually cut off across the legs above or below the
knees
oblique-angle shot - Answers a shot photographed at an odd angle by a tilted camera
180-degree rule system - Answers a system which has two basic assumptions: (1) the action within a
scene will always advance along a straight line; (2) the camera will remain consistently on one side of
that action
over-the-shoulder shot - Answers a shot of two people, with the camera placed just behind the
shoulder of one character and facing the opposite character
pan - Answers a revolving horizontal movement of the camera from left to right or vice versa
point-of-view shot - Answers any shot that is taken from the vantage point of a character in the film,
showing what the character sees
reflector board - Answers a board that is used to reflect light on a subject that is being filmed
rule of thirds - Answers a rule that divides the frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically; the
points where the vertical and horizontal lines cross are aesthetically pleasing spots to place subjects
or to have perspective lines converge
shooting angle - Answers the level and the height of the camera in relation to the subject being
photographed
steadicam - Answers a camera suspended from an articulated arm that is attached to a vest strapped
to the cameraman's body, permitting him to remain steady during "handheld" shots
tilt - Answers a shot photographed by a tilted camera
