Cinema and Theater: English Vocabulary List

a form of performing art that narrates a story using complex dance movements set to music but no words

"She performed ballet."

"The ballet performance at the theater was so graceful that the audience gave a standing ovation."

a well-known street in New York City where many theaters are located, which is considered the center of theater industry in the US

"She dreams of performing on Broadway one day."

"Seeing a Broadway musical in New York is an unforgettable experience because of the incredible talent."

a full-length movie that has a story

"They watched a feature film."

"His first feature film was shot on a tiny budget but became a surprise hit worldwide."

a book, movie, play, etc. that continues and extends the story of an earlier one

"The sequel to the hit video game will be released next year."

"A spiritual sequel is a new work that is not a direct narrative continuation"

a thing that achieves great widespread popularity or financial success, particularly a movie, book, or other product

"The blockbuster was popular."

"The movie became a blockbuster worldwide."

to give a hint, signal, or prompt to a performer to act, speak, or continue

"Cue the music when I signal."

"The stage manager will cue the lighting technician when it is time for the spotlight to shine on the main actor."

the style in which a movie is shot

"The camerawork was excellent."

"The film's camerawork was so shaky that many viewers felt nauseous watching the action sequences."

the final practice of a play or live show, in which the same costumes and lights are used as the live performance

"Final dress rehearsal successful."

"The actors had the final dress rehearsal before the important opening night of the new play last week."

(of images or drawings in a movie) made to appear as if they are in motion

"The movie is animated."

"The animated movie was fun for both children and adults because it had clever jokes and bright colors."

a style of art, music, literature, film, etc. that has its own special features

"My favorite genre of film is science fiction."

"A cross-genre artist refuses to be confined by a single category"

the script and written instructions used in producing a motion picture

"She won an Oscar for her original and deeply moving screenplay."

"She spent three years writing the screenplay for her first feature film."

a very strong beam of light that can be cast on someone or something, particularly a person on stage

"She stood in spotlight."

"The singer stood alone in the spotlight while the orchestra played softly behind her on stage."

the most significant moment in a story, play, movie, etc. with a high dramatic suspense

"The story reached climax."

"The movie reached its climax when the hero finally confronted the villain in an intense duel."

transcribed or translated words of the narrative or dialogues of a movie or TV show, appearing at the bottom of the screen to help deaf people or those who do not understand the language

"I watch the foreign film with English subtitles."

"Interlingual subtitles translate spoken dialogue from one language into another"

the musical piece that is played at the beginning or the end of a TV or radio program or a motion picture

"Beautiful theme music played."

"The beautiful theme music of the movie is still playing in my head many days after watching it."

someone who evaluates and provides opinions or judgments about various forms of art, literature, performances, or other creative works

"The critic wrote a review."

"The critic praised the performance but also pointed out a few weak parts."

someone whose job is making their audience laugh through jokes

"The comedian was funny."

"The comedian told a series of funny jokes that made the audience laugh so hard that tears rolled down their cheeks."

a selection from different parts of a movie, TV series, games, etc. shown before they become available to the public

"We saw a trailer for the new superhero film."

"The trailer for the upcoming thriller revealed just enough to build excitement."

a well-known and highly respected piece of writing, music, or movie that is considered valuable and of high quality

"That car is a classic."

"The classic novel is still read and loved by people of all ages."

to present a play or other event to an audience

"Stage the play soon."

"The theater company plans to stage a revival of the beloved musical next spring."

to choose a performer to play a role in a movie, opera, play, etc.

"The director casts famous actors only."

"The director will cast an unknown actor in the lead role rather than hiring a famous movie star."

to change a book or play in a way that can be made into a movie, TV series, etc.

"They adapt the book."

"The director decided to adapt the classic novel into a visually stunning and thought-provoking film."

a movie, TV program, etc. that is based on a book or play

"The movie was an adaptation."

"This new film is a faithful adaptation of the classic novel, capturing its spirit and themes."

to edit a film and prepare it by removing or reordering parts of it

"The editor will cut."

"The director asked the editor to cut the scene where the protagonist reveals the secret."

to make a movie, music, etc. available to the public

"They will release the film."

"The highly anticipated album is scheduled for release next Friday, much to the excitement of fans worldwide."

the place where tickets for admission to an event are sold

"Buy tickets at box office."

"The highly anticipated film shattered box office records during its opening weekend."

to practice a play, piece of music, etc. before the public performance

"The actors rehearse their lines daily."

"The theater group will rehearse the play every evening for two weeks before the opening night performance."

to play the role of a character in a movie, play, etc.

"He will portray him."

"The talented actor was chosen to portray the complex historical figure with great authenticity."

to explain the events taking place in a movie, documentary, etc. as part of the program itself

"He will narrate the audio book."

"The author chose to narrate the story from the perspective of a young child which made it very engaging."

the act of supervising the cast and crew and giving them instructions in the production of a motion picture, play, etc.

"The director gave direction."

"The film's success was largely due to the director's clear vision and precise guidance."

to change the original language of a movie or TV show into another language

"They dub foreign films into English."

"The foreign film was dubbed into English so that American audiences could understand the dialogue without reading subtitles."

related to acting, plays, or the theater

"The dramatic play was."

"The dramatic change in his appearance surprised everyone because he had lost so much weight."

the raw material that is filmed by a video or movie camera

"The news showed footage of the fire."

"The security camera footage showed the robber entering the store through the back door."

a written description of the characters, events, or settings in a movie or play

"Let me imagine a different scenario."

"The director rejected the scenario because it lacked a compelling and believable ending."

a main part of a play, opera, or ballet

"The first act was long."

"The second act of the play introduced a dramatic twist that captivated the entire audience."

a short break between different parts of a theatrical or musical performance

"We had an interval."

"The interval between acts allowed the audience to stretch their legs and get refreshments."

an actor who plays the main role in a play or movie

"She is the lead."

"The talented actress was chosen to play the lead role in the upcoming Broadway musical."

a dangerous and difficult action that shows great skill and is done to entertain people, typically as part of a movie

"The stunt was dangerous."

"The stunt impressed the crowd."

an unexpected turn in the course of events

"The film has a shocking final plot twist that changes everything."

"The story takes an unexpected twist when the hero is revealed as the villain."

the events that have happened to a character before their story in a book, movie, etc. begins

"The backstory mattered."

"The film's villain had a tragic backstory that explained why he became so evil and bitter."