General Film Studies Vocabulary

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Persistence of vision

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A phenomenon where the eye retains an image for a fraction of a second after the source has been removed, crucial for the illusion of motion in film.

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Zoetrope

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A pre-film animation device that produces the illusion of motion by displaying a sequence of drawings or photographs showing progressive phases of that motion.

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Camera obscura

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An optical device that led to the development of photography and the photographic camera.

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Soviet montage theory

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A film theory that emphasizes the importance of editing and the juxtaposition of images to create meaning.

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Non-linear storytelling

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A narrative technique where events are portrayed out of chronological order.

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CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery)

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The use of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, films, television programs, shorts, commercials, videos, and simulators.

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Breaking the fourth wall

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A technique where characters show their awareness of the audience or the fact that they are in a work of fiction.

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Silent era

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The period of film history from the late 1890s to the late 1920s when films were not accompanied by synchronized recorded sound.

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Talkies

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Films with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to silent films.

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Studio system

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A method of film production and distribution dominated by a small number of 'major' studios in Hollywood.